ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, April 1, 1996 TAG: 9604010074
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: S.D. HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER
THE STUDENTS have been accepted to the college but have not necessarily decided whether they will enroll. For many, that depends on how much scholarship money they win.
Prospective freshmen at Roanoke College don't merely fill out scholarship applications, mail them off and hope for the best.
They visit the Salem campus and compete with each other for a slice of a $1.9 million scholarship pie.
More than 250 students took part in this year's competition, a four-day event at which a different group vied every day. They came from as nearby as Wirtz, as far away as Japan.
The final group spent last Monday at the college, being interviewed by faculty members, participating in group question-and-answer sessions and writing creative essays - all in a classroom setting.
"If you could be the principal of your high school, what would you change?'' Roanoke College senior Kevin Harris asked one group of the college's top academic prospects.
"If I were a principal, I would try to make the teacher salaries more quality-based than seniority-based," said Benjamin Collman of Sanabel Island, Fla.
Bettina Harper of Wirtz said she would introduce more vocational programs in her high school - particularly for students who don't plan to get a four-year college degree.
Not every question was so easy.
"What Disney character is your favorite and why?'' Roanoke College freshman Lisa Blankenship asked.
"Figaro," the cat from Pinnochio, said Kimberly Curtis of Chester. "He never says a word through the whole movie but steals every scene through his wit."
The competing students have already been accepted to the college but have not necessarily decided whether they will enroll. For many students, that depends on how much scholarship money they win.
Every student who participates - and enrolls - will receive at least $1,000 annually for up to four years. A few will receive the full ride: tuition, room and board for four years.
College officials say that whether a student enrolls often depends on the scholarships they are offered.
Most of the students interviewed Monday said they also were competing for scholarships at other schools.
Scholarship competitions have been used by more colleges recently, said Michael Maxey, vice president of admissions services at Roanoke College.
"In some respects, it's tied to private and public schools trying to compete for the top end of students," he said.
"It is such a good way to recruit the excellence of students."
Historically, about 70 percent of the students who compete at Roanoke College go on to enroll at the school.
Of 466 high school seniors who applied to Roanoke College for next fall, the school invited 263 students to compete. Students who apply to the school must also apply to the competition to be considered. The college then selects the competitors from those applications.
About 60 students competed Monday.
"If you had the opportunity to live and learn in another country, which would it be and why?'' the panel of questioners asked Monday's group.
"England - a lot of what we take is from England," said Liz Brierton of Johnstown, Pa.
"Russia - just to see the effect that communism had on the country," said Melissa Schaekel of Joppa, Md.
The questions the students were asked are not meant to gauge their academic ability. Instead, said Bruce Partin, chairman of the college's fine arts department and a professor of theater, the questions are intended to help the school see them "not so much as students but as human beings."
"We're seeing what they are beyond student scholars," said Partin, one of several faculty members who interviewed the students one-on-one.
Whether in the group Q&A, the faculty interviews or the written essay, students were asked questions intended to make them demonstrate the clarity of their thinking and how well they can articulate their thoughts, Partin said.
The students won't be judged solely on their performance at the college. Forty percent of the scholarship decision is based on academic records such as SAT scores.
Each student's performance is judged by faculty and administrative staff and given a numerical grade. The grades are entered into a computer program written by a faculty member specifically for the competition.
Then the student's academic records are figured into the formula, and an overall rating is given to determine which students deserve the scholarships.
Although 60 percent of the decision is based on the student's performance at the college, most of the students interviewed Monday said the competition wasn't very stressful.
"It's really not that bad," said Emily Andes of Augusta County. She said the only pressure she felt was the pressure she put on herself.
The Roanoke College experience was much different than when she applied for a Jefferson Scholarship at the University of Virginia.
There she was placed in a room with 15 alumni and interviewed by the group.
But at Roanoke College, ``we were all asked questions - no one was put on the spot," Andes said.
"Through this whole process, I believe they saw who the real person was," said Bettina Harper, a senior at Franklin County High School.
LENGTH: Long : 104 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: CINDY PINKSTON/Staff. Liz Brierton of Johnstown, Pa.,by CNBand Christopher Zimmerman of Westerville, Ohio, were interviewed
last week during a competition for some of the $1.9 million in
scholarships at Roanoke College. color.