Nationally Competitive Scholarships: Serving Students and the Public Good

Notes

Notes Chapter One: Recognizing and Challenging Our Colleges’ Most Outstanding Students by Richard J. Light 1. Below is a list of the questions asked of the graduating class of 2007. Why did you choose to come to Harvard? What is the best part of your academic experience so far? Please give a very specific answer. Is there a very specific disappointment academically that you have had in the first semester? What is it? Did this experience give you any ideas for avoiding disappointment in the future? On a 1–10 scale, where 10 is really great, how would you rate your overall academic happiness here as we approach the end of freshman year? And— slightly different question—on that 1–10 scale, how would you rate your personal happiness freshman year? (If the numbers are very different, ask why.) Approximately how many hours a week would you honestly estimate that you study, outside of sitting in your classes? Do you have any clear sense of how hard you work, compared with friends or acquaintances you might have at other excellent colleges? In general, do you believe the academic pressures and your sheer academic workload here at Harvard is more than, less than, or pretty much the same as, what your friends at other colleges are experiencing? Any examples? Do you like the way our first year advising system is organized? If yes, please say why. If no, please say why not. And if you don’t like the current system, do you have any practical ideas for how Harvard might strengthen it? If you could add or change one or two questions on the freshman housing questionnaire, what would you suggest? Is there a single course that you would say “profoundly affected you” in your first semester here? If yes, what was it, and more important, why was it so profoundly effective? Please focus on substance of a course, or its organization, or the way it was taught, or the instructor’s teaching style, rather than just “the instructor was a nice guy.” 137 McCray_Notes.qxd 6/26/07 5:18 PM Page 137 Some faculty members make it entirely clear, throughout their course (especially in social sciences and humanities courses), what their politics and personal opinions are. They pretty much wear their personal views on their sleeve, publicly. Other faculty members cover material and never reveal their personal views about the material. Which of these two strategies do you believe is more effective in engaging you in classes? Which teaching strategy do you think leads to your learning more? Think of the courses you have taken so far. In the process of taking them, can you think of an example where taking a class has led you to change your mind about something? If you believe that a goal of college is to encourage students to think and “rethink” their views about many topics, what do you believe is the most effective ways for faculty to help this to happen? Have you had some particular interactions outside of classes with your fellow students that actually have led you to change your mind about something? If you are comfortable, could you briefly say what it was and what led you to change? Do you feel you are a member of any small community here on campus? What is it? (if yes)—do you believe being part of this small community is a critical ingredient that makes you feel “part of this place”? Or is it just a pleasure to be involved and it doesn’t lead to any “broader” sense of belonging? Are you involved with the same, main extracurricular activity(ies) that you planned and anticipated before you arrived at Harvard? If no, why? If yes, are you getting out of it (or them) what you hoped? As you think ahead to next year, can you identify one, specific thing you will do differently on campus, because of what you learned from your experience freshman year? Why? Please explain. Have you thought about taking a year off, either before coming here or perhaps sometime during the next three years? If you are taking a future year off, have your experiences here at Harvard affected your decision in some specific way? If yes, what might you do and why? What is the single best bit of advice you got during freshman year? Who gave it to you? Why was it so helpful? What advice do you wish you had gotten...