APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED, RE-OPENS IN AUG/SEP
Scholarship Awarding University:
University of MiamiType of degree:
Bachelor’s
Scholarship Deadline:
Applications for this scholarship will end on the 1st of November, 2023
Scholarship Summary:
The Stamps Scholarship is the most prestigious merit award available to students at the University of Miami. This scholarship is awarded to exceptional and academically accomplished high school seniors (domestic and international). Stamps Scholars demonstrate significant academic accomplishments within their high school through a well-rounded college preparatory curriculum, a strong work ethic, and meaningful participation in extracurricular activities.
Scholarship Applicant Criteria:
There are no set criteria but past Stamp Scholars were typically in the top 1% of the applicant pool.
Early Decision I and Early Action applicants are automatically considered when they apply for early admission to UM by submitting all Freshman Admission Requirements or International Freshman Admission Requirements.
Value of Scholarship:
Stamps Scholars receive the full cost of attendance (full-ride) for four years of undergraduate study at UM. The award includes;
i. Tuition and fees,
ii. On-campus housing,
iii. A meal plan,
iv. University health insurance,
v. Textbooks,
vi. A laptop allowance, and
vii. Access to a $12,000 enrichment fund which may be used toward study abroad, undergraduate research, e.t.c
A minimum of a 3.0 GPA for the academic year must be maintained at the University of Miami to retain this scholarship.
Scholarship Application Guide:
To apply;
i. Apply for early admission (November 1) to UM and submit all First Year Admission Requirements.
ii. Selected semi-finalist candidates for the Stamps Scholarship will be asked to write a short response to a pre-determined essay prompt.
iii. Finalists will be selected based on a review of candidates' application and supporting documents, including their response to the pre-determined essay prompt, and notified of their status as finalists at the time of admission in late January.
iv. Finalists will be interviewed by the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation thereafter and Stamps Scholarship announcements will be made in early March.
v. Stamps Scholarship recipients will be required to participate in the University of Miami's scholarship program, which will be held in early April. During this program, candidates will meet with UM faculty and current scholars and learn more about UM's interest-driven education.
Scholarship Website:
Find more information on this scholarship opportunity at the University of Miami Stamps Scholarship Page.
The Stamps Scholars Program at the University of Miami is an extremely competitive scholarship and is what we at the Unipedia, like to call a double-edged scholarship. We term it this because instead of one set of eligibility criteria to consider, there are two sets of eligibility criteria to consider; that of the Stamps Foundation and that of the University of Miami.
Let's dive in and take a closer look at these two sets of eligibility criteria:
From the Stamps Scholar website, it states: The Stamps Scholars Program, with its partner schools, seeks students who demonstrate academic merit, strong leadership potential, and exceptional character. Leadership development is at the core of the Stamps Scholarship program. Leadership potential is also a key part of the selection criteria for receiving a Stamps award.
Now check out the criterion for University of Miami's Stamps Scholars from the write-up above;
Stamps Scholars demonstrate significant academic accomplishments within their high school through a well-rounded college preparatory curriculum, a strong work ethic, and meaningful participation in extracurricular activities.
As can be seen, both sets of eligibility criteria intersect quite a bit, so let's look at each requirement with a bit more depth starting from the most important;
- Leadership potential: This criterion is the most important quality when applicants are reviewed for a Stamps scholarship and it must be emphasized in your application. It's very important that your recount of past leadership endeavours should not just list out the periods in time when you were in charge but should rather describe how your leadership tenure showed a remarkable ability in efficiently galvanizing a team to produce quality and valuable work.
- Academic merit/Academic accomplishments: These two criteria are essentially the same thing and so we'll take it as one point. It is generally believed that a candidate with exceptional academic credentials has shown enviable tenacity and resilience that can be replicated in any real-world scenario to produce excellent results. From surveys, an average Stamps Scholar at the University of Miami had a min. 3.9 GPA on a 4.0 scale with a min. SAT score of 1530 or a 34 ACT. Candidates with lower credentials can and do get into the Stamps program but they have to show tremendous ability in other eligibility criteria.
- Well-rounded college preparatory curriculum: This criterion determines if you are actually eligible for admission into UM.
The University of Miami has an average acceptance rate of 27% and is quite intentional when selecting potential freshmen.
The keyword to note is 'well-rounded', for example, an applicant who performed excellently in science classes and also goes on to perform brilliantly in arts classes would stand a better chance of gaining entry into UM as they are looking for candidates who are multi-functional and can replicate excellence in whatever situation they are placed in.
- Strong work ethic, and meaningful participation in extracurricular activities: This complements the leadership criterion and if you do justice in presenting your past leadership capacity in your application, you would have covered all bases in these two regards. ‘Taking the initiative’ is also a quality that is looked upon favorably in the University of Miami admissions review.
- Exceptional character: The Stamps Foundation especially seeks individuals who are committed to purposely serving humanity in whatever capacity and do this with humility, courage and resilience. Candidates should describe periods in time when they went the extra mile and had to make substantial sacrifices to ensure that a project got completed and genuinely added value.
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