Dear Don,

We just wanted to take a moment and introduce ourselves and our program to you. You probably already know that Saint Mary’s College of California is a premiere private Liberal Arts college in the beautiful hills of Moraga, California.

What you may not know is that SMC also has a young and growing forensics program which supports a vibrant debate and speech team. Current team members compete in parliamentary debate, platform speaking, and limited preparation speaking.

Our team is small and we like it that way. We don’t exceed 10 team members: 5 debate teams, whose members also compete in individual events. This way, each select member gets individual attention. Our program, because of its size, also has the flexibility and resources to pick and choose where we compete, thanks to the generous support of SMC alum and our benefactor, John Macken.

To help support our team members, Mr. Macken and the college offer a variety of scholarship opportunities, which are listed below. For very well qualified candidates, the scholarships add up and make attending SMC easier than many public and private colleges and universities. Click here for application materials.

 We hope you might pass this along to those who may be interested in this opportunity. And, we thank you for allowing us this brief introduction!

 If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at forensics@stmarys.edu. Or, you can contact the Director of Forensics, Dr. Cathy B. Glenn, directly at cbg2@stmarys-ca.edu or 925.631.4347.

SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS RANGE FROM $300 TO $13,000

EARLY APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR THE 2012-2013 SEASON IS

JANUARY 30, 2012

Title: SMC Forensics Honors Award, $13,000 (three available for 2012-2013 season)

Who Can Apply: Very well qualified incoming frosh and transfer students who have competed successfully in debate and individual events for at least 2 years.

Criteria: In addition to meeting the Initial Requirements (below): Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5; outstanding competitive, leadership, and service record in the program; meet all initial and continuing eligibility requirements. This scholarship requires an audition, either in person or recorded, and an interview with the director of the program.

Title: General Debate Award, $1,000-5,000

Who Can Apply: All full-time undergraduates who actively participate in Macken Forensics and incoming frosh and transfer students who will participate in Macken Forensics.

Criteria: See “Initial Requirements,” for first-time applicants (below) and “Continuing Eligibility Requirements” for continuing team members (in application materials). For first-year students, this scholarship requires an audition, either in person or recorded, and an interview with the director of the program.

Title: Summer Debate Camp Award, $300-3,000

Who Can Apply: Incoming frosh, transfer students, and current team members who also qualify for another scholarship.

Criteria: Met requirements for additional scholarship.

Title: Kurt W. Simon Memorial Scholarship, varies by academic year

 Who Can Apply: All full-time undergraduates who actively participate in Macken Forensics and incoming frosh  and transfer students who will participate in Macken Forensics.

Criteria: Contact Director of Forensics

Initial Eligibility Requirements (for all scholarships)

• Be admitted to the College.
• Submit all required forensics scholarship application materials.
• High school or community college cumulative grade point average of not less than 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale), unless award specifically requires a higher minimum GPA.
• Commit to compete for the full season (Sept-March).

Other Information Related to Forensics Scholarships

• Forensics scholarships are based on academic and competitive ability, not financial need.
• Forensics scholarships are partial awards rather than full-tuition scholarships. However, they are "stacked" on top of other aid and scholarships and do not subtract from them.
• Forensics scholarships are reviewed each year, with the possibility for renewal. Students must re-apply for forensics scholarships each academic year.
• All team members on scholarship enroll as a full-time students at SMC.
• Team members enroll in Comm 191/Forensics and agree to abide by the rules and procedures of the forensics program. The fee for this upper-division lab is waived for team members on scholarship.
• Scholarship recipients are expected to actively participate in Macken Forensics activities and to make significant contributions in the following areas:

·         Participation in, and work during, on-campus activities including, but not limited to, high school and college tournaments, public debates, outreach programs, and regular team meetings, as determined by the coaching staff.

·         Research, practice, and other needs of the team, as determined by the coaching staff.

·         Generation and maintenance of an appropriate image for the College and Macken Forensics while participating in officially sanctioned activities.

·         Scholarship recipients are expected to be team leaders and exhibit a commitment to Macken Forensics beyond that of team members not on scholarship

TO APPLY:

Download the

Macken Collegiate Forensics Scholarship Application (.doc),

complete it, and email it to

forensics@stmarys-ca.edu

 Considering also applying for these awards:

Saint Mary's College General Scholarships:  $1,000-$28,000 annually

These need-based grants are provided annually by both endowed funds and tuition revenues. Award amounts depend on student demonstrated financial need. However, several endowed scholarships have additional criteria, such as geographic restrictions or ethnic restrictions (e.g., Joseph David Cardoza scholarship for students of Portuguese descent).

Presidential Scholars Scholarships:  $11,000 annually

Highly competitive award; applicants typically have at least a 3.8 GPA in a demanding college prep program and similarly competitive ACT or SAT scores. Presidential Scholars also receive the Honors at Entrance Scholarship for a combined total of $24,000.

Freshman Honors at Entrance Scholarships:  $13,000 annually

To be considered applicants typically have at least a 3.7 GPA in a demanding college prep program and similarly competitive ACT or SAT scores.

Transfer Honors at Entrance Scholarships:  $11,000 annually

Transfer students entering with 30 or more transfer academic semester units or the equivalent and a 3.5 college GPA will receive this award.

• are accepted by March 2 for the Fall semester
• have 30 or more transferable academic semester units at the time of acceptance
• have a 3.5 cumulative transferable academic GPA

Gael Scholar’s Award:  $11,000 annually

Awarded to academically talented freshman students admitted to the College. No additional application is required.

Lasallian Leadership Scholarship:  $11,000 annually

Entering freshmen with an academic GPA of 3.5 from Christian Brothers' High School in the United States will automatically receive this award.