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The Scholars
What is a Jefferson Scholar?

It is not an easy question to answer, in large measure because Jefferson Scholars are people of diverse interests and passions, with varying worldviews born of all types of backgrounds.

The common ground is that Jefferson Scholars excel in the areas of leadership, scholarship, and citizenship. It is these three areas that are the sole criteria for selection.

Jefferson Scholars are athletes, student government officers, debaters, journalists, musicians, and thespians. They are students of the liberal arts, of engineering, architecture, and commerce. They are political activists, researchers, and technology experts. Running the spectrum from liberal to conservative, they hail from small town and big city; from all over the nation and the world.

Jefferson Scholars enjoy the journey and the quest: for knowledge, for life experience, for involvement, but most of all for excellence.

As you likely surmised by now, there is no formula for becoming a Jefferson Scholar. Yet it is understandable that one would desire quantifiable data about the Jefferson Scholars. It is provided here with the disclaimer that statistics provided are but averages, and if there is one thing that does not exist, it is an “average” or “typical” Jefferson Scholar.


Jefferson Scholars Undergraduate Entering Class, 2004-2005:

15 states
2 foreign countries
87% recognized by National Merit Scholarship Corporation
63% members of National Honor Society or Cum Laude Society
100% rank in top 10 percent of high school class
1503 average combined SAT score
15 perfect scores of 800 on either math or verbal section


Jefferson Scholars Alumni, 1985-2004:


20 graduating classes
371 Jefferson Scholar alumni
289 alumni pursuing advanced degrees
60 medical students
36 MBA students
89 law students
104 graduate students
50% received academic awards and honors at Commencement
3.5 cumulative GPA of all Jefferson Scholars
4 Rhodes Scholars
3 Marshall Scholars
7 Honor Committee chairs





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