1. UDALL SCHOLARSHIP Campus Deadline: 30 January 2013

2. 2012 Udall Scholarship Awards: Eligibility:
50 Awards + 4 day summer institute/orientation, & professional network resources
50 Honorable Mentions
Eligibility:
Sophomores/Juniors (If awarded as a soph. may apply again as a jr.)
3.0+ GPA
US Citizen, National, or Permanent Resident
Awards:
$5K for tuition, room & board, or other educational expenses
Summer Orientation: Tuscon, AZ (7-11 Aug)
4-Day Udall Orientation in Tucson, AZ (held in August); required participation
Access to a network of environmental professionals and Udall Alumni listserv
Honorable Mentions:
$350 + Access to Network/Listserv

3. Application Components
Basic Biographical/Resume Data
Udall Specific Questions (7 short questions)
Udall Essay (800 words)
Transcript/s
3 Letters of Recommendation
The entire application should tell a cohesive “story”: beginning with the career goal statement and supported by activities, research, jobs/internships, transcripts, essay, and LORs
Use the short question answers to demonstrate your commitment to environmental issues
Basic Resume Items:
Includes Public Service/Community Activities: This includes work for government at any level (paid or volunteer); education; work for non-profit or public interest groups (paid or volunteer); preservation and/or restoration off natural and cultural resources; volunteer campus activities, etc.
Demonstrate your desire for problem-solving or consensus-building: convince readers that you are going to make a difference
Illustrate your leadership potential: the readers will look for students who can motivate others, bring people together, take initiative, and implement practical solutions
Briefly identify and explain any activities or honors that readers are unlikely to understand
Alert the Foundation to any unusual circumstances or hardships that may have affected your academic performance or limited your activities
Read widely among the speeches, legislation, and policy statements of Congressman MK Udall or Sectary of Interior SL Udall. Choose works that clearly relate to your interests and career goals.

4. Udall Application: Short Questions
Your Career Vision/Professional Aspirations (2 questions)
What issues, needs or problems do you hope to address?
In which area/s of the environment do your aspirations fall?
How will your academic program and overall educational plans assist you in achieving your goals?
Although not necessarily a specific profession you need to articulate your vision for your future and how environmental concerns fit this vision.
Even if you do not know exactly what you want to do, be clear about what issues you want to work on and use the application to show readers how you are preparing yourself to make an impact

5. Udall Application: Research Experience
Describe non-course related research experience, if applicable.
Indicate which areas of the environment your research affects
Indicate how the research experience will assist you in achieving your (professional/career) goals.
You may discuss research projects you have undertaken for campus organizations, etc. It is OK if you haven’t already participated in formal research. Readers do not penalize applicants who leave the question blank. But do dig deep and think about what you have done or will be doing down the road.

6. Udall Application: Leadership Experience
Describe a leadership experience in which you made a difference on campus or in your community.
It is OK if you haven’t held a formal position.
Readers look for applicants who bring people together by inspiring or motivating others to act, or by mediating opposing factions or groups to bring about consensus; identify problems or needs and propose and implement solutions; take initiative by looking for and creating opportunities.
The readers also use this question to get a sense of your ability to make an impact down the road.

7. Udall Application: Motivational Experiences (2 questions)
Describe a specific activity or experience that has been important in clarifying or strengthening your commitment to the environment.
Describe your most significant public service, community, or campus activities associated with your interests in the environment in which you regularly participate.
Explain duration, degree, and significance of your involvement.

8. Udall Application: Additional Information
Provide Selection Committee with additional information. (Open ended; Useful for providing a context for readers)
This is a very useful question and should not be taken lightly. It is useful for providing a context for how the selection committee should review your application. On the selection committee’s rating form they have the ability to add Discretionary Points for working to help pay for college, for overcoming significant hardship, for being a first-generation or non-traditional student, or for those who otherwise promote the diversity of the scholar pool.
Take advantage of the invitation to address an interest, activity, research project, or anything else that hasn’t been expanded upon elsewhere.

9. Udall Application: Essay
In 800 words or less, discuss a significant public speech, legislative act, book, or public policy statement by Congressman Morris K. Udall or Secretary of Interior Stewart L. Udall and its impact on your field of study, interests, and career goals.
This essay is harder than it seems.
It is neither a personal statement nor a a policy proposal or a synopsis/review. It falls somewhere in-between.
The best essays demonstrate a sophisticated and nuanced understanding of Morris or Stewart Udall’s legacy and clearly relate the chosen topic to your interests and career goals.
It will do more than summarize the item selected. The analysis should demonstrate that you are well informed about past and/or present environmental issues, and are familiar with Morris or Stewart Udall’s legacy. By relating your analysis to your career goals, you engage with the text of the speech, article, legislation, etc. and/or the intent and/or impact of that text, speech, etc.

10. How Application is Read: Scoring Sheet
5 Components (Max. 21 Points)
Commitment to Improving or Preserving the Environment (5 pts)
Personal Characteristics (5 pts)
Academic Achievements (4 pts)
Essay (4 pts)
Discretionary Points (3 pts)
5 point scale:
Average (1), Good (2), Very Good (3), Excellent (4), Outstanding (5)
4 point scale:
Average (1), Good (2), Excellent (3), Outstanding (4)
Most applications fall into the GOOD or EXCELLENT categories.
The BEST APPLICATIONS will either be very strong in 3 areas: Demonstrated Commitment, Academics, & Personal Characteristics OR they are truly outstanding in 2 of the 3
The Essay: Essays are read for content; quality of writing; critical analysis and relevance to applicant’s career or educational goals. Most essays typically get 2 or 3 points.

11. Commitment to Environment (5 Points)
2 years involvement in campus/community activities or organizations related to environment
Participation in research, internships, jobs related to environment
Clearly articulated educational & professional goals
Goal/career statements supported by application

12. Personal Characteristics (5 Points)
Desire to solve problems, make a difference
Goes above and beyond
Compassion & integrity manifested through community/public service
Leadership in general
Recognition by peers, faculty, community
Well rounded

13. Academic Achievements (4 Points)
LORs attest to academic &/or professional potential
Challenging coursework
Coursework appropriate to career/professional goals
GPA with upward trend, esp. in major
Honors & awards

14. Essay (4 Points)
800 words
Critical Analysis of Speech, Article, Legislation
Integrates Analysis with Career Goals/Interests
Understands Udall’s Legacy &/or Contribution to Environmental Issues
Essay should also be well written AND provide a unique or fresh perspective
Best to do your homework on Udall and select item/s for analysis carefully – many are overly used/stale

15. Discretionary Points (3 Points)
Putting Self Through College, Working 20+ Hours/Week
Overcoming/Dealing With Significant Hardship/s
Non-Traditional or 1st Generation College Student
Otherwise Promotes Diversity of Scholar Pool
Discretionary points are awarded for overcoming adversity, balancing family and/or work responsibilities, promoting diversity.
Rarely awarded

16. Insights from Selection Committee
Read approx applications/day
Spend approx minutes/application
Applications are read by state, grouped & awarded by region (approx. 3 Scholars/region)
Readers work in pairs
Each application is read 2x (once by each member of pair); if necessary, application is read a 3rd time
Composition of selection committee:
Professors of environmental policy and science, EPA officials, scholarship advisors, honors program directors, etc.

17. Insights, Con’t
Readers look for a coherent narrative—does your application suggest that you WILL potentially have an impact down the road
Readers also look for “a strong character” (what they call “The Mo Factor”)—civility, integrity, consensus building
Use short answers to reveal your values, interests, and motivation/s
Coherent Narrative/strong trajectory: The application provides a coherent narrative of your path. The career goals, activities, research, service, etc. demonstrate that you have begun to work towards a career that will allow you to potentially make significant contributions to environmental issues through political or public service, community action, scientific advances, education, etc.
Strong Character/The Mo Factor: Does the application reveal a desire to make a difference and solve problems. Demonstrated leadership experience goes beyond sitting on a committee or planning an event to motivating others and producing results that benefit the campus or community. General well-roundedness is also a plus.

18. Advice Activities Matter
Be Clear, Concise and To the Point—make it easy for readers to find the important information
The Essay is Important—making the connection to your interests and projected career is essential and tends to be the area where most essays fall short

19. Advice Grades are less important than activities and leadership
Don’t be concerned about your major/minor
Do be clear about how your particular career path and goals relate to environmental issues

20. Apply! Campus Deadline: 30 January 2013
Request Application ID ( or
Complete Application On-line through
LORs submitted as attachments to
Request official transcripts from Registrar’s Office (have sent to Dean Goldberg)