Officials for the Alpha Lambda Delta Academic Honor Society say they are trying to increase the number of members in their SIUC chapter who apply for graduate fellowships.

Virginia Rinella, director of the local chapter, said fifteen national fellowships will be awarded for 1996-97 school year. Rinella said students who wish to apply must pick up an application in the Pre-Major Advisement Center, Woody Hall C117. Rinella said these fellowships are monetary awards for graduate study.

These fellowships are quite lucrative $3, 000 each, Rinella said. The money can be applied to whatever area the student chooses.

Advertisement

However, Rinella said that only a small number of students in the nation actually apply.

During the last three years, fewer than 200 members have competed for the awards, Rinella said. I think a lot of students forget about this opportunity after they are inducted into the society.

Rinella said members are inducted into the society in the spring of their freshman year. The criterion for induction is a 3.5 GPA.

There is a lot of time between the induction and graduation, Rinella said. A lot of students are not thinking about going to graduate school as freshmen.

Barbara Quilling, executive director of the National Council of Alpha Lambda Delta Academic Honor Society, said that she receives about 210 applications every year, but only 180 meet application criteria.

I used to feel terrible about the number of applications, Quilling said. Then someone reminded me how many students are inducted into the society and how many graduate with honors.

Quilling said there are 217 chapters in the society. She said members from the Carbondale chapter, which had 103 members last year, have not applied for a fellowship since 1987.

Advertisement*

Kevin Colombe, president of the local Alpha Lambda Delta Academic Honor Society, said time and money are two big reasons why students are not applying.

Most students have demanding schedules, Colombe said. College schedules are not free enough to allow the time to do these things.

Quilling said the fellowships are available to members of the society throughout their lifetime.

These fellowships are good across a member’s lifetime, Quilling said. A 40-year old enrolling in med school is eligible to apply.

Quilling said she has suggested ideas for increasing the number of students applying each year.

We’re trying to encourage more students to apply, Quilling said. We’ve made bigger, and more colorful posters. I’ve recommended that advisors send a postcard to all students in the society who made the dean’s list last semester to remind them that the applications are in. I would be delighted if we had more students apply this year.