IUPUI2014 Top 100

What is the IUPUI Top 100?• Program within the IUPUI Office of Alumni Relations

• Sponsored by the Student Organization for Alumni Relations and the IUPUI Alumni Council

• Annually selects the top 100 undergraduate upperclassmen at IUPUI

• Top 100 recipients are invited to a formal recognition dinner in April

• The Top 10 Males & the Top 10 Females for IUPUI are revealed at the dinner

• The IUPUI Outstanding Male student & the IUPUI Outstanding Female student are revealed at the dinner

What it means to be in the Top 100:

• There are approximately 22,100 undergraduate students at IUPUI.

• The Top 100 represent less than 1 half of 1% of the total undergraduate population.

• The Top 10 Males & Females represent less than 1 tenth of 1% of the total undergraduate population.

Requirements• Must be seeking 1st IUPUI undergraduate degree

• Must be currently enrolled & in good standing with the university

• Must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA

• Must have a minimum 56 credit hours towards degree program

• At least 25 of those credit hours must be earned at IUPUI as of Fall 2013 semester

• Cannot be a December 2013 graduate

• Cannot be designated a Top 100 student more than twice – typically once as a junior & once as a senior

• Both part-time & full-time students are eligible

• Outstanding Male & Female students are not eligible for a 2nd attempt.

You’ve been nominated… NOW WHAT?

• You will be e-mailed a link to the Top 100 System. Click on the link and you will see this:

You’ve been nominated… NOW WHAT?

ACCEPT YOUR NOMINATION!

You must complete this form to officially accept your nomination:

If you don’t see this screen – you didn’t accept your nomination!

The Application Form

The application form is made up of 9 separate components:1. College Scholastic Honors & Awards2. Leadership training workshop or seminar attended &/or

certificate attained 4. Participation in student organizations or activities5. Participation in volunteer civic, community, &/or service

organization or activity6. Personal statement 7. Professional achievement (research, publications, etc.) 8. Work experience that relates to major field of study, including

internships 9. Letter of recommendation

Application Requirements• All application entries must have occurred after

enrollment at IUPUI.

• No activity entries can be from high school.

• No activity entries can be from another institution of higher education.

• All application entries must have taken place in the last 5 calendar school years.

• Personal statement inclusion is mandated.

Changes to the Application from 2013 to 2014

• Applicants need to input their date of enrollment at IUPUI on the nomination acceptance.

• Each activity entry has a start date and an end date.• For organizations – Name the group, then simply say whether

applicant was/is a member or officer, for how long, list/date projects/functions personally contributed to and if necessary a “brief” description of the group purpose.

• There is a drop down menu for students to choose organization member, organization officer, committee member, committee chair or other.

• The scholarship entry section is a drop down menu that requires: name of scholarship, description, total amount received and how many years it was received. 

• Competitive grant is an activity option with the same drop down items as scholarship.

Points of Emphasis• Focus more on quality than on quantity.

• Do not utilize a bullet point style when filling out the application.

• Be precise! Include points that reinforce your impact; hours served, results achieved, etc.

• Focus on connecting entries to your IUPUI experience – work experience & community involvement.

• Organizing an event and volunteering for an event are different activities. Make sure you clarify which one you did on the

• IUPUI related community service is more heavily weighted than service that does not tie back to IUPUI.

• Make sure to include formulas for calculating number of hours listed for campus and community activities.

OK… You’ve accepted, are you done?

NO! You must fill out the application!!

Click here

Which brings you back to this screen:

Click on “Add/Edit Activities”

Click here

“Click here to add a new activity”

Click here

Choose the Type of Activity

If you click on the blue ‘!’, you will see a short description of what is needed for each

activity category.

PROVIDE DETAILS!

Assume the judges know nothing about your activity. Fill them in!

Norman Brown Diversity ScholarUp to $3000 per academic year for merit or financial needUp to $6,000 per academic year for both merit and financial need

The Norman Brown Diversity & Leadership Program is designed to recruit, retain and prepare serious, academically gifted students who have demonstrated a commitment and/or desire to develop leadership skills for today’s multicultural world. Program participants are encouraged to attain academic success, engage in leadership and civic activities, and prepare for work force entry. All scholars are required to enroll full time; maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA; participate in specific program functions; and meet on a regular basis with an assigned IUPUI faculty/staff mentor. Continuing and transfer student applicants must be Indiana residents and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Students are only considered for the fall semester. Preference is given to transfer student and continuing students who have completed 12 credit hours (but no more than 60 up to junior status). This program is an integral part of IUPUI’s efforts to foster the benefits of educational diversity, in part by assuring the obtainment of a critical mass of students from underrepresented minority backgrounds with a history of discrimination. As such, during the application process positive considerations are given to students from underrepresented minority backgrounds and whose presence will enhance the learning environment through increased diversity at IUPUI. Additional consideration is also given to students with significant financial need as defined by the FAFSA. Recipients must maintain fulltime enrollment, a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA and complete all program requirements.

When you return to “Add/Edit” your activities you will see what you already submitted. You can edit right up until

the deadline.

Personal Statement: The only chance you have to tell the story of “you” to the judges. Don’t repeat what you

have on your application.

Letter of Recommendation• This is a critical component to your application. If we don’t get

your letter or it is late, your application does not get forwarded to the judges. There is nothing we can do.

• You need to be proactive. Ask someone else if necessary. We need a letter. Ask someone like your academic advisor, a professor, or your student organization advisor. Someone you trust. Someone who will meet the deadline.

• It is your responsibility to ensure that you have a letter attached to your application by the deadline. Do not just send a request for a letter and forget about it. Check the status frequently on our Top 100 page.

Check the status of your letter of recommendation!

Judging of ApplicantsApplications are judged based off of 3 primary criteria:

• Scholastic achievement

• Collegiate & co-curricular activities

• Civic/community service

You should view each of these categories as being “equal” on your application & strive to be as well rounded as possible.

Advice

• Keep track of what you do – everything counts!

• You can self-nominate – don’t wait!

• Fill out the form completely – do not omit simple items.

Complete & submit a personal statement.

Solicit for a letter of recommendation.

Advice

• Review your personal statement for possible additional entries to your application

• GPA should be viewed only as:Barrier to entry in the Top 100 if < 3.0

Tie breaker

• Take extra time explaining activities that have a significant campus-wide impact; athletics, research, Regatta leadership, etc.

Advice• Explain yourself!Example: Presidential Scholar“Adam W. Herbert Presidential Scholar – Nominated

by IUPUI as 1 of 13 incoming freshmen in 2010 to receive this 4 year scholarship for $9,000 per year. Also includes a laptop & a $2,500 study abroad stipend. Selected based on SAT/ACT scores, performance in a college-preparatory curriculum, leadership experience, & an interview.”

Advice• Break out your experiences!!Example: “Nic” with the Student Organization for

Alumni Relations (SOAR)

Not as complete as possible response: “Student Organization for Alumni Relations (SOAR) –

Vice-President of Alumni Events – 2010-2011 – Coordinated professional development & networking programs to connect students & alumni.”

AdviceMore accurately “broken out” response: “Student Organization for Alumni Relations (SOAR) –

Vice-President of Alumni Events – 2010-2011 – Coordinated professional development & networking programs to connect students & alumni.”

“Student Organization for Alumni Relations (SOAR) – member – 2009-2010”

AdviceMore accurately “broken out” response cont.: “Volunteer – 2010 Top 100 Dinner – As a member of

SOAR.”

“Volunteer – 2010 Commencement ceremony – As a member of SOAR.”

“Volunteer – 2010 IUPUI Regatta – As a member of SOAR.”

Important Dates• January 29th – Last day for a student to be

nominated• February 5th – Application and letter of

recommendation due• March 6th – Top 100 announced• April 9th – Chancellor’s Reception for the Top 100

Students • April 11th – 2014 Top 100 Dinner at the

Indianapolis Marriott

Questions?