The official student news site of Athens Drive High School

ATHENS ORACLE

The official student news site of Athens Drive High School

ATHENS ORACLE

The official student news site of Athens Drive High School

ATHENS ORACLE

Search site

Senior Dana Shefet is first EC Scholar from Athens Drive

In addition to the Honors College at East Carolina University (ECU), there is an additional scholar program called “EC Scholars” that is awarded to the top students applying into the pr

Dana Shefet poses next to poster with all of the upcoming EC Scholars

ogram. The EC Scholar program offers a  scholarship worth $45,000 to the most academically gifted

applicants. Senior Dana Shefet is the first EC Scholar from Athens Drive, receiving a full ride to East Carolina University in the fall.

The Scholars program is the most prestigious merit-based scholarship that is offered at East Carolina University, awarded only to the top applicants for the freshman class each year. To be eligible for the program, students must have a weighted grade point average (GPA) of 4.0 or higher, at least a 1270 on the SAT or a 27 composite score on the ACT and must be accepted into the Honors College at ECU. Academically gifted students who meet the eligibility requirements are first invited to apply for the Honors College and are then considered for the EC Scholars program.

“Just to become a finalist to get into EC Scholars you have to get into the Honors College first. It’s a long and competitive application process,” said Shefet.

Students in the program are eligible to receive a scholarship that will cover the full cost attending the university through awards from both the Honors College and the Scholars program itself. The EC Scholars program awards $40,000 in addition to the Honors College scholarship, equalling the value of in-state tuition at ECU.

Aside to the tuition money, there are many benefits to being in the Scholars program. Scholars are given priority in course registration, research internship opportunities alongside graduate students and professors, money towards a required study abroad and several retreats during their four years at ECU.

“We go on a retreat before school starts to Ocracoke for leadership training and to get to know the other Scholars. The Scholars get to go on trips together every year, including Charleston and Washington DC, which is a big benefit of the program that I am looking forward to,” said Shefet.  

Shefet went through a rigorous application process, including five essays, a personal video and an interview with the department heads at ECU. Out of the 852 applicants to the Scholars program, Shefet was one of the 20 to receive the scholarship.

“For the Honors College I had to write four essays and have a peer recommendation letter. Then I had to make a two minute video about myself and write a separate essay for the Scholars program. Looking back it was a lot of work but I was determined to apply so nothing was going to stop me,” said Shefet.

The interview process consisted of both individual and group interviews. Shefet was interviewed by past EC scholars, East Carolina department heads and others in the EC Scholars committee.

“The whole process was very nerve wracking. The interviews were held on Feb. 19 and then we found out if we got it on the 27, so thankfully it was a quick turn around, but that eight day waiting period was very intense. I cried when I found out I got it,” said Shefet.  

Shefet was accepted into the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, but ultimately decided to attend East Carolina after she was accepted as an EC Scholar for ECU’s class of 2021. Shefet had not considered the program until she heard about it from her friend who is currently enrolled in the program. After researching the program and learning about all of the benefits of an EC Scholar, she knew if she got the scholarship she would go to ECU.

“One of my good friends is a Scholar at ECU and she’s always told me how amazing the program is, so that’s what inspired me to apply. After I found out all of the benefits that come with being in the program, I knew that if I got it I would go,” said Shefet.

More to Discover
Donate to ATHENS ORACLE
$0
$500
Contributed
Our Goal