On Saturday, The Rhodes Trust has revealed 32 students who have been chosen to represent the United States as Rhodes Scholars for 2017. Ivy League universities Yale and Harvard have more than one representative in the list.
According to a press release by The Rhodes Trust, the announcement was made by Elliot F. Gerson, the American Secretary for the organization. The scholarship will carry the expenses fo the 32 chosen men and women for two or three years of study at the University of Oxford.
Gerson described the Rhodes Scholarship as ""the oldest and best known award for international study, and arguably the most famous academic award available to American college graduates." It was created by the Will of Cecil Rhodes in 1902.
Rhodes was a British philanthropist and African colonial pioneer. This led to the first class of American Rhodes Scholars entering Oxford in 1904. Those who were elected this year are set to enter Oxford in October 2017.
The scholars were chosen based on a two-stage process. First, applicants must ensure an endorsement by their college or university.
Afterwards, they are chosen by the following critieria: academic excellence, great personal energy, ambition for impact as well as an ability to work with others and achieve one's goals. A Rhodes Scholar is also expected to be committed in making "a strong difference for good in the world."
The 2017 Rhodes Scholars come from different quality institutions in the U.S. Yale University has three representatives: Noah Remnick, Olivia Klevorn and Hannah Carrese. Harvard has four representatives: Anthony Wilder L. Wohns, Maia Silber, Nancy Ko and Spencer Dunleavy.
Other institutions who have students on the list are the University of Chicago Law School, Dartmouth College, University of Georgia, Stanford University, Howard University, University of Virginia, Georgetown University, University of South Carolina, United States Naval Academy, United States Military Academy, University of Texas - Austin, Princeton University and Cornell University, among others.
