The odds against winning one of the coveted Rhodes Scholarships are daunting. Nearly 1,000 U.S. students applied, but only 32 were chosen. Three African Americans are among the auspicious group of students chosen to be Scholars for the class of 2004.
Julia James of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York; Allyssa Lamb of the University of Washington, Bothell; and Oluwabusaya Folarin of Morehouse College in Atlanta were selected from 963 applicants endorsed by 366 colleges and universities to attend the University of Oxford in England. James will pursue a Ph.D. in HIV immunology, Lamb will study Egyptology, and Folarin plans to study international relations or development studies.
Rhodes Scholarships provide for two or three years of study. Created in 1902 as a stipulation in the will of British philanthropist Cecil Rhodes, the scholarships are awarded based on various criteria, including high academic achievement and leadership potential.