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BY ELIZABETH BUCKNER

In print | Published October 2, 2003

After more than 20 years of helping Swarthmore students conduct social change work, the Lang Opportunity Scholarship is revolutionizing its approach to selecting Lang Scholars.

While the five to six scholars were previously selected during the admissions process, this year’s scholars will be selected through a rigorous application process in the beginning of their sophomore year.

Pat James, associate director for student programs at the Lang Center, said that this change in the selection process represented the first of its kind since the program was founded in 1985. The Lang Center and college administrators spent more than two years determining the most effective application process.

“We’ve had to do a lot of soul-searching to enact this change,” James said. “We faced a lot of trepidation in taking this out of the realm of admissions, but, then again, we had compelling reasons for change.”

One of the primary reasons for change was the desire to ensure that selected Lang scholars were prepared for the rigors of what the scholarship’s demands. “There were many Lang scholars who received the Lang scholarship before they knew how to do Swat. This scholarship demands extensive time, energy and skills from students,” James said.

The Lang Opportunity Scholarship encourages students to “design and implement effective, innovative solutions to significant social problems,” according to its Web site. The scholarship covers the work-study and loan portions of their financial aid awards and provides a paid summer internship, educational enhancement funds of up to $1,500 and supportive mentoring and guidance.

The Lang Scholarship also provides students with funds up to $10,000 to carry out an Opportunity Project that addresses a specific social problem.

The new application procedure is a two-part process, involving both a written application and an interview. “This application process will make students have a real conversation about the sacrifices involved,” James said.

Moreover, it will allow the members of the selection committee to meet the applicant. “The students’ ability to carry their project out to fruition was harder to evaluate when all we saw was their college application,” James said. She also noted that many students changed from their senior year in high school to the time they came to college.

James said that another exciting aspect of the application process is that current Lang Scholars would take part in the selection process, allowing “people who are actually living the experience” to decide the future of the program.

Even with the extensive application process, there has been substantial student interest.

The class of 2006, which is the first class to be affected by the changes in the application process, has been responsive and optimistic about the changes to the Lang Scholarship.

“I think that, previously, the admissions department used the Lang as an incentive to come to Swarthmore, but now the students apply specifically to work within the parameters of the project to enact social change,” said Jayanti Owens ’06, a prospective Lang Scholar.

Fellow applicant Caitlin Butler ’06 recognizes the value of the new process for applying. “These changes really make a lot of sense. The fact that they are waiting till after students are here at Swat allows students to find areas of social work they never knew about before,” she said.

Both Butler and Owens said that they appreciated the extensive application process despite its rigor.

“The application process has a dual purpose for students. It makes sure students are ready and willing for the work the Lang entails and also, just in the process of working through the vision statement, it helps us focus and refine our ideas,” Butler said.

Owens agreed, saying that it would, “weed out applicants who are not serious.” She said that such an application process is necessary because of the large amount of money that the Lang offers for service projects.

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