johnson scholarship program at washington and lee
DESCRIPTION
An introduction to the Johnson Scholarship Program at Washington and Lee UniversityTRANSCRIPT
one idea
Students who have the intellect to excel
and the selflessness to careshould have
the opportunity to lead.
The Johnson Scholarship Program$100 million
WASHINGTON AND LEEU N I V E R S I T Y
Lexington, Virginia 24450-2116
For generations, graduates of Washington and Lee have made substantial contributions to society. In business and politics, in science, education, the arts, communications, and religion, in communities here in the United States and around the world, they have provided leadership guided by an ethic of service and integrity.
Now, a W&L education is being offered as a well-earned gift to select students who meet the high standards of academic ability and
leadership promise sought by the University’s Johnson Scholarship Program.
Each Johnson scholar—44 in each class, or almost 10 percent of the student body—will have his or her tuition, room, and board paid in full and will graduate from Washington and Lee free of debt. The Johnson Scholarship will provide these students the liberating opportunity to make more generous and visionary life decisions than would otherwise be possible.
one idea about the kinds of leaders our world needs has inspired a gift unprecedented in higher education. The result of that gift to Washington and Lee University is the Johnson Scholarship Program.
“At the core of Washington and Lee’s leadership is integrity,
understood through this one basic principle: our capacity for
leadership expands as we focus on others instead of ourselves.
Properly defined, properly distinguished from the mere use of
power, leadership is about making the lives of others better.”
w&l president kenneth p. ruscio(’76)
in the top ranksofbusiness,journalism,medicine,
andpublicservice,manyfamiliarnamesare
WashingtonandLeegraduates.Twenty-seven
haveservedintheU.S.Senate,67haveservedin
theU.S.House,and31haveservedasgovernors.
FourhaveservedasU.S.SupremeCourtjustices;
sevenhavebeenAmericanBarAssociationpresi-
dents,thirdbehindonlyHarvardandColumbia.
Forty-sixW&Lalumnihavegoneontobecome
collegeoruniversitypresidents(includingW&L’s
ownPresidentKennethP.Ruscio).
throughout its history,WashingtonandLee
Universityhasbeenshapedandadvancedin
itsmissionbygenerousgifts.Theschool’sfirst
majorendowment,GeorgeWashington’s1796
donationofJamesRiverCanalstock,valuedat
$20,000,wasthelargestgifttoanyeducational
institutionatthattime.TheJohnsongiftof
$100million,endowingscholarships,faculty
positions,andprogrammingwithafocuson
leadership,affirmstheUniversity’shistoric
valuesandextendsitsreachfartherandwider
thaneverbefore.
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the buzz you hear on campus maybeemanatingfromW&L’s
leadershipprograms—somehistoricandothersrelatively
new.OmicronDeltaKappa,forexample,foundedbyW&L
studentsandfacultyin1914,wasthefirstnationalcollege
honorsocietytorecognizeextracurricularservice.Boththe
NaborsServiceLeague,student-organizedin1999,andthe
Community-AcademicResearchEffortconnectW&Lvolunteers
withgreaterLexington’sneeds.TheCampusKitchenProject
focusesonhungerreliefinRockbridgeCountyusingsurplus
foodfromcampusdiningservicesandareadonations.Evenin
theweekbeforeOrientation,incomingstudentscanconfront
poverty’srootsinsouthwestVirginiathoughVolunteer
Venture,astudent-organizedservice-learningprogram.
— the johnson program —
The $100 million gift to Washington and Lee from one of its many successful alumni is meant to further the community’s endur-ing goals: to prepare individuals to lead, to use their talents in serving society, to build lives of consequence, honor, and integrity.
In addition to scholarships, the program:
» Funds Johnson Opportunity Grant awards. This summer 21 rising juniors and seniors received funds to support internships and independent research projects all across the country and around the world (go.wlu.edu/johnsongrants). Past Johnson Opportunity Grant recipients observed and learned about heart surgery in Houston, Texas, human rights in Ireland, refugee education in Israel, ethnography in Gambia, sustainable develop-ment in Costa Rica and many other subjects in the U.S. and abroad.
2go.wlu.edu/johnson
» Endows two new professorships, one in W&L’s Williams School of Commerce, Eco-nomics, and Politics centering on leadership and entrepreneurship, and another in the College of Arts and Sciences exploring how individuals and ideas shape the course of history.
» Establishes a series of lectures and symposia designed not only to shape a campus dialogue but also to illuminate and focus the national conversation on leadership and societal is-sues of pressing importance. The Johnson Lecture Series has brought to campus high-profile dignitaries and professionals such as Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, National Review editor Richard Brookhiser, former British Secretary of the Cabinet Lord Robin Butler and award winning author Liza Mundy.
selection process
To be considered for a Johnson Scholarship, students should apply for admission to W&L by December 1 and complete a separate Johnson Scholarship application consisting of one additional essay. From the pool of Johnson applicants, up to 200 finalists will be selected on the basis of academic achievement and demonstrated leadership. They will be judged on their potential to contribute to the intel-lectual and civic life of the W&L campus and to the world at large in years to come. Factors weighed will include academic credentials, writing samples, teacher recommendations, and records of leadership, citizenship, and involvement in non-academic activities.
The Johnson finalists will be invited to campus for interviews with faculty, student leaders, and members of the administration. They will attend classes and experience life at W&L firsthand. This visit will allow prospective Johnson scholars the opportunity to judge whether Washington and Lee is a good personal fit.
For applications and other information, visit go.wlu.edu/johnson.
across the country and the world,W&Lstudentsfanoutto
practicetheirleadershipskills.ThroughtheShepherdPoverty
Program,W&Lsummerinternsareplacedinnot-for-profit
humanservicesagenciestoserveimpoverishedcommunities
intheeasternUnitedStatesandLatinAmerica.Anotherser-
vice/learningprogram,theInstituteforHonor(endowedbythe
Classof’60),sponsorsW&L-student-leddiscussionsonethics
inhighschoolsacrossthecountry.Theconversationsarepart
oftheInstitute’sInitiativeforAcademicIntegrityinSecondary
Schools,sharpenedbytheworkingexampleofW&L’shonor
system.
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historic and modern | Employing the best features of very different time periods, the W&L campus merges the beauty of its 19th-century Colonnade (on the National Register of Historic Places) with modern facilities and the high-tech equipment students need to maximize their classroom and research opportunities. The University, which was founded in 1749, boasts $140 million worth of renovations and new construction in the past decade—with $185 million more on the horizon.
— a washington and lee education —
There may be no other campus in the nation where the moral issues of our time are the subject of so much lively interest and honest debate—nor another university where the study of an individual’s capacity to make a difference is such a significant part of the academic experience and day-to-day conversation.
by tradition, a ciVil agreement dictatesthatall
membersoftheW&Lcommunitysay“hello”
tooneanother—whetherpassingonthe
ColonnadeormeetingintheCommons.Sound
corny?Ourstudentsdon’tthinksoandinsist
onacquaintingfirst-yearstudentswiththe
SpeakingTraditionateachyear’sOrientation.
Theyrecognizethatacknowledgingothersthey
encounteraroundcampuspromotesaspiritof
friendlinessandgoodwill,resultingincampus
conversationsthataremoreinclusive,probing,
andproductive.It’sjustanotherexampleofthe
ethosofcivilityandmutualconsideration—
perpetuatedbystudentsthemselves—that
pervadesthisremarkablecommunity.
Educating students in a climate of learning that stresses personal responsibility and integrity is central to Washington and Lee’s mission—an emphasis reflected in the University’s renowned Honor System. Student-administered and acknowledged to be among the strongest of its kind in the nation, the Honor System creates a safe and trusting environment, influencing W&L students’ lives long after graduation.
At the heart of a Washington and Lee education are the timeless skills of reasoning and communication that a rigorous education in the liberal arts provides. Multidisciplinary core studies open students’ eyes to the world, exposing them to many ways of thinking about any given topic.
6go.wlu.edu/johnson
distinctive opportunities
Washington and Lee is a university in a liberal arts college setting. With a total enrollment of only 1,788 men and women, classes are small and discussion-focused, and professors are as dedicated to undergraduate teaching as they are to scholarship and to research. Yet students build their programs of study from among more than 1,200 courses, 37 majors and 21 minors, a rich array seldom found at a small college.
Further, those interested in the authentic issues and practice of business, public policy, and government may take courses in W&L’s AACSB-accredited Williams School of Com-
merce, Economics, and Politics. Others may elect to study in the University’s accredited journalism program or, as seniors, take electives in its nationally-ranked School of Law.
Critical national and international issues are addressed across disciplines. The Society and the Professions Program in Ethics focuses par-ticularly on social responsibility in business, law, medicine, journalism, and the environ-ment. In the nationally recognized Shepherd Program for the Interdisciplinary Study of Poverty and Human Capability, students apply their classroom studies of disadvantage and poverty to possible real-world solutions through service and reflection.
Even W&L’s academic calendar distinguishes the institution. Twelve-week fall and winter terms are followed by a four-week spring term during which students take one in-depth course (often in an area outside their primary academic focus), study overseas, do internships, or conduct research or independent projects.
the rule oF honor,setbypersonalexampleanda
simplestatementbythen-presidentRobertE.
Lee(“Wehavebutonerulehere,anditisthat
everystudentmustbeagentleman”),isstill
felttodayineveryaspectofcampuslife.
(Today,ofcourse,thereareequalnumbersof
ladiesoncampus.)Studentsleavetheirdoors
unlockedandtheirbackpacksunattended
withoutworry.Universityclassroomsand
librariesareopen24hoursaday—a
conveniencemadepossiblebytheunflinching
honestyofW&Lstudents.Theirprofessors
assignself-scheduled,unproctoredexamsin
anenvironmentofcompleteacademictrust.
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— w&l facts —
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history Theninth-oldestschoolinthecountry,W&Lwasfoundedin1749asAugustaAcademy,becameLibertyHallAcademy(1776),WashingtonAcademy(1798),WashingtonCollege(1813),and,finally,WashingtonandLeeUniversity(1871),recognizingthedirectcontributionsoftwoofthemostinfluentialfiguresinAmericanhistory.Washington’s1796giftofJamesRiverCanalstockensuredthefledglingschool’ssurvival;RobertE.Lee’spresidency,1865–70,broughtinnovationandnationalrecognitiontotheschool.
distinctive features Honor System—entirelystudent-run;basedonthefundamentalprinciplethatstudentsattendingWashingtonandLeewillnotlie,cheat,steal,orotherwiseviolatecommunitytrust.
Curriculum—W&Listheonlyleadingliberalartscollegetohaveanationallyaccreditedjournalismprogramoranationallyaccreditedbusinessschool,andoneofthefewofferinganengineeringprogram.
Speaking tradition—asamatterofcivilityandmutualconsideration,membersoftheW&Lcommunitysay“hello”tooneanother—whetherpassingonthehistoricColonnadeonthewaytoclassormeetingfordinnerinElrodCommons.
Academic calendar—12-12-4:two12-weekterms;onefour-weekspringtermtoallowforfocusedstudy,research,travel,orinternships.
campusAtthefootofHouseMountaininLexington(population7,000),intheGreatValleyofVirginia,betweentheBlueRidgeandAlleghenymountains.WashingtonandLee’shistoriccampusconsistsof55acres,plus40acresofplayingfieldsand305acresofwoodland,streams,andcountryside.W&L’s35principalbuildingsincludethepicturesqueColonnadefacingLeeChapel(bothNationalHistoricLandmarks),whereRobertE.Leeisburied.Campusfacilitieshavebeenbuiltaneworup-datedto21st-centurystandardswithhigh-techclassroomandresearchequipment.HourstoWashington,D.C.,3;Richmond,2;andRoanoke,1.
students Undergraduate—1,788studentsfrom48states(85percentfromoutsideVirginia),representingcitizenshipin54countries(fourpercentfromoutsidetheU.S.,includingIndia,Japan,Argentina,Rwanda,Turkey,Bulgaria,SaudiArabia,Italy,andSouthKorea).Ratioofmentowomenis50:50.Ethnicminorities:14percent.
The School of Law—414students.
faculty190full-timeundergraduatefacultymembers.95percentholddoctor-atesorterminaldegrees.Studenttoteacherratio,9:1.Averageclasssize,16.Classeswithfewerthan25students,90percent;withfewerthan10students,22percent.
divisions The College—whereallundergradu-atestudentsbeginwithabroadstudyoftheliberalartsandsciences(arts,humanities,andnaturalandsocialsciences).W&Listheonlytop-rankedliberalartscollegewithanationallyaccreditedjournalismprogram.
The Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics—economics,politics,accounting,businessadministration,publicaccounting.W&Listheonlytop-rankedliberalartscollegewithanationallyaccreditedbusinessschool.
The School of Law—amongthenation’stoplawschools.
degrees offeredUndergraduate—BachelorofArt,BachelorofScience,BachelorofSciencewithspecialattainmentsincommerce.
The School of Law—JurisDoctor,MasterofLaws.
programs of studyTheUniversityoffersmorethan1,200coursesandmajorsin37areas:
AccountingandBusiness AdministrationAccounting:PublicAccountingArtHistoryBiochemistryBiologyBusinessAdministrationChemistryChemistry-EngineeringClassicsComputerScienceEastAsianLanguages andLiteratureEconomicsEnglishEnvironmentalStudiesFrenchGeologyGermanLanguageGermanLiteratureHistoryIndependentWorkJournalismandMass CommunicationsMathematicsMedievaland RenaissanceStudiesMusicNeurosciencePhilosophyPhysicsPhysics-EngineeringPoliticsPsychologyReligionRomanceLanguagesRussianAreaStudiesSociologyandAnthropologySpanishStudioArtTheater
MinorsarealsoavailableinAfrican-Americanstudies,arthistory,classics,computerscience,creativewriting,dance,EastAsianstudies,environmentalstudies,French,
German,LatinAmericanandCaribbeanstudies,masscommuni-cations,mathematics,museumstudies,music,philosophy,povertyandhumancapabilitystudies,Russianlanguageandculture,studioart,theater,andwomen’sandgenderstudies.
Typically,halfofallW&Lstudentsstudyabroad,facilitatedbyfour-weekspring-termopportunitiesaswellasfull-semesterprograms.
student lifeMorethan130studentactivitiesandorganizations,includingdrama,musicanddance;media,includingyearbook,newspapers,andWLUR,ourcampusradiostation;politicalactionandadvocacyorganizations;culturalawarenessgroups;groupswithreligiousfocus;service-orientedclubsandinitiatives;OutingClub;andthenationallycelebratedMockConvention,amongothers.AbouteightypercentofallstudentsaremembersofoneofW&L’s16fraterni-tiesandeightsororities.
RecentvisitorsandeventsincludeTheRoots,DickGregory,BustaRhymes,RogerGoodell,BobWoodward,DavidMcCullough,CornelWest,JohnGrisham,DavidBrooks,RoyBlount,BenStein,KenAuletta,RonChernow,BillNye(theScienceGuy),AmbassadorAndrewYoung,SupremeCourtJusticesClarenceThomasandAntoninScalia,theMoscowFestivalBallet,P.J.O’Rourke,RudyGiuliani,AdrianGrenier,theJuilliardStringQuartet,BluesTravelerandW&LalumnusTomWolfe.
practicing leadershipOneofW&L’smostdistinctiveactivitiesisthequadrennialMockConvention,begunin1908.Thisisanationallyrecognizedsimulationinwhichtheentirestudentbody—Democrats,Republicans,andindependentsalike—participatesinpredictingthenon-incumbentparty’snomineefortheU.S.presidency.Theconventiongarnersnationalmediaattentiondueinparttoitsaccuracyinpredictingeventualwinners—cor-rect13of15timessince1952,and19outof25timesoverall.
athleticsTheGeneralsplayintheOldDominionAthleticConference,NCAADivisionIII.
Facilitiesincludeanindoortenniscenterand14outdoorcourts;baseballstadium;indoorpoolwith500-seatgallery;recentlyinstalled10,000-square-footfitnesscenter;trainingroom;handball,racquetball,andsquashcourts;400-meterartificialsurfacetrackandturffieldsurroundedbytherecentlyrenovated4,000-seatWilsonStadium;andmorethan40acresofplayingfields.
men’s varsity sports
BaseballBasketballCross-countryEquestrian(coeducational)FootballGolfLacrosseSoccerSwimmingTennisTrackandfield(indoorandoutdoor)Wrestling
women’s varsity sports
BasketballCross-countryEquestrian(coeducational)FieldhockeyGolfLacrosseSoccerSwimmingTennisTrackandfield(indoorandoutdoor)Volleyball
intramural and sport clubs
Baseball,cheerleading,cycling,discgolf,eventing,fencing,icehockey(men’s),lacrosse,mixedmartialarts,paintball,rowing,rugby,running,ski-ing,soccer,squash,tennis,ultimateFrisbee,andvolleyball.
75percentofallstudentsparticipateinathleticsatsomelevel.
residence life50percentofroomsforfirst-yearstudentsaresingles;studentsmustliveinon-campusresidencehallsorGreekhousing(allownedandmain-tainedbytheUniversity)throughsophomoreyear.
after w&lW&L’s25,000activealumnirepre-sentanastonishingarrayofleadersacrossallfields.TheUniversityhasproduced106Fulbrightscholars,13Goldwaterfellows,eightNationalScienceFoundationfellows,15Rhodesscholars,sixTrumanscholars,and11Watsonscholars.
prominent alumni
Alumniofnoteinclude:Dr.JosephL.Goldstein’62(NobelPrizewinner);RogerMudd’50(televisionnewscorrespondent);TomWolfe’51(novelist);CyTwombly’53(abstractartist);H.F.Lenfest’53(philanthro-pistandCEO);PaulMaslansky’54(Hollywoodproducer);BillJohn-ston’61(NewYorkStockExchangepresident);MeriwetherLewis1790’s(explorer);LewisPowell,Jr.’29,’31law(lateSupremeCourtjustice);TerryBrooks’69law(fantasyfictionauthor);JohnWarner,Jr.’49(formerVirginiaU.S.Senator,formerNavySecretary).
Finishing strong
Typically,about90percentofW&Lstudentsgraduateinfouryears—andwithdistinction.Approximately25percentofgraduatingW&Lseniorsheaddirectlytograduateschool;oftherest,95percenthavejobswithinsixmonthsfollowinggraduation.MajoremployersofW&Lgraduatesinclude:PriceWa-terhouseCoopers,CNN,JPMorganChase,TeachforAmerica,Ernst&Young,BloombergNews,GoldmanSachs,WhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt,CorporateExecutiveBoard,Cam-bridgeAssociates,LeggMason,andtheU.S.Congress.financial aid and scholarships
W&Lwillspendmorethan$35milliononaidin2012-13.
need-based aid
ToensurethataW&Leducationisavailableforalldeservingstudentsregardlessoftheirfinancialbackground,allstudentsadmittedRegularDecisionapplyingforfinancialaidbyFeb.15willhavetheirinstitutionallydeterminedfinancialneedfullymetwithgrantsandawork-studyjob,notloans.Early
DecisionIapplicantsmustapplyforneed-basedaidbyDec.1andEarlyDecisionIIapplicantsmustapplybyJan.15.
Johnson scholars
TheprestigiousJohnsonScholarshipProgramprovidesdebt-freeeducationto44studentsineachclassonthebasisofacademicachievementandleadershippoten-tial.Studentswishingtobecon-sideredshouldsubmittheJohnsonScholarshipapplication,availableontheW&LSupplementtotheCommonApplicationoronlineatadmissions.wlu.edu.FormoreinformationaboutJohnsonScholarships,visitgo.wlu.edu/johnson.
applyingOf5,970whoappliedin2011-12,1,161wereadmitted.Thefirst-yearclasssizeisusually460-470.Successfulcandidatestypicallyhavefollowedtheirhighschools’mostrigorouscurricula.Generally,80percentofenrollingstudentsareamongthetop10percentoftheirhighschoolclasses.
deadlines
Regular Decision—January1
Johnson Scholarship—December1
Early Decision, Round I—November1 (forDecember22decision)
Early Decision, Round II—January1 (forFebruary1decision)
Need-based financial aid: RegularDecision—February15 EarlyDecisionI—December1 EarlyDecisionII—January15
visiting campusWashingtonandLeeUniversityislocatedinLexington,VA,justoffI-81andI-64.
driving from the north
OnI-81,takethefirstLexingtonexitandfollowRoute11south,whichbecomesMainStreet,pastVirginiaMilitaryInstitutetotheW&Lcampus,ontheright(eightmilesfromI-81).
driving from the south
OnI-81,takethesecondLexingtonexit(I-64west)andfollowsignstoRoute11southandtheW&Lcampus(twomilesfromI-64).
by air
Roanokeairport(50milessouth)isservedbyDelta,Northwest,United,andUSAirways.Followdirections(above)fordrivingfromthesouth.
contact usOfficeofAdmissionsWashingtonandLeeUniversityLexington,[email protected](540)458-8710Washington and Lee University does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color,
religion, national or ethnic origin, sex,
sexual orientation, age, disability,
veteran’s status, or genetic information
in its educational programs and
activities, admissions, and with regard
to employment. See complete statement
at go.wlu.edu/eeo.
W&L2012-13
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WASHINGTON AND LEEU N I V E R S I T Y
204 W. Washington Street
Lexington, Virginia [email protected](540)458-8710