The first question in an interview for a Marshall
Fellowship will be a softball. The second one is the killer. The third
questioner will ask about British culture and politics. The fourth will
want to know who Marshall was. (He was General George C. Marshall, Harry
Truman's Secretary of State as well as Secretary of Defense and
architect of the post-World War II recovery program.)
“It's important to know who sits in on these
interviews and the types of questions they will ask,” says Byron
Nichols, the director of graduate honors and fellowships. He has spent the
last year learning as much as possible about the intricacies of applying
to and interviewing for the Marshall Fellowships and others.
Nichols began the fall term by sending a letter to 218
sophomores, juniors and seniors who had GPAs over 3.5, what appears to be
a common threshold for many scholarships and fellowships. “We need to
talk soon,” began his rather flattering letter, which went on to
describe a host of opportunities. By the end of the term, he had talked to
more than 70 students.
“I wanted the seniors to know that they had to take
fast action,” Nichols said. “And the sophomores and juniors need
to position themselves for these awards in the years to come.”
Nichols has taken on the role of campus liaison for
honors and fellowships in conjunction with a number of faculty members who
coordinate applications for various awards.
He also offers practical advice on how to dress, proper
etiquette at cocktail parties and formal dinners, and how to feel
comfortable in conversations with elite peers and judges. (On the latter,
he advises asking intelligent questions about others' work and being
prepared to talk about one's own.)
Nichols has been working this year with faculty to help
them identify unusually gifted or able students within their departments.
“In some cases, we have not systematically explored all the
opportunities, or worked to identify students who would make ideal
candidates for some of these honors,” he says.
Nichols' new position is not without its frustrations.
“There are few functioning typewriters on this campus,” he
notes, recalling trying to find one to complete a nomination form he had
to submit. After a fruitless search, he contacted the fellowship
foundation. Their response: “You are not alone. Please print
neatly.”
Nichols can be reached at ext. 6226 or at nicholsb@union.edu.