Three undergraduates at the University of California, Davis, were recently named recipients of one of the most prestigious scholarships awarded in the United States. And with their success, the university is realizing the first rewards of an improved program to help students compete for major scholarships. Juniors Davinder S. Grover, Lucian-Vlad Lita and Jeff P. Murry are among the 304 national winners of this year's Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships, worth up to $7,500 each. The recipients, including 10 at five other UC campuses, were selected on academic merit from among 1,181 applicants studying mathematics, science or engineering at universities and colleges across the country. "It's a strong indication that our recent policy of selecting and grooming students to compete for prestigious national fellowships is beginning to bear fruit," says Peter A. Dale, vice provost for undergraduate studies. In the fall of 1997, the university began to give greater priority to recruiting and guiding students through the demanding application process for prestigious awards such as the Rhodes Scholarship. To provide greater assistance to applicants, responsibility was shifted from the Undergraduate Scholarship Office to the Davis Honors Challenge program, which offers highly motivated students more challenging coursework and closer contact with faculty. Ken Verosub, professor of geology and director of the Honors Challenge program, says the competition for the most prestigious scholarships has become much more sophisticated, and those who award them say that it is critically important for universities to guide their students through the application process. "We have many highly qualified students who would be competitive for a variety of prestigious fellowships," Verosub says. "But it's clear that this success doesn't happen unless a university has a structure in place to disseminate information, identify students, encourage them to apply and provide them with guidance during the application process." Such efforts require a lot of hands-on work with the students, says Beth Merritt Miller, coordinator of Prestigious National Scholarships and Fellowships at UC Davis. She recruited potential applicants by e-mailing students on the Deans' Honors Lists and others recommended by faculty members. About 500 students attended a meeting in February 1998 about the scholarships with deadlines this academic year, and some went to smaller meetings about individual scholarships. The information meeting for scholarships to be awarded next academic year was held earlier this month. Merritt Miller says a competitive applicant must have a grade-point average of 3.6 or higher, a strong record of research or community service and a well-developed career goal. The university identified its candidates by interviewing interested students and reviewing essays they wrote for the selection process. Then Merritt Miller and others helped students prepare extensive applications requiring a transcript, short answers and essays, two to eight letters of recommendation, as well as a letter of endorsement from the university. For some awards, such as the National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship, students also must demonstrate financial need. "Having us here to help them stay motivated is good too," Merritt Miller says. "Oh man! I put in all this work into the application," says Goldwater recipient Davinder S. Grover, who is majoring in neurology, physiology and behavior. "It was pretty tough to fill out. I spent a good two or three weeks of intense work on the essay." He says Merritt Miller provided lots of feedback and helpful suggestions to help make his essay understandable for a general scientist. The essay was about his research to identify genes that might increase a person's susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis. "I had to rewrite essays several times because of (Merritt Miller)," Goldwater recipient Lita bemoans good-naturedly. The computer science and engineering major from San Jose plans to earn a doctorate and pursue a research career in computer science. UC Davis nominated nine students for five scholarships this year, and of them, two students are waiting for the Morris K. Udall Scholars to be named in May. If all nine students had been awarded scholarships, together they would have won a total of up to $125,000 for undergraduate or graduate education. "To win one of these awards is, of course, a wonderful thing for the individual student and his or her future career aspirations," Dale says. "But it is also a good thing for the campus as a whole. "It increases our reputation for academic excellence and inspires other undergraduates to strive for similar recognition," he adds. "I hope it will not be too much longer before the campus produces its first Rhodes Scholar." Three UC Davis students won Goldwater scholarships seven years ago, and another UC Davis student won a Harry Truman Scholarship five years ago. Media contacts: -- Beth Merritt Miller, Prestigious National Scholarships and Fellowships, (530) 754-6138, bamerrittmiller@ucdavis.edu -- Julia Ann Easley, News Service, (530) 752-8248, jaeasley@ucdavis.edu