Choosing a Nominee
Who are we looking for?
We’re looking for young leaders in your school and community who are bold in taking initiative. The type of students who set the tone for the rest of their class. Students whose classmates and teachers count on to get things done. Leaders who use their skills to have a positive impact.
A quick note about our process: we understand opportunities vary from school to school. We’re committed to understanding the context of each candidate’s educational environment and opportunities. And, we base our decisions on judgments that recognize the uniqueness of varied educational opportunities and experiences.
Selection Criteria
The Morehead-Cain is brought to life by thousands of scholars and alumni from around the world—which calls for some criteria.
• Leadership
• Moral force of character
• Scholarship
• Physical vigor
While we look for evidence of depth in each of our criteria in all candidates, know that there’s no “typical” Morehead-Cain Scholar. Scholars’ experiences, academic and extracurricular interests, and motivations are diverse. There’s no formula to follow.
This is why we encourage you to select nominees based on our selection criteria regardless of students’ interest in Carolina. Many students who never considered attending college in Chapel Hill find themselves exploring new paths once they learn about the Morehead-Cain and the opportunity it presents.
Advice From an Expert
Choosing a nominee is hard work. So we asked a colleague in the college counseling world, whose students have succeeded many times in our process, to share tips and tricks she and her selection committee use when choosing their school nominees each year.
We hope her insights will be helpful for you as you think about your Morehead-Cain nomination process.