Named scholarships - more valuable? Forum

[nattybro]

All else being equal, does a named scholarship hold any special benefit over an equivalent amount of "generic" grant money? Is this something that would go on my resume and look attractive to employers? Let's assume the named award is directly related to the field you're interested in but doesn't involve any special programs or activities.

[lawschoolgiant]

The better the school is the only thing that matters. The best schools have the most known scholarships. End of Story.

[TTH]

The better the school is the only thing that matters. The best schools have the most known scholarships. End of Story.

This, more or less.

Although if you get your school's flagship scholly--like the Levy at Penn--, it's probably worth listing on your resume.

[nattybro]

I prefaced my question with "all else being equal." I'm aware that school rank matters. Say the quality of schools is virtually indistinguishable... Chicago vs Columbia vs NYU, for example.

[Tangerine Gleam]

I've gathered that there are some advantages to having a named scholarship, although there's no telling how significant. Yes, it is true that a named scholarship can (and should) be on your resume -- it's a non-jerk way of informing employers that you were squalified for a significant scholarship, and in some instances (Hamilton @ Columbia, Darrow @ Michigan) there's a long enough tradition of said named scholarships that employers understand their significance. Most employers may not, but I think it can be a talking point and a good thing to have to explain. At some schools, too, faculty know each class' named scholars, which some claim can lead to good things. At the end of the day, though, I think it's pretty hard to tell how much this stuff really matters.

[nattybro]

I've gathered that there are some advantages to having a named scholarship, although there's no telling how significant. Yes, it is true that a named scholarship can (and should) be on your resume -- it's a non-jerk way of informing employers that you were squalified for a significant scholarship, and in some instances (Hamilton @ Columbia, Darrow @ Michigan) there's a long enough tradition of said named scholarships that employers understand their significance. Most employers may not, but I think it can be a talking point and a good thing to have to explain. At some schools, too, faculty know each class' named scholars, which some claim can lead to good things. At the end of the day, though, I think it's pretty hard to tell how much this stuff really matters.

Good info, thanks

[legalease9]

Yeah, throw it in the resume. Probably won't do much, but can't hurt.

[CoaltoNewCastle]

It depends on the level of money in the scholarship. I think having a Butler at Columbia is definitely better than a generic half ride. The Butler sounds very prestigious and is easy to list on the resume, while saying "Attending Columbia Law School on a partial scholarship" or something like that is kind of awkward and vague. I think it's different if you get a full ride though. Unless the named scholarship is very well-known like the Hamilton or the Darrow, I think it looks better to have "Attending X Law School on a full scholarship."

[CanadianWolf]

Only if it is named after the senior hiring partner at your first choice law firm.