(Please see the 2009 update for the current year’s information.)
By Maria
This year, the Office of Admission received well over 5,000 applications for our prestigious Richmond Scholars program which awards 50 full-tuition, merit-based scholarships to each incoming first-year class. The sheer volume of applications we received by December 15 was daunting, but each application left us feeling invigorated and excited about the applicant pool. Personally, I was left in awe and often humbled by the accomplishments of these young people.
Each Richmond Scholar application has since been read and all semi-finalists were notified by the end of January. Notification was sent via email as well as standard post. In total, approximately five hundred students advanced to the next selection round. You will not receive notification if your application did not advance; please feel free to contact the Admission Office to discuss specific questions or concerns.
Congratulations to our Richmond Scholar semi-finalists!
The Office of Admission co-hosted an online chat last night to discuss the Bonner Scholars program. The Bonner Scholars Program, funded by the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation, recognizes students with significant commitment to community service. The University of Richmond awards 25 Bonner Scholarships each year.
Applications for the Bonner Scholars program must be postmarked by February 15. Since many of the Bonner Scholar awards are need-sensitive, candidates should also file the FAFSA, as well as the Richmond Financial Aid Supplemental Application, by February 15.
If you missed the online chat last night or if you have additional questions regarding Bonner, contact the Admission Office at admission@richmond.edu.
As you probably know, Richmond is committed to meeting 100% of a family’s demonstrated need; and, as a need-blind institution, we are dedicated to making a Richmond education affordable. We recognize that more loans mean a heavier burden on you when you graduate; that’s why our Richmond in Reach aid packages primarily consist of grant money. Grant money, unlike loans, does not have to be repaid.
In order to apply for need-based aid you must submit the FAFSA form to the federal processor by February 15, file the University of Richmond Financial Aid Supplemental Application, and mail a copy of last year’s tax returns. For more information on applying for need-based aid contact the Office of Financial Aid at (804) 289-8438 or finaid@richmond.edu.
Richmond Admissions Blog 
14 Comments
When will the Richmond Scholars finalist notifications start to go out?
Nick,
The Office of Admission plans to send out notification to all Richmond Scholar finalists within in the next couple of weeks. Semi-finalists should expect to hear from the University by the end of February regarding their Richmond Scholar standing. Those students selected as finalists will be given information pertaining to campus interviews and the final selection process. Applicants not advancing to the finalist stage will also be notified.
Maria
How many Richmond Scholar finalists are you anticipating?
Hi Brad,
Thank you for posting such a good question. I am sure many other readers are wondering about the same thing.
The University typically invites 90-100 students to campus for a three day, two night program. During the finalists’ time on campus, they interact with current Richmond Scholars, meet faculty and staff members representing various departments, and interview with faculty members.
I hope this helps!
Maria
When are the finalists notified if they become Richmond Scholars?
Hello Maria! It’s 1st of March and I haven’t received any information from the University regarding the Richmond Scholars Finale. I thought that the 29th was the deadline. When are we supposed to find out about the final decision? I hope it’s soon because I am very excited.HAHA:)
Thank you so much for your help.
Can you apply for the Bonner Scholars or Richmond Scholars as a sophmore. I wasn’t aware of these scholarships when i applied for the school.
Tiffany,
You can apply for the Bonner Scholars program as a sophomore – they accept new applications each year, and some students decide they’d like to apply for the program after a year or two at Richmond. The Richmond Scholars program is a four-year scholarship, so those are not available to sophomores.
Hope that helps!
Tom
is this actually a scholarship or do you just get stipends for doing comunity service??
Tiffany,
The Bonner Scholars Program is a scholarship for students who are passionate about community engagement. The Bonner Foundation supports this initiative at more than 70 colleges and universities across the country.
Students receiving the scholarship are expected to spend 10 hours per week in community engagement efforts, at sites of their choice in the Richmond area and on campus through programming sponsored by the Center for Civic Engagement. They are also provided funds to spend two summers during college doing service work. The scholarship allows students to grow in their understanding and engagement of civic issues, as well as building and fostering connections between the student body and the city of Richmond, and Bonner Scholars are leaders on campus in community engagement.
For more information, please visit http://engage.richmond.edu/projects/bonner/prospective.htm.
Do you know what the average SAT scores, GPA, or class rank are for the Richmond Scholar finalists?
Rebecca,
Generally speaking, Richmond Scholar finalists fall above our profile ranges in terms of the numbers – they are usually straight-A students in a highly rigorous curriculum, often near the top of their class. More importantly, however, they demonstrate extraordinary personal qualities and academic achievement beyond the classroom. This could include significant academic research or other independent scholarship; unique achievements at regional, state, and national levels; outstanding examples of leadership or initiative; significant accomplishments in the arts or in service to society; or any number of other “way-above-and-beyond” qualities that stand out to our faculty committees. On the whole, they are students who are passionate about learning and are high achievers, as demonstrated in their high school accomplishments.
Hope that’s helpful! I’ll be putting up a new post about the December 15 deadline shortly.
Tom
Have all the Richmond Scholar semi finalists been notified already?
All Richmond Scholar semi-finalists will be notified by the end of January (i.e. by the end of this week).