Admission to the Berry Scholars Program

About the Program: Does It Interest You?

The goal of the Berry Scholars Program is to enhance and stimulate each Scholar's intellectual curiosity, academic skills and community values. When choosing the 30 Berry Scholars each year, the University Honors Program seeks a diverse class of students who are enthusiastic, accomplished, have a wide variety of academic interests and strong potential for leadership and service. Each class attends the required seminars together, creating a close and collaborative group within the larger communities of the University Honors Program and the University of Dayton.

Requirements of the Program

The Berry Scholars Program requires six common seminars (with usually 15 students in each section). Berry Scholars study English Literature, Religious Studies, History, Philosophy, and Social Science together, which take the place of other general education courses. In the third year, the Berry Scholars participate in the Systems Design Seminar, a course taught in the School of Engineering and designed to produce a useful, practical solution for an identified problem in the community. 

In their junior and senior years, Berry Scholars undertake a required Honors Thesis project.  This is a major research undertaking - the equivalent of two courses of academic credit - that provides students with an opportunity to explore in-depth a topic of their own choosing. Sometime during the four years, the Berry Scholars Program also requires an international or cross-cultural experience.

Like all students in the University Honors Program, Berry Scholars are expected to complete the program while maintaining at least a 3.5 GPA.

About the Application Process:  Note the Deadline Date

Three components make up the initial application: most important is the prospective student’s own letter of application or personal essay. A one-page resume should also be enclosed. Finally, a letter of recommendation is also submitted upon the prospective student’s behalf. Our priority receipt date for applications is December 15 and they should be mailed to the address below. Applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received.

Once applications have been received and evaluated, a certain number of applications are invited to campus for interviews, which often provide us with a means to make our final admissions decisions.

Admissions to the Berry Scholars Program are rolling.

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES

The Letter of Application

The Letter of Application or personal essay for admission to the Berry Scholars Program is typically between two and four typewritten pages. It might..... 

•  explain your educational goals, and how you think the Berry Scholars Program will help you attain them.

•  describe a significant challenge in life and what you have learned from this experience. 

•  shed light on your personality and family background, and how these affect who you are as an individual.

You may find it helpful to answer some of the following questions:

•  What most appeals to you about participation in the Berry Scholars Program? Which aspect of the Program least appeals to you?

•  What service or leadership experiences have you had that caused you to rethink an issue or to change how you viewed yourself and your place in society and the world?

•  How will the international/cross-cultural learning component of the Berry Scholars Program help you attain your goals?

•  What major field of study are you considering and why? If you could major in a second field, what would it be?

•  Why are you considering a Catholic and Marianist university?

The Letter of Recommendation

The letter of recommendation should be written specifically for the application for admission to the University of Dayton John W. Berry Sr. Scholars Program and should address your suitability for the Program. Letters should be mailed directly to:

Dr. Patricia M. Hart, Director
John W. Berry, Sr. Scholars Program
University of Dayton
300 College Park
Dayton, OH  45469-0311