Selection
There is no application required for the award. The procedure for selecting Reginaldo Howard Scholars begins with recommendations, made in February by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to the Reginaldo Howard Scholarship Advisory Council. The selected candidates are considered to be among the top students of African heritage to Duke University. The dossiers of these candidates are evaluated by Advisory Council members and current Reginaldo Howard Scholars with a view towards generating a group of fifteen to twenty students for final consideration for the award.
There are no required test scores or rigid list of requirements. However, scholars in the past have been in the top percentiles of their graduating classes, demonstrated a substantial commitment to community service, and in their own ways embodied the spirit of leadership and community-mindedness associated with the memory of Reggie Howard himself.
On April 5-8, 2008, between 15 and 20 finalists will visit Duke's campus for the Office of Undergraduate Scholars and Fellows (OUSF) Finalists Weekend. During this time these finalists will each be interviewed by a panel of Advisory Council members and current scholars. They will be hosted by current Reginaldo Howard Scholars and will have the opportunity to attend class, enjoy a wide range of cultural activities, and interact with other prospective first year students. The results of the competition will be announced shortly after the Finalists' Weekend. Special care is taken not to discriminate in favor of or against early decision applicants; all have an equal chance.