Four Students Offered Full-Tuition Scholarships

Four exceptional high school seniors have been offered full-tuition scholarships to Westmont after they successfully competed against 26 others during the college’s recent Scholars Day.

The winners are Bryce McFerran of Encinitas in Orange County, Jennifer Murphy of Eagle River, Alaska, Neil Bezdek of Centennial, Colo., and Julie Lockwood of San Carlos in the San Francisco Bay Area. The scholarships are for all four years of study, which today would be valued at nearly $100,000.

Tuition at Westmont for the 2003-04 school year will be $24,224. Students will be responsible for paying for room, board and fees, which in 2003-04 will be $9,044.

McFerran is interested in economics and business. Murphy is interested in education and liberal studies. Bezdek, whose sister is a Westmont student, would like to study engineering and physics. Lockwood is interested in psychology.

“It is a pleasure to host these exceptional students on our campus. In addition to applying to Westmont, these students have also applied to and been accepted at colleges and universities such as Harvard, Dartmouth, Princeton, Stanford, Pomona, Claremont McKenna and the U.S. Air Force Academy,” Admissions Director Joyce Luy said.

These four students were part of a group of 30 who were invited to campus for two days in late February to compete for the scholarships. The average SAT score of the four winners is 1520 (out of a possible 1600) and their grade-point average is 3.97 (4.44 with honors). The 30 scholars who were invited to campus had an average SAT of 1510, with a GPA of 3.92 (4.14 with honors).

During Scholars Day, the students and their parents are invited to get to know the campus, current students and faculty. The prospective students stay in the residence halls, attend a welcome dinner with the president, and have an opportunity to hear a faculty colloquy and attend sample classes. They also write essays and go through rigorous interviews with faculty and staff. The winners are chosen based on their essays and interviews.

Westmont is a nationally recognized liberal arts college in Santa Barbara, Calif., dedicated to helping young men and women grow intellectually, personally and spiritually.

For more information, contact the office of public affairs at (805) 565-6051, or e-mail pubaffairs@westmont.edu.