U.S. Embassy invites applications for scholarships

The United States Embassy’s Public Affairs Section is inviting academically qualified and motivated, low-income, Upper Sixth “A” level students in Zimbabwe to join the United States Student Achievers Program (USAP) to apply for consideration for its 12th cohort.

The successful USAP students work with Education USA Advising Centers in Harare, Gweru and Bulawayo during the course of the 2011 and 2012 to secure places and financial assistance to begin study in the U.S. in August 2012.

Application forms are available online at http://www.usapglobal.org/usap-application-forms.htm and through the Education USA Advising Centers at the Bulawayo Public Library, Gweru Memorial Library, Turner Memorial Library in Mutare and the US Embassy’s EducationUSA Advising Center on the 7th Floor of the Goldbridge in Eastgate in Harare. Forms should reach any of these offices by April 15, 2011.

USAP assists highly-talented and determined, economically-disadvantaged Advanced Level students to negotiate and finance the admissions process for colleges and universities in the United States with the aim of producing highly-skilled and widely-educated leaders to build tomorrow’s Zimbabwe.

More than 250 Zimbabwean students have studied in the U.S. on full scholarships through USAP.  This year’s acceptances include USAP students who have been offered funding to attend Columbia, Davidson, Harvard, Mt Holyoke, MIT, Smith, University of Pennsylvania, Williams and Yale.

USAP works closely with students through regularly scheduled meetings and seminars to assist them throughout the application process to secure admission and scholarships for colleges and universities in the United States. USAP finances all costs of the application process, including registration fees for required standardized examinations and provides free membership to the Education USA Advising Center.

“We expect a sincere commitment of students to give back their energy and time to the program and to their communities and to apply themselves to the intensive US university application process.  We are committed to helping them at all stages with the hope of nurturing a cohort of dynamic, open-minded and highly-educated future leaders for Zimbabwe,” said Rebecca Zeigler Mano, EducationUSA Advisor.

She said that USAP welcomes Upper Sixth students from all parts of the country and all types of high schools as long as they fulfill the USAP criteria of academic talent, demonstrated leadership potential, the ethos of giving back to community and economic disadvantage.

Students who will write either ZIMSEC or Cambridge “A” level examinations in November 2011 are eligible. In addition to financial need, students must demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and be actively involved in co -curricular, leadership and community activities.  For more information on the program and the success of its participants, please see www.usapglobal.org