John Jay Scholar

John Jay Scholars are selected as incoming freshman and retain some kind of special status during their time at the university. They themselves are generally not sure what this is. Occasionally, the John Jay Scholars hold their own, exclusive events. They are also rumored to be first in line for various postgraduate fellowships.

Official Status

The John Jay Scholar recognition is a recruitment incentive given to about 25-30 members of each class of Columbia College. It is part of the Columbia Undergraduate Scholars Program, which is a loosely organized group of students whom Admissions seemed to think needed an extra incentive to matriculate. The various kinds of scholars have a speaker series and a few other events, as well as a separate advising office.

Benefits

Other than a feeling of mild embarrassment, there are few actual benefits to the designation. Some people find it an enjoyable social and/or intellectual opportunity, however. There is no money officially associated with the award because no Ivy League school may offer merit scholarships. Nevertheless, John Jay Scholars unofficially always receive grants in lieu of loans in their financial aid packages. For some this amounts to a huge scholarship, but for others the difference is negligible.