ABOUT THIS BOOK

The scholars selected from the notoriously competitive Truman Scholarship applicant pool are widely known as energetic leaders from a variety of disciplines who have in common the desire to make a difference, to bring about sustainable positive change, and to serve the greater public good. Wild about Harry makes the Truman Scholarship application process transparent to applicants and their advisors. This collection of essays teaches readers how to gain the most from the application process, how to connect past involvement and successes to future academic and career goals, how to approach interviews, and how to embrace the opportunity if selected for an award.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Suzanne McCray is vice provost for enrollment services, dean of admissions, and director of the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards at the University of Arkansas.

Tara Yglesias is the deputy executive secretary of the Truman Foundation and has been involved in the selection of Truman Scholars for twenty years.

Former secretary of state Madeleine K. Albright is president of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation.

REVIEWS

“Wild about Harry provides guidance from the Truman Foundation and from seasoned advisors engaged in the application process, from the initial stage in coaching students to the end stage as readers and interviewers in the national selection effort. It is a must-read for advisors and for the students they are assisting through the Truman Scholarship process.”

—Alicia Hayes, prestigious scholarships manager, University of California, Berkeley

“The wit and candor that define this collection will help scholarship advisors—whether they are heading into their first nomination cycle or their fifteenth—refine their understanding of the Truman’s mission and push us all to reconsider what success, leadership, and public service may look like.”

—Kelly Thornburg, director of scholar development, University of Iowa

“This is the book I have been waiting for . . . a welcome invitation to understand the Truman Scholarship ethos from the scholars, administrators, and leaders who make it happen.”

—LaNitra M. Berger, senior director of the Office of Fellowships, George Mason University

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

Acknowledgments

Foreword by Secretary Madeleine K. Albright

Introduction

I. The Truman Scholar Community

1. Truman Scholars: A Living Memorial | Terry Babcock-Lumish

2. Broadening Horizons and Building Community: The Truman Foundation’s Summer Institute | Andrew Rich

3. The Truman Scholar Community: Unconventional Scholarship Serving the Public Good | Tara Yglesias

4. Public Service, Power, and the Challenges Facing Future Public Servants | Andrew Rich

II. Applying for the Truman Scholarship

5. Suspenders and a Belt: Overpreparation and the Overachiever | Tara Yglesias

6. Non Ducor, Duco: Leadership and the Truman Scholarship Application | Tara Yglesias

7. I Love It When a Grad Plan Comes Together: Graduate School Advising and the Truman Application | Tara Yglesias

8. When the Abyss Stares Back: The Eldritch Horror of the “Additional Information” Prompt | Tara Yglesias

9. Enough about Me, What Do You Think about Me? Surviving the Truman Interview | Tara Yglesias

10. An Advisor’s Perspective on Reading Applications for Truman | Paula Warrick

11. You Sank My Fellowship: The “Near-Miss” Truman Application | Tara Yglesias

III. Why Does It Matter?

12. The Truman Scholarship: Having A Winner Every Time | Louis H. Blair

13. Giving Shape to a Future Career Path through the Truman Process | Jane Morris and Elizabeth Vardaman

Appendix A: The Truman Scholarship Application

Appendix B: The Truman Scholarship Review Rubric

Notes

Contributors

Index

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