Unveiling the North Carolina State University Park Scholarship: A Comprehensive Guide

The Park Scholarships program at North Carolina State University (NC State) stands as a beacon of opportunity for exceptional students. Named in honor of the late Roy H. Park ’31, an esteemed NC State alumnus and founder of Park Communications, the program aims to cultivate future leaders who embody scholarship, leadership, service, and character. This merit-based scholarship seeks to attract and develop outstanding individuals who will contribute significantly to the campus, state, nation, and world.

The Essence of the Park Scholarships Program

Established in 1996 through the generous support of the Park Foundation, the Park Scholarships program offers a comprehensive educational experience for talented and well-prepared young individuals. The program's mission is to bring exceptional students to NC State, fostering their potential in scholarship, leadership, service, and character. The Park Scholarship is a merit-based award and financial need is not a selection criterion. Park Scholarships candidates should also apply for need-based aid if they think they may be eligible.

Roy H. Park School of Communications Scholars

The Program targets outstanding students entering the Roy H. Park School of Communications. The scholars are studying the full range of communications majors including cinema, documentaries, emerging media, TV-Radio, journalism, management, and marketing. Scholars are encouraged and trained to use the power of mass communication to make a positive impact on the world. In a typical year, the program supports the chosen students with commitments to cover the entire cost of attendance: tuition, room and board, books and supplies, and stipends for a computer and living expenses. Program enhancements include multiple opportunities for community engagement, leadership, and service training for participation locally, nationally, and globally.

Core Values: The Four Pillars of Selection

The Park Scholarships program seeks candidates who demonstrate excellence in four key areas:

Scholarship: Park Scholars are intellectually curious students who excel academically and seek learning experiences beyond the classroom. They demonstrate a passion for learning and a commitment to intellectual growth. Daniel Haller ’22, a 2020 Goldwater Scholar, knew when he came to NC State he wanted to study global infectious diseases.
Leadership: Park Scholars listen well, lead by example, take risks, and champion original ideas. They possess the ability to inspire and motivate others, and they are not afraid to challenge the status quo. As Student Body President, Timothy Reid ’24 is working to advance policies to improve student well-being.
Service: Park Scholars dedicate themselves to making a positive difference for others. They are actively involved in their communities and committed to serving those in need. Nicholas Oyarzun ’24 and Sam Dotson ’24 created Park Under-Resourced Assistance (PURA) to help bring outstanding students to NC State and the Park Scholarships program.
Character: Park Scholars possess integrity, resilience, and a strong moral compass. They are honest, ethical, and committed to doing what is right. Elizabeth Dogbe ’21 is passionate about transportation planning and traffic operations and will graduate ready to pursue a meaningful career making transit systems more equitable.

Financial Support and Program Enhancements

The Park Scholarship is a four-year award that covers tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, travel, and personal expenses. This comprehensive financial support allows scholars to focus on their academic pursuits and engage in extracurricular activities without the burden of financial worries.

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Beyond financial assistance, the program offers numerous enhancements to enrich the scholars' educational experience. These include:

Learning Labs: Park Scholars participate in two Learning Labs - trips for scholars to learn about challenges facing leaders at the state, national and global levels. The first trip is to a region of North Carolina during spring of the first year.
Park Faculty Scholars: Park Faculty Scholars are two NC State professors who meet regularly with each class of Park Scholars and assist them in organizing their enrichment activities.
Service and Program Activities: Park Scholars spend time on service and program activities.

Eligibility and Application Requirements

To be eligible for the Park Scholarships program, applicants must:

Submit an application for admission to NC State by November 1. Submit a complete Park Scholarships application by November 1.
ACT or SAT scores are not required for your Park Scholarships Application.

The Application Process: A Holistic Review

The Park Scholarships application process is designed to provide the Selection Committee with a comprehensive understanding of each candidate's strengths and potential. The process involves multiple stages, including:

Written Application: The written application is the first introduction to who you are! Stay true to yourself and focus on the four pillars of the Park Scholarships program: scholarship, leadership, service and character. The application includes essays that allow candidates to showcase their experiences and perspectives on the four selection criteria. The two essay prompts for the 2025-2026 selection cycle (the Class of 2030) are listed below. Your essays should delve beneath the surface and reveal insights about your candidacy based on our four selection criteria: scholarship, leadership, service and character. Think about a time when your curiosity led you to not just learn, but to act. How did you learn more, and what tangible steps did you take as a result of what you learned? What insights about yourself, others, or the world did you take away from this process of learning and doing? (This essay prompt is also part of the application for NC State’s University Honors Program. Park Scholars make a positive difference for others. What meaningful civic contributions have you made? Why did you engage in this service?
Recommendations: The best recommendation letters are from people who know you well and can provide specific examples of how you meet the selection criteria. At least one of your recommenders should be someone who is familiar with your academics. The Selection Committee will only see the recommendation letters submitted as part of your Park Scholarships application. They will not see recommendation letters submitted as part of your application for admission to NC State. You may use the same recommenders if at least one meets the criteria above. Recommendations are due by 11:59pm, November 1. If recommendations are not submitted by the Nov. 1 deadline your application will not be eligible for consideration in our process.
Semifinal Interviews: Applications are reviewed by Regional Selection Committee members and from those applicants, semifinalists are selected each year to participate in Semifinal Interviews. Semifinal Interviews are held via Zoom. Semifinalists speak for 20-30 minutes with members of the Park Scholarships community.
Final Selection Activities: After those interviews, finalists are selected and invited to participate in Final Selection Activities. During Final Selection Activities, Park Scholarships finalists learn about the opportunities that await them at NC State. Each finalist will participate in an interview and an additional evaluated group task but the majority of our Final Selection Activities are designed to allow finalists to get a full understanding of what it’s like to be part of NC State and the Park Scholarships community. Interviews usually last 20-30 minutes and are conducted by a panel of 2-4 alumni and faculty Selection Committee members. Students should expect questions related to the selection criteria and their applications. Candidates do not need to study for interviews, but should review their applications beforehand. We regret that we cannot reschedule interviews. Hundreds of alumni, faculty, and current Park Scholar volunteers are involved with Semifinalist and Finalist interviews; thus, we are unable to arrange alternate dates.

At every stage of the process, the Selection Committee evaluates all candidates on the following criteria: scholarship, leadership, service and character.

Tips for Preparing Your Application

Start Early: Give yourself ample time to prepare a thoughtful and comprehensive application.
Be Authentic: Your written application is our first introduction to who you are! Stay true to yourself and focus on the four pillars of the Park Scholarships program: scholarship, leadership, service and character.
Show, Don't Tell: Provide specific examples and anecdotes to illustrate your accomplishments and qualities.
Seek Feedback: Ask teachers, mentors, and counselors to review your application and provide constructive criticism.
Proofread Carefully: Ensure your application is free of grammatical errors and typos.
PURA Support: Park Under-Resourced Assistance (PURA) is a student-run initiative to help under-resourced candidates through each phase of the selection process. Under-resourced students are defined to include applicants who are first-generation, are from low-income backgrounds, attend overpopulated schools, are from rural areas or who are from other socio-economically disadvantaged areas. PURA essay submission instructions and resources will be available in October.

Selection Timeline and Notification

We notify Park Scholarships recipients in early March. Approximately 38 scholarships will be awarded this year to outstanding entering freshmen for undergraduate study in any discipline at NC State. All Park Scholarships Finalists receive automatic admission to the University Honors and Scholars Program.

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Scholarship Renewal and Additional Funding

The Park Scholarship is renewable for a total of eight semesters at NC State. If you have received scholarship money from outside the university, it is up to that funding source whether or not you are eligible for its scholarship. With respect to need-based financial aid, we highly encourage Park Scholars to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually so they may receive the need-based aid for which they are eligible. Park Scholars who have applied for and receive Federal Pell grants, grants from the state of North Carolina or university grants to meet their demonstrated need will have the Park Scholarship reduced appropriately to keep the student within the Cost of Attendance. Yes. Park Scholars spend time on service and program activities.

Stamps Scholars Program Partnership

The Stamps Scholars Program partnership begins with Class of 2029, selected in March 2025. The class will include 10 students who will be both Park Scholars and Stamps Scholars, with support for their scholarships coming from Stamps and from NC State.

Deferral Policy

Yes; in fact, we encourage students to defer their university studies for one year to travel or work abroad or to engage in some other “gap year” activity.

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