For the third year, Fast-Track to Research Scholarships have played a key role in our recruiting of the best and brightest freshmen in the School of Biological Sciences. These scholarships are $1500 stipends offered to exceptionally accomplished freshmen admitted to Georgia Tech as Biology majors to help attract them to our school. These scholarships enable Biology majors to work ten hours per week in the research lab of a Biological Sciences faculty mentor in the spring or summer semester of their freshman year. These mentoring relationships are highly prized by Biology students in helping them launch their college and professional careers. The Fast-Track Scholarship program is being copied by other Schools in the College of Sciences and throughout Georgia Tech. Overall, the Fast-Track program helps distinguish the GT biology major and provide special opportunities that are not widely available at other universities.
Thanks to alumni donors, the Fast-Track to Research Scholarships in Biology have been a huge success and are helping increase the number and quality of Biology majors at Georgia Tech. The data supporting this includes the following:
- The freshman enrollment yield for Biology majors admitted to Georgia Tech and offered a Fast-Track scholarship is 70% higher than the average yield for Biology majors in Fall 2017
- The overall enrollment for Biology majors is 5% higher in Fall 2017, despite the fact that the new Neuroscience major was launched and immediately attracted 144 majors
- The average SAT score for Fast-Track scholars enrolled in Fall 2016 was 1470, 6% higher than the average for all Biology majors
- You can see interviews with several Fast-Track scholars describing how the scholarship influenced their decisions to come to Georgia Tech and major in Biology.
Over the past three years, our alumni have helped make the Fast-Track Scholarship Program a big success. If you would like to make a donation to Fast-Track Scholarships, you can be assured that 100% will go to scholarships. Donations of a full $1500 scholarship will enable you to name the award as you wish.
We are deeply grateful to the following Biology alums whose contributions have made the 2017 Fast-Track program possible: Willie Caldwell ’65, Joel Pittard ’68, Harry Harvin ’68, Chris Purvis ’69, Russ Bell '69 '71, Georgette Samaritan ’70, Wade Barnes ’71, Jack McCallum ’72, Fred Levin ’72, Wayne and Willa Kerr ’73 ‘74, Lawrence Catchpole ’73, Cindi Bossart ’74, Tim Helton '74, David Williamson ’74, Gordon Hayford ’76, Randal Walker '84, Aaron Macdonald '87, Phil Williams ’88, Richard Wingate ’99, Candra Mack ’00, Kristen Marhaver '04 family, Lyndsay Head '05, and Jessica Schwind ‘05.
To make a donation please mail a check made out to the Georgia Tech Foundation, Inc. noting that it is for Fast-Track Scholarships to Ms. Nena Gray, Financial Manager, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA 30332-2230. The Georgia Tech School of Biological Sciences and its students are truly appreciative of any donation that you make. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Terry Snell.
