Let the love of learning rule humanity.
Phi Kappa Phi Motto
The Dean's Excellence awards were created to recognize top first-year and sophomore students for their achievements. This university-wide award is presented annually to two (2) first-year students and two (2) sophomores in each college who display exceptional promise. The award is administered in partnership with the TAMU chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, one of the oldest and most prestigious honor societies in the world. The goal of the Dean's Excellence awards is to identify and honor those students who exemplify the Phi Kappa Phi motto to "let the love of learning rule humanity."
5 Required Documents Explained
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Personal statement
Discuss your background and interests in relation to both your short-term goals and life ambitions. Remember that a good personal statement not only answers the question, 'what?' but also the question, 'why?'.
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Research and/or Creative Production
Discuss any research you have conducted or are currently conducting and any creative endeavors you pursue (music, art, theatre, creative writing, etc.). Remember that reviewers will not necessarily be experts in your field.
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Community Engagement
Discuss the ways in which you engage with your university, local, national, or even international community. How do you find meaning in this engagement? What have you learned from the experience?
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Accomplishments/Awards
Explain any notable milestones or achievements and contextualize them within your interests and goals.
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Unofficial TAMU transcript
The transcript should come from Howdy. Applicants should select the option for a PDF version of the transcript.
Letters of Recommendation
WARNING
Recommenders must have your UIN to submit the letter of recommendation!!!
Please do not forget to give them this information.
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When you log into the application portal,
you will enter the name and the email of both your Academic Reference and your General Reference.
After you enter their name, they will receive an email with a link for them to upload their letter of recommendation.
Each application must be accompanied by two (2) letters of recommendation. There is no page limit for the letters of recommendation. Requirements are:
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Academic Reference
This reference must be a TAMU faculty member who has provided academic instruction or guidance. A letter may obviously come from one of your course instructors but a research mentor could also be appropriate. The letter should discuss your academic abilities relative to your field and the reference's opinion of your role as a scholar.
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General Reference
This reference can come from anyone in the TAMU community (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ANOTHER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT) who can comment on the applicant's promise and potential with clear, specific examples. Ideally this letter would provide a different perspective than what is offered in the academic reference. If the student is double-majoring in two disparate fields they might request a letter from a course instructor in the other major. If a student is double-majoring in closely related fields (such as physics and math or psychology and sociology this may not be a good idea).
Award
Awardees will be honored with an official certificate at the annual Phi Kappa Phi Fall Breakfast in October.
Application
Students may access the application here