This fall, 46 new Stamps President’s Scholars joined Georgia Tech’s campus. The Stamps President’s Scholars Program is a prestigious merit-based scholarship package for the top one percent of each admitted class, supported by the generous philanthropy of E. Roe Stamps IV.
“These scholars come from the most selective class in Georgia Tech history, and we are quite excited to see what they will accomplish during their time at Georgia Tech,” said Chaffee Viets, director of the Office of Scholar Programs. “Some of them are already engaged in research as first-semester students and others are continuing significant service work from high school.”
Of these students, 26 are Georgia residents and 20 are from outside the state.
The program provides a full ride to cover tuition, fees, housing, a meal plan, books, academic supplies, and a stipend for first-year students to purchase a laptop. In addition to covering immediate education expenses, the program also provides enrichment funds, faculty guide mentorship, annual cohort retreats, access to the nationwide Stamps Scholars Program network, and more resources for personal and professional development.
Shalin Bhatia, one of the 46 students who entered the Stamps program this year, has already felt the benefits of the program through the ability to connect with other scholars, faculty, and staff at Tech.
“The mentorship within Stamps is amazing,” said Bhatia. “From talking to older members, advisors, the program staff – all of that is something I see using throughout my time here, whether it be professional or personal advice. And in terms of my inner cohort, we’re all friends living together, and it’s been great.”
Bhatia, an Atlanta local who graduated from Midtown High School, is a first-year industrial engineering major. In high school, Bhatia had leadership positions on his school’s debate team, newspaper, and tennis team.
Outside of school, his other extracurriculars focused intensely on making a positive social impact. These included his role as a national engagement chair for Shoes for the Homeless, a nonprofit coordinating drives to collect shoes for unhoused people, and as co-founder of a nonprofit organization improving access to fresh food among SNAP/EBT users in Atlanta.
Now on Tech’s campus, Bhatia is brainstorming how he can continue creating positive social change, both on campus and throughout the city.
“I envision myself having a tangible impact on the community,” said Bhatia. “I wasn’t sure I wanted to go to college in the same city I grew up in, but it felt right for me to contribute to my community and try to alleviate inequality within the city.”
As the interview process for the next round of Stamps President’s Scholars begins in the coming months, Bhatia’s advice for prospective students comes back to focusing on that same idea of community.
“The main thing reflected within our cohort was that commitment and contribution to our communities,” he said. “And an understanding of how we would transition that community leadership to college, because such a large part of Stamps is that community and how we work together.”
Stamps President’s Scholar candidates are identified in January, and interviewed in the following weeks by Tech alumni, faculty, and staff. Finalists visit the campus in mid-spring.
To learn more about Stamps, visit the program website.