Since I am again a member of the National Dean’s List this year, I knew it was only a matter of time before they sent the letter inviting me to attend a series of lectures in China for $5,000 again. While the program is not nearly as selective as they’d like to make people think, the people who go do seem to genuinely enjoy the experience (essentially, it’s a vacation where you get to talk to interesting people, much like the conference I just came back from). However, it’s far too disruptive and too expensive to even consider, especially with my planned dissertation timeline this year, so I usually just stash the letter in my “archive of things I’ll look back on someday and laugh at” (a.k.a. my closet).
The interesting thing is that this year, they didn’t assign me to a “delegation”, to be shipped off to China. They let me pick both the “delegation” and the country.
I don’t know if this represents an overall change in the program or if they actually understand the polymath thing I’m aiming for. Either way, it’s an interesting change, if irrelevant (because I’m still not going).
It’s a vacation with a tour guide. Not sure about spending 5 g’s on it.
Just got the nomination letter today, and they’re allowing me to pick and choose the delegation program and the country of my choice. Unfortunately, none of the programs they offer are even related to my field of study (Philosophy and Gender Studies). If they had offered an opportunity to, say, help build a girl’s school in the Middle East, or help research and assist with the state of women and girls in an impoverished country (for example), I’d see its benefits more clearly. (The most relevant program, I guess, is Diplomacy & International Relations, with a link to the UN’s humanitarian department.)
Aside from that, just how “exclusive” is this ‘nomination’? Anyone know? Do they just send out a nomination letter/email to ALL students on the Dean’s List or other honour societies like Golden Key? Or do they pick some students from these societies randomly? Or do they actually review and nominate students based on a full evaluation of their transcript?
Just a dad … daughter got the letter for the Diplomacy and International Relations trip to China.
IMO for it to be a truly beneficial trip she should be exposed to people of real stature in the world of diplomacy and/or politics.
I understand you get to see new and wonderful things, but do you actually meet anyone of real position?
I got an email saying I was nominated for a trip under Public Health to USA. Was pretty excited initially, even to the point where I emailed my Golden Key chapter advisor for advice. But then, after spending more time online searching for info on the program, I got a bit weary of my initial decision — should I go? More bad reviews than good ones it seems. Can someone advise me on this? Thanks!
I am going to the program on may 21 of this year i cant wait… I went to the one on medical in DC 3 years ago and payed $2,000. This was great I learnd alot about what you need to do to become a Dr. A year later I went to another one in DC and this one was also $2000 and this one was alittle differ. It was a CSI one I like it but the 1st one was better. I got 2 college crites for CSI. This will look good on College and interships saying you did all of this..
I got one of these….. for a second time. First time I got all excited until I laid my eyes on the fee. I brushed it aside and forgot about it. Three years later (two weeks after I stumbled on the first one and wondered if I had wasted a good chance) I get a second one. I got excited all over and thought of it as something of a fateful nature that I was meant to go…… Well, I was on the verge of starting a fund raiser but after spending several hours online researching on this opportunity I will pass……again.
It seems to me, from all I’ve read online, to be a travel agency with a good idea on who to target and how to get rich. 5 thou’ is alot of money, considering a personal trip to Africa for a month will cost me less. And an out of state trip for a summer paid internship/research will appeal more to interviewers.They almost got me….a second time around!
Goodluck Ya’ll…..if you go please do share the experience.
I’ve gotten the same thing! I am a grad student in nursing. I was sent a letter, just like I’ve been researching online. For the most part, I’ve been hearing good things about the trip, but suspicious things about the money aspect. They are letting me choose what delegation, I may want to join. I’ve heard many things about the trips to China, but nothing yet about the South Africa? What do you think?
Hey thanks, I got one of this letter for delegation on medicine, but they let you choose which country to go to. My only problem is, if there is so limited amount of spots, if I put down my deposite and didn’t get pick to go, do I get my deposite back? So far I emailed this question and the only reply I get was to use their online FAQ… and there is no answers. Any help would be great
I don’t know about the scholarships, but so long as the scholarship isn’t contingent upon paying them for the trip (in which case is it really a scholarship?), I don’t see any harm in applying for it except the possibility of wasted time.
In regards to whether the trip itself is a scam, I’ve heard that the trip is real, but that its primary purpose is a trip, rather than some sort of scholarly conference. The “invitations” are also far less exclusive than they’re made out to be.
Although I’ve heard all of this online myself, so take it with a grain of salt. I haven’t actually gone on these trips, nor do I intend to.
I got the same letter. Please advise me if this a scam. I have been doing some research and found that they offer scholarships, thus I’m about to mail my application, which includes an essay, to see if I am awarded some money. Honestly, I understand that this is a business and they are trying to profit from this trip, however, if they are least willing to help me out some I think is worth considering.
haha funny, I just got one of these in the mail as well– for Delegation on Music. Apparently I’m a music major all of a sudden… Lucky you, they didn’t leave a blank space for me to choose a country… but they did tell me in the letter that they didn’t know the address of my school, which would further indicate that they didn’t know the name of my school… yet on the form, my school’s name is stamped on there; now had they seriously been interested in me going, wouldn’t they have put forward the effort to finding out my school’s address? And as a nominated scholar I thought they’d at least chip in some funds for this, instead of charging me a whopping $5120! Still sounds like fun, but apparently this isn’t as ‘exclusive’ as they’d like you to believe!