President's Scholars Program (Southern Methodist University)

The President's Scholars Program is SMU's top merit scholarship, covering full tuition and fees for eight consecutive fall and spring semesters (or until graduation, whichever comes first), plus tuition and round-trip airfare for one SMU-approved study-abroad program; students who live on campus can also receive a separate housing scholarship (the Campus Community Award). Candidates should have completed at least 20 challenging high school academic units (AP/IB/honors or the most rigorous courses available), rank in the top 10 percent of their graduating class, and submit an SAT or ACT score — competitive scores run above roughly 1400 SAT or 32 ACT, and recent finalists typically had a 4.0 unweighted GPA. Beyond the standard SMU application (due November 1), candidates must submit a President's Scholars essay of no more than three double-spaced pages, written without AI assistance, by November 16 at 11:59 p.m. Central. All finalists are required to interview on campus — SMU covers travel and lodging — on the first Friday of March, with award decisions announced later that month. Recipients must maintain good academic standing and full-time enrollment to keep the scholarship.

Eligibility

DemographicsRequires admission to Southern Methodist University. Open nationally; expects 20+ challenging academic units, top-10% class rank, and a competitive SAT (~1400+) or ACT (~32+).

Applying

Covers 8 consecutive fall/spring semesters plus an SMU-approved study-abroad program (tuition + round-trip airfare); on-campus recipients can also get a separate housing scholarship.