Each summer, Muhlenberg College awards about thirty high school seniors with this honor, one of the most prestigious honors that the College offers.
In offering this merit award, the College desires not only to support individual students but also to endorse excellence within the student body as a whole. The Dana Scholars Program offers a $5,000 annual stipend for incoming first year students. Dana Scholars are eligible for additional need based or merit assistance, and need based financial aid packages are also preferential for this group in that they are weighted toward grant as opposed to loan.
The Dana Scholars Program requires a 1.0 unit internship, a 1.0 unit mentorship, the 0.5 unit Dana Sophomore Seminar, and the 1.0 unit year-long Senior Capstone course entitled the Dana Forum. The 1.0 unit internship may be substituted with an additional 1.0 unit mentorship. The program emphasizes connecting the liberal arts with "real world" situations. Students may freely choose any internship or mentorship of interest to them. All internships and mentorships require the approval of the Dana Faculty Committee. Furthermore, mentorships are accomplished one-on-one with College professors of the student's choice.
Participation in the Dana Scholars Program provides an enriched academic experience. Students are invited to apply for this program via a special application that is sent out in late January to likely candidates based on a preliminary review of the admissions application.
