Overview and Criteria

Overview

The Morehead-Cain Foundation seeks top high school students who are dynamic leaders in their schools and communities. Successful candidates will rank near the top of their class academically and exert positive and meaningful influence in non-academic areas.

Other qualities sought by Morehead-Cain selection committees include intellectual curiosity, a drive to achieve, a sense of responsibility beyond self, initiative, creativity, perseverance, and empathy for others.

The selection process for the Morehead-Cain is divided into four categories: North Carolina selections, out-of-state selections, British selections, and Canadian selections.

Financial need is not considered in making nominations or selections. The Morehead-Cain is conferred solely on merit.

Criteria for Selection

To be eligible for the Morehead-Cain, a candidate must show evidence of outstanding achievement in the following four criteria:

• Leadership
• Scholarship
• Moral Force of Character
• Physical Vigor

In addition to meeting the Morehead-Cain criteria, a student must also fulfill the following eligibility requirements:

• You are in the 12th grade, on track to graduate in the spring of 2009;
• You are unmarried and without children

Leadership

The Morehead-Cain Foundation views leadership as a complex, dynamic process rather than simply a collection of skills or positions. Participation in many clubs and organizations presents opportunities for leadership, not necessarily evidence thereof.

Successful leaders possess, among others, the following traits:

• a willingness to seek and discharge responsibility
• a high level of interpersonal skills
• compassion for members of the group
• the capacity to acquire the trust and confidence of others
• the ability to influence others in a positive and meaningful way

We seek candidates who possess the ability and desire to work effectively with others and who inspire group success, rather than those who, though high achievers, are self-serving in their choice and execution of activities. The selection committee identifies students who have responded to a particular challenge, took a leadership role, persuaded others to give their support, and followed through to a solution.

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Scholarship

We seek candidates who consistently demonstrate eagerness and facility in the classroom and a true penchant for learning. In short, we value academic achievement, intellectual depth and curiosity, and a broad-based outlook.

Most successful candidates will rank near the top of their class academically in a rigorous program of study.

Although testing is only one component of the evaluation of a student's scholastic ability, the SAT range for the Scholars in our incoming freshman class is:

Moral Force of Character — Positive Influence

The Morehead-Cain Foundation seeks candidates whose integrity is above reproach. The candidate should be a marked positive influence, both actively and passively, on his or her peer group. Successful candidates display qualities such as compassion and empathy for others, humility, honesty, loyalty, courtesy, courage, and maturity in their daily interactions.

Physical Vigor

The threshold for this criterion is whether a commitment to one or more physical activities has been an integral part of the candidate’s life. This is usually, though not necessarily, demonstrated through participation in athletic activities such as sports or dance. Activities that qualify for this criterion can range from football, dance, soccer, and cheerleading to cycling, skiing, backpacking, and sailing. Marching band, though often physically vigorous, does not in and of itself meet this criterion.

Proper allowances should be made for students with physical limitations. (If you have questions regarding this issue, please contact the Morehead-Cain Foundation.)

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