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Canadian


Criteria/Requirements

This is an open award. Any graduating student in any accredited high school or cégep in Canada may may either apply or be nominated for the Morehead-Cain Scholars Program. Application forms are distributed on behalf of the Canadian Morehead-Cain Programme by the Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation (CMSF). Candidates may come to the Canadian Morehead-Cain Programme either directly or through the CMSF area committee system.

Successful applicants will possess a demonstrated ability to carry a substantial and serious academic load, in

For an in-depth
look at the
Morehead-Cain experience, please see our multimedia presentation:
Living Proof: The Extraordinary Lives of Morehead Scholars and Alumni.

addition to demonstrated leadership potential and a demonstrated interest in service activities that make the community a better place, both inside and outside the school.

Financial need is not considered in the selection process. The Morehead-Cain is conferred solely for promise of outstanding merit. For a detailed description of the Morehead-Cain criteria, click here.

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The Selection Process

There are two ways to apply for the Morehead-Cain in Canada; you must choose between the two.

Candidates endorsed by their schools or cégeps:

Applications are distributed on behalf of the Canadian Morehead-Cain Programme by the Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation (CMSF). Complete the application (check the Morehead-Cain box on page five) and submit it in duplicate with transcripts to your school. Applications must be received no later than October 21, 2008. Those selected as Morehead-Cain finalists will be notified by December 27, 2008. Final interviews for the Canadian Morehead-Cain will be held in Toronto, February 20–21, 2009.

Candidates who wish to apply directly, without sponsorship:

Applications are distributed on behalf of the Canadian Morehead-Cain Programme by the Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation (CMSF). Complete the application (check the Morehead-Cain box on page five) in duplicate and obtain transcripts. Make sure that your signature is on page one and that a properly authorized person has completed the verification on page two. Mail the two applications and transcripts, flat and unfolded, in a 9 x 12 envelope, to the Canadian Morehead-Cain Programme. Applications must be received no later than October 29, 2008. Those selected as Morehead finalists will be notified by December 27, 2008. Final interviews for the Canadian Morehead-Cain will be held in Toronto February 20–21, 2009.

Since the Canadian Morehead Awards were established in 1983, 68 Canadian Moreheads have entered UNC-Chapel Hill, with up to three offers awarded each year.

2008–2009 Calendar

  • Mid-August
    Brochures and applications to schools
  • Mid-September
    Schools and cégeps make applications and brochures available to students
    • Anyone interested in applying for the Morehead-Cain should register to take an early sitting of the SAT or ACT
  • October 21
    Deadline for receipt of sponsored applications from schools
  • October 29
    Deadline for receipt of direct pool applications. All direct pool applications must be sent to the Canadian Morehead-Cain Programme in Wellington, Ontario.
  • December 27
    Date by which Morehead-Cain finalists will be notified
  • January 15
    Last deadline to apply for admission to UNC (mid-April notification)
  • February 20–21
    Morehead-Cain Final Interviews (Toronto)
  • April 13
    Morehead-Cain final acceptance deadline

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Applying to UNC

Morehead-Cain applicants should register for the earliest possible sitting of the Standard Achievement Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT).

Also, if selected as a finalist, you will be required to complete an application to UNC-Chapel Hill no later than January 15. This is a separate application from that of the Morehead-Cain. Any fifth-year credits that you have will probably qualify for university credits, placing you into higher-level courses or freeing you up for elective, or non-major, courses. For information on admission to UNC, please visit the Web site for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Requirements:
  • Valid high school graduation diploma with honors standing and a minimum of two years of a second language
  • SAT-1 of the College Board or ACT (SAT-2 recommended but not required)
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (only if English is not your native language)
  • UNC international application for admission
  • Completed financial certificate (included in the international application)
  • $60.00 non-refundable application fee (cashier's check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank in U.S. dollars)
Restrictions:
  • The award is not transferable to universities other than UNC
  • Award holders must remain unmarried and without children for the four undergraduate years
  • The award is for a maximum of eight semesters
  • Must live in university residence for first year
Requirements for Annual Renewal:
  • Above-average academic performance, plus continued evidence of the qualities of character and leadership for which the award was originally granted
Added Costs:
  • Transportation, plus incidentals totaling approximately $2,000-$3,000US per year

Tax Liability:

  • Canadian federal and provincial, U.S. federal, State of North Carolina, with some offsets between jurisdictions; net total liability is approximately $1,500US
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Where is UNC?

UNC is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in the southeastern United States. It is a 14-hour drive from Toronto, and the local airport (Raleigh-Durham International) offers several daily flights to and from Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto. The airport is a fifteen-minute drive from Chapel Hill.

The University, chartered in 1788, is the oldest tax-supported university in the U.S. Its overall excellence is recognized by a consistent ranking among the top five U.S. public institutions in the annual ratings of U.S. News and World Report (similar to the MacLean's rankings in Canada).

A large research university with 14,000 undergraduates, UNC-Chapel Hill has graduate and professional schools in every subject area except engineering and veterinary medicine. UNC offers more than sixty different academic majors, including anthropology; art; art history; Asian studies; biology; chemistry; classics; comparative literature; dramatic art; economics; education; English; exercise and sport science; French; geography; German; history; information science; Italian; journalism and mass communication; Latin American studies; linguistics; mathematics; music; peace, war, and defense; physics and astronomy; public policy; radiologic science; religious studies; Russian; Slavic languages; sociology; Spanish; and women's studies. In addition, students may enroll as undergraduates in one of eight professional schools, including Business, Education, Pharmacy, Nursing, and Journalism. Students planning to be engineers may major in one of the several pure sciences and then pursue a graduate engineering degree. Several Alumni of the Program have entered engineering careers this way.

Please see the Web page for the UNC International Center for helpful information about obtaining visas, etc.

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Contact us

By mail:
Dr. Robert Cluett, Executive Officer
Canadian Morehead-Cain Programme
680 Huyck's Point Road, R.R. #1
Wellington, Ontario KOK 3LO

By e-mail or telephone:
Bob Cluett at 613-399-2143
Catherine Fowler at 416-603-6300