Talk:John Jay Scholar

History of the Scholars Program
Does anyone know exactly how long the Scholars program has existed at Columbia? Info on its history would be very much appreciated. Thanks. --Tyrant007 01:11, 16 April 2006 (UTC)

Whoever wrote this has overstated things quite a bit. John Jay scholars do not receive preferential treatment in admissions to Columbia's graduate schools; the graduate schools are autonomous and are not bound by any decision admissions officers in the College might make. If John Jay scholars are admitted more often it is because they are among the best students, not because of the designation itself. The same is true of Columbia's Oxford-Cambridge program -- it is open to Jays and non-Jays alike, but the program is competitive and Jay scholars are more likely to be among the successful applicants solely because they are academically stronger. And the claim that Jays have an advantage re: Rhodes Scholarships is absurd. The Rhodes program has made no such agreement with Columbia. Being recognized as an outstanding student helps, but there are many forms of such recognition and the John Jay scholars program is just one.

The article implies that only John Jay scholars can work with professors and publish articles with them, but that is not true. All Columbia students are eligible for such work, and those who have initiative and show some talent can usually find a professor to work with quite readily. Professors are not obligated to give Jay scholars any preference among those vying to work with them, though they know that being a Jay scholar is evidence of great potential. The Jay program facilitates such arrangements and provides modest funding for student research, but it is not what enables students to do this kind of work in the first place.

Finally, I'm not sure how "often" Jays are invited to attend events with heads of state. The claim may be accurate, though, as quite a few heads of state visit Columbia in a typical year. Jays probably also get invitations to numerous off-campus events and these may feature heads of state from time to time.

I'll hold off on modifying the article for a while to see if anyone has a response to these comments.