West Chester University 1871 Award

The 1871 Award was established in 2018 to recognize West Chester University juniors and seniors who are high-achieving in both the academic and co-curricular realms.

Each year, up to 71 students will be honored for their outstanding accomplishments related to Academics, Leadership, Community Engagement, and Career Readiness.

Who is eligible to apply?

Undergraduate students who have completed at least 60 credits (30 of those must have been earned at WCU) at the time their application is submitted
Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 at the time their application is submitted
Must be in good standing with regard to personal and academic conduct
December graduates are welcome to apply and return for the spring award ceremony

On what criteria will students be evaluated?

Academics (GPA): 25%
Leadership: 25%
Community Engagement: 25%
Career Readiness: 25%

View the selection criteria rubric here .

What materials will be requested for the application?

Personal information (e.g., name, contact information, major)
Responses to five short-answer questions
Resume
Ram Plan Co-curricular Transcript (recommended)
Two letters of recommendation: One must be from a WCU faculty or staff member, the second an individual of their choice (e.g., supervisor, mentor, advisor). WCU students should not write recommendation letters for their peers unless they directly supervise another student. These letters should be submitted to the student who will upload them to the application.
View the 1871 Award application
Click here to complete the application

Who will evaluate the applicants?

Applications will be evaluated by a committee of WCU faculty and staff, as well as one student, representing the following areas:

Student Affairs senior leader (chair)
College of Arts & Humanities
College of Health Sciences
College of Business & Public Management
College of the Sciences & Mathematics
College of Education & Social Work
Division of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Division of Student Affairs
Division of University Advancement & External Affairs
School of Music
Student
University College

How will award recipients be honored?

1871 Award honorees will be recognized at a spring award ceremony that will be attended by WCU senior leadership.
They will receive a certificate and a special “1871 Award” pin.
They will receive a special designation next to their name within the commencement program.
Their names will also be published and archived on the WCU website.