Why should I apply for a student award or honor?
Student recognition helps you set yourself apart from the crowd by showcasing strengths, passions, ideas, and accomplishments. You don't have to wait for your senior year to aim for one of these honors, many of these awards and positions of responsibility and recognition are open to students at different stages of their undergraduate career. While the top honors like the Brown-Rudder or Gates-Muller awards for graduating seniors are awarded based on accomplishments throughout your time at Texas A&M, there are also honors available to outstanding freshmen.
Of course, the sooner you start discovering the type of extraordinary person you wish to be--the star undergraduate researcher? the outstanding community service leader? the Aggie who exemplifies our traditions and values? the person who does it all?--the better positioned you'll be to earn one of these awards. And as in many things, earning one of these awards is public recognition of all your hard work and positions you well for the next stage, whether that is an even more prestigious title, position, or program admission!
What student awards or honors are available at Texas A&M?
Awards recognizing student excellence include the Deans' Excellence and Gathright Scholar Awards, the Brown Foundation-Earl Rudder Memorial Outstanding Student Award, the Class of '80 E. King Gill Selfless Service Award, and the Robert Gates-Muller Family Outstanding Student Award.
Short descriptions of these awards can be found below, with full information found through their home at the Office of National Fellowships.
Award Listing
Brown-Rudder
Class of '80 E. King Gill Award
Deans' Excellence and Gathright Scholar Awards
The Dean's Excellence awards were created to recognize top first-year and sophomore students for their achievements. The award is administered in partnership with the TAMU chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, one of the oldest and most prestigious honor societies in the world. The goal of the Dean's Excellence awards is to identify and honor those students who exemplify the Phi Kappa Phi motto to "let the love of learning rule humanity.”
Gathright Scholar Awards
The top student in each college and classification is designated as a Gathright Scholar, with the second student recognized as the Deans' Excellence Award winner.
Thomas S. Gathright Scholar Award was established in April 1973 by The Association of Former Students in conjunction with Texas A&M's Student Government Association. Named in honor of the first president of the A&M College of Texas, this award recognizes outstanding scholastic achievement on a university-wide scale.
In spring 2019, the Gathright Award became a collaboration between The Association of Former Students, LAUNCH (Office of National Fellowships), and the Texas A&M chapter of Phi Kappa Phi and recognizes the top freshman, sophomore, and junior in each college.