For many high school seniors, the path to college can be a winding journey filled with applications, essays, and interviews. But for Harry Cornell ‘25, that journey recently led him to a remarkable achievement: receiving a fullride scholarship to Michigan State University (MSU) through the prestigious Alumni Distinguished Scholarship (ADS) competition.
Cornell’s story began when he received his acceptance into MSU’s Honors College. Along with his acceptance, he was informed that he could participate in the ADS competition – an opportunity that he didn’t hesitate to pursue.
“When I got my Honors College acceptance, it mentioned that I could participate in the Alumni Distinguished Scholarship competition, so I decided that I might as well give it a shot,” Cornell said.
The process, however, was no easy feat. Cornell first completed two short timed essays and followed that up with a test at MSU’s campus. The real challenge, however, came during the interview stage.
“The interview was honestly pretty stressful,” Cornell admitted. “It was a lot of rapid-fire questions, and they never gave me any feedback- no facial or verbal reactions. I didn’t feel great coming out of it, but evidently, I did pretty well.” It was during the interview that Cornell’s deep understanding of MSU and its opportunities for academic and personal growth stood out.
“I think they were looking for someone who really understood how MSU could open doors,” he said. “I went into detail about how my IB History and Math courses were formatted, and how I thought those experiences would align well with a James Madison College education.”
Cornell was one of the lucky fifteen students to receive the Alumni Distinguished Scholarship, which offers a full-ride scholarship to MSU. For Cornell, this scholarship has completely transformed his college plans.
“This allows me to graduate debt-free,” he said, “and hopefully, I’ll be able to save money through my professorial assistantship as well.”
Cornell’s academic future at MSU is already taking shape. He plans to study at James Madison College, though he’s still fine-tuning his specific areas of focus.
“I’m leaning toward Social Relations and Policy and Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy, but I’ll figure it out in my first year,” Cornell explained. “I’m also excited to be a professorial assistant. I’ll be paid between $4,000 and $5,000 a year for my first two years, which will be a great experience.”
On top of his academic achievements, Cornell is eager to dive into the student life at MSU.
“I can’t wait for the Izzone Campout next year,” he said, referencing MSU’s renowned basketball fan section. “I’m looking forward to attending a ton of sporting events and just being part of the MSU community.”
Cornell advises future seniors to not shy away from any opportunity, even the ones that seem the most out of reach. “Cast a wide net,” he said. “When I signed up for the ADS competition, I didn’t think there was any chance I’d get it. Even when I got to the interview, I didn’t think I’d earn the full ride. But here I am, and I couldn’t be happier.”
