The Canada Merit Scholarship Foundation (CMSF) awards are the most prestigious scholarships for entering college students in Canada and are considered the Canadian undergraduate equivalent of the Rhodes Scholarship.

The CMSF national awards are given annually to the top 15-30 students in the country. The program's awards are tenable at any university in Canada. Many winners go on to win Rhodes Scholarships. As of 2006, the national awards are valued at $75,000 over four years of study, including summer enrichment funding, mentoring and counselling.

The CMSF selection criteria is extremely rigorous. The selection process is as follows:

• 1,800 nominees come as sponsored candidates, with an endorsement from their school. Evaluations are made by 26 Area Committees in 21 centers from St. John's to Victoria, and then as many as 250 semifinalists are chosen for Area interviews.

• 2,200 candidates from across Canada come through the CMSF Direct Pool as self-nominated candidates. The 12-member National Assessment Panel sits during December and January and evaluates the application of each candidate. CMSF ensures that in the Direct Pool there is proportional regional representation from across the country.

• From the group of 72 finalists in Toronto, up to 30 are chosen as CMSF National Award recipients.

See also

• Rhodes Scholarship
• Morehead Scholarship (oldest merit-based undergraduate scholarship in the United States)
• Canada Millennium Scholarship (Canadian equivalent of US National Merit Scholarship program, awarded to ~2000 students every year)

External link

• Canada Merit Scholarship Foundation's official site