USA TODAY is now accepting nominations for the twentieth annual USA TODAY All-USA College Academic Team. The annual program honors full-time undergraduates who not only excel academically but also extend their intellectual abilities beyond the classroom to benefit society. Students named to the USA TODAY All-USA College Academic First Team — like Joshua Lotz from Ohio State (pictured at left) — will be featured in USA TODAY in March 2009 and will receive trophies and cash awards of $2,500.
The USA TODAY All-USA College Academic Team program is open to full-time undergraduates of at least junior standing at four-year institutions in the United States or its territories. Students must be nominated by their schools and be willing to be presented in USA TODAY as a representative of all outstanding students. Schools may nominate as many students as they consider appropriate candidates for this award. Criteria include grades, academic rigor, leadership, activities and most important, the student’s essay describing his or her most outstanding intellectual endeavor done while in college. The USA TODAY All-USA College Academic Team is an award honoring students for what they have accomplished as undergraduates.
Click here for nomination form and official rules