The Leader of the Pack committee annually offers students the Leader of the Pack scholarship, a tradition that celebrates the achievements of student leaders.

The application, which is due September 28, requires students to demonstrate their achievements in leadership, scholarship and University and community service.

“Being selected as Leader of the Pack was a great honor because of the history and prestige related to the award,” Mark Clapp, senior in textile engineering and scholarship winner of 2005, said. “Personally, the selection process allowed me to really examine my leadership style and commitment to service on campus and in the community during my time at N.C. State.”

According to the Leader of the Pack guidelines, the round one selection process is determined by adding the total of students’ GPAs, which is 20 percent of the score, with three essays — one on service and one on leadership, both of which are 7.5 percent of the score. Also required is an essay on the topic of creating an inclusive community, which is 15 percent of the score.

The five females and five males with the highest scores are selected for the semifinal round.

Scores of the semifinal round are accumulated through the students’ presentations on leadership and service impact, which is 30 percent added to the scores from round one.

The three females and three males with the highest scores are selected for the final round.

A final score in the finalist round is determined by a student body vote, which adds 20 percent to the students’ scores from the first two rounds.

The male and female students with the highest score from each round are announced as the winners and will appear at half-time of the Homecoming Game on November 4.

“I encourage all leaders across campus to apply,” Clapp said. “You don’t have to be a president or have a title to be a leader on campus. Don’t be hesitant or shy about applying because the past Leaders of the Pack have come from different backgrounds with different experiences related to leadership and service.”

Once chosen, the Leader of the Pack winner is in charge of the committee that helps organize the scholarship for the following fall. After organizing the scholarship, the winners receive $1,000.

“The biggest thing is the satisfaction of winning — being announced in front of the whole school, the prestige of receiving the scholarship and the reward of spending all the time and going through the application process,” Nancy Zagbayou, senior in economics and political science and 2005 scholarship winner, said.

The scholarship committee is the board responsible for organizing the selection process and is comprised of the two current winners, Clapp and Zagbayou, and Mike Giancola, the director for Student Leadership, Ethics and Public Service.

The committee doesn’t possess any power to influence the competition and does not have any input in the selection process that is determined by student, faculty and staff reviewers.

“The Leader of the Pack selection process is very thorough. I strongly encourage everyone who is eligible to apply,” Zagbayou said. “It is a wonderful opportunity for personal growth as candidates have to take the time to truly reflect on their college experience in order to evaluate the effect of their commitment to leadership, scholarship and service.”