Admissions Office
Union College is proud to partner with Next Genius, a Mumbai-based educational initiative. The Next Genius Foundation links schools and organizations in India with institutions of higher learning in the U.S. and Europe. In January of each year we select the Next Genius Scholarship recipient.
As a U.S. college partner, Union awards one Top scholarship each year to a candidate from this nationwide competition in India and several partial awards. In 2018, there were almost 6,000 applications to Next Genius. Twenty scholarship finalists are identified from the top 10 percent results on the Next Genius examination. Candidates are interviewed in Mumbai by Union College representatives. Since becoming a partner in 2017, this partnership has allowed Union to enroll some of the brightest minds in India and to increase the global diversity of our student body.
Our Current Next Genius Scholars
Meesha Gupta was Union College’s first Next Genius Scholar, enrolling in 2017 from Neerja Modi School. “The Next Genius Scholarship program is one of the most prestigious programs I have ever participated in. It helps students think critically and creatively about how they wish to pursue their studies in the US, and gives them a platform to bond with representatives of various renown US universities and colleges. All of this helps students grow and also learn good communication and networking skills!”
“It has been a pleasure to pursue studies at a place that has such a diverse culture along with great professors who aim to build a personal bond with their students. Having both liberal arts and STEM as two of the very intensive programs at Union has helped me choose a variety of courses I’m interested in and has also gifted me with innovation and creativity skills. Along with a multitude of courses to choose from, Union has tremendous research opportunities during the academic year and winter/summer breaks for students. It has been a privilege to be a Union College student having so many opportunities to take advantage of and has made me grow as a person in every way I can think of!”
Akriti Dhasmana joined us from Amity International School as our second Next Genius Scholar. "Next Genius provides a great platform for Indian students to personally meet the college representatives and compete for scholarships. More than anything, it is a great learning experience for students going through the process of applying to college allowing them to interact with each other while learning more about the college.”
“Union is the best place to pursue a holistic study of both the liberal arts and sciences. The numerous undergraduate research opportunities along with the wide range of multidisciplinary courses can help students learn beyond their chosen major. Along with this, the closely-knit community of students from diverse backgrounds make it the best place to learn and grow as an individual. I think I've been able to hone my personality as well as my intellect by coming to Union and I honestly can't imagine myself having gone anywhere else!"
Trisha Agrawal joined us as our most recent scholar in 2019 from the prestigious Dhirubhai Ambani International School. As a first year student, Trisha has been welcomed and supported by the Union family and the Union Next Genius Scholars.
She reports "I am a first-year at Union College, and it has already started to feel like my home away from home. The classes are extremely engaging and there are numerous opportunities to get involved outside the classroom as well, in the various clubs and events, which makes this experience a lot more enjoyable and complete."
"Next Genius helped me in turning my dreams into reality. I have always looked forward to and worked towards receiving such a holistic experience and education, and Next Genius provided the platform to me to make this possible. This has also made me more confident and taught me to seize every opportunity and giving it my best shot, as in the end, it is always worth it."