International Students

Freeman Asian Scholars Program

General Information
Student Life
Residential Life
The Freeman Foundation
Scholarship Financial Awards
Freeman Asian Scholars Association
Freeman Scholars
Required Testing
Application
Addendum to Application
Additional Contacts
    Local AIG Offices and Contact Information
    Local U.S. Education Advising Centers
    Freeman Alumni Contacts

The Wesleyan Freeman Asian Scholarship Program provides expenses for a four-year course of study toward a bachelor’s degree for up to eleven exceptionally able Asian students annually from these countries and regions: the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

• Applications must be postmarked or submitted online by January 1, 2013.
• Students are advised to register now for SAT (or ACT) and TOEFL or IELTS.
• Notification by April 1, 2013.
• Japan notification by March 1, 2013.

Wesleyan notifies all applicants electronically for all admission programs.  Instructions on how to view your online decision letter will be sent via e-mail prior to the notification date.  Related materials will be mailed to students who are admitted, deferred or waitlisted.   For those students whose application is denied, decisions will be available online only.

Wesleyan is now accepting applications for participation in the Wesleyan Freeman Asian Scholarship Program. The chosen applicants will join 2,800 other Wesleyan undergraduates from throughout the United States and nearly 50 countries for study with an outstanding teaching and research faculty in the sciences and mathematics, the arts, the humanities, and the social and behavioral sciences.

This program is made possible by Wesleyan University and the Freeman Foundation, which aims to improve understanding and to strengthen ties between the United States and the countries and regions of the Pacific Rim.

Wesleyan University is located in Middletown, Connecticut, halfway between New York and Boston in the historic and colorful New England region of the northeastern United States. It is a private, nonsectarian, liberal arts and sciences institution founded in 1831. A number of early Wesleyan graduates were influential educators and ministers in Asian countries, and the modern Wesleyan has formal ties to several prominent universities in Asia. The campus is home to a diverse population of 2,800 undergraduate students, equally divided between men and women, approximately 26 percent of whom are of African, Asian, or Hispanic descent, and nearly 190 students from foreign countries.

Approximately 200 graduate students, a number of whom are from Asian countries, are pursuing advanced degrees, principally in the sciences, mathematics, and music.

Wesleyan provides instruction in 47 major fields of study. Unlike some university systems abroad, in which students focus on one academic field, most American universities are based on a curricular tradition of liberal arts and sciences, in which breadth and depth of study are deemed equally important. At Wesleyan, the major programs of study involve one-third to one-half of a student’s course work, with the remaining time devoted to exploration of a variety of fields through which a student may broaden his or her background and understanding. More than 900 courses are offered, in which interdisciplinary pursuits are encouraged and an international perspective is fundamental.

Wesleyan graduates go on in high numbers to the best graduate and professional schools in the United States and to successful careers in engineering, business, law, medicine, education, politics, international relations, social service, and the arts. The primary purpose of study at Wesleyan, however, is not to provide vocational training in a specific area. The objectives of a Wesleyan education include the development of self-educating men and women who have mastered a major field, have learned to think critically, are cognizant of the variety of human experience, and have acquired the habits of imaginative and disciplined minds.

The liberal arts at Wesleyan are founded on an atmosphere of freedom, small college traditions, faculty resources, and student diversity. The University provides the facilities and opportunities of a research university while retaining the emphasis on teaching and the intimacy of a small college. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is 9:1, enabling the faculty to provide direct and particular attention to undergraduate education. Wesleyan’s more than 330 teacher-scholars believe that scholarly research and active teaching are mutually reinforcing. The University’s curriculum is unusually flexible, and students work closely with a faculty advisor in planning all programs and majors.

 

STUDENT LIFE

Many undergraduates cite the University’s relatively small size as a source of satisfaction with campus life. The community is small enough so that the individual may feel at home, yet large enough to provide a rich variety of activities and acquaintances.

Life can be very full for undergraduates. Outside the classroom, they may select from more than 200 different student organizations that range in interest from theatrical productions to environmental activism, from the Wesleyan Argus newspaper and the debate club to Ultimate Frisbee, from the Asians for Community Empowerment to West African drumming or a chamber music group. The University’s state-of-the-art athletic center encourages students to participate in athletics, either in one of 27 varsity sports or at the intramural level. Parties and social gatherings are held at student residences, at the campus center, at fraternity houses, and at restaurants in Middletown. Bringing the wider world closer, prominent scholars, artists, musicians, actors, and dancers come to the campus regularly, and the weekly campus calendar features a continuous program of concerts, plays, films, and lectures.

RESIDENTIAL LIFE

All Wesleyan students are guaranteed housing on campus for the full four years. They may choose among several options for housing and dining, and more than 90 percent of them live on or within one block of the campus. First-year students generally live in one of several residence hall complexes in either a double or single room. After the first year, Wesleyan offers a variety of housing options, including apartment complexes, furnished houses, and small rental houses. Membership in the dining plan is required for all four years, which allows students to eat in the many on-campus facilities as well as to buy food at the campus grocery store and cook their own meals. The Usdan University Center, opened in August 2007, provides a central location for dining and social activities.

THE FREEMAN FOUNDATION

The first Wesleyan Freeman Asian Scholars enrolled at Wesleyan in September of 1995. The Freeman Foundation, sponsor of the Wesleyan Freeman Asian Scholarship Program, was established in 1994 through the bequest of Mansfield Freeman, a businessman, benefactor, scholar, and longtime resident in Asia who was a member of the Wesleyan University Class of 1916. Mr. Freeman was an insurance executive and one of the original founders of the American International Group, Inc. (AIG). Most affiliates in Asia are part of Chartis Insurance. The New York-based Freeman Foundation, which established the Wesleyan Freeman Asian Scholarship Program in memory of Mansfield Freeman, is administered primarily by the Freeman family; its charitable efforts are directed mainly toward bettering relationships and understanding between the United States and the countries of East Asia. This program’s goal is for Freeman Asian Scholars to become leaders in their home countries.

SCHOLARSHIP FINANCIAL AWARDS

Each Freeman Scholar will receive a scholarship to cover the cost of tuition and student fees (called “full tuition scholarship”) regardless of his or her family’s financial situation. Although costs are not yet established for 2013-2014, in the 2012-2013 school year tuition and fees total $45,928. Families wishing to apply for financial aid to assist with the costs associated with room, board, travel, and books and supplies should submit The Profile ^TM Form of the College Scholarship Service (CSS) by February 15. Wesleyan’s Financial Aid Office will determine the family contribution. The family contribution is comprised of a parent contribution based on the parent(s) income and assets, as well as a student contribution.

A scholarship applicant who is not requesting financial aid to cover the costs beyond tuition will need to provide documentation that his or her family has the financial resources to pay those costs by submitting the Certification of Finances Form. The form must show that the family can fund approximately $17,000 per academic year. (Again, the cost of attendance is not yet set for the 2013-2014 academic year, but the additional budget for new matriculants in the 2012-2013 academic year is $15,239 not including travel; residential comprehensive fee $12,574; books and miscellaneous $2,665).

FREEMAN SCHOLARS

Applicants for the academic year beginning in late August must have completed their secondary schooling* (high school) by then and must be citizens or permanent residents of one of these eleven countries or regions: People's Republic of China, SAR, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, R.O.C., Thailand, or Vietnam. Preference will be given to those currently living in one of these eleven countries or regions and to those who would otherwise be unable to study in the United States. Individuals with dual U.S. citizenship or who are permanent U.S. residents are not eligible. Students who must fulfill a military service requirement may apply in their final year of school but waiting until the year in which one can enroll is preferable.

*Students following the British O- and A-level system typically will be enrolled in their second year of the A-level program at the time of application. We cannot consider students from Malaysia on the basis of forecast SPM results; students there should be enrolled in the second year of the STPM at the time of application. Students already enrolled in university are not eligible for Wesleyan Freeman Asian Scholarships. In South Korea, a student may accept a place in a Korean university for February 2011, pending our scholarship decision.

Admission to Wesleyan and the selection process for Wesleyan Freeman Asian Scholars is extremely competitive. We plan to award the scholarship to one student from each of the eleven countries or regions. Selection criteria include academic achievement; intellectual curiosity; a high level of discipline and commitment; strong personal qualities; extracurricular involvement, especially community service; and English language ability.

It is our preference to enroll students currently studying and residing in their home countries, but students who are temporarily living elsewhere may apply. Please note that interviews of finalists take place in students’ home countries or regions.

Freeman Asian Scholars are expected to return to their home countries upon completion of their degrees. (We understand that some students may wish to continue their education with graduate studies in the United States, which would be at their own expense.)

Successful applicants will be notified by April 1, except in Japan, where they will be notified by March 1. Alternates also will be chosen in the event that any of those initially selected decide not to accept the offer. Wesleyan will provide the necessary forms for obtaining an F-1 student visa to the United States.

REQUIRED TESTING

To qualify, applicants must take the SAT Reasoning Test of the College Board or the ACT. (Applicants in the People’s Republic of China, where the SAT is not available, are exempt from this requirement.) Non-native speakers of English also must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) in place of the TOEFL. Students should receive a score that demonstrates sufficient proficiency in the English language to function well in a highly demanding academic environment. A score close to 100 on the internet-based TOEFL or a “7” on the IELTS, would be evidence of adequate English language ability. (A high score – 650 or better – on the critical reading section of the SAT may also demonstrate the necessary English language proficiency. In such cases, submitting the TOEFL or IELTS results is not necessary.) These examinations must be taken by January 1. All examinations are administered on several dates, with a registration deadline approximately six weeks before the exam. Please be sure to list Wesleyan University (undergraduate) as an official score recipient.

We encourage students to contact the local EducationUSA office near them for information about registering and taking standardized entrance examinations such as the SAT and TOEFL, as well as for additional assistance applying. A complete list of their locations can be found at http://www.educationusa.info/centers/.php?region=1.

Websites for registering for standardized examinations:

SAT: www.collegeboard.org	TOEFL: www.toefl.org
- OR –	- OR –
ACT: www.actstudent.org	IELTS: www.ielts.org (take the academic reading and writing modules)

APPLICATION

Interested students must submit The Common Application (www.commonapp.org), that includes background information, essay, a secondary (high) school/junior college transcript, recommendations from two teachers and one counselor, and results (or predictions if available) of any standardized national examinations administered during the secondary school/junior college years. Applicants must also complete the Freeman Scholarship Addendum which includes an additional essay and peer reference. Officials from Wesleyan and the Freeman Foundation will travel to Asia and conduct interviews of finalists in their home countries in February or March. All application materials are to be postmarked or submitted online no later than January 1. (For students in the Philippines, we recommend using the online option or mailing your application earlier or using a courier service.)

Please note that there is no longer a printed application packet available. Applicants must access the required forms electronically.

It is likely that some highly qualified applicants who would otherwise be admissible to Wesleyan will not be chosen for the highly selective Freeman Asian Scholarship. No financial aid is available to such students, but those who do not require financial assistance to attend are encouraged to apply as “regular” applicants to Wesleyan University. To be considered as a “regular” (non-aided) admission candidate in the event that you are not selected as a Freeman Scholar, please indicate your interest on the Freeman Scholarship Addendum (supplemental materials).

There is no application fee for students applying only for the Freeman Asian Scholarship but candidates also wishing to be considered as a “regular” candidate do submit the $55 application fee. Dual Freeman Asian Scholarship/“Regular” admission candidates must submit a Certification of Finances form documenting that the family has sufficient resources to fund the entire cost of education, approximately $59,000 in the first year and estimating a 5% increase in each subsequent year.

All applicants to Wesleyan are instructed to monitor the receipt of their application materials by using our web-based WesCheck page. Using your last name and assigned WesID number, you can view application materials received as well as outstanding items. It is important to use WesCheck regularly (after September 15) to be sure your application is complete.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS

Terri Overton (toverton@wesleyan.edu), Associate Dean of Admission on the Wesleyan campus, coordinates the recruitment and selection of Wesleyan Freeman Asian Scholars, but there are many other sources of helpful information and advice. Wesleyan alumni in the eleven countries and regions, as well as local Chartis Insurance or CVStarr offices and U.S. Education Advising Centers, can provide further information to students interested in applying.

LOCAL CHARTIS OFFICES AND CONTACT INFORMATION

People’s Republic of China
No Chartis contact, please write directly to:
Associate Dean Terri Overton
Wesleyan University
Office of Admission
70 Wyllys Avenue
Middletown, CT 06459
USA
telephone: (860) 685-2988
email: toverton@wesleyan.edu

Hong Kong- SAR
Starr Underwriting Agents (Asia) Ltd.
Suite 1901, Central Plaza
18 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

ATTN: Andely Chan

telephone: 852 3765 3509
email: andely.chan@starrcompanies.com

Indonesia
PT. Chartis Insurance
Indonesia Stock Exchange Building, Tower 2, Floor 3A
Jalan Jend. Sudirman, Kav 52-53
Jakarta 12190

ATTN: Fenny Salim or Ria Ekawati

telephone: 62 21 5291 4888
email: fenny.salim@chartisinsurance.com
email: ria.ekawati@chartisinsurance.com 

Japan
AIU Insurance Company
AIG Tower, 10F 2-4 Kinshi 1-chome
Sumida-ku
Tokyo 130-8560

ATTN: Ms. Naomi Omori

telephone: 813-5819-8288
email: omori.naomi@chartis.co.jp
or hsd@highschooldiplomats.org

Korea
Chartis in Korea
18th Floor Seoul Central Building
136 Seorin-dong, Jongno-gu
Seoul 110-729

ATTN: Ms. Sue Lyu

telephone 82-2-2260-7892
email: sue.lyu@chartisinsurance.com

Malaysia
Chartis Malaysia Insurance Berhad
Chartis House
No. 99, Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

ATTN: Ms. Christine Hap

telephone: 603-2058 5399
email: christine.hap@chartisinsurance.com

The Philippines
Chartis Philippines
47th Floor PBCom Tower
6795 Ayala Avenue Corner Rufino Street
1226 Makati City
Manila

ATTN: Evelyn Bautista

telephone: + 63(2) 815-3000
email: evelyn.bautista@chartisinsurance.com

Singapore
Chartis Singapore
78 Shenton Way
Chartis Building #07-16
Singapore 079120

ATTN: Ms Sharon MY-Ong

telephone: 6419-1025
fax: 6834-0169
email: Sharon-my.ong@chartisinsurance.com

Taiwan
No Chartis contact, please write directly to:
Associate Dean Terri Overton
Wesleyan University
Office of Admission
70 Wyllys Avenue
Middletown, CT 06459
USA
telephone: (860) 685-2988
email: toverton@wesleyan.edu

Thailand
Chartis Insurance
21st-23rd Floor, Siam Tower
989 Rama I Road, Patumwan
Bangkok 10330

ATTN: Jane Kitcharoen

telephone: 66 (0) 2649-1112
email: jane.kitcharoen@chartisinsurance.com

Vietnam
AIG Vietnam General Insurance (Vietnam) Company Limited
Suite 5-01, 5/F, Hanoi Towers
49 Hai Ba Trung Street, Hoan Kiem Dist.
Ha noi, Vietnam

ATTN: Nguyen Thi Nguyet Thanh

telephone: 84-4-3936-1455
fax: 84-4-3936-1456
email:nguyet-thanh.nguyen@chartisinsurance.com

LOCAL U.S. EDUCATION ADVISING CENTERS

Most countries have several centers. For a complete list, go to: http://www.educationusa.info/centers/.php?region=1

FREEMAN ALUMNI CONTACTS

Freeman Scholars in each country have volunteered to answer questions about their experiences or direct you to others who can be helpful.

People’s Republic of China

Name: Shen Zheqing ’02
Email: zheqing.shen@gmail.com
High School: Shanghai Foreign Language School
Major: Economics
Thesis: Exchange Rate Determination on a Macro-Micro Level
Currently: Investment banking, Goldman Sachs, Beijing

Hong Kong

Name: Tak Wai Chung ’00 (Phi Beta Kappa)
Email: chungtakwai@hotmail.com
High school: Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong and Queen’s College
Major: Molecular Biology and Biochemistry; Mathematics-Economics
Thesis: Auctioneering: Applications to Online Auctions (High Honors)
Wesleyan activities: Chinese House, intramural soccer, Internship at Microsoft in Seattle
Currently: Associate, Private Equity, Lehman Brothers, Hong Kong

Indonesia

Name: Suryo Soekarno ’99
Email: ssoekarno@yahoo.com
High School: Panghudi Lhur Catholic H.S. (Jakarta)
Major: Economics
Thesis: Effect of Global Capital Flows on National Economic Stability
Wesleyan activities: PANGEA, Taekwondo, Muslim Student Association, Asian/Pacific Asian Association, Japanese Society
Currently: Principal, Mark Plus & Co (regional ASEAN marketing consulting firm)

Japan

Name: Issei Morita ’03
Email: imorita@wesleyan.edu
High school: Tsurumaru High School, Kagoshima
Major: College of Social Studies
Wesleyan activities: Men’s Crew, Psi Upsilon fraternity, West African dance, house manager, internships in Washington D.C., Tokyo, and New Haven, Duke University summer school in Chinese
Currently: Product Executive, Fixed Income Team, Schroder Investment Management (Japan) Ltd.

Korea

Name: Haejung Park ’04
Email: joyce.park@chartisinsurance.com
High school: Seohyun High School (Kyungki-do, Korea)
Major: Economics, Mathematics
Wesleyan activities: Music, Teaching Assistant, Economics Honors Society
Currently: Underwriting manager at Chartis (Seoul, Korea)

Malaysia

Name: Cheryl Lim ’05
Email: cheryl_sh_lim@mckinsey.com
High school: Assunta Secondary/Taylor’s College
Major: Sociology and Psychology
Thesis: Reexamining the Malay Nationalist Project: A Case Study of Malaysia’s National Language Policy
Wesleyan activities: International Student Advisory Board, Oddfellow’s Playhouse, Career Resources peer advisor, Psychology Majors’ Committee, dance
Other: Rhodes Scholar for Malaysia, 2005
Currrently: Associate, McKinsey & Co., Malaysia

The Philippines

Name: Apple L. Melgazo-Azurin ’99
Email: applemelgazo@yahoo.com
High school: Miriam College
Major: Government
Thesis topic: Philippine Constitutionalism
Thesis title: Conquering the Myth of the Datu: Constitutional Instability in the Philippines
Wesleyan activities: Student Judicial Board (Co-chair), Resident Advisor, Woodrow Wilson Debate Team, Wesleyan Telefund
Currently: Lawyer, Nava & Associates, Makati City

Singapore

Name: Rohini Singh ’06
Email: rosingh@gmail.com
School: Anglo-Chinese Junior College
Major: Government (International Relations)
Senior Essay: Political Economy of the Philippines from 1960 to the 1990’s
Current activities: International Relations Policy Analyst, Singapore University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 2009-2011

Taiwan

Name: Yu-Hsin Cindy Chang ’03
Email: cindy.y.chang@gmail.com
High School: National Taichung Girls’ Senior High School (valedictorian)
Major: Economics and College of Social Studies
Thesis topic: High Tech Business Integration Across the Taiwan Strait and its Political Impact
Wesleyan Activities: Convocation Speaker during Asian/Asian Awareness Month, Economics tutor, dance, International Honors Society in Economics
Recent position: Contract Technical Interpreter on Architecture/Civil Engineering/Electronics at Central Training Center, Labor Council, Executive Yuan
Currently: Baruch College, New York, MBA Honors Program

Thailand

Name: Parith Rungsimanond ’03
Email: parith@pnrparich.com
High School: Satit Chulalongkorn University Demonstration School
Major: Economics
Wesleyan activities: Treasurer Asian/Asian American Pacific Alliance; Co-chair, Thai Student Association (PADThai); Research assistant and teaching assistant in Economics and Chemistry; Wesleyan Singers
Graduate School: MIT Sloan School of Management, MBA 2008
Previous Activities: Associates (San Francisco, Singapore), The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation
Current position: Entrepreneur, PNR Parich, Co., Ltd. (www.pnrparich.com)

Vietnam

Name: Thang Le ’05
E-mail: thang.wesvn@gmail.com
Major: Economics & Government, plus Certificate in International Relations
Wesleyan activities: Senior Class Treasurer, Student Budget Committee, Freeman Asian Scholars Association (co-chair) and Korean Drumming
Currently: United States Alumni Club Vietnam (President) and Vietnam-U.S. Friendship Association