KU News Release

LAWRENCE — Five University of Kansas freshmen enrolled this fall with perfect scores on their college entrance exams.

Four are Kansas high school graduates, making them eligible for KU’s Perfect Achievement Scholarship valued at $15,500 a year, said Lee Furbeck, senior associate director of KU’s Office of Admission and Scholarships. In addition, a Missouri high school graduate with a perfect score earned a KU scholarship valued at $10,000 a year for up to four years.

KU’s newest Perfect Achievement Scholars are

— Daniel Gritz, a Shawnee Mission East High School graduate in the School of Engineering
— Nina Mathew, a Pittsburg High School graduate in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
— Emily E. Parsons, a Manhattan High School graduate in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
— Bailey Reimer, a Shawnee Mission Northwest High School graduate in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

The fifth freshman, Morgan Tichy, a graduate of Parkway West High School in Ballwin, Mo., is enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with plans to enter the School of Pharmacy.

“I am happy to congratulate these five outstanding freshmen for their scholarship and commitment to be the best,” said Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little. “I also offer congratulations to their parents and teachers who inspired them to achieve their best.”

With this fall’s four recipients, a total of eight Perfect Achievement Scholarships have been awarded since 2005, the year the scholarship was first offered.

“The University of Kansas continues to be the top choice for the best and the brightest students in Kansas,” said Lisa Pinamonti Kress, director of admissions and scholarships. “It is very exciting that four Perfect Achievement Scholars have joined the Jayhawk family.”

The Perfect Achievement Scholarship covers the cost of 30 hours of tuition a year for up to four years to Kansas high school graduates with perfect scores on college entrance exams. The scholarship also provides housing in a traditional residence hall with a full meal package and an allowance for books. Recipients must maintain a 3.255 GPA and may also qualify for other KU scholarships and awards.

KU established the renewable scholarship in 2004 to recognize Kansas high school graduates who achieve the top score of 36 on the ACT or 1,600 on the SAT. In addition, eligible students must choose KU right after high school graduation and remain enrolled at KU.

The scholarship funds are managed by KU Endowment, the official fundraising and fund-management organization for KU. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment is the oldest foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university.

Brief profiles of the new freshmen with perfect scores on their entrance exams are below.

CRAWFORD COUNTY
From Pittsburg 66762

Nina Mathew

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Nina Mathew took lots of practice tests before she took the SAT and scored a perfect 1600 on the first try. She took the ACT several times, scoring 35 out of 36, but it was the SAT score that led her to explore KU after learning about the Perfect Achievement Scholarship. Although her father had completed an internship at KU Medical Center, Mathew had been considering other universities. Like her father, she is interested in studying medicine but for now is more interested in medical research — perhaps genetics — than practice. Her mother has a degree in engineering. When Mathew visited KU’s campus, she recalls that she liked the atmosphere. “I talked to lots of professors and sensed they all seemed to care about me,” she said. During summers as a high school student, Mathew volunteered at Pittsburg’s Mount Carmel Regional Medical Center. Although her volunteer assignments were often clerical, Mathew noted that volunteering increased not only her understanding of patient relationships to the hospital staff but also her resolve to pursue a medical career. Mathew is a National Merit Scholar at KU and has a Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship through the Kansas Department of Education. When she isn’t studying, Mathew likes to relax by hanging out with friends, maybe going to a movie and catching up on sleep. She is the daughter of Dr. Boban and Merly Mathew.

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Prairie Village 66208

Daniel Gritz

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Daniel Gritz received a perfect score the first time he took the ACT. He recalled thinking, “I thought I’d done well but didn’t think I had a perfect score.” Later on his own, Gritz learned about KU’s Perfect Achievement Scholarship for Kansas high graduates and applied. He is a National Merit Scholar. KU was one of at least three universities whose engineering programs appealed to him. He is the first in his immediate family to attend KU. His father is an ophthalmologist and his mother an artist. A self-described tinkerer, Gritz said his interest in engineering stems in part from a childhood desire to take things apart to see how they worked. Math and science have long been favorite subjects for Gritz, who likes to relax by reading fiction, particularly science fiction and fantasy novels. He is a big fan of British author Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. He also finds writing a way to unwind from studying. This summer, he enrolled in the Freshman Summer Institute, a special four-week orientation program that allows new students to earn credit and explore the broad range of academic resources as well as recreational, cultural and service opportunities. This fall, Gritz joined the KU Swing Society. He is the son of David and Ligaya Gritz.

From Shawnee 66216

Bailey Reimer

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Bailey Reimer scored a perfect score of 1600 on the SAT and a 35 on the ACT. The Saturday she took the SAT exam, she had returned home at 3 a.m. after attending a music festival in Lawrence. “I fell asleep taking (the SAT). I got really lucky.” Reimer plans to major in linguistics in part because a good friend who is a sophomore at KU inspired her to think about linguistics. Reimer studied Spanish and Latin in high school and said that she likes the creative and analytical potential in linguistics. She was editor-in-chief of the Shawnee Mission Northwest Lair yearbook for two years and is training for a staff position with the Kansas Scholastic Press Association, housed in KU’s William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Reimer also earned a National Merit Corporate Scholarship and other scholarships through federal student aid programs. With the exception of her stepbrother Eric Metsinger, a senior in KU’s sport science program, she is the first in her family to attend KU. The Perfect Achievement Scholarship was a major factor in her choice of KU. Reimer’s career plans are yet to be determined but she knows she eventually “wants to be helping others in some way.” During summers in high school, she regularly volunteered with church outreach programs and summer camps. This fall, Reimer signed up to volunteer in January with Teach for America though KU’s Alternative Breaks program. She is the daughter of Jami Reimer.

RILEY COUNTY
From Manhattan 66502

Emily Parsons

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Emily E. Parsons knows a third try is charmed. She took the ACT exam three times scoring 34 the first time, 35 the second time and 36 the third time. “When I got a 35, I didn’t want to take it again,” Parsons recalled. But her mom had learned about KU’s Perfect Achievement Scholarship and suggested a third try. Parsons is the first in her family to attend KU. Her older sister and “most of my family went to Kansas State University.” Parsons had looked at other schools but chose KU in part because of she saw a wider selection of majors, classes and campus activities. A violinist, she is a member of KU’s symphony orchestra. She likes to relax with a good book, particularly fiction. Most recently she read “Outliers: The Story of Success,” nonfiction recommended by KU Vice Provost for Student Success Marlesa Roney during a summer orientation session. In addition to the Perfect Achievement Scholarship, Parsons earned a National Merit Scholarship, a Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship through the Kansas Department of Education, a Sunflower Bank Community Ambassadors Program Scholarship and a National Honor Society Scholarship. She is the daughter of Patricia and Timothy Parsons.

MISSOURI
From Ballwin 63011

Morgan Tichy

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Morgan Tichy, who was on the Missouri all-state softball team in 2008, took the ACT exam a second time to bring her English score of 31 more in line with the 34 she got in science and the 33 she scored in math and reading. With some tutoring to prepare for the second exam, she came way with a perfect score of 36 in each category. Tichy said she remembers “when I left the (testing) room, I was thinking it almost seemed easy,” but hadn’t sensed she had scored 36 across the board. Math and science are her favorite topics, and Tichy is exploring career options in pharmacy. As a high school student, she shadowed pharmacists and was a volunteer in the pharmacy at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis. At KU, she plays both infield and outfield positions on the softball team. When she isn’t studying or competing, Tichy likes to relax by watching sports events and working out. In addition to the KU scholarship, Tichy also earned a DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) marketing club scholarship and a Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship through the Missouri Department of Education. She is the daughter of G. Michael and Celeste Tichy.