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Another indicator of prestige is where Marshall Scholars select to spend their scholarship to the UK.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Scholarship

The Marshall Scholarship is one of the most selective and prestigious postgraduate scholarships available to only Americans (who also must have done their undergrad degree in a US university). It provides them with full funding to travel to the UK and study for one or 2 years at postgraduate level. The aim is to enable intellectually distinguished young Americans, seen as the country's future leaders, study in the UK. The 2 year scholarships can be utilised at one UK institution or the scholar can decide to elect to go to two different UK institutions (hence doing 2 masters). Some very few of the 2 year scholarships are on rare occasions extended to 3 years if the scholar decides to convert to a PhD.

The scholarship is very selective and highly competitive and people can only apply with a minimum GPA of 3.7 out of 4.0 and with endorsement from their university that they are one of the best students available both academically and leadership-wise. These criteria tends to limit applicants to between only 800 to 1000 annually. Then out of these 800-1000, less than 180 are selected by a board for interview for the scholarship. And eventually roughly 40 are picked as Marshall Scholars. Basically, only 4 to 5% of these best of the best all-rounders in the USA get the scholarship.

The Marshall scholars selected have to select 2 preferred choices from any of the UK universities in any field they desire. Data shows approximately 75% of Marshall Scholars choose to study at Oxford, Cambridge or University of London, hence there is a rule if one of their 2 choices is a college/school in these three universities, their other choice has to be from outside these three.


Here are the top 10 destination preferences of the 800-1000 Marshall Scholarship Applicants (2005 - 2013):
Format: University [Total number of applicants in the 8 year period] (Average range of applicants per year wishing to go to the university)
1. Oxford 2562 (260-300)
2. Cambridge 1053 (105-130)
3. LSE 772 (80-95)
4. UCL 388 (25-65)
5. Edinburgh 369 (30-60)
6. KCL 262 (25-40)
7. SOAS 250 (25-30)
8. Imperial 208 (15-30)
9. St Andrews 208 (15-25)
10. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 190 (15-25)
* UCL has the widest range. Its rise in applicants (upper range) coincides with the emergence of international league tables. It appears to be riding high on its high international rankings.
*St Andrews, on the other hand, is seeing a decline in applicants. Its earlier high rate of applicants seem to be linked to the novelty of Prince William attending the uni.


Here are the top 20 destinations of successful applicants, i.e. selected Marshall Scholars (2000 - 2013):
Format: University (Total number of scholars that have attended the university in the 13 year period)
1. Oxford (210)
2. Cambridge (93)
3. LSE (46)
4. UCL (26)
5. Imperial (19)
6. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (19)
7. SOAS (16)
8. Edinburgh/KCL (11)
10. St Andrews (9)
11. Sussex (7)
12. Queens Belfast (6)
13. Birmingham/Royal Academy of Music (5)
15. Essex (4)
16. Liverpool/Nottingham/Royal Holloway/Sheffield/Cranfield (3)


The destination of the 2013 Scholars are:
- Oxford 11
- LSE 9
- Cambridge 5
- KCL 5
- UCL 4
- St Andrews 2
- Imperial 1
- Edinburgh 1
- LSHTM 1
- Glasgow 1
- QMW 1
- Sheffield 1
- Liverpool 1
- Belfast 1
- Goldsmith 1
- SOAS 1
- Glasgow School of Art 1


Note: Oxford is disproportionately more selected than the others, not only because of its class, but also because there is an application rule that dictates if a candidate is also applying for a Rhodes scholarship (which most Marshall applicants will usually be doing), it is expected one of the two chosen institutions on the Marshall application should be Oxford. This is because Rhodes scholars can only apply to Oxford, no other UK university.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodes_scholarship

So Oxford has more applications and more choices to pick from. Also as the Marshall application rule states that if one has Oxford as one of its choices, then its second choice cannot be Cambridge or any of the University of London colleges, hence Oxford is picking applicants that would have applied to these institutions just because applicants are trying to improve their chances of a prestigious scholarship to the UK by applying for both the Marshall and Rhodes scholarship at the same time.


Top Producers of Marshall Scholars (1954 to 2013)
1. Harvard (239)
2. Princeton (126)
3. Yale (108)
4. Stanford (83)
5. MIT (60)
6. Brown (46)
7. US Military Academy (34)
8. Cornell (31)
=9. Columbia (28)
=9. UC Berkeley (28)

There have been 1818 Marshall Scholars from 1954 to 2013, and 783 of them are from just these 10 universities (i.e. 43%) out of over 1500 universities in the US. HYPMS produces 34% of the overall scholars.

So basically, the Marshall Scholars are frequently the best students from the best US universities.

ow11: @Sagamite

I actually think the lack of any developmental plans for the kids is hurting us. Imagine if our players actually get better at 20, they can play on till 35. Drogba, Yakubu, Kanu, Weah, Song etc all played till their mid-30s (projected real ages) at the top.

The sad part of this lies is that our players don't learn anything when they are young and we get average stars. Imagine if Kanu or even Weah were raised in the Netherlands!

I still like our Super Eagles but I have noticed a new trend. . . Those guys raised outside Nigeria (Shittu, Dike, Moses, Aluko, Anichebe) play with a lot more zeal than the other 'home-grown' talent.

How can our players learn something when young if they cannot get on learning programmes because fathers like us are claiming 15 and taking all the spots?

Of course we would end up with average stars, that is what people like me have been screaming for years and people would say "you are not patriotic" for not joining in the national lie.

honeric01: The current U-17 male squad are someworth very young (can't vouch for them sha), you need to watch their matches to see what i am saying.

Well it appears the moorons running Nigerian football are finally deciding to clampdown on this age-cheating.

JaaizTech: GBAM. TRUE TALK. A COUNTRY of corrupt values; we can't even put up a honest team with at least 50% stating their true age, that shows how terrible we are as a nation

Abi.

When we were celebrating useless u-17 and u-20 glories with players all of us know where blatant cheats, we did not know one day it will come and bite us (a country morally bankrupt) in the butt. Some were rejoicing and even willing to argue the unarguable on NL. They called it "patriotism".

I have stopped watching or supporting Nigerian u-17 and u-20 teams for some years now because I am sick of seeing old men like Stanley Okoro parading themselves as 15. Where is the great Stanley Okoro now? How come Rabiu (the 17 year old next Okocha) can not even get a single game in any club?

I only support SE where we cannot cheat and u-23 where our cheating is really insignificant.

CFCfan: ^^^
I thought Enyeama is 33/34?

I am surprised he is still not only 26.

Our "youthful" team of child prodigies.

FULL LIST:

Goalkeepers :
Vincent Enyeama (30) - Started playing professionally in the NPL at 19.

Austin Ejide (28)- Started playing professionally in the NPL at 15.

Chigozie Agbim (28) - Started playing professionally in the NPL at 17.

Defenders :
Elderson Echiejile (24) - Started playing professionally in the NPL at 16.

Juwon Oshaniwa (22) - Started playing professionally in the NPL at 17.

Joseph Yobo (32) - Started playing professionally in the Belgian League at 18.

Efe Ambrose (24) - Started playing professionally in the NPL at 18.

Azubuike Egwuekwe (23) - Started playing professionally in the NPL at 17.

Kenneth Omeruo (19) - Joined Standard Liege's youth team at 13.

Godfrey Oboabona (22) - Started playing professionally in the NPL at 20.

Midfielders :
John Mikel Obi (25) - Started playing professionally in the NPL at 15.

Nosa Igiebor (22) - Started playing professionally at 15.

Ogenyi Onazi (20) - Started playing professionally at 16.

Obiora Nwankwo (21) - Started playing professionally in th NPL at 15.

Fegor Ogude (25) - Started playing professionally in th NPL at 20.

Reuben Gabriel (22) - Started playing professionally in th NPL at 17.

Strikers :
Ahmed Musa (20) - Started playing professionally at 16 and was the highest goalscorer in the NPL at 17.

Emmanuel Emenike (25) - Started playing professionally at 21.

Brown Ideye (24) - Started playing professionally in the NPL at 16.

Victor Moses (22) - Only one I can reasonably trust his age.

Ikechukwu Uche (29) - Started playing professionally in the NPL at 17.

Ejike Uzoenyi (24) - Started playing professionally in the NPL at 17.

Sunday Mba (24) - Started playing professionally in th NPL at 17.


The NPL is the only league in the world that has 15 year olds making up majority of the players.

Add 5 to 8 years to the ages of most of these players and then you have their real ages.

So the average age of our players would be anything from 28 to 31. That can be an asset if the players are ones that have experience. Nah! Majority of ours have little experience and pose like little boys.

philips70: Ode!!! I guess you thought you the only one on here with hard contents. Silly brainless boy

You are a person!

Is the hard content the stone in your head?

philips70: You just need to suck your mother's breast again. You were starved of it maybe after 3 months and it left you so bitter all these years. If you can't find your mum's just grab any closest mad woman on the street and help yourself out of this present predicament. You need it very fast.

You need to get your hard smashed with a hammer to destroy the worthless content!

DIY is the best approach. Go and get your hammer.

philips70:
Who is this little foolish eediot insulting everyone on Nairaland? If you can't hold arguments without resorting to insults then you must be babysitted to learn a little before coming here. The word "person" is so common in your mouth as if you just heard it. Are you related to Seun that you can't be banned for life for your rants and insults on anyone that dare have a different opinion? Is your life that hard that you must vent anger on all? Take it easy, this 2013 will be better for you. Just believe.

You are a person, shut up!

It seems all the Okwaraji enthusiasts cannot defend him so I will go ahead and destroy the sentiments anyway.

OKWARAJI WAS NOT GREAT!

Yes, when he died playing for Nigeria we all felt very sad and had emphathy for someone dying doing something we cherished for the nation.

Yes, he was one of the flambouyant looking and effizzy players of his generation and normally one of the first 5 most people would put on the team list then.

But to say he is great? Cut the crap.

I bet if GEJ's plane crashes now while going to visit some flood victims in some part of Nigeria, Nigerians will all of a sudden change the historical records and say he was a great and caring President.

If you are going to judge a great player amongst a list of players, look at both their national and club contributions.

Club-level: Okwaraji was a nobody. A pure lower league journey man, who was even struggling to get games at his lower league clubs. He just happened to be playing for a nation that was quite mediocre internationally during that period. It was an era where our standard was probably on par with countries like Angola and likes today.

National-level: What is great about a player who could only make the national team at the age of 24? And who did nothing spectacular in the short time he was there? Is it because of 8 SE games (plus another 3 Olympic caps) with one goal that makes a player, doing nothing at club level, great?

So, because someone died, was so-called patriotic because he was comfortable being pissed on by corrupt officials, scored a spectacular goal at one time in the ANC or was showy does not make them great.

If I was to be extremely generous, at best, he was on par with Oruma but I would not be generous. Oruma was a better player. He would even struggle to be compared with Kalu Uche. Maybe he can start from competing with the likes of Thompson Oliha.

Great me arsse! Because he died on the pitch. Nonsense!

Looking at this John Chidozie guys record on Wiki, he does appear to be the real deal for that kind of era.

dayokanu: Okwaraji was one of Nigeria best at the time he was alive.

Maybe if he had lived longer or been in Okochas generation he might have been better. No one can tell

Like we cant say if Pele played in 2012 he might not be better than Messi and vice versa if Messi played in 1960 he might not be a great player

I am not saying he is not one of the best at the time when he was alive. I am asking what he did that made him great.

Martins is one of the best in his time, yet he is not great, and he is miles better than Okwaraji.

Even Oruma was one of the best in the early 2000s. Is he great?

So what makes Okwaraji great?

manfred10: You lie

Oya, explain and tell the truth.

true2god: Good. My broda i hav had the opportunity of watching both players play. And any person dat started following nigerian football frm, at least 1987, will undertsand. He is the first (or among the 1st nigerians, to giv an element of doubt) to play professional football in europe. At dat time football in not so lucrativ as it is now but they play great football.
Okocha is a great player of course. I consider okocha a good replacement for okwaraji in terms of influence in the team and creativity in the midfield. U can get a clip of nigeria/cameroon final of maroc '88, u wont argue again.

What I asked you is: "What did Okwaraji do that made him great"?

y me2: why are you men not satisfied with one woman you claim to love? is that why you men go from one hotel to another farking diff girls while the wife is at home trying to be the perfect woman taking care of your kids? is that why you men are heartless and go about deceiving women? is that why you men lie and preach about undying love just to get in a lady's pant? what happened to honesty? oh I remember it does not in any way exist in men's dictionary.

See the yeye things.

See the way they talk. So they are "your kids" now. When it is divorce, it would be "my kids, I want custody".

See her parrot mouth.

Which women are trying to be perfect!

Sho! Majority of them are the devil in the house! *Saga claps like a market woman as he says that*

Awon Esu! (The devils)

They turn the house to Hell to the point I read in the Bible that God would forgive sinner men (even if they don't repent) that have lived with such women. He would automatically pardon them to enter heaven so as not to put them in double jeopardy.

y me2: oh really? is that why when you men fall out of love and do not have the balls to be blunt and call it quit with a lady you round up and accuse her of nagging when she notices the situation of things between you two and try to talk it out? Ekpia dan

you men are callous and thats the plain truth, always derive joy and pleasure from being callous to women

wolves in sheep's clothing, thats what you people are

Is that not more considerate than telling her she is out of shape and no longer attractive?

[quote author=mama-gee][color=deeppink]Nwankwo Kanu is the greatest indeed!!![/color][/quote]If you don't agree with me, don't talk.

true2god: Pls stop cursing cos frm ur response u dnt knw sam okwaraji. If u knw him he plays better than okocha but death took him vry fast. U might hav just heard of him. He scored the nigeria's best goal in any tournament (against cameroon in maroc '88, antoine bell was in goal for cameroon, the match ended 1:1).

Really? He plays better than Okocha?

As in, really?

Okay please educate us how and what are the things he did that made you have so much regard from him.

Today, I have heard that Osondu was better than Messi, so at least I can at least stomach Okwaraji is better than Jay Jay.

Ola one: So, because he's Igbo he's not even allowed to write something about MKO?

This IS 2013, man!

Well, in 2013, our education system is still in the pigsty. So don't be hopeful on the mentality of the products.

y me: Oh please dont give me that BS on how women are selfish. Men take they crown, they are selfish, ignorant, disrespectful being, Yes they are

before nko? why will i still with a guy i dont love when I have little to lose? it is better to dump his azz and move on to the next guy
unlike men who get tired of a relationship but instead of being open and ending it they maltreat and cheat on their suppose gf because they want it all, selfish, selfish, selfish idiats

men are built to look for their self interest in a discreet form, they are worse, they want it all to themselves. . . twats

dont dodge the questions Mr, answer all the why's in my earlier post

Ehn, why should he also stay with you when he can spread his seed gloriously like a Zimbabwean white farmer? And classier, more considerate and more generous girls than you would happily sha g him even though he is married? You have no class for turning a man down just because he is married!

Is that how you women are open and end it when you have already started chatting with some other guy you have vetted and marked to take his place? Then you start being a complete arsse and doing whatever you know would piss him off ( to force him to break up) based on the many questions you cutely asked him during the relationship to know what he is like and the mugu was honestly answering all the questions, not knowing when you stop loving him, you would use it to finish him.

If he takes the bait and breaks up with you, then your guilt is less and then you move to the new man, i.e. if you are not already fcking him.

If he doesn't, you then have to bite the bullet and break up with him saying "the relationship is not working, we are always fighting" or "imagine this is what he said to me" (with people not knowing you did your best to provoke him to say it).

If he is dumb and wants to be loyal and stick to the commitment (which you always bleeted about to him during the relationship) by pleading with you to work it out, then you avoid him like a plague because you know what you did and feel guilty he is so committed but you really don't want to be with him anymore.

I know you women! (Mo mor yin) I know you intoto! I have a PhD in Womantology!

Aje! Aje ni yin! (You are witches)

anulaxad: YOU ARE SAD.MAY I ASK WHERE DO YOU LIVE.IF YOU EVER VISIT LONDON TELL ME.I SHALL TAKE YOU OUT TO DISCOVER MY WORLD.

ANYWAY IT'S NOT YOU WHO IS EARNING MY SALARY THAT'S PROBABLY 'QUADRALTRIPLE' YOUR ORANGE SELLING VILLAGE SALARY.

Can you construct an English sentence without errors?

Is your world in a mental home for the deluded?

anulaxad: This is a really scary comment to me mate. I'm not born in nigeria or bred.But I originally descend from Nigeria.So are you telling me I can not be in seat of power if I'm not born in nigeria.

Where were you born?

China or some other non-English speaking country?

y me:
This reminds me of a married man that asked me out and I turned him down, he asked why? I replied 'because you are married'

You are a very heartless girl. You turned him down purely because he was married?

y me: surprisingly he replied "Now I know why some men lie about their relationship status"

Now its my turn to ask, did a woman turn him (them) that way? whay are most men witless, callous, inconsiderate and irrational?
why do they want to have it all? why will they stoop so low and bury themselves in deceit not giving a damn about hurting an innocent lady?
why can't they be truthful and stick their dic.ks at home where it belong, to the wife? why will everything be in their own best interest? na woman cause that one too?


No! virtually all men are naturally heartless dogs that want it all to themselves. so why are they mad when women copy them?
why will a married man cheating on his wife with another chic and then get jealous when the chic is seeing someone else? oh no i know that, because they are Twats.

oya make I rest, I don dey drink panadol for another person headache

Nah! You women stealthly do fcking worse and you merely deny it, cover it up with "I am dumb/a victim/naive" and people overlook it.

If it was a woman that was cheating now, most women and their "real man" mangina's would be lecturer the guy that "maybe you were not paying her attention", not some outrage. They would somehow lecture the foool it is most likely his fault. Society lets you get away with murder because it men are expected to take it on the chin and "man up". Why una no fit "woman up", abi na "woman down" una wan remain.

Women are built to look for their self-interest. They are selfish to the bone.

If women could remain young for longer and have nothing to lose, cheating would be the norm.

Women don't stay with guys they don't love anymore if they have little to lose. They would find an alternate toaster, start seeing him or line him up and then dump the current foool's arsse sharp-sharp. They then avoid him at all cost to manage the guilt. Let him deal with the heart ache, na im problem.

No 5, 6, 10 and 12 is the most used approach, not some decent and principled sermons una yeye arsse like to give.

https://www.nairaland.com/962850/ladies-which-these-dating-evils

They now scream blue murder when it comes to them and they start talking about some set of "decency rules".

https://www.nairaland.com/820236/what-not-after-first-date/2#msg9728410

I would go with:

1. Austin Okocha
2. Rashidi Yekini
3. Nwankwo Kanu
4. Segun Odegbami
5. Finidi George
6. Teslim Balogun
7. Sunday Oliseh
8. Taribo West
9. Muda lawal
10. Stephen Keshi
11. Yakubu Aiyegbeni
12. Celestine Babayaro
13. Uche Okechukwu
14. Peter Rufai
15. Mutiu Adepoju
16. Victor Ikpeba
17. Daniel Amokachi
18. Samson Siasia
19. Emmanuel Amuneke
20. Garba Lawal

dayokanu: When Beckham left Madrid he went to LA Galaxy. Maybe He wasnt good enough. When Dinho left Milan he went where ? When Rivaldo left Milan he went where? When Figo left Inter he went where.

Maybe we should judge them by that

Shey na me say good players are sought by big clubs ni?

Na you na.

I know a top player can play for a small team for the following reasons:

- Money.

- Influence and respect he can freely exert there.

- The way the small club treated him well.

- Wants to play every single game and a more talented rival is in a big team.

- The player is enjoying the game, challenge and family atmosphere in their small club.

- He wants to leave or is eager to go to a certain new country and only a small club is willing to pay the price tag of his old club.

There is a reason Maradona went to Napoli. Juninho went to Middlesborough. Batistuta stayed with Fiorentina. Juninho P stayed at Lyon.

Kanu was happy to sit on the bench for more talented people to play.

afam4eva: I'm sorry but this is an asault on world football. Arsenal is in the league of Wigan athletic and stoke city. What compeetition did they win in the last 10 years that makes them a bigger club than Ajax?

History does not mean which team is richer. Porto is a big club, Sporting Lisbon is a big club but i'm not sure about Arsenal.

I no get time for una my EPL club rivalry. I no dey support any team.

dayokanu: No wonder. You were watching football of India vs Nigeria 99:1

Thunder Balogun remember your left leg

Ode kan wa so pe mo mor Sam Okwaraji! (One foool now said I don't know Sam Okwaraji)

To them Sam Okwaraji is great because there was a time when he was being chased with the ball by 3 opposition players on either side, then all of a sudden, he stopped and trap the ball leaving all 3 still running forward like mumus and we all scream "HAY! Wa'shere". That is what makes Okwaraji the greatest to these foools.

AjanleKoko: Iro oh.
Arsenal, trophyless club, big club?
Ajax is a 4-time winner of the Big Ears. They have won their last 3 league titles. Arsenal has not won anything, not even a spoon, in 8 years. In fact, has Arsenal ever won any title in Europe?

Na lil'barcelona you dey yab like that?

dayokanu: What determines a big club Mr Sagamite.

When finidi played for Ajax they were the best team in Europe. Historically they are top 5 in Europe

Permanently being consistently a force in EU football (Barca, RM, Bayern, Man U, Inter, AC Milan etc). The real top 10.

Being momentarily big like Ajax, Arsenal, Man City, Porto, PSV etc to me are just secondary.

But if Finidi was good, he would not leave Ajax (a big club to you) and not be snapped up by another big club? Are you saying Finidi was shyt when he went to Betis?

dayokanu: Let Sagamite be yarning opata. Ajax no a big club Wetin person no go hear on nl.

Sagamite are you a DSTV generation fan ?

Ko ba idi e!

I fit born you and still do it while being an adult.

My teenage years, TV never reach Nigeria.

afam4eva: I disagree with this though. Ajax is considered one of the clubs with the greatest history in European football.

In the last 10 years Arsenal is a bigger club.

Secondly, that line was a trap for DK.

They have history does not mean they are a big club. Porto has history does not mean Porto is a big club. Even Sporting Lisbon has history.