"The English university system is completely different from the American system," Johari said. "By studying their system, I'll be better prepared to help improve the American system."

Rapp, an economics concentrator from Honolulu, plans to continue his studies at Oxford, specializing in the economics of the educational labor market.

Planning to pursue a career in educational policy, Rapp has headed the Institute of Politics' Student Advisory Committee.

A linguistics concentrator from Roslyn, N.Y., Saccente said he plans to obtain classical training in acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

At Harvard, Saccente said he was particularly proud of having played the role of Figaro in last year's Dunster House Opera's production of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro. In the long term, Saccente said he hopes to become a stage actor.

Sheu, a biochemistry concentrator from Dunwoody, Ga., will be going to Oxford to research malaria and the human response to the disease. He said that he hopes to coming up with a vaccine which will help millions.

"There's no effective vaccine for malaria yet," Sheu said. "[But] it affects 500 million a year and kills 3 million a year. It's really tremendous compared to anything else."

Sheu is active in community service, teaching music to inner-city children and counseling for Room 13.

According to Bohlmann, Marshall Scholarships developed as a way for the British people to thank the American people for implementing the Marshall Plan that aided European economic recovery after World War II.

The Marshall Scholarship committee has similar requirements to the Rhodes Scholarship committee, basing its selection criteria on academic excellence, leadership, and community service, Bohlmann said.

One difference between the two is that the Marshall tends to have more tolerance for people with particular excellence in one area. The Marshall committee also focuses more on academics, asking applicants to think beyond Oxford and Cambridge to identify the program in the U.K. best suited to their interests.

According to Bohlmann, the one puzzling aspect of this year's winners was the absence of any Harvard women on the winner's list.

"That is unusual," Bohlmann said. "Last year, four men and four women won [from Harvard]."

11 women and 27 men representing 18 different U.S. universities comprise this year's Marshall Scholars. Over a thousand young Americans have been awarded Marshall Scholarships since the British established them 44 years ago