The rewarding of academic merit is a top priority of the College. There are numerous College prizes and scholarships as well as an advertised round of academic project grants that is run every Hilary term. Undergraduates who perform especially well in collections (College examinations) receive letters of congratulation from the Senior Tutor and, following a similarly outstanding performance in their First Public Examinations for the University, can be expected to be made College Exhibitioners and then, with continuing excellent performance, Scholars. Graduates may compete for a number of College scholarships that are awarded annually across all disciplines, and are congratulated on obtaining leave to supplicate (the official notice that a degree has been awarded).
There is a wide variety of academic events (found in the termly Calendar); many academic subject societies, which meet regularly and are often run in conjunction with Fellows and tutors (listed below, and in Balliol for Beginners); and reading parties which combine academic study with walking and talking (in various subject/MCR-JCR groups, some mixed, College Handbook 2.1.11). A more complete survey of the College's support for these and other intellectual activities is here.
College subject societies
Bacchus: Balliol chemists/biochemists and biologists
Balliol Medical Society
Beers: Balliol engineers
BUMS: Balliol Undergraduate Maths Society
Burps: Balliol physicists
Cerberus: Balliol PPEists
Dervorguilla: Balliol historians
Younger Society: Balliol lawyers, past and present