Mr Band (18), of Dunedin, an Otago Daily Times 2011 Class Act recipient, and University of Otago student Tom Prebble (18), of Auckland, have both won the scholarships, worth $100,000 a year, to study at Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina.
The scholarships, provided by New York philanthropist Julian Robertson, cover tuition, board and a living allowance for up to four years.
Mr Band was born in Dunedin but moved to England with his family as a baby, returning to the city in 2007.
He has since topped all his subjects at John McGlashan College and was dux at the school last year.
He achieved a near-maximum score in the International Baccalaureate Diploma and went on to gain a score of 2340 in the SAT. He is now studying science at Melbourne University.
He plans to study biology and cancer genetics at Duke University, one of the world's leading universities, in August.
Mr Band applied for admission to 25 leading universities, gaining entry to 24, including Cambridge University, England, Imperial College, London, and Harvard University in the United States.
Along the way, he was also offered about $1.1 million in scholarships and financial support.
Only at one university, Notre Dame, in the US, was he declined entry, and that was because he had not enclosed all the required paperwork.
After hearing about his success with overseas universities, a friend recently joked that she was surprised his head could still fit through the door.
But Mr Band is quick to point out that 90% of the academic success he has enjoyed resulted from inspiration and support from other key people, including family members and, particularly, his mother, Kim Band, as well as Dr Sergio Biggemann and members of his family.
"They're the glue that holds me together."
Several teachers at John McGlashan had also been influential, and the college has the unusual distinction of being the only secondary school to have produced two Robertson scholarship winners, the other being Olly Wilson (2008).
Mr Band is a great believer in determination and hard work.
"If I set that goal for the right reason, I will get there."
Thanks to the Robertson scholarship, Mr Band will want for little in the way of support during his US studies.
A private jet is used to fly overseas students back to their home countries during holiday breaks.
He may be flying high later this year, but he also experienced some of life's lows last year after his parents parted and some other family members were ill.
"It's been no fairy tale. I had a dreadful year," he said.
But he expects this year to be one of the best and, through his passion for life sciences and medicine, he wants his Duke studies to help make a difference and, in a modest way, "improve the wellbeing of others".
