Academics
Fellowships & Grants
How can Whittier students actualize their intellectual goals in and beyond Whittier College, whether those goals involve graduate school, international research, public service, and so on? Winning a fellowship, scholarship, or grant adds prestige to a résumé, and provides financial support for attaining such goals. Click here for information on past fellowship winners from Whittier College.
To assist Whittier students with identifying fellowships that best match a variety of college and post-college plans, a selected list of the most prestigious fellowships, scholarships, and grants is provided on this webpage. In either of the tables below, click on the titles of fellowships to read short descriptions along with application deadlines and Whittier advisors who mentor students for each fellowship. In the short descriptions, click on the names of fellowships to visit the sponsoring foundation’s website for further information.
Applications for fellowships, scholarships and grants often involve multiple supporting documents, such as autobiographical essays, project proposals, official transcripts, GRE or other test scores, several letters of recommendation from professors and/or from Whittier (in the cases of applications that require institutional endorsement by the College), and interviews. For assistance with searching for appropriate fellowships and with putting together applications, please contact:
Rosemary P. Carbine, Religious Studies and Director of Graduate Fellowships (Platner 120), and
Linda Ross, Office of Career Services (Campus Center, 2nd floor)
An online collection of other national fellowship and grant opportunities can be found within the Office of Career Services website; please click here to visit these pages.
UNDERGRADUATE
Boren Scholarships provide grants ($10,000 for a semester, $20,000 for a year) to U.S. undergraduate students to study abroad in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin American, and the Middle East (excluding Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand). Boren Scholarships are funded by the National Security Education Program (NSEP), which focuses on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study deemed critical to U.S. national security. Competitive applicants should identify how their study abroad program, as well as their future academic and career goals, will contribute to U.S. national security, which is broadly defined to include not only traditional concerns of protecting and promoting American well-being, but also the challenges of global society, e.g. sustainable development, environmental degradation, global disease and hunger, population growth and migration, and economic competitiveness.
Advisor: Fred Bergerson, Political Science; Katie Hunter, Director of Study Abroad
Application: due in early February; check with the advisor for earlier on-campus deadlines
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program offers grants up to $5,000 for U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies in especially non-traditional study abroad destinations outside of Western Europe and Australia. Gilman aims to support students who currently receive Federal Pell Grants and who have been traditionally under-represented in study abroad, including but not limited to, students with high financial need, community college students, students in under-represented fields such as the sciences and engineering, students with diverse ethnic backgrounds, and students with disabilities. Such international study is intended to better prepare U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world. Award recipients are chosen by a competitive selection process and must use the award to defray eligible study abroad costs.
Advisor: Katie Hunter, Director of Study Abroad
Application: due in early April for fall programs and in early October for spring programs
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was authorized by the United States Congress in 1986 to honor Senator Barry M. Goldwater, who served his country for 56 years as a soldier and statesman, including 30 years of service in the U.S. Senate. This scholarship is awarded to sophomores or juniors majoring in math, natural sciences, or engineering fields who have at least a 3.0 GPA, stand in the top 25% of their class, and plan to pursue graduate study toward a Ph.D. and a career in teaching and research. Nominated by the faculty representative / advisor, applicants for the Goldwater Scholarships must include in their online application a statement of career interests, detailing how their academic program and their overall educational plans will prepare them for their chosen career goal. About 300 awards a year are distributed by state, with each providing $7,500 per year toward undergraduate tuition.
Advisor: Rosemary P. Carbine, Religious Studies, Director of Graduate Fellowships
Application: due in January; check with the advisor about earlier on-campus deadlines
The Fletcher Jones Undergraduate Fellows Program will provide support to 20 Whittier College students in the sciences through the Center for Science, Health, and Policy. Beginning in 2010-2011, 6-7 outstanding junior students will be selected each year for three years through an application and interview process. Each Fletcher Jones Fellow will receive a summer stipend of $4,000 for summer science research or health internships, and $2,000 for the following academic year to continue those research or internship activities. A fund, averaging $1,350 per student, will be available to support research needs such as expendable supplies, small equipment and materials, conference participation, and research-related travel assistance. Applicants will describe their proposed summer research or internship opportunities as well as continuing activities to take place in the senior year. Four Center faculty will evaluate applications on the basis of intellectual rigor, interdisciplinarity, and connection to local, national, and global communities or organizations. Students will make a public presentation of their work on campus during senior year, and will work with their mentors to find other scholarly and public outlets for presenting their work.
Advisor: David Bourgaize, Biology
Application: check with the advisor for due date and forms
With the support of the Keck Foundation, Whittier College has established the Keck Fellowship Program to increase student research, internships, and project opportunities for undergraduate juniors with academic promise (minimum 3.3 GPA). Keck Fellows will receive a substantial stipend for summer research, intensive-study, and/or internships, and a follow-up stipend during their senior year to continue their research. In addition to working with a faculty mentor and a cohort of other fellows, fellowships will support students during the summer between their junior and senior years, enabling them to pursue a variety of activities that will then inform and shape work continued in their senior year and reflected in senior capstone projects, public presentations, and other means of publishing. Students will be selected as Keck Fellows based on their academic standing (GPA and transcript), preliminary essay, project proposal, two letters of reference, and an interview with the advisory committee. Projects that are interdisciplinary in nature are highly encouraged. Five Fellows will be announced in late April, through the Center for Collaboration with the Arts and the Center for Science, Health, and Policy.
Advisor: Jennifer Holmes, Theatre & Communication Arts; David Bourgaize, Biology
Application: due in March
Funded by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Whittier College has established the Mellon-Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program, which is designed to increase the number of promising underrepresented students pursuing PhDs in core arts-and-sciences fields. The MMUF Program aims to equalize the ethnic and racial composition of faculties in higher education and to address the attendant educational consequences of these disparities. In addition to an application form and a transcript demonstrating a minimum 3.0 GPA, applications include two essays and two letters of recommendation. After careful reviews and interviews by the advisory committee, five Whittier College students will be selected annually as Mellon Fellows, who will receive tuition assistance, summer research funds, and academic-year support from their Whittier faculty mentors and from other Fellows at Mellon-sponsored events.
Advisor: Lisa Bortman, Associate Dean; Sylvia Vetrone, Biology
Application: due in March
Created by gifts of friends and alumni/ae of Whittier College to honor alumnus (Class of 1934) and former U.S. President Richard M. Nixon, Whittier College established the Nixon Fellowship Program to promote civic responsibility, develop leadership potential, advance informed public policy analysis, and encourage public service among promising first-year, sophomore, or junior Whittier students. The Fellowship affords students an opportunity to learn both the possibilities and challenges inherent in professional life, and to develop a fuller understanding of President Nixon’s complex legacy. In addition to an application form, transcript, and résumé, applicants must have a minimum 3.2 GPA and propose a year-long self-directed learning experience that includes an internship or project featuring research, study (both international or on-campus), travel, professional development, etc. A faculty committee reviews all applications based on academic criteria and on the nature / focus of the proposal, then selects one Fellow to receive a $5,000 stipend to support that proposal
Advisor: Sally Cardenas, Director of Internships and Community-Based Learning
Application: due in March
The James R. Parks Prizes and Fellowship are open to first and second year Whittier students who have declared or intend to declare a major in Business Administration. In awarding Parks Prizes, preference will be given to students with financial need who have demonstrated interest and aptitude in accounting. Each selected student will receive a $,1000 stipend, used at the student's discretion; students may also be eligible for an additional scholarship applied to their financial aid. The Parks Fellowship awards $7,000 to a student who will undertake a local or international internship, i.e. a $3,500 stipend to enable the fellow to pursue an unpaid or low-paid internship, and $3,500 to be applied toward the student's financial aid. Preference will be given to first-generation college students and students with financial need, who will garner significant business experiences and other benefits from exposure to a professional work environment.
Advisor: Charles Laine, Chair, Business Administration; Sally Cardenas, Director of Internships and Community-Based Learning
Application: check with the advisor for due date and forms
The Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship is funded by the United States Department of State and administered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (WWNFF), with a goal to attract outstanding juniors in academic programs relevant to international affairs, political and economic analysis, administration, management, and science policy who have an interest in pursuing a graduate degree in international studies and a Foreign Service career in the U.S. Department of State. The fellowship award includes funding during the senior year of college and during the first year of graduate study. Criteria for selection are based on outstanding leadership skills and academic achievement in relevant academic programs, such as international affairs, management, communications, history, political science, economics, and foreign languages. Finalists will be invited to an interview session in Washington, D.C. Women, members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, and students with financial need are encouraged to apply.
Advisor: Fred Bergerson, Political Science
Application: due in early February
Each year, the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships grant up to $26,000 to approximately 600 students studying abroad for one full academic year in over 70 different countries at an institution assigned by The Rotary Foundation Trustees. The purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholarships program is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries and geographical areas. While abroad, scholars serve as goodwill ambassadors to the host country and give presentations about their homelands to Rotary clubs and other groups. Upon returning home, scholars share with Rotarians and others the experiences that led to a greater understanding of their host country.
Advisor: Katie Hunter, Director of Study Abroad
Application: due in July; check with the advisor about earlier local district deadlines
Established by the U.S. Congress in 1992, the Morris K. Udall Foundation honors Congressman Morris King Udall's thirty-year legacy of public service by awarding up to $5,000 scholarships to sophomore and junior level college students with a minimum 3.0 GPA and committed to careers related to the environment, tribal public policy, or Native American health care. Students are nominated by the College's faculty representative / advisor, and submit an application accompanied by an 800-word essay, a current official college transcript and transcripts for other colleges attended, and three letters of recommendation.
Advisor: sal johnston, Sociology; Cheryl Swift, Biology
Application: due in early March; check with the advisor about earlier on-campus deadlines
GRADUATE
Boren Fellowships provide up to $30,000 over two years to U.S. graduate students to add an important international and language component to their graduate education (at the master's or doctoral level) through specialization in area study, language study, or increased language proficiency. Boren Fellowships support study and research in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests, including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin American, and the Middle East (excluding Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand). Boren Fellowships are funded by the National Security Education Program, which focuses on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study deemed critical to U.S. national security. Competitive applicants should identify how their projects, as well as their future academic and career goals, will contribute to U.S. national security, which is broadly defined to include not only traditional concerns of protecting and promoting American well-being, but also the challenges of global society, e.g. sustainable development, environmental degradation, global disease and hunger, population growth and migration, and economic competitiveness.
Advisor: Fred Bergerson, Political Science
Application: due in January
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace offers about 8-10 one-year fellowships for graduating seniors and individuals who have graduated during the past academic year to work as research assistants to the Endowment’s senior research associates who undertake various projects in international affairs. The Carnegie Endowment accepts applications for this highly competitive fellowship only through participating universities via designated nominating officials. Applications are available at Whittier through the faculty advisor beginning in October. Applications are judged on the quality of the written essay, related academic study and/or work experience, grades, recommendations, and personal interviews. Selected applicants are interviewed by the Carnegie Endowment Selection Committee, with the final announcement of the Fellows in late March. Junior fellows are currently paid $35,000 per year, with full benefits.
Advisor: Charlotte Borst, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty
Application: due in January; check with the advisor for earlier on-campus deadlines
The Council of Independent Colleges’ American Graduate Fellowships support stellar graduating seniors or recent graduates of small to mid-sized private liberal arts colleges to pursue doctoral study in the humanities at top-tier private research institutions. Eligible fields of study include history, philosophy, literature and languages (including classics, excluding linguistics), and fine arts (excluding performing or studio arts). Awards pay up to $50,000 per year, renewable for a second year, for graduate study at 23 highly selective independent research universities in the United States, Great Britain, and Ireland. In addition to an application form, transcripts, and GRE scores, applications include a brief statement about the applicant's plans for graduate study, an original essay on a set topic that demonstrates scholarly aptitude for graduate study, two letters of support from faculty in the proposed field of graduate study, and a letter of recommendation from the Dean of Faculty. Applications will be reviewed by an expert panel of distinguished humanities scholars from the eligible fields of study. This panel will recommend the top candidates, and finalists will be selected by mid-January.
Advisor: Rosemary P. Carbine, Religious Studies, Director of Graduate Fellowships
Application: due in mid-October; check with the advisor for earlier on-campus deadlines
The Council of Independent Colleges’ Davies-Jackson Scholarship supports U.S. citizen graduating seniors with exceptional academic records, who are first in their families to graduate from a four year college or university, to participate in a course of study for a master’s degree at St. John's College at the University of Cambridge in England. Degrees are awarded in the following fields: archaeology and anthropology, classics, economics, english, geography, history, history of art, modern and medieval languages, music, philosophy, and social and political sciences. In addition to an application form, transcripts, and two letters of recommendation, applications include two short essays on set specific topics that convey knowledge of the significance and complexity of the topics and that demonstrate independent research and interpretation of evidence to support both assertions and conclusions. Applications are reviewed by the Selection Committee, and finalist candidates forwarded to the Admissions Tutor at St. John's. Additional writing samples may be requested from finalists.
Advisor: Rosemary P. Carbine, Religious Studies, Director of Graduate Fellowships
Application: due in early November
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State through an annual appropriation from the U.S. Congress, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program was established in 1946 by the U.S. Congress to "enable the government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries." Each year, more than 1,500 students in nearly all fields and disciplines, including the sciences, professional fields and the arts, receive a Fulbright U.S. Student grant for the year following their graduation to go to more than 140 countries worldwide. In spring semester 2010, Whittier offers a Fulbright application class to advise eligible juniors through a competitive application process.
Advisor: Judith Wagner, Education & Child Development
Application: due in October; check with the advisor about earlier on-campus deadlines
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation hopes to create a network of future leaders from around the world, known as the Gates Cambridge Scholars, who will become leaders in helping to address global problems related to health, equity, technology, and learning - all areas in which the Foundation is deeply engaged. This scholarship provides full funding for study at the University of Cambridge in England. Applicants for this highly competitive scholarship will be expected to have excellent transcripts with high GPA scores showing evidence of sustained achievement in study, together with the type of academic references which speak of the candidate's leadership potential, social commitment, intellectual ability and why further study at Cambridge is particularly appropriate. Unlike the Rhodes, it encourages nontraditional forms of achievement, leadership, and excellence; it places no special emphasis on sports or similar extracurricular activities. Students must apply simultaneously for admission to Cambridge, and gain acceptance before they can be considered for an award. Shortlisted candidates are invited for an interview. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of the candidate's academic excellence, a good fit between the Scholar and the University of Cambridge, evidence of leadership potential, and a commitment to improving the lives of others.
Advisor: Rosemary P. Carbine, Religious Studies, Director of Graduate Fellowships
Application: due in mid-October
The Heartland Ecological/Environmental Academic Research Training GK-12 (HEART GK12) Fellowship is a National Science Foundation funded program targeting primarily underrepresented minorities in science. HEART GK-12 fellows and their faculty advisors will be partnered with area high school teachers and engage in a rich array of scientific experiences through exploration of the highly diverse ecological habitats at SIUC Touch of Nature Environmental Center (TONEC). In consultation with faculty, the fellow-teacher teams will design an original research project, participate in workshops designed to familiarize them with science standards, and provide training in research-based pedagogy. Heartland fellowships target new master's and doctoral students in the biological sciences whose research is focused on ecology or environmental science. To be considered for a HEART Fellowship, students must be admitted to the SIUC Graduate School, be accepted into a department, and identify a faculty advisor for thesis or dissertation research.
Advisor: sal johnston, Sociology; Cheryl Swift, Biology
Application: due in January
The Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowships include a personal stipend plus payment of a tuition equivalency, renewable up to five years, at any participating U.S. universities in the program. The fellowship is targeted for college seniors or graduate students pursuing Ph.D. degrees in the applied physical, biological, and engineering sciences who are citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. and who demonstrate exceptional creativity and outstanding potential for innovative research. Applied physical science is interpreted broadly, including astrophysics, chemistry, computer science, earth science, various engineering fields, materials science, mathematics, physics, and quantitative biology/biotechnology.
Advisor: Rosemary P. Carbine, Religious Studies, Director of Graduate Fellowships
Application: due in late October
The Samuel Huntington Public Service Award provides a $10,000 stipend each year for a graduating college senior to pursue one year of public service anywhere in the world. The award allows recipients to engage in a meaningful public service activity for one year before proceeding on to graduate school or a career. Candidates develop a proposal for public service in this country or abroad, that encompasses any activity to further the public good. It can be undertaken individually or by working through established charitable, religious, educational, governmental, or other public service organizations. Applications also include a one-page cover sheet, budget, transcript, résumé, and three letters of recommendation. Awards will be based on the quality of the proposal as well as the applicant’s academic record and other personal achievements. Applicants will be notified by mid-April if they are to be interviewed or if they did not become finalists. Semi-finalists will be personally interviewed prior to their selection for the award.
Advisor: Rosemary P. Carbine, Religious Studies, Director of Graduate Fellowships
Application: due in February
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, the Jacob K. Javits Fellowship provides financial assistance to students of superior academic ability, as demonstrated by their achievements and exceptional promise, to undertake up to four years of graduate study leading toward the MFA or PhD in selected fields of the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Panels of experts appointed by the Javits Fellowship Board select fellows according to criteria established by the Board. Students must also demonstrate financial need by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
Advisor: Rosemary P. Carbine, Religious Studies, Director of Graduate Fellowships
Application: due in early October
The James Madison Fellowships are awarded to students who are about to complete, or have completed, their undergraduate course of study and plan to begin graduate work on a full-time basis. Junior Fellows have two years to complete their master's degree in American history, government, political science and theory, or social studies. Whatever institution and whichever degree a Fellow selects, at least 12 semester credits (or 18 quarter credits) of constitutional study must be part of the Fellow's program. Six of these semester credits will be earned at Georgetown University by the Fellow at the Foundation's Summer Institute on the Constitution. After earning a master’s degree, each Fellow must teach in grades 7-12 for no less than one year for each full academic year of study under the fellowship. The maximum amount of each award is $24,000, prorated over the individual period of study.
Advisor: Rosemary P. Carbine, Religious Studies, Director of Graduate Fellowships
Application: due in early March
Founded by a 1953 Act of the British Parliament to commemorate the human ideals of the Marshall Plan, Marshall Scholarships finance approximately 40 young Americans of high ability to study toward a degree in the United Kingdom in any field of study. As future leaders with a lasting understanding of British society, Marshall Scholars strengthen the enduring relationship between the British and American peoples, their governments, and their institutions. Applications from students with a minimum 3.7 GPA must be submitted in the Los Angeles region or in the student's home region, and endorsed by the College's nominating committee as well as by a letter from the President. After the deadline, shortlisted candidates will be called for interview in late November or early December, with final decisions announced shortly thereafter.
Advisor: Mike McBride, Political Science
Application: due in early October; check with the advisor for earlier on-campus deadlines
The George J. Mitchell Scholars Program is a national competitive fellowship sponsored by the US-Ireland Alliance. The Mitchell Scholars Program, named to honor former US Senator George Mitchell's pivotal contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process, is designed to introduce and connect generations of future American leaders to the island of Ireland, while recognizing and fostering intellectual achievement, leadership, and a commitment to public service and community. Twelve Mitchell Scholars are chosen annually for one year of postgraduate study in any discipline offered by institutions of higher learning in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Candidates are required to provide five letters of recommendation, proof of US citizenship (passport/birth certificate), academic transcripts, completed online application, a well-thought out 1,000-word personal essay, and a letter of institutional endorsement from the College’s nominating committee and President. Applicants are judged on three criteria: academic excellence, leadership, and a sustained commitment to service and community. Prospective applicants are urged to study the profiles of past Scholars on the Mitchell website to learn about the program, the selection process, and the qualities of Mitchell Scholars. On the basis of the application submissions and semi-final interviews, approximately twenty finalists are invited for interviews with the Selection Committee, with final decisions announced shortly thereafter.
Advisor: Rosemary P. Carbine, Religious Studies, Director of Graduate Fellowships
Application: due in early October; check with the advisor for earlier on-campus deadlines
The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships support graduating student athletes who will enroll in a graduate program. This is a one-time nonrenewable grant of $7,500 to help with the costs of the first year of graduate school. The NCAA awards up to 174 postgraduate scholarships annually to student athletes who excel academically (minimum 3.2 GPA) and athletically, and who are in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. Athletics and academic achievements, as well as campus involvement, community service, volunteer activities and demonstrated leadership, are evaluated. Students are nominated by the faculty athletics representative / advisor no later than the relevant sport season deadline. Applications also include transcripts, a personal statement, and three letters of recommendation from a head coach, the athletics administrator, and a professor.
Advisor: David Bourgaize, Biology; Trish Van Oosbree, Kinesiology and Leisure Science
Application: due in January, March, and May depending on the sports season
The NCAA Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholars Program recognizes student varsity athletes for their outstanding academic achievement (minimum 3.5 GPA) and potential for success in postgraduate study. The scholarship is awarded to graduating seniors who demonstrate superior character and leadership and who demonstrate the impact of athletics on their personal and intellectual development. The award is $24,000 for an academic year of graduate study, and may be renewed for a second year. In addition to an application form and transcripts, applications include a personal essay; lists of college and community activities as well as athletic and academic honors; four letters of recommendation; and nomination by the faculty athletics representative / advisor.
Advisor: David Bourgaize, Biology; Trish Van Oosbree, Kinesiology and Leisure Science
Application: due in January
The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships Program awards approximately 1,000 fellowships each year to outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees in the U.S. and abroad. GRFP Fellows receive the following: three years of support, $30,000 annual stipend, $10,500 cost of education allowance (tuition), and a one-time international research travel stipend currently set at $1,000. Applicants must be United States citizens, nationals, or permanent resident aliens, and must submit the following: a personal statement essay, a previous research experience essay, a proposed plan of research essay, three reference letters along with academic transcripts. Those eligible to apply are college seniors, first-year graduate students, and others who have completed a limited amount of graduate study in science, mathematics, or engineering. Women who intend to pursue graduate degrees in engineering or in computer and information science and engineering and who meet the eligibility requirements above can apply for the additional WENG or WICS awards.
Advisor: Rosemary P. Carbine, Religious Studies, Director of Graduate Fellowships
Application: due in early fall
Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship is funded by the United States Department of State and administered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (WWNFF), with a goal to attract outstanding seniors who will enroll in two-year master's degree programs in public policy, international affairs, public administration, or academic fields such as business, economics, political science, sociology, or foreign languages, who represent all ethnic, racial and social backgrounds, and who will pursue a Foreign Service career in the U.S. Department of State. The fellowship award includes funding during the first and second year of graduate study. Criteria for selection are based on outstanding leadership skills and academic achievement in relevant academic programs, such as international affairs, management, communications, history, political science, economics, and foreign languages. Finalists will be invited to an interview in Washington, D.C.
Advisor: Fred Bergerson, Political Science
Application: due in early February
Created after the death of Cecil J. Rhodes, a British colonial pioneer and statesman, the Rhodes Scholarships provide top graduating seniors with two years of financial support for graduate study at the University of Oxford, with the possibility of renewal for a third year. Regional selection committees choose 32 Scholars each year representing the fifty states. Selection committees are charged to seek excellence in qualities of mind and in qualities of person which, in combination, offer the promise of effective service to the world in the decades ahead. Applications consist of transcripts, an essay, five to eight letters of reference, and the College's endorsement via a campus nominating committee and letter from the President. Applications are judged according to comprehensive criteria: (1) literary and scholastic attainments; (2) energy to use one's talents to the full, as exemplified by fondness for and success in sports; (3) truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness and fellowship; and, (4) moral force of character and instincts to lead, and to take an interest in one's fellow beings. Selection committees conduct mandatory personal interviews with the most outstanding candidates, announce the Rhodes Scholars-Elect, and then forward applications to University of Oxford for admission.
Advisor: Mike McBride, Political Science
Application: due in early October; check with the advisor for earlier on-campus deadlines
Rotary World Peace Fellows are leaders promoting national and international cooperation, peace, and the successful resolution of conflict throughout their lives, in their careers, and through service activities. Fellows can earn a master's degree in international relations, public administration, sustainable development, peace studies, and conflict resolution, or a related field, or a professional development certificate in peace and conflict resolution. The fellowship funds a master's degree at one of the six Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution at seven universities worldwide. Alumni work in a range of areas, including grassroots and local nongovernmental organizations, national governments, the military, police, and bilateral and international organizations such as the United Nations, World Bank, International Organization for Migration, and Organization of American States.
Advisor: Katie Hunter, Director of Study Abroad
Application: due in July; check with the advisor about earlier local district deadlines
Funded by the John Templeton Foundation, the William E. Simon Fellowship for Noble Purpose gives one graduating senior an unrestricted cash grant of $40,000 to pursue a "noble mission." The foundation seeks to inspire greatness and benevolent purpose in America's youth. Winners may use the award to engage directly in the civic life of their community, to help create opportunity for others, to fund the ultimate realization of their noble purpose, or to advance their expertise. Competitive applicants demonstrate passion, dedication, a high capacity for self-direction, and originality in pursuit of a goal that will strengthen civil society. In addition, awards of $20,000 and $10,000 are made to two other outstanding students. Applications include: an application form; a 5-10 page narrative essay detailing past efforts, future plans, and individual philosophy for living a life of noble purpose; a one page outline of prior education, awards, fellowships, and internships; official transcripts of all undergraduate course work; and, a letter of recommendation relevant to the applicant's noble purpose. Applicants are evaluated on the basis of the mature conception of and passion for what they hope to accomplish as well as their academic records, extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation.
Advisor: Rosemary P. Carbine, Religious Studies, Director of Graduate Fellowships
Application: due in January
The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans pays a $20,000 stipend and half the tuition cost of any U.S. graduate program for up to two years for graduate study in any field (including law school and medical school) for New Americans or their children. A New American is an individual who (1) is a resident alien, i.e., holds a Green Card; or (2) has been naturalized as a U.S. citizen; or (3) is the child of two parents who are both naturalized citizens. In addition to an application form, applicants submit two essays, a résumé, transcript, an institutional status form, proof of New American status, scores from graduate aptitude tests, and three recommendation letters. A successful candidate will give evidence of at least two of the following three criteria: creativity, originality, and initiative, demonstrated in any area of her/his life; a capacity for accomplishment, demonstrated through activity that has required drive and sustained effort; and a commitment to the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in a free society as expressed in the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Interviews for finalists are held in January in New York and Los Angeles, with a February announcement.
Advisor: Rosemary P. Carbine, Religious Studies, Director of Graduate Fellowships
Application: due in early November
The Truman Scholarship is a $30,000 merit-based grant awarded to about 60 to 65 outstanding juniors annually, who wish financial support to attend graduate or professional school in preparation for careers in government, the non-profit sector, or elsewhere in public service at a leadership level. Applications consist of an in-depth application form, transcripts, a policy proposal, an institutional nomination form and letter from the College's nominating committee and President, and three additional letters of recommendation. Truman Scholars commit to work in public service for three of the first seven years after completing a Foundation-funded graduate degree.
Advisor: Mike McBride or Fred Bergerson, Political Science
Application: due in early February; check with the advisor for earlier on-campus deadlines
