Category: Graduate School Funding

The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program now accepting applications!

Lisa Gates / / Fellowships, Graduate School Funding

The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program is now accepting applications for the 2016 Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship at www.rangelprogram.org

The Rangel Program is pleased to announce the opening of the application period for its 2016 graduate fellowship.   The Fellowship welcomes applications from individuals who want to make a difference in the world through careers as Foreign Service Officers in the U.S. Department of State.  The Rangel Graduate Fellowship Program provides benefits of up to $95,000 over two years toward a two-year master’s degree, arranges internships on Capitol Hill and at U.S. embassies, and provides mentorship and professional development support. Fellows can use the fellowship to attend two-year master’s programs in U.S. institutions to study an area of relevance to the Foreign Service, including international relations, public policy, public administration, economics, or business administration. Upon successful completion of the two-year fellowship and Foreign Service entry requirements, Fellows join the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State, embarking on a uniquely rewarding career of international service. Applicants must be college seniors or graduates planning to start two-year graduate programs in fall 2016, must have GPAs of at least 3.2, and must be U.S. citizens. The program welcomes any undergraduate major and encourages applications from members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service and those with financial need. Information and application materials can be found at www.rangelprogram.org. The application deadline is January 13, 2016. The Program is funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by Howard University.     

Upcoming Info Session about Fellowships for Sophomores, Juniors

Lisa Gates / / Fellowships, Graduate School Funding, Summer Program, Truman

Attention first-years, sophomores and juniors: learn about fellowships with late fall/ winter deadlines: Beinecke, Critical Language Scholarship (CLS), Goldwater, Pickering, Rangel, Truman, Udall and more. Most of these are only open to sophomores and juniors–but a few are also open to first-years. These are all different, but include awards for graduate study, summer study, and undergraduate study in various fields: science and math; environmental studies; public service; foreign service, humanities, social sciences, study of selected languages. Most are restricted to US citizens or permanent residents and have minimum GPA requirements ranging from 3.2-3.7, depending on fellowship.

Thursday, October 15 at 4:30 pm in Davis Library 105B

For more info, you can find descriptions at go/fellowships. Questions? Email fellowships@middlebury.edu.

PPIA Fellowship Application Open!

Lisa Gates / / Education, Fellowships, Graduate School Funding, Summer Program
he Public Policy & International Affairs Program (PPIA) is now accepting applications for the 2016 PPIA Fellowship. The deadline to apply is November 1, 2015.
About the PPIA Fellowship
The PPIA Program prepares undergraduates to be competitive candidates for top degree programs in the fields of public policy, public administration or international affairs. Accepted students participate in an intensive, 7-week, academic program during the summer before their senior year on one of the following Junior Summer Institute (JSI) campuses:
  • Carnegie Mellon University
  • Princeton University
  • University of Michigan
  • University of California, Berkeley
The deadline for application to the 2016 summer institutes is November 1, 2015.  Applications can be submitted through the PPIA website, at: www.ppiaprogram.org.
Benefits of Participation
  • Full tuition at a PPIA Junior Summer Institute.
  • Eligibility to receive assistance with travel expenses.
  • A stipend of up to $1,500 (funding determined by each JSI).
  • University housing with a meal plan.
  • Books and related course materials at your JSI.
  • Each JSI may offer additional benefits, such as GRE preparation, at their discretion. Please check with each JSI about any additional benefits.
  • Minimum of a one-time $5,000 scholarship at a PPIA graduate school if admitted for a Master’s degree. PPIA Fellows often receive financial offers above and beyond this minimum from their graduate program.
  • Fee waiver when applying to schools that are members of the PPIA Graduate School Consortium.
Virtual Information Session
There will be a virtual information session on Thursday, September 17 at 1pm ET. Visithttp://www.ppiaprogram.org/ppia/what-we-do/junior-summer-institutes/2016jsiwebinar1/ to register to participate.

Eligibility

  • If you are a United States citizen or legal permanent resident you are eligible to apply to all JSI programs. In addition:
    • UC Berkeley (including the Law Fellows program) and Princeton University can accept international students who are studying at US institutions.
  • Applicants must have an expected graduation date between December 2016 and August 2017.
  • Must not have attained a Bachelor’s Degree prior to start of Junior Summer Institute.
  • Must be committed to completing a Master’s Degree in public and/or international affairs at one of the PPIA Consortium graduate schools.
  • Must demonstrate an interest in pursuing a professional career associated with public service such as government, nonprofits, humanitarian and international organizations and other related programs.
  • Must be interested in contributing to the diversity of perspectives present in the PPIA Fellowship Program.
  • Economic need is given consideration during the review of applications.
  • All academic majors are welcome to apply!

Yenching Academy Scholarship

Lisa Gates / / Fellowships, Graduate School Funding

Here’s another relatively new opportunity to pursue a Master’s degree in China: http://yenchingacademy.org/  . Based at Peking University, the program is open to students of all citizenships, and does not require previous study of Mandarin. The online application opens on 9/1/2015; the deadline for submission of materials is 1/31/2016. If you are interested in applying for this scholarship, please talk with Lisa Gates.

Summer 2015 Notes for British Scholarship Applicants

Lisa Gates / / Fellowships, Graduate School Funding, UK

For those applying for a British Scholarship (Churchill, Gates-Cambridge, Marshall, Mitchell, Rhodes, Keasbey) in the fall, read on for notes to help you structure your work on applications.
I am around for much of the summer, but will be traveling too—so my ability to respond to you may be faster or slower depending on when you contact me. Contact me at fellowships@middlebury.edu or x3183.

Please note: The schedule below is organized around the competitions requiring nomination by Middlebury–and the nomination interviews already took place in late spring for the Fall 2015 application cycle. The Gates Cambridge is a direct apply fellowship. You do not need to be nominated to apply, but I am glad to talk with you about the process and discuss essays with you. There are other fellowships supporting study in the UK not discussed here, either because you apply directly (without nomination) or there’s a much later nomination deadline (St. Andrews). See list of UK ideas in earlier post, and also look at the Fulbright as another option.

Application Process and Timetable:
By July 1:  A. Confirm the program(s)/universities you propose to apply to and which faculty or program contacts are important for you to connect with. You will want to have conversations (typically done through email, sometimes phone) to discuss your research interests, how they align with faculty in the program, and be certain this is a program that will help you reach your educational objectives (and that you’re a good candidate for it). If you’re planning on pursuing research with a faculty member, you will need to talk with them about your interest and affirm their interest in having you join their lab/project. You will need to note this in your essays.
By July 15: Complete a functional draft research proposal and/or application essays. Share with me and relevant faculty/advisors for feedback. Don’t underestimate how much writing/revision is needed for these. They are short, but challenging. Note the Rhodes policy about feedback on the essay; you are much more restricted for the Rhodes. I am happy to advise you about the policy.
August 15: Turn in a solid, working application draft in PDF form for the fellowships you are seeking nomination for, as outlined in emails I sent to you following the nomination interview. If you are seeking nomination for the Keasbey ONLY, you will need to get a copy of the Keasbey application from the fellowship website; this will be made available within the next two weeks. If you are also applying  for nomination for a Rhodes or Marshall, we will use those application determine our Keasbey nominees. Committee members will review this draft, provide feedback and make final determinations about nomination status where that is still needed.
Early September: You will be notified of final nomination decisions. At this point, you should ask for letters of recommendation if you haven’t already. If you have already been told you are being nominated, you can ask for letters earlier, after you have confirmed the recommendation choices with me.
September through September 30 or /November 11: Work on revising and polishing application and essays. Marshall, Mitchell final deadline is October 1; Rhodes expected to be October 7; Churchill is November 10. Gates Cambridge to be confirmed–last year it was October 15 (Round 1); December 3 (Round 2).
The schedule above is intended to help you organize the different parts of the application. If you are confused about any details, please ask.