Category: Graduate School Funding

Overdue post about UK institutions

Lisa Gates / / Education, Fellowships, Graduate School Funding, UK

At long last have a few minutes to post notes about specific UK institutions I visited in June, as part of the NAFA UK study tour. (NAFA is the US professional organization for fellowship advisors, in case you were really wondering.) I will break posts up to focus on different institutions–otherwise, this will be absurdly long.  Onward: day one was spent in London, visiting four universities. The University of London actually consists of 18 self-governing colleges and 10 smaller research institutes–see the full list at http://www.london.ac.uk/colleges_institutes.html .  What great about studying at one of these institutions is that you’re also part of this larger consortial group, so as a student at one college, you have access to a wider set of facilities and services. Due to flight problems, I missed the visit to UCL , but there are a wide variety of very strong programs there and the university is in the top three research institutions in the UK (based on the 2008 RAE rating). UCL prides itself on interdisciplinary research (among other things) to address significant human challenges–global health, sustainability and more. I caught up with the group at Imperial College London, which focuses on sciences (engineering, technology, life sciences, physical sciences–all programs very highly ranked in UK and Europe, medicine and business. There’s lots of interest, for example, in the intersection between technological innovation and entrepreneurship–very evident, for example, in the bioengineering program we visited. Then onto Kings College London. Kings has programs across the disciplines (Rosalind Franklin was a researcher here).  Some noteworthy areas: War Studies, Geography, BRIC Economies. And so as not to be outdone by US colleges, Kings’ also boasts a highly successful a cappella group All the Kings Men  (listening to them now!).  Next, onto the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, founded in 1899 with a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. Learned a good deal about their school of public health and focus on lab, field and policy in areas of public and population health, epidemiology, infectious diseases, and tropical medicine. Learned a great deal about mosquitoes (they are most attracted to foor odor–and no, garlic does nothing. Stick with DEET). Also learned about a fascinating program to cure cataract-caused blindness in Kenya. See www.peekvision.org .  You can see Dr. Andrew Bastawrous talk about the project here in his TED talk . Very cool project. Studying in London definitely has it’s perks–what a fabulous and highly international city! Arts, science, events–lots and lots going on. Downsides: definitely expensive, your housing may be quite a distance from campus, and there not so much of a “campus” experience of the kind you’re used to.

UK Graduate Programs: What to Look For

Lisa Gates / / Fellowships, Graduate School Funding, UK

Back from a quick visit to the UK. I visited multiple schools (9?) in one week and will profiles those I saw in additional posts. The most important take-away for those considering graduate study in the UK is to do your research about the university and the program. There are many excellent opportunities available for students at UK universities, and some are considerably less expensive than their US analogs. There are scholarship opportunities through Rhodes, Marshall, Churchill, Gates Cambridge and Fulbright for those who qualify. But there are also scholarships at the institution too–and I encourage interested students to research those as well. On the plane ride home, for example, I sat next to an American grad student who had just completed the first year of a DPhil (that’s PhD in the US system) in anthropology at LSE and received a full-tuition grant from LSE to support her program. Given the expense of graduate education these days, it’s worth exploring all the funding options open to you. A good place to start is looking carefully at the Russell Group of UK universities–this is an excellent collection of top research universities throughout the UK. See http://www.russellgroup.ac.uk . You want to research the program and faculty to determine whether this is a good fit for you. In addition to reading the websites, that will likely mean communicating with faculty and program advisors (and for a research degree or a fellowship application–that is a must!). You want to know that this is an excellent program for you, but also that you are a competitive applicant for the program in terms of your academic record, course and/or research background.

Summer Notes for British Scholarship Applicants

Lisa Gates / / Fellowships, Graduate School Funding, Study Abroad

For those thinking about applying for a British Scholarship (Churchill, Gates-Cambridge, Marshall, Mitchell, Rhodes) in the fall, here are some notes and suggestions to get you started:
If you haven’t yet sent me a preliminary application, we should talk! 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. In general, I will be  unavailable during the following times: June 14-July 2; July 13-18; August 2-5; and August 18-26. So plan accordingly, be patient and maybe a little bit of both. Contact me at fellowships@middlebury.edu or x3183.

Please note: The schedule below is organized around the competitions requiring nomination by Middlebury. 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 (again, earlier post).

Application Process and Timetable:
By July 1: Identify the program(s) you are interested in applying to; determine which scholarship competitions are appropriate; 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.
By July 30: Draft research proposal and/or application essays due to me. Share with relevant faculty/advisors for feedback. Share with me your ideas for letters of recommendation.
September 2 noon: Submit applications for nomination for Churchill, Marshall, Rhodes, or Mitchell. If applying for nomination for both Marshall and Rhodes, you need only submit nomination materials for the Marshall. Required materials for nomination: 1. Draft of application form; 2. Application Essays;  3. Current resume; 4. Degree progress report. Note: These competitions have moved onto online platforms. You may register and work on an application, but DO NOT add recommenders yet (we don’t want them getting requests for letters if you’re not nominated) if the form generates an automatic email when you add their names. Also do not submit the application yet, again, until you know whether you are going to be nominated. And if you have questions let me know.

Sept 9-12: Nomination interviews will take place. You will need to sign up for a date/time. Note, this may interfere with class time–you will need to talk with your professors about that if there is a conflict.

Sept 13-September 30 or /November 11: Work on revising and polishing application and essays. Marshall, Mitchell, Rhodes final deadline is October 1; Churchill is November 11. Gates Cambridge is October 15 (Round 1); December 3 (Round 2)
The schedule above is intended to help you organize the different parts of the application and get everything done so that you are ready to go by the early September nomination deadline. Note: the campus submission deadline, that campus interview, and foundation deadlines are hard deadlines.

Scholarships for Study in the UK

Lisa Gates / / Fellowships, Graduate School Funding

For rising seniors and alumni interested in fellowships for graduate study in the UK, there are several programs worth exploring. These are all highly competitive and all require a strong academic record (and some specify minimum GPAs) among other criteria. But one of the most challenging issues for many students is citizenship. Not all programs are open to citizens from all countries. So below is a rough breakdown of the scholarships open to US citizens and to citizens of other countries.

For US citizens:

For citizens of countries other than US:

Also look at scholarships at specific universities. For example, Oxford lists several for different citizenship types and/or programs of study. If you’re interested in a particular program at a particular university, it is worth looking around the website to see if there are scholarships you may be eligible for!

 

Rangel International Affairs and Payne International Development Fellows Deadlines Approaching

Amy McGlashan / / Education, Fellowships, Graduate School Funding

The application deadlines for the Rangel and Payne Fellowship Programs are approaching.  Below are the deadlines, followed by short descriptions of each program.  Please note that there is a page on the websites under each opportunity entitled “Tips for Preparing a Competitive Application” that may assist you.

Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program:  January 18, 2013

Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship Program:  January 23, 2013

The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program seeks outstanding young people interested in careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State.  The Rangel Graduate Fellowship Program provides benefits valued at up to $90,000 over two years toward a two-year master’s degree, arranges internships on Capitol Hill and at U.S. embassies, and provides professional development and support activities.  Those who successfully complete the program enter the State Department Foreign Service.  Fellows may use the fellowship to attend a two-year master’s program in a U.S. institution to study an area of relevance to the Foreign Service, including international relations, public policy, public administration, languages, or business administration. Applicants must be college seniors or graduates looking to start two-year graduate programs in fall 2013, have GPAs of at least 3.2, and be U.S. citizens. The program welcomes applications from those with 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 are at www.rangelprogram.org. The application deadline is January 18, 2013. The Program is funded by the U.S. Department of State and managed by Howard University.

The USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship prepares outstanding young people for careers in international development as USAID Foreign Service Officers. The Payne Fellowship Program provides benefits valued at up to $90,000 over two years toward a two-year master’s degree, arranges internships on Capitol Hill and at USAID missions overseas, and provides professional development and support activities. Fellows who successfully complete the program become USAID Foreign Service Officers. Fellows may use the fellowship to attend a two-year master’s program in a U.S. institution to study an area of relevance to the USAID Foreign Service, including international development, international relations, public policy, business administration, foreign languages, economics, agriculture, environmental sciences, health, or urban planning at a graduate or professional school approved by the Payne Program. At the end of the two-year fellowship, Fellows enter the USAID Foreign Service. Applicants must be college seniors or graduates looking to start graduate school in the fall of the year they apply, have GPAs of at least 3.2 and be U.S. citizens. The program welcomes applications from those with any undergraduate major and encourages applications from members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the USAID Foreign Service and those with financial need. Information and application materials for the program are available at www.paynefellows.org. The application deadline is January 23, 2013. The Program is funded by USAID and managed by Howard University.