Center for
Undergraduate Research
and Fellowships
Scholarships Information Session
August 28, 2013
Why Should I Be Interested in a Nationally
Competitive Scholarship?
The benefits of winning a scholarship are considerable,
even beyond the obvious financial reward
The process can open doors to further opportunities
Acquisition and honing of life skills
Learning and Networking opportunities
Sometimes, you win a scholarship.
General Criteria
Evidence of Excellence:
>3.70 GPA
Scholarly Potential
Leadership
Service
Program of Study
What are Nationally Competitive
Scholarships?
Post-Graduate:
Undergraduate:
Rhodes Scholarship
Goldwater Scholarship
Marshall Scholarship
Truman Scholarship
Mitchell Scholarship
Udall Scholarship
Fulbright Grants
Boren Scholarship
Gates Cambridge
Scholarship
Rhodes Scholarship
www.rhodesscholar.org
32 American Rhodes Scholars are chosen each year for 2 years of
study at Oxford University
Important dates (2013):
Sept 11 – selection interviews
Sept 23 – campus deadline
Oct 1 – national deadline
Marshall Scholarship
www.marshallscholarship.org
Up to 40 awarded each year for one to two years of
study at any British university
Important dates (2013):
Sept 11 – selection interviews
Sept 23 – campus deadline
Oct 1 – national deadline
Mitchell Scholarship
www.us-irelandalliance.org
Up to 12 awarded each year for
a year of graduate study at any
Irish university
Important dates (2013):
Sept 11 – selection interviews
Sept 23 – campus deadline
Oct 1 – national deadline
Ivanley Noisette,
Mitchell Scholar, 2011-12
Gates Cambridge Scholarship
www.gatesscholar.org
One to three years towards a postgraduate degree at the University of
Cambridge.
To apply for the Gates Cambridge, you
must apply to Cambridge directly. The
scholarship application is part of the
main application.
Application Deadline – October 16
Fulbright Grants
http://us.fulbrightonline.org/home.html
More than 1,500 grants awarded
to American students each year
Fellowships for US students;
funds a year abroad -- studying,
teaching English, or conducting
research
Fulbright Grants
http://us.fulbrightonline.org/home.html
Important Dates (2013):
Campus interviews – Sept 18
Campus deadline – Oct 7
National deadline – Oct 15
N.B. Because the national
deadline is during Fall Break,
all materials – including letters
of recommendation – must be
in by Oct 7.
Shreya Trivedi, Fulbright
ETA in South Korea,
2010-2011
Goldwater Scholarship
http://www.act.org/goldwater/
Ian Dardani,
2012 Goldwater Scholar
Joana Petrescu,
2013 Goldwater Scholar
Nov 1 – campus selection interviews
Jan 24 – national deadline
Truman Scholarship
www.truman.gov
Jessica Wamala
2012 Truman Scholar
Stefan Johnson
2013 Truman Scholar
Nov 8 – campus selection
interviews
Feb 4 – national deadline
Udall Scholarship
www.udall.gov
For students committed to careers
related to the environment, tribal
public policy, or Native American
health care
Expects to fund 80 scholarships
Awards up to $5,000
Important dates (2013):
Nov 15 – campus selection interviews
Mar 1 – national deadline
Adrienne
Donaghue,
Villanova Udall
Scholar, 2010
Boren Scholarship
http://www.borenawards.org/boren_scholarship
Established in 1991; “For US students
to study abroad in areas of the world
that are critical to US interests and
underrepresented in study abroad”
Up to $20,000 for full year study
abroad program
Service commitment required of
Boren award recipients
Important dates
Feb 13 – national deadline
Other Post-Graduate
Fellowships and Grants
Soros – November 8, 2013
National Science Foundation – Nov. 4-8, by
discipline (http://nsfgrfp.org )
NDSEG – December (http://ndseg.asee.org/ )
Hertz – November 1 (http://www.hertzfoundation.org/ )
SMART-December 16, 2013
(http://smart.asee.org/about )
Other Notable Scholarships and
Fellowships-Undergraduate
•
Hollings(for sophomores in STEM, Science
Education or Science Policy) – February 2014
(http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/Hollings_info.html )
•
SMART-December 2013 (http://smart.asee.org/about )
Critical Language Scholarship – Nov 15, 2013
(http://www.clscholarship.org/)
Other Notable Scholarships and
Fellowships-Undergraduate
Research
•
Villanova Undergraduate Research Program:
http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/artsci/undergrad/curf/undergrad
_research/fellows.html
•
•
NSF REU’s: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/index.jsp
DAAD Rise:
http://www.daad.de/rise/en/index.html
Application Process
•
•
•
•
CURF office


“brain storm”
resume – critical path
General meeting
Preliminary
application
On-campus
interviews
National Competitions
Ways to improve your chances with nationally
competitive scholarships
•
•
Develop oral communication/articulation
skills
- Take a speech communication class
- Read avidly to improve vocabulary
Cultivate your knowledge of current affairs local, state, federal, & world.
- Read daily national newspapers and
journals
- Participate in current event discussion &
debates
Interested?
Please contact the Center for Undergraduate
Research and Fellowships:
Garey Hall 38
800 Lancaster Avenue
Villanova, PA 19085
Jane Morris, 610-519-5928, jane.morris@villanova.edu
Hanna Lee, 610-519-8852, hanna.lee@villanova.edu
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Website