A fellowship is a supportive community of scholar-leaders with similar values and interests, sponsored by a university or off-campus organization (such as a government agency or nonprofit foundation) in order to provide fellows with the necessary resources for educational and professional success.
Fellowships have highly specific eligibility criteria and may support graduate or undergraduate study in specific degree programs.
Most fellowships fall into one of the following categories: research, public service, or cross-cultural engagement. Some fall into two or three of these categories. Fellowships reviewers are typically looking for candidates with a highly focused sense of purpose that directly relates to the shared goals of the fellowship community. Moreover, they seek applicants who are confident that they can take ownership of original, creative work or research, as well as offer fresh perspective and unique experiences to their engagement with other students in the fellowships community.
Our office promotes these fellowships opportunities to students and encourages student development of purpose, ownership, and engagement and related career-relevant skills through personalized advising.
Why apply?
These high-profile, competitive external awards provide funding and life-changing opportunities across a range of disciplines and interests, including leadership development programs and highly engaged alumni communities.
The applications themselves are challenging and competitive, typically involving multiple essays, but interaction with these prompts serves a developmental purpose for students interested in becoming agents of positive change in the world. Writing, reflection, and engagement with constructive feedback from advisors and reference writers allows students to present their strengths, values, and potential more clearly and effectively, refine their vision for future work, and articulate more concrete and actionable goals. In short, the journey toward a fellowship is often as important as the destination.
Students who engage in the process of applying for a fellowship typically gain:
- a stronger sense of their professional interests, strengths and talents, career goals, and graduate school options.
- more confidence in the interview process.
- experience in presenting and defending ideas both in writing and before review panels.
- stronger guidance and relationships with faculty mentors.
- deeper involvement in research, creative, and leadership activities.
