THE RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS

DESCRIPTION:

The Rhodes Scholarship Trust was established through an endowment bequeathed by Cecil J. Rhodes in 1903 in order to bring outstanding students from many countries around the world to the University of Oxford. Rhodes Scholars are appointed for one to two years of study at the University of Oxford, with the possibility of renewal for a third year. All educational costs, including tuition, relevant fees, and travel are covered by the Rhodes Trust.

ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION CRITERIA:

Applicants with strong records of academic achievement and demonstrated leadership are encouraged to apply. As stated by the Rhodes Trust,

Intellectual distinction is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for election to a Rhodes Scholarship. 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. The Rhodes Scholarships, in short, are investments in individuals rather than in project proposals. Accordingly, applications are sought from talented students without restriction as to their field of academic specialization or career plans although the proposed course of study must be available at Oxford, and the applicant's undergraduate program must provide a sufficient basis for further study in the proposed field.

Citizens of the United States, British Commonwealth countries, and the Federal Republic of Germany apply for Rhodes Scholarships under the auspices of Rhodes Committees in their own countries. The United States, with an annual authorization of 32 Rhodes Scholars, provides the largest of the national delegations, but the American contingent forms only a minority of the total. In a typical term, some 230 Rhodes Scholars are in residence at Oxford from the following countries: Australia, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Canada, Commonwealth Caribbean, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. (For further information, and particulars concerning national applications, deadlines, and contacts, see the Rhodes Trust website and/or the list of national secretaries, or schedule an appointment with a fellowships adviser.)

While institutional endorsement (and therefore campus application) is required only for US and Canadian applicants, the fellowships office will gladly advise ANY Yale applicants for the Rhodes, and may be able to help put you in touch with previous Yale Rhodes applicants from your country.

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT:

Interested applicants should schedule an appointment with Kate Dailinger, Associate Director for UK and Irish Fellowships, 203-432-8685. No appointments made through email.

APPLICATION INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS:

Applicants for the American and Canadian Rhodes Scholarships must receive endorsement from their undergraduate institution (except graduate and professional students in their second or later year of graduate study, who may apply through their graduate institution).

Applicants seeking Yale endorsement should follow these simple steps:

• Consult the appropriate "Application Timetable"
  • American Rhodes (.doc)
  • Canadian Rhodes (.doc)
• Download and review the Rhodes application materials for the U.S. competition from the Web site of the American Rhodes Trust (updated in July). For Canadian Rhodes, application materials are available from the Rhodes Trust website or from the Fellowships Office beginning in July.
• Register for the Rhodes Scholarship on the Yale Student Grants Database; complete this registration by 12:00 Noon, Wednesday, August 20. Note: Students should register after July 1, 2008.
• Download the following Yale application materials (selected fields on these forms can be filled out on your computer, then printed for submission):
  • Yale US Rhodes Application Cover Sheet or Yale Canadian Rhodes Application Cover Sheet (.doc)
  • Yale Dean's Report Form (.doc)
  • Yale Request for Reference (.doc)
  
  
Students who wish also to apply for the Marshall and or Mitchell should see Applying for Multiple UK Fellowships.


• Submit application materials by the Campus Deadline, 12:00 Noon, Tuesday, August 26. Earlier applications are very welcome! Please assemble and submit 5 packets, each consisting in this order of:
  • One copy of your Yale US Rhodes Application Cover Sheet or Yale Canadian Rhodes Application Cover Sheet (on top of “original” packet only),
  • One signed copy of your Student Grants Database Rhodes Registration Cover Sheet (on top of "original" packet only),
  • A copy of your Rhodes Application and Personal Statement,
  • A detailed resume or list of activities and awards (two pages max),
  • An unofficial transcript for all colleges attended other than Yale.

In addition, by the campus application deadline (noon on Tuesday, August 26) the Yale Committee for the Rhodes Scholarships will require your

• Dean’s Report (.doc)
• Four (4) letters of recommendation, including your primary academic reference. See the Yale Request for Reference form (.doc).

Be sure to give your Dean and recommenders plenty of time to get their letters in by the deadline. (See Requesting Letters of Recommendation (.doc)).

Submit all application materials by the Campus Application Deadline, Tuesday, August 26 (Noon):

Yale Committee for the Rhodes Scholarships

c/o Office of International Education and Fellowship Programs

55 Whitney Avenue, Room 309, Box 208351

New Haven, CT 06520-8351

OTHER INFORMATION

Useful Links:

• Resources for Study in the UK
• Applying for Multiple UK Scholarships
• Requesting Letters of Recommendation (.doc)
• Writing Fellowship Essays (.pdf)
• Interviewing (.DOC)

This page last updated on July 21, 2008.