Office of Fellowship Programs
P.O. Box 208351
New Haven, CT
06520-8351

Physical address:
55 Whitney Avenue
3rd Floor
New Haven, CT
06510
phone: 203-432-8685
fax: 203-432-8006

 

 

Yale College
Dean's Office
P.O. Box 208241
New Haven, CT
06520-8241   USA

The Rhodes Scholarships

Quick Facts 

Eligibility: Graduating Seniors and recent graduates

Purpose: Post-graduate study at Oxford

Registration Deadline: Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 12:00 Noon

Campus Deadline: Tuesday, August 25, 2009, 12:00 Noon

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,

Extraordinary 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.

  
On this page

Important Documents

Resources

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 (11 scholars named each year), 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 at OFP.

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). While institutional endorsement (and therefore campus application) is not required for applicants from other countries, OFP 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 Fellowships, Yale Office of Fellowship Programs.

Application Information and Instructions

All applicants seeking Yale’s endorsement for the Rhodes should follow these steps:

1. Refer to the campus application timetable (.doc).

2. Review the Rhodes information and application materials: for the American Rhodes; for the Canadian Rhodes; and for other Rhodes competitions, please see the Rhodes Trust country information. NOTE that as of 2009 most country competitions, including the American and Canadian, require an online application (Canadian students at Yale will need to contact the secretary of the appropriate Canadian Rhodes regional selection committee in order to access the application). Register in the online system and prepare your application and personal statement. (Please do NOT enter endorser information or submit your application electronically until asked to do so by OFP.) Request that copies of four (4) letters of recommendation and a Dean’s Report be submitted to OFP on your behalf. For advice on the application process, from asking for letters of recommendation to writing essays, interviewing, and more, click here.

3. Register for the Rhodes Scholarship on the Yale Student Grants Database; complete this registration by 12:00 Noon, Tuesday, August 18, 2009.

4. Submit hardcopy application materials by the Campus Deadline, 12:00 Noon, Tuesday, August 25, 2009. Earlier applications are very welcome! If applicable, see Applying for Multiple UK Scholarships.

• What needs to be submitted? See the campus Rhodes application checklist (U.S. or Canada) or, if applicable, see Applying for Multiple UK Fellowships.

• Where? All application materials should be sent to the Yale Committee for the Rhodes Scholarships, care of the Office of Fellowship Programs [click here for directions/mailing address].

In addition, by the campus application deadline, 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).

The Dean’s Report and letters may be sent as signed originals on letterhead to OFP, or emailed to Katherine Dailinger. Be sure to give your Dean and recommenders plenty of time before the deadline! (See Requesting Letters of Recommendation (.doc)).