Carnegie Endowment Application Procedure

IMPORTANT DATES

Applicants must be graduating seniors or students who have graduated during the last academic year. No one who has started graduate study is eligible. Applicants do not need U.S. citizenship, but they must be eligible to work in the U.S.

Applicants first submit their materials to a campus committee for review. Cornell may nominate two students to the national competition. Finalists' interviews with the Endowment take place in the spring.

Selection decisions (both on campus and at the national level) are based on the following criteria:

Academic record: a high GPA (generally 3.7 or above) is expected with coursework in international relations, government, history, economics, sociology or anthropology, or area studies.

Commitment to a career in international affairs: internships, research, and related employment strengthen a student's application. 

Two letters of recommendation: at least one should be from a professor in the student's major.