Rhodes Scholarship

Campus Deadline: August 31, 2009

Terms
The Rhodes Scholarship funds two years of graduate or undergraduate study at Oxford University. 32 scholarships are awarded in the U.S. each year. 

Eligibility
U.S. citizens between the ages of 18 and 24 who will hold the Bachelor's degree before embarking on the Scholarship. Citizens of Canada, Australia, South Africa, Germany, India, New Zealand, Commonwealth Carribean, Zimbabwe, Bermuda, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Malta, Pakistan, Singapore, Uganda, and Zambia may apply through their own countries. 

Selection
Students interested in applying for the Rhodes must speak with the Fellowship Coordinator in 103 Barnes, preferably several months before the campus deadline in late August.

Applicants first submit their materials to a campus committee for review in late August. The Cornell Endorsement Committee interviews all applicants and chooses nominees to the national competition. Nominees revise their materials for final submission in late September. In November students attend interview preparation workshops and individual practice sessions. Regional interviews are held in mid-November and the awards are announced a few days later.

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

• Academic record: While there is no stated minimum GPA for the Rhodes, a GPA of lower than 3.7 is not competitive. Students should excel in their chosen field. Applicants should be broadly educated and should have chosen challenging courses outside their major.
• List of Principal Activities and Honors: This list should show sustained commitment to serving others, leadership and initiative, and athletic activity (intramurals or independent activity is acceptable). A significant extracurricular record is necessary to be competitive.
• Personal Statement: This essay of no more than 1,000 words should give the committee a clear sense of who you are, how your interests have developed, and how and why study at Oxford and the Rhodes Scholarship fit into your future plans. Applicants must know which degree program they plan to pursue at Oxford and why. Students should be able to describe specific courses, faculty, and facilities which will be available to them at Oxford, and be able to explain how the particular degree they have chosen will advance them along their career path. The personal statement is of particular importance, and is used as your admission essay to Oxford, should you be chosen as a Rhodes Scholar.
• Letters of Recommendation: Five to eight letters are requested; you should submit eight letters. Four must be from professors who have taught you at the undergraduate level. These professors should be able to compare you to other students they have taught. Choose your recommenders carefully. Each one should offer a piece of information about your candidacy which is unavailable from other recommenders. Do not choose someone who does not know you well but has a "big name."
• Interview: Students face a panel of experts from a variety of fields. Interviewers may ask questions related to the student's field, pose philosophical dilemmas, ask questions related to current events, etc. Students should be prepared for a broad-ranging interview, and should fully expect to be asked questions to which they do not know the answers. Information on the interview process is available from the Fellowship Coordinator. Mock interviews and preparation workshops are held during the fall. 
  

Contact
Beth Fiori, Fellowships Coordinator
103 Barnes Hall
btf1@cornell.edu