Principal Fellowships
To refine your fellowship choices, review the chart below of fellowships supported by Smith. Where endorsement is required, we work with others on campus to make selections and provide support for endorsed candidates. After you’ve done some exploring on your own, fill out our questionnaire to express interest and meet with us. Keep talking with us, your faculty advisers and other mentors about your plans. Collaboration will ensure that your plans are tailored to you, consistent with your aims and academically sound.
A note about citizenship status: U.S. citizens may apply for all opportunities listed below. Those with a different citizenship may apply for some opportunities listed. Check the information sheets for more details.
National & International Competitive Fellowships
These fellowships require Smith nomination or endorsement.
| Fellowship | Eligibility | Timing | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beinecke | US citizens. Juniors apply. | Fall selection of one nominee. | Beinecke information sheet |
| Churchill | US citizens, seniors, alums. UK STEM graduate fellowship. | Spring selection of up to two nominees. | Churchill information sheet |
| DAAD Study | All nationalities, seniors, alums. Graduate fellowship. Most disciplines. | Summer/very early fall selection of Smith endorsees. | DAAD information sheet |
| Fulbright | US citizens, seniors, alums. International graduate fellowship. | Start early. Preparation necessary well ahead of external application dates. Application preparation begins in spring of intended application year. | Fulbright Focus |
| Goldwater | US citizens & nationals, permanent residents. STEM sophomores & juniors apply. | Fall selection of four nominees. | Goldwater information sheet | Other |
| Marshall | US citizens, seniors, alums. UK graduate fellowship. Any discipline. | Demonstrate competitiveness & express interest by spring, typically of junior year. | Marshall information sheet |
| McCall MacBain Scholarship | All nationalities, seniors and alums. Master's degrees in most fields at McGill. | Demonstrate competitiveness & express interest by spring/early summer, typically of junior year. | |
| Mitchell | US citizens, seniors, alums. Irish graduate fellowship. Seniors & alums under 30. | Spring selection of nominees. | Mitchell information sheet |
| Rhodes | Eligibility varies by particular competition. US award competition open to US citizens, permanent residents and DACA students. Seniors, alums. UK graduate fellowship. Almost any discipline. | Demonstrate competitiveness and express interest in spring, typically of junior year. Smith will endorse one or two highly qualified candidates for the US competition. | Rhodes information sheet |
| Truman | US citizens. Juniors apply. Requires three-year commitment to public service. | Demonstrate competitiveness and express interest no later than early fall semester of junior year. Smith may nominate up to four candidates, plus up to three transfer students. | Truman information sheet |
| Udall | US citizens, permanent residents. Sophomores & juniors apply. Udall features distinct Tribal Policy/Native Healthcare awards open only to American Indians or Alaskan Natives. | Express interest in fall to access application. Nomination of up to four qualified for environment track. Equal number could be nominated in the second category. | Udall information sheet |
Seek fellowships advising support as you prepare your application for these programs.
| Fellowship | Eligibility | Timing | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Language Scholarship | US citizens & nationals. Open to enrolled students in any discipline and any year of undergraduate or graduate study. | Mid-November deadline. | |
| DAAD RISE | All nationalities (additional conditions for German citizens). Sophomores, juniors. | Mid-December deadline. | |
| Gates Cambridge | All nationalities (except UK). Seniors, alums. UK graduate fellowship. | October for US citizens in US; December/January for others. | Gates Cambridge information sheet |
| Hertz | US citizens. Seniors, alums. STEM graduate fellowship. | Late October external deadline. | Hertz information sheet |
| Knight-Hennessy | All nationalities. Seniors, alums. Graduate fellowship. | Summer before application. Smith offers institutional endorsement as supplement to required 2 letters of recommendation. | Knight Hennessey information sheet |
| NOAA Hollings | US citizens. Sophomores apply who have a major relevant to NOAA’s mission. | Candidates must express their interests and find their sponsoring recommenders in the fall of sophomore year. External deadline for admissions application in mid-January. | NOAA Hollings information sheet |
| NSF Graduate Research Fellowship |
US citizens, permanent residents. Seniors, alums. Graduate fellowship. | Candidates must express interest in applying in the spring preceding application. Will need to work with a faculty research mentor and may seek advice from Fellowships. | NSF information sheet |
| Payne | US citizens. Seniors, alums. Underrepresented students encouraged. Graduate fellowship. | Fall application. | Payne information sheet |
| Pickering | US citizens. Seniors, alums. Underrepresented students encouraged. Graduate fellowship. | Fall application. | Pickering information sheet |
| PPIA Junior Summer Institute | All nationalities (but program options limited for international students). Juniors only. | Mid-November deadline. | |
| Rangel | US citizens. Seniors, alums. Underrepresented students encouraged. Graduate fellowship. | Fall application. | Rangel information sheet |
| Rangel Summer Enrichment Program | US citizens. Sophomores, juniors, seniors. | Mid-February deadline. | |
| Schwarzman | All nationalities. Seniors, alums. Graduate fellowship. | Demonstrate competitiveness and express interest in spring semester. Deadline for Chinese applicants, end of May. Other applicants, end of September. | Schwarzman information sheet |
| Scoville | US citizens & foreign nationals (currently live in US and have work visa valid for length of program). Seniors, alums. | Early October deadline for spring awards. Early January deadline for fall awards. | |
| Soros - New Americans |
Immigrants to US, children of immigrants, and DACA students. Seniors, alums. Graduate fellowship. | November 1 deadline. | Soros information sheet |
| UK Summer Institutes | US citizens. Freshmen & sophomores with little to no travel/study experience outside North America. | Early February deadline. | |
| Yenching | All nationalities. Seniors, alums. Graduate fellowship. | December external deadline. | Yenching information sheet |
Am I Qualified for a Fellowship?
As a prospective fellowships applicant you want to know that you are “in the right ballpark,” meaning that you meet the eligibility requirements for a program and have sufficient relevant strengths and experience to make you a strong potential applicant. Once you are in the ballpark, your commitment to the application process will make the difference between being a strong potential applicant and becoming a competitive applicant. Fellowship advisers guide you in making the most of the application process.
GPA is one measure—but by no means the only measure—of academic excellence. Most fellowships for which we advise are highly competitive. Awardees’ GPAs will, in general, be high. Some of the most competitive awards (UK graduate scholarships, for example) may specify a GPA of at least 3.7. Other competitive awards, like Fulbright, may not specify a minimum GPA, but they will look closely at your transcript for your academic success in the courses most relevant for, say, the graduate course or research you plan to pursue while on your fellowship.
Your job as a candidate is to understand what your program means by academic excellence, and then make your best case for how you’ve demonstrated relevant strengths and achievements.
Fellowship programs seek talented and diverse individuals who are ready to make the most of the opportunities on offer. “Talent” is defined in multiple ways by the various programs and most fellowships pride themselves for the different backgrounds and interests of their fellows. Your unique talents will be appreciated by some programs—the challenge is matching your talents to particular programs.
All programs focus their pursuit of excellence based on what matters most to them: for example, exercise of leadership or pursuit of public service or creation of new knowledge. Candidates need relevant preparation and achievements. Sometimes academic excellence is most important. Sometimes a record of impact as a change maker or leader may matter most. As a prospective candidate, play to your strengths.
Additional Options
The universe of fellowships does not end with our list of principal fellowships. Many more possibilities exist. Check out additional resources on the Resources page for links to databases of opportunities that you can search according to your personal circumstances (e.g. citizenship, academic year of study) and type of award (e.g. research award, postgraduate scholarship, summer program, study abroad).
“I am proudest of learning what specific research questions I am interested in ... describing my goals and abilities was empowering.”
“My applications helped me better realize and articulate my life and career goals.”
Internships & Postgraduate Experiences
Sometimes a rising senior or recent alum is looking for a post-grad experience in the United States that has some of the elements of fellowship (competitive, leadership training, networking cohort) but is not formal graduate school. These sorts of opportunities are often advertised in Handshake or search engines as “internships” or “jobs,” as well as “fellowships.” The level of stipends and benefits associated with each program varies greatly. Be sure to read the fine print!
“Applying for the Fulbright grant made me realize how important it is to travel and seize opportunities at this phase of my life.”