College of Health and Social Sciences Fellowships

The California Pre-Doctoral Program is designed to diversify the pool of university faculty by supporting the doctoral aspirations of economically or educationally disadvantaged CSU students who are upper division undergraduates and master's students with focused research interests and an interest in a university faculty career. 

Learn more about the California Pre-Doctoral Program.

The Chancellor's Office provides support to promising doctoral students with a passion for working with California State University’s diverse student body, in the hope that they will go on to become CSU faculty. 

Learn more about the Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program (CDIP).

Consult the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) website to confirm all particulars in this program overview. 

Program offers fully-funded summer language intensives abroad to advance U.S. language capacity and intercultural competence. Participants agree to speak only the target language during the intensive and act as cultural ambassadors during and after the award. 

Open to undergraduate or graduate students who are U.S. citizens. Graduating students may apply if they are enrolled at the time of application.  

The following languages are supported:  

• Hindi, Persian, Portuguese, Swahili – no prior language study required
• Arabic, Korean, Russian – one year of prior language study required
• Chinese, Japanese – 2 years of prior language study required 

Deadline: Usually in November. 

To prepare a successful application, 

1. Show a clear, compelling motivation for choosing the target language and culture: why this particular language matters, how it connects to your academic/professional goals and global engagement.
2. Demonstrate readiness for intensive, immersive language study in a foreign environment, including adaptability, cross-cultural awareness, prior examples of working in unfamiliar contexts and resilience.
3. Provide a plan for continuation and impact: not just how you will benefit from the program but how you will use the language afterwards (on campus, in your community, profession, etc.) and contribute as a “citizen-diplomat.”
4. Include specific, reflective, concrete examples of prior language and cultural challenges, how you dealt with them, what you learned and how CLS fits into your trajectory.
5. Link your language choice to U.S. global engagement, critical languages, intercultural fluency and national interests. 

Contact Dr. Joy Viveros, Fellowships Office Director, to receive an application packet for this year’s application. 

More information on CSU Trustees’ Award website.

Consult the Echoing Green website to confirm all particulars in this program overview. 

Echoing Green aims to identify, invest in and support emerging social entrepreneurs working on bold ideas that aim to transform unjust systems, particularly in communities that are under-resourced or overlooked. It prioritizes equity-centered solutions, meaning work that explicitly addresses identity-based inequities (race, gender, caste, tribe, sexual orientation, etc.). It values innovation (not just incremental improvement), systems‐change thinking (not only immediate outputs) and community leadership (especially by those closest to the challenge).

The Fellowship supports early-stage ventures by founders actively building an organization. It allows them to work full-time to launch or build on an organization/initiative at an early stage of its lifecycle, providing seed funding ($100,000), capacity-building, expert support and a global peer community. The goal is to build the organization’s scale and sustainability beyond the 18-month fellowship period.

Open to graduating seniors, graduating graduate students or alumni so long as they will not be in a degree program during the funded project. All nationalities may apply. Must be proficient English speakers 18 years or older who are the primary decision makers with authority over their organization’s growth and strategic vision.

Finalists participate in intensive interviews.

Deadline: Usually in October.

Echoing Green looks for the potential of the applicant and their idea (not just past success). Successful applicants may not have traditional credentials or large track records. The Fellow must work full-time on the initiative they propose throughout the fellowship period and it must remain their main professional priority.

The organization must be in an early stage of its development. It cannot primarily engage in lobbying, but issue-area advocacy is permitted. Organizations whose purpose is religious recruitment, promotion or conversion are not eligible.

To prepare a successful application, 

1. Demonstrate a deep connection to the community: Show how you are part of or deeply connected to, the community you serve, how you co-design/interact with that community, rather than “serving” it from outside.
2. Explain the challenge you’re addressing and why your community is the right place to intervene.
3. Identify the root-cause/a systemic issue: Go beyond describing symptoms. You need to show that you understand underlying power dynamics, structural barriers and how your initiative addresses them.
4. Emphasize how your idea is different from existing solutions or how you apply a known approach in a novel context, how your idea/organization is different or innovative.
5. Highlight how your idea could shift a whole system, reach many people or alter the trajectory of a community/region, even if you and your project are in an early stage. Include measurable goals, milestones and learning goals. Provide concrete examples.
6. Disclose why do you do what you do – your motivation, story, purpose. Share your story—why you, why now, what you’ve already done (even if small) that creates momentum.
7. Explain how you challenge assumptions, how you bring something innovative or transformative to tackling this problem.
8. Tell your leadership story – what you have already done, your role, how you will lead this organization
9. Include leadership examples, the ability to mobilize people/resources, your strategic thinking and your long-term commitment.
10. Use the explicit language of equity. Show how your work intentionally reduces disparities, shifts power to impacted communities and does not treat equity as a side-effect.
11. Focus on clarity, specificity, plain language: Avoid jargon; use stories, data, clear metrics.
12. Explain your idea’s evolution and adaptability: Since early-stage ventures evolve, show you understand how your plan might change, how you’ll test hypotheses, monitor, learn and iterate (the “learning agenda”).
13. Emphasize your strategy for achieving impact, sustainability, growth.
14. Detail how you will measure success and learn/prioritize the next steps.

Consult the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website to confirm all particulars in this program overview. 

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program promotes mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries through one-year opportunities abroad (study, research, creative and performing arts, English Teaching Assistantships) to U.S. graduating seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists. Fulbright grantees live, work and engage with host-country communities, thereby fostering cultural exchange and cross-cultural dialogue. The program seeks applicants from diverse backgrounds, in all fields of study, including creative and performing arts. 

Fulbright U.S. Student Program grantees receive round trip transportation to and from their host country, health insurance and a living stipend. On their return from the Fulbright year, former grantees are  advantaged by 12 months of non-competitive eligibility (NCE) for federal government employment.  

Open to U.S. citizens at the time of application. Applicants must hold at least a bachelor’s degree by the start date of the grant and meet language requirements, if any, of the specific award/country and demonstrate sufficient competency for project and living in the country.  

Applicants who have substantial prior residence (more than 6 months) in the host country may be at a competitive disadvantage, although even an academic year of study abroad is not a problem. Applicants who were born or spent their youth in the host country are welcome to apply.

Deadline: Usually in October. However, enrolled applicants apply through their campuses and comply with campus application and interview protocols, which are well in advance of the national deadline. Students enrolled at SFSU when they apply or recent alumni electing to apply through SFSU, must submit a complete application to the Fellowships Office by the campus deadline and make themselves available for a campus interview to take place in late September-early October. Visit Know Your Deadlines for updated deadlines and contact Dr. Joy Viveros, Fulbright Program Advisor and Director of the Fellowships Office, for more information. 

To prepare a successful application, 

1. Provide a clear, compelling project and purpose
2. For study/research awards, articulate what you will do (your research question and/or graduate study plan), why it matters (to you, the discipline, the host country), how you will do it (detail feasible methods and timeline, host-country resources, affiliation with an academic institution in the host country, if relevant). Offer historical context for the project and scholarship in the discipline in order to support the idea that your project is original and timely.
3. For English Teaching Assistantships, articulate what you will do in the classroom that’s innovative and draws on your interests, your approach to supporting students in their language learning, prior teaching-related experiences you’ve had and their relevance to your proposed Fulbright ETA responsibilities, how you will use English as a means of intercultural exchange, your interest in learning from your students and colleagues, your excitement to share your experience of U.S. society and culture, how you will support students in your school outside the classroom, your adaptability in relation to the host country teaching environment, your interest in engaging in the other activities specified by the host country.
4. For host-country engagement beyond the project: Demonstrate how you will live and work within the community, engage culturally and academically, share U.S. culture, build relationships and foster mutual understanding (not just carry out the project).
5. Highlight your ambassadorial/personal qualities: Showcase adaptability, cross-cultural interest, open-mindedness, self-reliance and the ability to thrive abroad. Use concrete examples of cross-cultural or international experience, languages, service or leadership.
6. Offer evidence of academic and professional readiness: Provide evidence through transcripts, relevant experience, research or teaching background and language skills, if required. The project must build on your prior achievements.
7. Explain how the Fulbright year will contribute to your future goals and how you plan to bring knowledge, contacts or experience back to the U.S. (academic, career, community) — emphasizing the “return” dimension.
8. Show that you understand the host country’s environment, have (or are in the process of securing) affiliation/contacts, language competence) and realistic timeline/activities that fit within one academic year.
9. Show what makes you unique, why this award and this country are the right match for you and how your project/teaching fits the country-specific opportunity.
10. Provide evidence of your and your project’s excellence through clear writing and structure. 

Consult the Global Rhodes Scholarship website to confirm all particulars in this program overview. 

The Rhodes Trust fosters public-spirited leaders to promote international understanding and peace, by bringing outstanding young people from around the world to the University of Oxford. The Global Rhodes opens access to candidates from countries or regions not covered by the Trust’s other national/constituency jurisdictions. It supports full-time postgraduate (and in some cases, early doctoral) study at Oxford, enabling recipients to engage with global issues, leadership, service and high academic achievement.

The Global Rhodes offers 2 years of full-time postgraduate study at the University of Oxford, with a possible third year of funding for Scholars pursuing a DPhil (PhD). It provides a living stipend and covers Oxford fees, travel and certain costs associated with relocation. 

Applicants for the Global Rhodes must be from a country or region not already covered by a separate Rhodes constituency. In other words, if your country has its own Rhodes jurisdiction, you may not apply as “Global” Rhodes applicant. Use the Rhodes “Check Your Eligibility” tool to confirm your eligibility well in advance of applying. 

Applicants must be 18-24 on October 1 of the year of application or under 27 if the undergraduate degree was completed later. Age requirements in some countries vary slightly. Check the “Information for Candidates” to confirm. 

Applicants must have completed their bachelor’s degree by July of the entry year and meet or exceed the specific entry requirements of their chosen full-time graduate course at Oxford. A very strong academic record is expected. Academic excellence, including in the usual case, a GPA of 3.7 or higher, is a primary selection criterion.  

The proposed Oxford course must be full-time, postgraduate taught courses (for example, MSt, MSc, MPhil, PGDip, PGCert) or research courses (for example, DPhil and MSc by Research) and covered by the award. Some Oxford courses interview shortlisted applicants. 

If English is not the applicant’s first language, they must meet the higher-level English language requirements of Oxford for their chosen course.  

Deadline: Usually in July.

Short-listed Global Rhodes applicants are invited for intensive finalist interviews. 

If selected as a Rhodes Scholar, you will then apply for your chosen course of study through Oxford’s graduate admissions and enroll for study (typically starting the following October). Rhodes applicants who are selected must also be offered a place at Oxford and follow Oxford admission rules and other requirements for international students.

To prepare a successful application,

1. Emphasize not just your grades, but your intellectual curiosity, rigorous coursework, a demanding program ( fields with tougher grading), any research (thesis, publications, lab work), publications or notable scholarly work.
2. Demonstrate exceptional leadership, service activity or creative achievements, activity and how this leads coherently into your proposed Oxford program.
3. Detail why you want to study that specific course at Oxford, how it aligns with your past work and future goals. Reflect that you’ve done your homework (course components, faculty, Oxford’s environment) and that this isn’t just a generic application.
4. Provide examples of real leadership (not just titles) — initiatives you started, teams you led, challenges you addressed, impact you created. Show sustained service orientation (community, global issues, equity).
5. Share evidence of your moral force of character, concern for others, empathy, resilience and the capacity to engage across cultural boundaries. Use concrete examples of character in action (overcoming adversity, supporting others, teamwork, ethical leadership).
6. Explain how your work and ambition connects beyond your local context — cross‐cultural, international dimension, global challenges — and how your Oxford study will enable you to contribute to the world.
7. Describe not only where you have been, but where you intend to go — how your Oxford education will enable you to maximize your talents and how you will use them for others (not just for personal benefit).
8. Offer evidence that you are a well-rounded, dynamic person who engages beyond academics — sports, arts, debate, social initiatives, entrepreneurship, etc. Tie such engagement  to your core narrative).
9. Make authentic links between your past, your motivations, your proposed course of study at Oxford and your future ambitions to form a logical and compelling narrative. Avoid a superficial “prestige-seeking” tone; show genuine passion and fit.
10. Disclose not just successes, but learning from failures or challenges, how you grew and how those experiences shaped your vision.
11. Demonstrate that you understand what the Oxford course entails, how you will thrive there and that your prior work has prepared you for success.
12. Explain how you will make the most of the Scholar community and network.
13. Show that you understand the extraordinary competitiveness of this opportunity by producing clear, concise writing, avoiding clichés and developing a strong narrative voice. Address the specific prompts/questions clearly. 

Consult the Humanity in Action website to confirm all particulars in this program overview. 

The HIA Fellowship engages a new generation of emerging leaders in human rights, minority rights, pluralism and democratic values. The HIA fellowship year begins with an immersive 3-week summer program in a European host city (Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Sarajevo, Warsaw), in which U.S. and European Fellows (from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Poland) participate in seminars, group work and planning for their own civic engagement initiatives. Fellows implement these “Action Projects” in their home countries in the 10-12 months following their summer intensives. Ongoing engagement builds a trans-national network of alumni (Senior Fellows) engaged in human rights, social justice and pluralistic democracy across contexts.

Award covers the costs of participation in the on-site summer program, including housing and a model stipend for food. Travel assistance is available only for participants with demonstrated financial need.

Open to undergraduate sophomores, juniors and seniors at U.S. institutions or “recent” alumni who have graduated from U.S. institutions in the last 2 years. Second year community college who are continuing to four-year universities, master’s and Ph.D. students studying at U.S. universities are also eligible. U.S. and non-U.S. citizens are eligible if they  are proficient in English. 

Deadline: Usually in January.

Finalists are interviewed.

To prepare a successful application, 

1. Articulate a clear, authentic and specific commitment to human rights, minority rights, pluralism or democratic values (rather than broad or vague statements).
2. Show that they have reflected on how their own background, identity or community fits into larger social justice frameworks — how they have confronted or observed inequalities and how they hope to engage in or change them.
3. Demonstrate an interest in challenging their own assumptions, preconceptions and biases and a willingness to learn from diverse perspectives, engage with discomfort or unfamiliar viewpoints and work in international/intercultural settings.
4. Provide evidence of leadership or initiative: times when they have worked in teams, taken responsibility, driven a project or shown self-reliance.
5. Speak to how they will (or already do) collaborate with others across difference.
6. Articulate a concrete or budding idea for an “Action Project” — what you might do in your community post-fellowship to translate learning into action. Even if the idea is not fully developed, the thought process should show creativity, feasibility and how it connects to the fellowship’s themes.
7. Provide evidence that they can thrive in an intensive, collaborative, sometimes challenging environment:
8. Highlight adaptability, intercultural awareness and the ability to reflect critically.
9. Show how the fellowship fits their longer-term goals in social justice/human rights/civic engagement.
10. Use personal, vivid examples and narratives and
11. Show genuine curiosity about the transnational nature of the fellowship — that they value comparative learning and are eager to engage wherever they’re placed.
12. Frame any location preferences as thematic interests (“I’m particularly drawn to how post-conflict societies reckon with memory and justice”).
13. Emphasize how they will sustain their engagement with the network and alumni community and through the Action Project. Show that this is not just a short experience but part of their long-term trajectory. 

Consult the program Huntington Public Service Award website to confirm all particulars in this program overview.

The Samuel Huntington Public Service Award provides a funded gap year for graduates to test, lead and implement real-world social impact initiatives. The award allows recipients to engage in a meaningful public service activity, address a clear public need or social challenge, for the year after graduation before proceeding to graduate school or a career. 

Awards are for $30,000. 

Open to graduating college seniors. U.S. and international students may apply and the service project may be conducted anywhere in the world — domestically or internationally.  

Projects may be independent or affiliated with a nonprofit, educational, government or community organization. Projects that have the potential to be sustainable are favored; therefore, many of the projects initiated by past award recipients continue to benefit people today. 

Deadline: Usually in January. 

Finalists are interviewed. 

To prepare a successful application, 

1. Demonstrate a clear and urgent need.
2. Explain why this issue matters now and who is affected.
3. Support the issue with brief facts, stories or evidence.
4. Provide a clear plan, credible budget and demonstrate logistical readiness.
5. Show that the project will have a measurable impact.
6. Define what success will look like ( number of people served, outcomes achieved).
7. Include simple, concrete metrics.
8. Highlight feasibility — Address the applicant’s skills, preparation and available resources. Mention partnerships or letters of support from host organizations, if applicable.
9. Highlight sustainability — Describe how the project will endure after your service year (training others, creating resources, establishing partnerships).
10. Make your motivation personal — describe what experiences have led you to this cause.
11. Demonstrate creativity, leadership and a commitment to serving others.
12. Communicate humility and an interest in collaboration, not “saviorism.”
13. Show the project’s  alignment with your long-term goals — explain how it fits into your broader career or service trajectory.
14. Convey passion through professionalism — be both heartfelt and committed to implementing a practical, strategically designed project. 

Consult the Lafayette Fellowship website to confirm all particulars in this program overview.

The Lafayette Fellowship supports the next generation of young leaders in the U.S. with a strong interest in French institutions and culture and the U.S.–France relationship. For students in STEM, the humanities, social sciences and arts, who want to address major global challenges, including sustainability/environmental transitions; health/biotechnology; peace and security; social equity and democracy; digital technologies and artificial intelligence, who want to pursue a master’s degree in France. 

The award provides a living stipend and funds a one-year master’s in France.

Open to U.S. citizens under 27 as of July 1 of the year after application with a minimum GPA of 3.7 who are graduating seniors or graduated within the past 3 years. 

Applicants must apply separately for admission to up to 2 partner French higher-ed institutions listed by the fellowship. The award is contingent on acceptance to one of those partner institutions. French is not required for programs taught entirely in English. If you apply to a French-taught or French-English program, then proof of French proficiency may be required. 

Deadline: Usually in November. 

The personal statement is submitted by video. Finalists are interviewed.

To prepare a successful application,

1. Provide a clear articulation of your academic and professional trajectory: why you have chosen your field (STEM/humanities /social sciences/arts), what master’s program you plan to pursue in France and how this links to your long-term goals.
2. Balance breadth and depth: You might have a strong specialization (AI, sustainability, health, social equity) but also show how you engage beyond that — in leadership, interdisciplinary thinking, a global perspective.
3. Highlight your connection to France and your interest in the U.S.–France relationship: why studying in France – as opposed to only in the U.S. or elsewhere – is meaningful to you; how you will engage with French academic culture and how you envision contributing to the U.S.-France transatlantic relationship. Demonstrate interest in French culture, innovation, policy, global issues, etc. Include importance of any study abroad experience in France or French language learning.
4. Emphasize France’s critical role: Whether your project is France-specific or invested in broader Europe and global engagement, you must convince that France is integral to your plan.
5. Demonstrate ambition and realism: Show your long-term vision but ground it in what you plan to do during the fellowship. The jury wants to see that you will make the most of the one-year program.
6. Offer specific examples of initiative you have taken (student leadership, community service, research, projects) and how you intend to use your master’s in France to make a positive impact — especially with respect to global challenges in, for example, sustainability, biotech, AI, equity.
7. Convey your adaptability and interest in global fluency: Studying one year in France means cultural adjustment, language, being in a multicultural environment. Demonstrate that you’re prepared and excited for an international, immersive environment – for the rigorous, cross-cultural experience of studying in a top French institution, participating in leadership programming and site visits and a mentorship program.
8. In the personal statement in video format, aim for a compelling, authentic presentation of your background, your “why,” your vision and how you will fit in the French-institution environment and the broader leadership program. Show originality and self-reflection.
9. Convey a contribution mindset. Emphasize what you will contribute (what you’ll give, not just what you’ll gain) — to the French host institution, to the U.S-France leadership program and network, to your cohort, to your future field/community.
10. Show a forward-looking sense of how this fellowship will form part of your trajectory.
11. Communicate polish and professionalism: submit excellent, complete documents (CV, transcripts, letters, video) by the deadline. Make sure your application is error-free, compelling and tailored to the mission of the fellowship.
12. If applying to a French‐taught program, address French language readiness (or plan for it) and how you will succeed in that environment. 

Consult the Luce Scholars Program website to confirm all particulars in this program overview. 

The Luce Scholars Program provides emerging leaders with immersive professional experiences in Asia. This yearlong fellowship offers Scholars opportunities to deepen their understanding of Asia's countries, cultures and communities, thereby fostering lasting connections and equipping them to address global leadership challenges and build a more interconnected world. 

Open to U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents who are graduating seniors, recent grads or young professionals under 33 and with limited exposure to Asia since starting college. Those who are older than 32  must have received their bachelor’s degree within the last 3 years. 

The award provides a living stipend, intensive language training and individualized professional placement.  

Deadline: Usually in September.  

Application materials include a 2-minute response to a program prompt. Two semifinalist interviews and participation in a Finalist Weekend are required.

To prepare a successful application, 

1. Describe a leadership trajectory, providing concrete examples of initiative and impact and how a Luce year would accelerate your future contributions.
2. Convey a learning mindset and humility, showing openness, curiosity and the ability to listen across cultures; (avoid presenting rigid project plans).
3. Communicate adaptability and resilience, describing real episodes where you navigated ambiguity, change or setbacks.
4. Emphasize intercultural competence, highlighting experiences engaging different communities; articulate why Asia (and why now) in terms of learning and relationship-building rather than resume-padding.
5. Explain your limited Asia exposure: if you have time in one country, clarify how placement elsewhere serves your growth; if you have little exposure, frame that as a motivation and readiness to learn.
6. Display professional clarity; avoid conveying rigidity: Share interests and goals, but signal flexibility about placement specifics — the program values openness over pre-baked plans. 

Consult the Marshall Scholarship website to confirm all particulars in this program overview.

Marshall Scholarships finance intellectually distinguished young Americans of high ability to study for a graduate degree at a UK institution in any field of study. Marshall Scholars gain an understanding and appreciation of contemporary Britain and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in science, technology, the humanities, social sciences and the creative arts at Britain’s centers of academic excellence. As future leaders with a lasting understanding of British society, they strengthen the enduring relationship between the British and American peoples, their governments and institutions.  

Open to U.S. citizens with a minimum 3.7 GPA who are graduating seniors or have received a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college or university in the last 2 years. 

The award provides tuition and a living stipend for 2-years and in some cases 3-years, of graduate-level study in the U.K.

Deadline: Usually in November. However, applicants must apply for institutional nomination, submitting all required documents to the Fellowships Office by the campus deadline [LINK TO CHILD PAGE6], which is well in advance of the national deadline. Institutional nomination is not guaranteed. Identify Dr. Joy Viveros, Director of the Fellowships Office, as SF State’s nominator, on your online application.

Applicants identify the British “partner university” where they want to study (See “Marshall Partner Universities,” and course of study they want to pursue.

In-person finalist interviews.

To prepare a successful application, 

1. Emphasize not only a strong GPA (3.7+), but intellectual curiosity, research experience (where applicable), publications or presentations, as applicable, depth and breadth of study and a well-thought “proposed program” that connects to your past work and future goals. Make sure the UK program you propose makes sense for you and is justified clearly.
2. Provide concrete examples of leadership (not just holding titles) — how you made an impact, how you influenced others or initiatives you initiated/completed, how you overcame challenges, how you reflect on your leadership. Show growth, self-awareness and a future trajectory for leadership.
3. Demonstrate your interest in and understanding of the U.K. (why you want to study there), your capacity to act as a bridge between U.S. and U.K. (cultural, academic, policy, social) and long-term commitment to that role. Avoid generic global statements — show specifics about the U.K., about mutual understanding, about what you will contribute and how. Explain: why the U.K., why that institution, how the experience will enable you to build U.S.–U.K. links.
4. Integrate the Marshall experience into your future plans: Your personal statement and career plans should show coherence. How does the proposed U.K. graduate study tie into your future ambitions? What change or contribution do you intend to make? Selection committees look for candidates with purpose and realistic plans.
5. Underscore fit and preparation: Demonstrate you have done your homework — you know the U.K. institution(s) you’re applying to, you understand their programs, you have looked at how the institution and course of study aligns with you. Show you are not just picking the U.K. generically. The Commission explicitly notes that program/university choice is a factor.
6. Convey a personal voice and self-reflection: In essays and interview, you should convey your motivations, your identity, how your experiences shaped you, your values, your interpersonal skills. Because ambassadorial potential often relates to interpersonal and cross-cultural dimensions, your essays should reflect your ability to engage others, to contribute beyond purely academic outputs.
7. Communicate knowledge of current affairs, the UK context: In the interview, you should be ready to speak knowledgeably about the U.K., about international/US-UK issues, your field within that context and your motivations. Your interview and essays need to answer, “Why study in the UK?”
8. Be concise and clear: As the interview is short, you should be able to articulate your points clearly and succinctly. Answers should be specific, connected to your application and accessible to non-specialists. 

Consult the Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship website to confirm all particulars in this program overview.

The Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program prepares outstanding young people for Foreign Service careers. Funded by the Department of State and collaboratively administered by Howard University, the program is grounded in the principle that a broad range of perspectives strengthens diplomatic efforts and a comprehensive approach to global challenges.

The Pickering Fellowship helps finance 2-year fulltime master’s programs (up to $42,000 per year for two years, including up to $24,000 for tuition and fees, plus an $18,000 living stipend) in a field relevant to the Foreign Service and provides 2 summer internships (one in Washington, D.C. and one at a U.S. embassy/consulate overseas), receive mentoring from a Foreign Service Officer and benefit from extensive career support.

The Pickering Fellowship encourages applicants from groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service and those with financial need. 

On completion of the master’s degree and fulfillment of Foreign Service entry requirements (medical, security, suitability), fellows work as Foreign Service Officers, serving in Washington, D.C. and at U.S. embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions in Africa, East Asia, Latin America, South Asia, Europe and Eurasia.

Open to U.S. citizens with a minimum 3.2 GPA and documented financial need, who are college seniors and college graduates with majors in international affairs, public policy, public administration, economics, business, political science, sociology and foreign languages and are committed to joining the Foreign Service.

Deadline: Usually in September.

Applicants should coordinate with recommenders so that collectively they address leadership, communication, analytical ability, cultural adaptability, integrity and public-service commitment.

Finalists are invited to a virtual interview and timed written exercise.

Fellows commit to at least five-years in the Foreign Service.

To prepare a successful application, 

1. Remember that the selection committee looks for a “domino effect” in your application: Make sure your essays build a clear chain flowing from your background → to your experiences → to your graduate plan → to your intention to become part of the U.S. Foreign Service.
2. Don’t assume the reader knows your “why;” share your motivation to become a Foreign Service Officer.
3. Because this fellowship focuses on diplomacy, you’ll be stronger if you show your understanding of what Foreign Service Officers do – including consular crisis management, political-economic reporting, public diplomacy, host‐country engagement, language/cultural adaptation.
4. Use your stories to show that you’ve had relevant exposure or interest, even at a smaller scale.
5. Because this program has a service commitment, you must show both excellence and that you will follow through on the service — and are not just chasing gratis graduate school.
6. Diversity of background, broadly defined, is central to the fellowship’s mission. Use your essays to illustrate how your perspective adds value, whether because of your under-represented identity, unusual upbringing, language/culture, international mobility or non-traditional path.
7. Don’t just narrate events. Instead, use the STAR method (Situation–Task–Action–Result) to relate your experiences.
8. Explicitly reflect on what you learned and how it sets you up for the Foreign Service.
9. Keep in mind that the essays also serve as a writing sample: They assess your clarity of thought organization and ability to convey complex ideas simply and engagingly.

In the Personal Statement:  

10. Demonstrate both an authentic commitment to the Foreign Service mission and a clear sense of what being a Foreign Service Officer entails (consular work, crisis response, public diplomacy).
11. Describe your unique background and how you bring a perspective that enhances “diversity” in a broad sense.
12. Consider opening with a vivid anecdote or moment that triggered or crystallized your interest in diplomacy/international service.
13. Offer 2-3 linked experiences that demonstrate you would thrive in public service and could represent the U.S. abroad.
14. Highlight how these experiences illustrate key program competencies: leadership, cross‐cultural adaptability, service orientation, analytical ability, communication skills, integrity/resilience — and thus what  you will be capable of as a future Foreign Service Officer.
15. For each experience, describe the context: Explain what was happening and what challenge or opportunity you faced.
16. Speak to the relevant actions you took, emphasizing initiative, collaboration, navigating complexity.
17. Explain how you led, especially in diverse teams or cross-cultural settings. Describe situations where you led, influenced or served others, especially in international or public-service contexts.
18. Highlight cross-cultural aspects of these experiences, including working or learning in diverse settings, adapting and bridging differences.
19. Address learning and service outcomes: Quantify what changed because of your action (people served, programs launched, policy memos generated or used) and share what you learned about yourself, the world or diplomacy.
20. To demonstrate resilience and judgment under pressure, include a brief “challenge → action → outcome → lesson” story that shows qualities panels value: composure, ethics and learning.
21. Provide evidence of your analytical and communication skills: Speak to skills in writing, briefing and explaining complex topics simply — as well as working in teams and making decisions under conditions of uncertainty.
22. Emphasize intellectual engagement with policy, international affairs and your readiness for analytical, professional Foreign Service work.
23. Address your language/regional interests in depth. Don’t, however, overclaim language or regional expertise without concrete use-cases and outcomes connected to the work of Foreign Service Officers.
24. Emphasize resilience, integrity, adaptability: Describe times you faced ambiguity, failure or challenge — and how you handled it.
25. Identify what master’s degree you plan to pursue (field and school) and explain why it fits the Foreign Service track you target.
26. Explain how it builds on your experiences.
27. Connect coursework/methods you’ll learn to the work you will perform as a Foreign Service Officer.
28. Show that you understand the “cone” or track (political, economic, consular, public diplomacy, management) you intend to pursue.
29. Emphasize why this fellowship is the logical next step, why you would make a strong Foreign Service Officer and your readiness to serve. 

In the Statement of Financial Need: 

30. Show why you need the fellowship (your financial situation) and how this Fellowship will enable you.
31. Consider starting by providing  a brief background on your financial situation. This might include family income, first-generation college student, educational expenses, other commitments  caring for family, supporting self).
32. Present clear, factual context (family background, income responsibilities, Pell/FAFSA data), concrete information without over-embellishment.
33. Convey that the fellowship is decisive for your access to graduate study or your ability to participate fully in it (it makes the difference to your being able to attend or commit fully).
34. Show what financial hurdles you face (graduate tuition costs, supporting self, debt, etc.) and why without this fellowship, you would be constrained in pursuing your graduate program or foreign service career.
35. Demonstrate why the fellowship matters: Explain how program benefits (tuition/fees + stipend + internships + mentoring) will enable you to pursue graduate study and a Foreign Service career more fully (rather than just “help pay tuition”).
36. Show that you both need the financial support and value it — that you will make effective use of it in your graduate studies and future service.
37. Describe how you’ll maximize the opportunity, including what kind of graduate program you’ll enroll in, how the internships will build your readiness to serve, how you’ll contribute in the Foreign Service.
38. Underscore that you will use the graduate program to build capabilities relevant to the Foreign Service.
39. Demonstrate that you understand the investment the fellowship is making in you and the service you will provide in return.
40. Describe how you will give back — through service in the Foreign Service, diplomacy, representing U.S. interests abroad.
41. Focus on the impact of the fellowship for you (and by extension for the U.S. Foreign Service), not just on the hardship.
42. Keep it concise and avoid an overly emotional narrative (“I really need the money”) — this should be a qualified statement of need in a professional context.

Consult the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institutes website to confirm all particulars in this program overview. 

PPIA prepares future leaders for graduate study and careers in public policy, public administration, international affairs and related fields. Its 7-week, high intensity Summer Institutes – at Harvard, Princeton and University of Michigan – builds strong analytical, quantitative and leadership skills to equip fellows to succeed in top graduate programs. The program emphasizes diversity and inclusion: increasing representation of historically underrepresented groups in public service and enriching the policy arena with diverse perspectives.  

Open to juniors at U.S. colleges and universities, who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents and DACA recipients, who are committed to pursuing a master’s or joint degree in public policy, international affairs, public administration or related fields at a PPIA Graduate School Consortium institution and have demonstrated interest in a career in public service (in government, non-profits, international organizations, etc.). Economic need is considered. 

Some international students enrolled at U.S. institutions may apply to select sites, presently to the Princeton site. 

Award provides a summer stipend, housing, books and fully funded graduate-level classes in domestic and international policy, economics, statistics, policy analysis and leadership. Career coaching is provided as is a networked cohort and alumni community to support public service careers over time. 

Applicants rank their top 3 Summer Institute site preferences; each Summer Institute draws on its own area of public policy or public service expertise. 

Deadline: Usually in November. 

To prepare a successful application, 

1. Tailor the statement of purpose slightly toward your first-choice site’s focus (but ensure it still works for all). Since each site reviews independently, a strong generalist application that clearly shows fit across JSI missions will perform well.
2. Explain your interest in public service, public policy or international affairs.
3. Share the challenges or insights that shape your motivation to pursue such a career. Tell a clear story of how your background (including lived experience, identity, community, challenges) has shaped your interest in public service and policy. Link your story to your future ambitions.
4. Demonstrate a commitment to public service: Provide concrete examples of engagement (volunteer work, internships, leadership, community impact) and explain how you will continue to pursue service.
5. Highlight how you will contribute to your JSI cohort’s and your field’s diverse perspectives: Show how your personal experiences or viewpoint will add to the diversity of the cohort and how you engage with issues of representation, equity, under-served communities.
6. Show readiness for analytical/quantitative work: The program heavily emphasizes policy, statistics, economics. If your background has quantitative components, mention them; if not, show your interest in and capacity to tackle them.
7. Be clear about your goals and how JSI helps: Explain what you hope to gain from the JSI (sharpening your analytical skills, expanding your policy expertise in a specific area, gaining a motivated peer network, connections with faculty in your discipline) and how that connects to your graduate school and career path. Show your ambition to reap the full value of what the program provides.
8. Be authentic, concise and specific: Avoid generalities. Use concrete examples of leadership, growth, community engagement. Avoid “flowery” language; direct narrative is preferred as are well-written essays that articulate clear goals, motivations and reflections of lived experience.
9. Emphasize your curiosity, your ability to work with diverse cohorts, your potential for graduate‐level study and your vision for public service.
10. In the optional essay, discuss unusual circumstances or financial need, if this is the case for you or other information that would help reviewers understand your context.
11. Ensure that you have strong recommendations from those who can speak to your academic strengths and potential, as well as your  service and leadership activities.

Consult the Rhodes Scholarship website to confirm all particulars in this program overview.

The Rhodes Trust fosters public-spirited leaders to promote international understanding and peace, by bringing outstanding young people from around the world to the University of Oxford. The Global Rhodes opens access to candidates from countries or regions not covered by the Trust’s other national/constituency jurisdictions. It supports full-time postgraduate (and in some cases, early doctoral) study at Oxford, enabling recipients to engage with global issues, leadership, service and high academic achievement.

The Rhodes offers 2 years of full-time postgraduate study at the University of Oxford, with a possible third year of funding for Scholars pursuing a DPhil (PhD). It provides a living stipend and covers Oxford fees, travel and certain costs associated with relocation.

Applicants for the Rhodes must be from a Rhodes jurisdiction. Use the Rhodes “Check Your Eligibility” tool to confirm your eligibility well in advance of applying. U.S. Rhodes applicants will apply through one of 16 districts. You may apply in the district that includes the state where you have permanent legal residence or the state where your university is located.

Applicants must be 18-23 on October 1 of the year of application or under 27 if the undergraduate degree was completed later. Check the Rhodes website “Information for Candidates” section to confirm.

Applicants must have completed their bachelor’s degree by July of the entry year and meet or exceed the specific entry requirements of their chosen full-time graduate course at Oxford. A very strong academic record is expected. Academic excellence, including in the usual case, a GPA of 3.7 or higher, is a primary selection criterion.

The proposed Oxford course must be full-time, postgraduate taught courses (for example, MSt, MSc, MPhil, PGDip, PGCert) or research courses (for example, DPhil and MSc by Research) and covered by the award. Some Oxford courses interview shortlisted applicants.

If English is not the applicant’s first language, they must meet the higher-level English language requirements of Oxford for their chosen course.

Deadline: Usually in October. However, applicants must apply for institutional nomination, submitting all required documents to the Fellowships Office by the campus deadline [link], which is well in advance of the national deadline. Institutional nomination is not guaranteed. Identify Dr. Joy Viveros, Director of the Fellowships Office, as SF State’s nominator, on your online application.

Applicants compete in Rhodes constituencies and short-listed applicants are invited for intensive finalist interviews.

If selected as a Rhodes Scholar, you will then apply for your chosen course of study through Oxford’s graduate admissions and enroll for study (typically starting the following October). Rhodes applicants who are selected must also be offered a place at Oxford and follow Oxford admission rules and other requirements for international students.

To prepare a successful application,

1. Go beyond grades to describe your intellectual curiosity, rigorous coursework, a demanding program ( fields with tougher grading), any research (thesis, publications, lab work), publications or notable scholarly work.  
2. Describe exceptional leadership, service activity or creative achievements, activity and how this leads coherently into your proposed Oxford program.
3. Explain why you want to study that specific course at Oxford, how it aligns with your past work and future goals. Reflect that you’ve done your homework (course components, faculty, Oxford’s environment) and that this isn’t just a generic application.
4. Focus on real leadership (not just titles) — initiatives you started, teams you led, challenges you addressed, impact you created. Show sustained service orientation (community, global issues, equity).
5. Disclose your moral force of character, concern for others, empathy, resilience and the capacity to engage across cultural boundaries. Use concrete examples of character in action (overcoming adversity, supporting others, teamwork, ethical leadership).
6. Explain how your work and ambition connect beyond your local context — cross‐cultural, international dimension, global challenges — and how your Oxford study will enable you to contribute to the world.
7. Detail not only where you have been, but where you intend to go — how your Oxford education will enable you to maximize your talents and how you will use them for others (not just for personal benefit).
8. Show that you are a well-rounded, dynamic person who engages beyond academics — sports, arts, debate, social initiatives, entrepreneurship, etc. Tie such engagement to your core narrative).
9. Make authentic links between your past, your motivations, your proposed course of study at Oxford and your future ambitions to form a logical and compelling narrative. Avoid a superficial “prestige-seeking” tone; show genuine passion and fit.  
10. Include not just successes, but learning from failures or challenges, how you grew and how those experiences shaped your vision.
11. Demonstrate that you understand what the Oxford course entails, how you will thrive there and that your prior work has prepared you for success.  
12. Describe how you will make the most of the Scholar community and network.
13. Show that you appreciate the extraordinary competitiveness of this opportunity by producing clear, concise writing, avoiding clichés and developing a strong narrative voice. Address the specific prompts/questions clearly.

Consult the Schwarzman Scholars Program wesbite to confirm all particulars in this program overview. 

Schwarzman Scholars Program offers one-year, fully funded master’s program in global affairs at Tsinghua University, one of the world's top universities. Designed to build students’ leadership abilities and deepen their knowledge of China’s role in global affairs through a variety of academic viewpoints. Scholars share a core curriculum that builds connections and serves as an anchor for the rest of their studies.

The program seeks to identify applicants with leadership abilities, exemplary character and integrity, academic aptitude, empathy and intercultural competency, open-mindedness and entrepreneurial spirit. 

Award includes tuition and fees, books and supplies, a laptop, room and board, a personal stipend, health insurance, roundtrip travel, language instruction and in-country study tours. Scholars live in Schwarzman College and fully participate in the program community and activities.

The academic year includes a “Deep Dive” (an intensive field study experience to immerse Scholars in Chinese society, governance, economics and culture through on-site learning and direct engagement with people, institutions and local leaders) and a “Study Tour” (a trip across regions of China that applies classroom learning to real-world contexts and allows Scholars to explore a theme or sector in depth — for example, sustainability, tech innovation, governance, public health — and experience China’s regional diversity and complexity. 

Open to applicants of any major who have completed a bachelor’s degree and are 18-28 by August 1 of the enrollment year. If not a native English speaker, must provide standardized proof of strong English proficiency. 

Program evaluates applicants on leadership potential, intellectual and professional excellence, character and integrity and cross-cultural empathy.

Deadline: Usually in September.

Application includes a video introduction. Finalists are invited for a rigorous in-person interview. 

To prepare a successful application, 

Ensure that your essays do not resemble generic personal statements for graduate school or other fellowships — together the Leadership Essay and Statement of Purpose should be “moral self-portraits” and “leadership case studies.” 

In the Leadership Essay:

1. Provide a coherent leadership narrative: Demonstrate that your goals are logical extensions of your past actions.
2. Convey clarity of purpose: Outline specific, credible goals for the next 5–10 years.
3. Don’t describe yourself as a “leader” without illustrating how you led. Instead, offer 1 or 2 concrete, sustained examples of leading change.
4. Consider describing a challenge or decision that forced you to act.
5. Briefly describe the situation, including who, what and why it mattered.
6. Detail what you did – key actions, decisions and how you engaged others.
7. Offer evidence of  leadership under pressure, creativity, negotiation, empathy.
8. Highlight impact: Identify what changed because of your work — for others, for the institution or for society.
9. Reflect on what you learned about leadership, responsibility and working across difference.
10. Prioritize evidence of initiative and action: Show that you didn’t just join — that you created or transformed something.
11. Reveal decision-making under ethical pressure.
12. Convey an entrepreneurial spirit: innovation, problem-solving and calculated risk.
13. Demonstrate influence: Describe how you mobilized, persuaded or empowered people.
14. Emphasize impact and results: Include tangible outcomes or systemic changes, even on a small scale. Quantify outcomes (“raised 20% more funding,” “built a coalition of 12 student groups”).
15. Acknowledge tension or failure — maturity impresses more than perfection.
16. Focus on interpersonal skills: Empathy, coalition-building and communication.
17. Demonstrate cross-cultural understanding: Detail collaboration across social, cultural or disciplinary boundaries.
18. Communicate learning and self-reflection: Ensure that your tone conveys humility, adaptability and moral awareness. Don’t over-credit yourself; share credit thoughtfully.

In the Statement of Purpose:   

19. Link  your past trajectory, future vision and why Schwarzman specifically fits that bridge.
20. Show how your leadership and education so far have equipped you for this mission.
21. To demonstrate professional maturity: Present a realistic, mission-driven career plan.
22. Highlight relevance to China and global affairs: Explain why China matters for your mission.
23. To emphasize your global perspective and China focus, show a nuanced understanding of China’s global role and how your work connects to it.
24. To demonstrate intellectual curiosity, convey enthusiasm for studying at Tsinghua — “not prestige, but substance.”
25. To forecast leadership development: Explain how Schwarzman training amplifies your capacity to lead across sectors and borders.
26. Name what specifically draws you to the program and why.
27. Convey an understanding of Schwarzman’s ecosystem — its courses, mentorship, networks and community.
28. Connect the Schwarzman year to  your leadership development — not to tourism or generic interest.
29. Identify courses or faculty in global affairs, public policy or economics you’re especially that will be especially helpful to your long-term goals; if, possible, explain how.
30. Communicate the value to you of both the “Deep Dive” and “Study Tour.”
31. Emphasize service, impact and leadership, not just career advancement.
32. To demonstrate empathy and a spirit of collaboration, explain how you will benefit from and contribute to the multicultural network of Scholars committed to cross-cultural understanding.
33. Opening vision: Consider starting with the problem or global challenge you want to help solve (“I believe the next frontier of energy policy lies in bridging U.S.–China collaboration on decarbonization technologies”).
34. Use specifics: Refer to internships, research, initiatives or community work that demonstrate credibility.
35. In linking the fellowship to  your future goals, be specific and actionable (“After Schwarzman, I plan to join an energy investment fund focusing on U.S.–China green finance framework”). 

Consult the Soros Fellowship website to confirm all particulars in this program overview.

The Soros Fellowship provides merit-based graduate funding for New Americans, immigrants and children of immigrants, who are poised to make significant contributions to US culture, society and academia. The fellowship is merit-based and field-agnostic. It explicitly values creativity, originality, initiative, sustained accomplishment and promise of future impact – as well as contributions aligned with U.S. constitutional principles (human rights, rule of law and the responsibilities of citizenship). 

Open to New Americans who are 30 or younger at the time of application. Eligible citizenship statuses: Naturalized U.S. citizens (who were born abroad and later because a U.S. citizen); U.S. permanent residents (green card holders who were born abroad, legally admitted for permanent residence); refugees or asylees (granted refugee or asylum status by the U.S. government); children of naturalized citizens (born in the U.S. to parents who were both born abroad and later naturalized); child of immigrants (born in the U.S. to parents who were both born abroad and never became U.S. citizens); those  born abroad who later adopted U.S. citizenship through adoption (international adoptees0; and those who graduated from both a U.S. high school and U.S. college, regardless of legal status (including DACA recipients, pending asylees pending and others with long-term U.S. residence and education history).

The award provides up to $90,000 over two years: up to $25,000 stipend per year (paid to the fellow) and up to $20,000 tuition per year (paid to the university); plus 2 all-expenses-paid NYC conferences during the first 2 fellowship years and a lifelong alumni community. 

Deadline: Usually in October.  

Finalists participate in a virtual interview.

To prepare a successful application,

In the New American Story essay: 

Describe your New American experience, the challenges you have faced and how these have shaped your values, aspirations and accomplishments. 

1. Remember that this essay is not a chronology, but instead an arc of identity and drive that reveals the “who and why” behind your achievements.
2. Share your understanding of what it means to be a New American.
3. Outline your family’s immigration story, obstacles (language, finances, identity, documentation, culture shock) and how these shaped your outlook.
4. Explain how your family or personal journey (your experience as an immigrant or child-of-immigrants has) has forged your values, ambitions, choices and accomplishments.
5. Show initiative, not victimhood: Identify key moments when you made choices or created opportunities .
6. Connect specific people, institutions and, if applicable, policies that have influenced your path.
7. Map a link between your identity and your sense of purpose.
8. Tie your experiences to specific principles you value: fairness, innovation, community, perseverance, empathy, civic duty, etc.
9. Highlight your originality and initiative. Demonstrate resilience, initiative, originality and gratitude for opportunity.
10. Be personal but discipline: Aim for emotional authenticity, not sentimentality.
11. Avoid clichés (“American Dream,” “hard work pays off”) unless you subvert or re-define them.
12. Remember that this is not a biography or trauma narrative. Focus on agency and growth.
13. Own complexity: You can critique inequities (including those you experienced or witnessed) and express gratitude. Nuance in how you interpret social reality and personal and familial challenges signals maturity.
14. Demonstrate authentic self-awareness: Explain your path clearly, without jargon.
15. Build a bridge to second essay by connecting these lessons to the purpose driving your graduate goals.

In the Goals/Program Fit essay: 

16. Tie your personal narrative (Essay 1) to your professional vision — explain how the two reinforce each other.
17. In demonstrating sustained achievement and future promise, start with your mission or long-term vision (“I aim to reform data governance to protect immigrant communities from algorithmic bias”).
18. Briefly summarize your path to this point (what you’ve done, what skill gaps remain).
19. Avoid overloading this essay with an enumeration of your awards/resumes. This is redundant — reviewers already see your CV.
20. Provide evidence of early momentum; Show focus and momentum. The fellowship funds people with direction, not wanderers.
21. Demonstrate initiative and track record: Cite specific past actions showing you already act on your ideas.
22. Present a credible, concrete near-term plan.
23. Explain why this graduate training is essential to your intended impact: Demonstrate the clear relevance of graduate training to long-term goals.
24. Elucidate this degree, at this university, now? Be specific about courses, mentors, labs or policy contexts.
25. Describe how you’ll leverage the fellowship/community.
26. Describe how this education will multiply your ability to serve or contribute to society
27. Emphasize contribution over advancement: the program funds impact, not tuition relief.
28. In explaining your intended impact, describe how you’ll apply the degree. Quantify or concretize outcomes (“create a clinic,” “lead policy reform,” “found a startup”).
29. End with the broader societal impact — explain how you expect your work to strengthen the U.S., democracy or opportunity for others.
30. In demonstrating your promise to make significant future contribution to society, be ambitious but credible: “I will improve refugee resettlement data systems in three states” feels achievable; “I will end world poverty” does not.
31. Replace generic “giving back” conclusions with specific mechanisms of impact.
32. Avoid treating this essay like a grad-school statement of purpose. Instead ensure that it implicitly aligns with the program’s selection priorities: creativity, sustained drive, constitutional values (rule of law, liberty, human rights, civic responsibility), future contributions.  

As to Optional Exhibits: 

33. Use these sparingly — to demonstrate what you claim: A brief published article, artwork, patent, code snippet, advocacy campaign or news feature.
34. Do not overload with examples: Reviewers are busy; avoid redundancy and keep exhibits concise. 

Consult the Voyager Scholarship website to confirm all particulars in this program overview. 

The Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service supports emerging public-service leaders who have a passion for helping others, experience serving their communities and an expansive view of what’s possible through public service. It facilitates, over 2 years, opportunities for students to refine their values-based leadership approach, build bridges across communities and nurture their curiosity as they deepen their commitment to pursuing public service careers.   

Through a transformational combination of barrier-reducing financial aid, an immersive work-travel experience and a robust network of leaders and mentors, the award is designed to inspire, empower and connect the next generation of leaders and equip them with the tools and resources to launch their careers in public service.   

Open to U.S. citizens, nationals, permanent residents and DACA recipients in their second year of undergraduate studies who will be starting their third year in the all, with a GPA of above 3.0, documented financial need and plans to pursue public service after graduation. Must be able to participate in all programming, including Summer Voyage public service program. 

Award provides up to $50,000 in tuition and living expenses ($25,000 each for the junior and senior years), a 6-week Summer Voyage public service project between the junior and senior years, supported by  a $10,000 living stipend and an Airbnb housing credit of up to $4,200, as well as networking, a monthly speaker series and participation in a junior year Summit. A 10-year post-graduation travel subsidy ($2,000 Airbnb credit/year (total $20,000) is also provided to build bridges across communities, deepen empathy and stay curious even while working in service-oriented or lower-paid public-service jobs.  

Deadline: Usually in April. 

Application includes a video about your future public service vision and alignment with the fellowship. Letters of recommendation are not required.

To prepare a successful application,

Remember that each prompt is designed to test one or more of the primary selection criteria: commitment to and vision for public service, collaborative leadership, curiosity that will fuel lifelong learning, building bridges across communities, how the program will help you create impact.

Understand selection committee priorities:

1. Assessing fit to determine whether your vision aligns with the “build bridges,” “public service,” and “values-based leadership” ethos of the program.
2. Checking for sustained engagement to determine if you have a pattern of service or community involvement, rather than  just one-off events.
3. Weighing impact and learning to understand the difference you made, what you learned and how that will shape your future service.
4. Determining feasibility as to your public service path and Summer Voyage, asking if you have a plan, realistic next steps and an understanding of the challenges.
5. Valuing diversity of experience and potential for growth, including among applicants who may not have had major leadership roles already but show a strong trajectory. 

For Short Answer Essays, 

In the essay on the public service issue or field you’re most passionate about — and what you envision doing to address it: 

6. Lead with a clear, specific public-service vision.
7. Pick a focused issue or field (urban environmental justice, immigrant rights, rural broadband access)
8. Avoid choosing a topic that is too broad,  lacks focus or is too generic (“global poverty,” “helping underserved communities”).
9. Explain why you care about it, connecting your vision to personal experience, community or service.
10. Consider presenting a vivid anecdote or moment that triggered your interest in public service.
11. Set the stage with who, what and where — and demonstrate why this problem matters.
12. Describe your engagement and what you did.
13. Identify your role or task, the people or communities involved and actions you took.
14. Tie this experience to your future goal – to the problem you plan to address.
15. Articulate your theory of change, explaining how change can occur.
16. Explain how you plan to engage with the problem to effect change (internship, research, policy change, design thinking).
17. Identify your anticipated role and method.
18. Address the “building bridges across communities” priority by specifying how you will work across disciplines, sectors, communities (tech + policy + local government) or across difference (race + region + culture).
19. Reflect on community-informed design, accountability and how you’ll learn from others.
20. Include measurable next steps.
21. To demonstrate program fit, explain how your vision for the future connects with the program — show how the stipend, Summer Voyage and network will specifically help you move forward and support your intended results.
22. Consider addressing how you might use the annual travel credit (to visit communities or organizations doing related work in other regions or countries; attend public-service conferences, workshops or civic innovation summits; conduct informal field visits to learn from other social entrepreneurs, nonprofits or local leaders; spend time in communities you hope to serve or research in the future).  

In the essay on your experience with others— across difference and community boundaries to achieve impact —  and what you learned from the experience: 

23. Tell a story where you have worked across difference (ideology, geography, race, sector), what you listened for, how you adjusted and the outcome.
24. The program prizes values-based collaborative leadership, so don’t center solo heroics.
25. Highlight collaboration and bridge-building.
26. Demonstrate a track record of service activities.
27. Highlight sustained engagement (hours, roles), what changed for the community (results),
28. Detail outcomes and results, explaining what changed for the community or project. Use metrics if possible — even small ones.
29. Explain what you learned that will inform your next steps.
30. Center equity, curiosity and humility.
31. Don’t over-claim expertise; the program seeks lifelong learners.
32. Address mis-steps or pivots you made. Considering these shows maturity.
33. Don’t over-emphasize the particulars of your resume; the reviewers already have your transcript and activities list. Use essays for depth. 

In the essay on how the Voyager Scholarship (financial aid,  Summer Voyage travel, 10-year travel credit, coaching and networking) will help you realize your public service path: 

34. Don’t treat benefits generically (“I enjoy travel”) or ignore budget or logistics.
35. Avoid only describing what you’ll gain from the program rather than what you aim to give, how it will empower you to act.
36. Connect each benefit to a deliverable (“With the $10k stipend and $4.2k housing credit, I’ll pilot a 6-week tribal broadband mapping internship” “With the monthly mentorship I will”; “the 10-year travel credit will support annual field visits to”).
37. For the Summer Voyage, propose a feasible 6+ week plan that includes timeline, partners, outputs and a sketch of the budget.
38. Make the Summer Voyage legible (“With the summer voyage stipend I will”).
39. Avoid Over-emphasizing the stipend or travel in isolation, rather than the mission and impact.
40. Don’t hand-wave logistics; the staff must approve plans and budget.
41. Avoid Only describing what you’ll gain from the program rather than what you aim to give/act.
42. Reiterate here your commitment: why public service matters to you, how this program is a stepping-stone and how you plan to give back/ contribute (both to your community and to the program’s network).
43. Leave the reviewer with a sense of you as a thoughtful, committed, collaborative leader with trajectory. 

In the essay that asks you to define “building bridges” in the context of public service and describe how you will do it: 

44. Make your “bridge-building” explicit: explain how you will cross boundaries (geographic, cultural, sectoral, ideological).
45. Describe specific stories that demonstrate your exercise of values-based leadership –when you convened a group, listened across difference, changed your mind or strategy based on feedback and how you measured results.
46. Avoid clichés (“I learned leadership means”); instead, anchor your insights in actual situations.
47. Use concrete stories with roles, outcomes, reflections.
48. Don’t hide the real situation and your role by overusing jargon or abstract language.
49. Emphasize collaboration: Discuss how you engaged with others (not just “I did this”), to build bridges between communities, disciplines or stakeholders.
50. Avoid a one-person hero narrative (“I fixed everything myself”) without team or community context.
51. Link your past → present → and future, for example,  your service experience → to what you learned → to how you will apply it → and how the scholarship enables it.
52. Don’t over-promise unrealistic outcomes; provide evidence of realist considerations and planning.
53. Highlight curiosity and lifelong learning by describing times you stepped into a new field, asked awkward questions, unlearned something or deliberately expanded your horizons.
54. Show self-awareness: Discuss what you don’t know yet, how you plan to learn, how the program will help.  

For the essay on personal, family or unusual circumstances that have shaped your identity, values or commitment to service: 

55. Be honest, concise and specific.
56. Describe what the circumstance was, when it happened, how it impacted you academically, personally or in terms of service and what you learned from it.
57. Describe how this experience or circumstance shaped your values or leadership orientation.
58. Explain how it has impacted your public-service goals: Describe how this experience deepened your commitment or sparked the vision you now hold?
59. Demonstrate resilience and growth.
60. Avoid vague generalities (“I faced many challenges”) without concrete detail or clear connection to your growth.
61. Don’t dwell solely on hardship; instead, articulate how you responded or changed.
62. Avoid making excuses; instead,  demonstrate how you overcame or learned. 

For the 2-Minute Video in which you cover your story and vision for public service and explain why now and why you’re a good fit for Voyager: 

63. Speak genuinely and energetically: Show your personality, authenticity and capacity to communicate. Be present, conversational and confident.
64. Balance a conversational tone clarity and efficiency: Consider presenting one signature story and your plan going forward.
65. Assume the viewer may not know your background, so help them get to know you.
66. Consider opening with a clear hook (“From volunteering at X to realizing that Y, I now see public service as”).
67. Reiterate your vision for public service: what you want to do, why and how this scholarship will accelerate it.
68. Don’t be vague about your goals or leave the viewer with uncertainty about how you plan to achieve them (you don’t want a reviewer to watch your speech and wonder, “What do you want me to do with this?”).
69. Show alignment with the scholarship’s values: building bridges, curiosity, collaboration, service.
70. Dress appropriately and provide a simple, pleasing visual backdrop. Nothing should be fancy, overwrought or overdone. Ensure sound and light quality are decent but not over-produced.
71. Avoid focusing too much on production (over-editing, dramatic effects) rather than the clarity of message.
72. Avoid reading from your essay. The speech should complement, not replicate your essays.