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Provided
by: eGrad.com
A foolproof guide to finding fellowships and grants to graduate
school.
Grants and fellowships are set up by families and organizations
to grant students the opportunity to pursue some interest.
These funds come at no cost to the recipient and usually help
sponsor some activity that both the foundation and the student
are interested in.
Many schools don't often accommodate time spent abroad, and
there is no better way to get away from it all than with money
you didn't have to earn. But grants and fellowships are not
rewards. They aim to fulfill a student's goals and plans,
plans that must be definite and clear. As a result, finding
and applying for the fellowship that best suits you takes
a lot of time and legwork. The key to the entire process is
research - your own research.
Fellowships and grants are often categorized as both academic
and purposeful travel.
Academic Fellowships
The Rhodes, Marshall and Fullbright fellowships fall under
this category. If you think you might be a candidate for these
fellowships (be aware that the Marshall has a cut off grade
point average of 3.7), make sure you prepare early. The first
deadline for the Rhodes and Marshall creeps up in mid September.
You don't have to be a straight-A student and an extracurricular
maniac to get an academic grant. Countless other grants provide
funding for one or two years worth of tuition, room, and board
at a foreign university. Some programs integrate independent
research requirements with master's requirements. If you're
interested in academic funding, you will probably have to
go through not only the grant application process, but also
the admissions process at a foreign university.
Universities around the world often offer their own academic
scholarships for international students. If there is a specific
university where you want to study, get in touch with their
admissions office and ask about funding. Make sure you find
out what "partial funding" means when it applies.
Purposeful Travel
Many grants support enlightening travel experiences for graduates
who want to broaden their horizons. If you don't have a specific
academic project in mind, these grants fund nonacademic and
work-related activities across the border. It is perfectly
acceptable, even desirable, to propose a project of personal
interest.
The Application Process
Although fellowships applications are designed to identify
the best possible candidates out of an enormous pool of applicants,
the application itself speaks otherwise. The questions are
general and boring. It is your responsibility to make yourself
stand out as applications don't bring an ounce of creativity
to the table. The essay portion of the applications is the
best chance to capturing the attention of the readers. Don't
be fooled by the brevity of these applications. It may seem
like a breeze after applying to colleges, but the trick is
to find a way to represent yourself completely in one 200-
to 1,000-word essay.
Recommendations
Most fellowships only require two or three letters, though
the Rhodes requires up to eight. Several relatively general
letters can be kept on file in a senior tutor's office. Chances
are if you are applying for one fellowship, you will be applying
for several, and you don't want to hassle the same recommenders
for new letters every time you need one.
Not all fellowships require recommendations written by academic
faculty. Having a nonacademic recommendation may help add
to the depth of your personal profile. Try to find someone
who has experience writing these kinds of letters to ensure
it is well written and compelling.
Interviews
Although not all fellowships require an interview, you should
be prepared to go through this stage of the application process
if necessary. This interview can make or break you. Reading
interview reports of former grant recipients is a good way
to get an idea of what lies ahead. If you've made it to the
finals for the Rhodes or Marshall, it is possible to get a
listing of members on the interview panel by contacting the
consulate.
Tips
- Prepare early: As you can tell applying for a grant takes
a lot of work. Preparing ahead of time makes the task less
daunting midsemester.
- Make the Deadlines: There is no worse way to make an impression
on recommenders, tutors and other support networks than
to make last minute requests for help.
- Adhere to each competitions rules: These competitions
are strict, and there is very little patience for those
who bend the rules. Don't exceed the word limits, and don't
submit extra materials.
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