Overview:
The Rhodes Trust offers the “oldest and most celebrated” international postgraduate awards for students to study at the University of Oxford. Rhodes Scholars are young leaders of outstanding character who are motivated to engage with global challenges, committed to the service of others, and show promise of becoming value-driven leaders for the world’s future.
Eligibility:
- U.S. citizen or lawful resident for at least five years at time of application
- Senior or recent alumnus/a
- Between 18 and 23 years old on October 1st the year of application
- 3.7 GPA or higher (3.8 or higher, highly recommended)
- Demonstrate leadership potential
Application Materials:
- One personal statement (750-1000 words)
- A successful personal statement will answer the following questions:
- What are your career goals and professional aspirations?
- How have your program studies or experiences at Penn State prepared you for your proposed course of study?
- What prompted you to seek further academic study in the UK/Ireland specifically? Is there a specific university or program you've identified for an application?
- How does the proposed course of study support your career goals?
- Indication of scholarship(s) for which you wish to be nominated
- Two letters of recommendation addressed to the campus evaluation committee
- List of additional letter writers and brief descriptions of the contexts in which you know each
- 6-8 additional writers for Rhodes
- 3-5 additional writers for Marshall, Mitchell and Churchill
- Curriculum vitae or resume
- Transcript(s)
Application Procedure:
Office Application Deadline - March 19, 2023
Giving that the University is required to nominate its candidates, there is an office application deadline and a campus evaluation process.
To be considered for University nomination, you must submit the materials listed above to our office via email (urfm@psu.edu). Recommenders should email us their letters directly. You will be notified in April if you've been selected to interview with the campus committee. Nominees will have a chance to revise their materials, as desired, prior to final submission.
National Application Deadline – TBD
Application materials required by the Rhodes Trust must be submitted directly using the online application system. Nominees must register the director of the Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring Office as the endorser so that the office can upload the accompanying letter of institutional endorsement.