George J. Mitchell Scholarship
The George J. Mitchell Scholarships are named in honor of the former United States Senator who served as Chairman of the peace negotiations in Northern Ireland. Under his leadership, an historic accord, ending decades of conflict, was agreed upon by the governments of Ireland and the United Kingdom and the political parties of Northern Ireland in 1998.
Mitchell Scholars are eligible to attend institutions of higher learning in Ireland, including the seven universities in the Republic of Ireland and the two universities in Northern Ireland, for one academic year of graduate study. The Scholarships provide tuition, board, a travel allowance, and a generous stipend to cover other expenses. Between 200 and 250 applications are made each year for approximately 12 scholarships.
Prospective Scholars must have a demonstrated record of intellectual distinction, leadership, and extracurricular activity, as well as personal characteristics of honesty, integrity, fairness, and unselfish service to others, thus indicating a potential for future leadership and contribution to society.
There are no restrictions as to academic field of study although the proposed course of study must be available at the university elected by the applicant and the applicant's undergraduate program must provide sufficient basis for study in the proposed field. Previous educational or personal experience in Ireland or Northern Ireland is usually not a factor in selection. Because the Mitchell Scholarships seek, however, to introduce Ireland to outstanding young Americans, they will favor, among otherwise equally qualified candidates, those without prior experience there.
To be eligible, an applicant must: be a U.S. citizen; have earned a Bachelor's degree before beginning study under the Mitchell Scholarship; and, must be at least 18 years of age but not yet 30 years old.
The Mitchell is a highly competitive scholarship, and work on the application should begin during the spring semester of the junior year. The completed application consists of:
- resume;
- college transcript;
- evidence of U.S. citizenship;
- five to eight letters of recommendation; and
- 1,000-word personal statement of intellectual interests and proposed program of study in Ireland.
Applications must be submitted for review by the Campus Coordinator and the Mitchell Advisory Committee no later than April 17, 2006. Applicants who are full-time students at the time of application must apply through the UK Office of External Scholarships and secure UK?s endorsement; the Mitchell Scholarship program will not accept applications submitted independently by students.
The deadline for applications in the 2005 competition (class of 2007), which are submitted online, is October 10. Finalists will be notified in early November and invited for interviews in Washington, D.C. in the third week of November. Interviewees must be present; no phone interviews are granted. Applicants for the Mitchell Class of 2008 should expect a similar timeline.
For additional information about the Mitchell Scholarships and the application process, see http://www.us-irelandalliance.org/scholarships.html.
