Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship Program was established through a bequest of the late Cecil Rhodes, to give promising young leaders and scholars from seventeen different countries the opportunity to study (in any academic field) for two to three years at Oxford University. Thirty-two scholarships are awarded each year, four each in eight geographical regions in the United States. They provide all fees and tuition at Oxford, plus an annual personal allowance. In addition to the immediate rewards of the Oxford experience, being a Rhodes Scholar carries a distinction that follows the winner throughout life.
Rhodes Scholars may pursue any field of study at Oxford, as long as they are enrolled in a recognized degree program. The criteria that the regional selection committees apply in choosing Rhodes Scholars are defined in the will of Cecil Rhodes. The successful candidate must:
- demonstrate wide-ranging academic excellence as reflected in his or her overall academic record and in other ways;
- show qualities of moral leadership and social purpose; and
- show an aptitude or interest in some variety of athletic activity appropriate for the vigor required in public life. Distinction in collegiate athletics is not required, but does add strength to an application.
To be eligible, an applicant must: be a U.S. citizen; have earned a Bachelor's degree before beginning study at Oxford; and, must be at least 18 years of age but not yet 24 years old. Students who are not U.S. citizens but are from other countries where Rhodes Scholarships are awarded may also be eligible for Rhodes competition. Please see the Rhodes Scholarships website, http://www.rhodesscholar.org, for a list of these countries.
The Rhodes is a highly competitive scholarship, and work on the application should begin during the spring semester of the junior year.
Applicants for Rhodes Scholarships must be endorsed by the University of Kentucky. The nomination process includes a preliminary application to the UK Office of External Scholarships, due by April 17, 2006, and an interview, by invitation. Nominees to the 2006 Rhodes Scholarship competition are expected to work on their applications over the summer and early weeks of fall semester 2006 and to consult with the Office of External Scholarships as they proceed.
The timeline is generally as follows: endorsed candidates submit applications to the Rhodes Trust in early October (10/3 for 2005); interviews for selected finalists are scheduled in November; decisions are announced in late November or early December.
The preliminary Rhodes application* consists of
- c.v.
- personal statement of no more than 1,000 words that includes a rationale for studying at Oxford;
- academic transcript(s) (unofficial copies are acceptable for the internal competition); and
- four letters of recommendation.
*If you are also applying for nomination to the Marshall Scholarship competition, you may submit the following materials as a preliminary application for nomination to both competitions:
- c.v.
- personal statement of no more than 1,000 words;
- statement of proposed study (indicating programs to which you'd apply) of no more than 500 words (see also http://www.educationuk.org/ and http://www.rae.ac.uk/ when preparing this statement);
- academic transcript(s) (unofficial copies are acceptable for the internal competition); and
- four letters of recommendation.
For additional information about the Rhodes Scholarships, see www.rhodesscholar.org
