Marshall Scholarship*Gustavus Fellowships Office

Initial Gustavus Deadline: September 8, 2009 (noon)
Campus Interview: September 11, 2009
Final Gustavus Deadline: September 28, 2009 (noon)
Web site: www.marshallscholarship.org
Campus Contact: Alisa Rosenthal, Fellowships Coordinator

Description

Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom. Up to 40 Scholars are selected each year to study at graduate level at an UK institution in any field of study. Each scholarship is held for two years. As future leaders, with a lasting understanding of British society, Marshall Scholars will strengthen the enduring relationship between the British and American peoples, their governments and their institutions. Marshall Scholars are talented, independent and wide-ranging, and their time as Scholars will enhance their intellectual and personal growth. Their direct engagement with Britain through its best academic programs will contribute to their ultimate personal success. The objectives of the Marshall scholarships are:

• To enable intellectually distinguished young Americans, their country’s future leaders, to study in the UK.
• To help Scholars gain an understanding and appreciation of contemporary Britain.
• To contribute to the advancement of knowledge in science, technology, the humanities and social sciences and the creative arts at Britain’s centers of academic excellence.
• To motivate Scholars to act as ambassadors from America to the UK and vice versa throughout their lives thus strengthening British American understanding.
• To promote the personal and academic fulfillment of each Scholar.

Benefits

The total value of a Marshall Scholarship varies a little according to the circumstances (subject area, place of residence, marital status, etc.) of each Fellow but the figure tends to average to be about £23,000 a year. Please see the Web site for complete details.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be citizens of the United States of America (at the time they apply for a scholarship).
• By the time they take up their scholarship (i.e. September 2010), applicants must hold their first undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year college or university in the United States.
• Applicants must have obtained a grade point average of not less than 3.7 (or A-) on their undergraduate degree. (Exceptions will be considered only on the specific recommendation of the sponsoring college.)
• Applicants must have graduated from their first undergraduate college or university after April 2006.
• Applicants must not have studied for, or hold a degree or degree-equivalent qualification from a British University.

Gustavus’ Internal Selection Process

Students are encouraged to read “Advice for Rhodes, Marshall, and Gates Cambridge Scholarships” in the Advice section of the GFO website for tips on putting together a competitive application. By the INITIAL GUSTAVUS DEADLINE (see above), applicants must submit five collated packets of the materials listed below to the Gustavus Fellowships Office. The Committee will review these materials and interview all applicants deemed competitive. Based on the submitted materials and interview, the Committee will decide which applications will receive Gustavus’ endorsement.

• Personal Statement (1000 words)
• Statement of Proposed Academic Program (500 words)
• Unofficial transcript (print off of WebAdvisor)
• Current resume
• Four letters of recommendation

Materials for Final Consideration

If you receive Gustavus’ nomination, it is your responsibility to continue revising and collecting your material and to remind people writing your recommendations of all dates and deadlines. By the FINAL GUSTAVUS DEADLINE nominees must:

• Electronically submit a completed, online Marshall Scholarships Application form, which includes:
  • Information about the applicant
  • Personal Statement (1,000 words)
  • Statement of Proposed Academic Program (500 words)
  • Four letters of recommendation (two of which must be academic). The people that are named as Recommenders are contacted by the online system via email with a login which allows them to enter their letter on to the system. The form for these letters is word limited to 1000 words (approximately two pages). Anything over this will be not be accepted. The form provided will allow recommenders to type directly into the form or copy and paste a Word document. They will also be able to edit and save their letters as often as they wish until they submit it.
  • A letter of endorsement from the applicant’s university or college (or employer if no longer a student), which the Gustavus Fellowships Office will request on the applicant’s behalf. Applicants will be able to see when their letter of endorsement has been uploaded, but the contents of this will not be made available to you.
  • Provide an original copy of official college transcript(s) to the Gustavus Fellowships Office, which will submit these documents on the applicant’s behalf (must be received by the Foundation no later than October 2, 2009).

Please note that applicants are responsible for all photocopying needed for the internal selection process and as required by the foundation.