Why Apply?Gustavus Fellowships Office

At Gustavus, we believe that the process of applying for a nationally competitive fellowship can be transformative and is as important as the outcome. These fellowships are extremely competitive and putting together an application is time-consuming and difficult work. Only thirty-two Rhodes, approximately 75 Truman Scholarships, and fewer than 60 Javits Fellowships are awarded each year, and hundreds, even thousands of qualified candidates apply for these and other prestigious scholarships. The odds are against you. So why apply? It's a reasonable question.

A huge number of applicants self-select out of the process precisely for this reason. Sure, it is a long shot, but the fact is that someone will win. Why not you? Each year, students at institutions with no previous scholarship winners garner a Marshall or a Goldwater Scholarship. Gustavus students already have an impressive record of winning national and international scholarships over the years, and there is no reason you shouldn't add yourself to the list.

Applications are more than forms: they represent a process that includes research, homework, and self-evaluation. Why should you put yourself through a process that will take precious time from schoolwork and your already-limited personal life? Because the benefits are significant. Regardless of whether or not you're awarded a scholarship, you'll emerge from the application process with a stronger sense of who you are and a clearer vision of what you want to do.

When you apply for many national fellowships, you write a personal essay and study proposal: in essence, a selective life history and a short-term plan for the next few years of your life. For other fellowship applications, you will be expected to provide this same information in a series of shorter answers to questions about what you want to do and why. It's hard work—it requires time, sweat, and occasional tears, and some self-doubt—but it can also be a rewarding and intensely satisfying process. You will be required to put your deepest convictions into words, to step outside yourself, to think about what is ultimately of most importance to you. You must evaluate where you're standing now, and consider both what your ultimate destination might be and what you must do in order to get there.

The Gustavus Fellowships Office, along with faculty mentors, will guide you through an application process that will prove to be a meaningful learning experience. We will support you through rigorous self-assessment and reflection needed to write a strong personal statement and project description, both required by every national fellowship application. For example, what can you point to in your past that demonstrates that you possess the qualities of mind and character that a particular foundation seeks in their fellowship recipients? Can you concisely articulate not only what your goals are, but why? Given all your options, why must you enroll in a particular program or course of study? In addition, the application process often includes an interview, which provides an opportunity for you to reduce interview anxiety, improve your interview skills, gain important feedback about how you interview, and sharpen your communication skills. If you are willing to commit the time and energy to your national fellowships application, you will learn about yourself, gain better presentation skills, and be able to clearly articulate appropriately ambitious plans for your future. Regardless of where your life takes you after Gustavus—graduate school, an internship, paid employment, or a national fellowship—these skills will serve you well.