Prestigious International Fellowships
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- Prestigious International Fellowships
International fellowships are significant financial awards granted to recently graduated or graduate students to support study, research/projects, or work abroad. Eligible students are selected through a competitive application process. In many cases, you can apply for these awards in your last year of undergraduate study. Some of the application steps must be completed by RIT, so it is important that you connect with the International Fellowships office for our support. We also work with RIT alumni. Contact Jenny Sullivan at jenny.sullivan@rit.edu about your intent to apply.
Advising Services
The RIT Education Abroad and International Fellowships office can provide:
- Resources such as webinars, videos and workshops about award specifics, application tips, etc.
- Individualized coaching on the development project ideas.
- Connections to potential partners.
- Assistance navigating application processes for you and your collaborators.
- Hands-on proofreading and review of application materials.
Key Opportunities
- Fulbright: Funds up to one year abroad to earn a Master’s degree, conduct research or work as English Teaching Assistant.
- DAAD Rise Professional: Summer research internships in Germany for Master’s and PhD students studying science and engineering.
- Boren Fellowship: Fund research and language study proposals by U.S. graduate students in world regions critical to U.S. interests.
- Critical Language Scholarship: Funds summer study abroad opportunities for American undergraduate and graduate students to learn critical languages.
- Marshall: Funds American students to earn a graduate degree at a university in the United Kingdom in any field of study.
- Mitchell: Funds American students to earn a graduate degree at a university in Ireland in any field of study.
- Rhodes: Funds American students to earn a graduate degree at the University of Oxford in any field of study.
- Gates Cambridge: Funds American students to earn a graduate degree at the University of Cambridge in any field of study.
- Schwarzman: Funds American students to earn a one-year master’s degree from Tsinghua University in China.
Application Tips
Consider these tips when preparing your scholarship/fellowship application.
- Some application processes can be quite rigorous and take six months or more to develop your project ideas, outreach to international partners, etc. To stay on track, break down the process into manageable milestones.
- Start early! Between essay revisions, requesting recommendations etc. for many scholarships/fellowships, it takes time to create a competitive application.
- Talk to or research others who have won/applied for your fellowship and learn from their experiences. Learn about past awardees.
- Make sure you meet all eligibility requirements and are committed to all the scholarship/fellowship requirements.
- Request your official transcripts EARLY from all of the colleges/universities you have received academic credit.
- Take advantage of the resources on campus to help you including librarians, writing center, advisors, etc.
The essay components of your application are your best chance of showcasing your personality, character and skills. The essays should not be taken lightly and often need multiple drafts and revisions.
- Create an outline first. An outline will help you organize and prioritize your thoughts to help you better communicate your ideas.
- In your early drafts, don’t worry too much about the word limits. Many students stress about this from the beginning and it stunts their writing. Let the ideas flow and then spend time prioritizing, organizing, refining and eliminating repetition so you get to that word limit by the final draft.
- Consider beginning your essay with a hook that engages the reader from the beginning and makes them want to read the rest. The best hooks are relevant, personal and illustrative.
- Be specific and concrete by using examples. Instead of saying that you are motivated or passionate, describe the actions, behaviors, habits, etc. you have developed that demonstrate your motivation and passion.
- Discuss how this experience gets you closer to your long-term personal, academic and professional goals.
- Do your research on the international location and describe how you will make the most of your experience. Show that you are worthy of their investment.
- Keep your audience and purpose in mind. Address your essay to an educated non-specialist. Do not make your project proposal so field-specific that it will be difficult for readers from different disciplines to understand and care about your work.
- The tone should be neither too academic nor too personal. Be engaging, specific, and thoughtful. Eloquence is welcome, but not at the expense of substance or honesty.
- Proofread. Try different proofreading techniques such as reading the essay from the bottom up or reading it aloud. When you think it is perfect, ask someone else who edits well to read your essay.
- Consult several different readers whose comments you respect. Be prepared to take criticism and go through many drafts. Your program head, professors and fellowship advisor are great resources!
- Avoid clichés. Phrases such as “expand my horizons,” “step out of my comfort zone” and even words such as “sustainability” can be overused and lack insight. Think a bit more critically, be reflective and use specific examples to avoid sounding generic and immature.
- Choose an appropriate recommender - one who meets the requirements of the application but can also attest to your abilities as relates to the application.
- Give your recommender at least 4 weeks to write a letter and follow up with them.
- Give your recommender a copy of your resume and provide them with information about the program so that your referee can tailor the letter.
- All letters of recommendation must be on official letterhead.
- All letters of recommendation should clearly state how long they have known you and in what capacity.
- Recommendation letters should be about one-page long.
The interview is the one opportunity you get to truly demonstrate your passion and persuade your audience.
- Practice through mock interviews.
- Exhibit professionalism by dressing in formal business attire, arriving early, making eye contact and maintaining good posture.
- Beware of nervous habits (chewing on lip, curling hair, cracking knuckles, etc.) and speak with good diction, tone and at an acceptable speed.
- Research your country, current events and current updates related to your research or topic of interest and be prepared to answer questions about them.
- Anticipate what questions you might be asked and prepare cohesive, well-organized responses to those questions.
- If you are caught off guard by a question, pause and think instead of launching into an ill-formed response.
- Be honest. If you do not know the answer to a particular question, admit that you do not know. Most interviews are not designed to test your factual knowledge, they are meant to assess your critical thought processes.
- Get a business card from each interview and send a hand-written thank you note a day after the interview.
- Prepare questions for you to ask the interviewing committee.
Browse All Opportunities
There are many international fellowships available for study, research, gaining professional experience, teaching and volunteering around the world. International fellowships are available for a variety of student and professional career levels. Fellowships typically have specific eligibility requirements and usually have an in-depth application process.
Use the International Fellowships search tool to find opportunities that are a good fit for you. If you are finding limited results after choosing your filters, try using fewer filters.