Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright, and other post-grad scholarships?

[Anonymous]

(Same PP) And most funding for grad school comes from the grad program itself, not major external fellowships.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't say that these scholarships are only for people at elite colleges. But some elite colleges offer more guidance to students because they have had lots of winners and are familiar with the process. But these programs are very selective and for elite students and for Rhodes and Marshall, the selections are made by committees by different geographic areas. So it's "easier" to be selected if you're studying in Oklahoma than in Maryland.

The profiles of selected Rhodes Scholars and Marshall scholars are usually online or in news articles from the universities they're selected from. Read them--is your daughter of that caliber of selected students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I won a Fulbright from a no name college. But I had a nearly perfect GPA and was fluent in the local language. If you don’t speak the language of the host country, you don’t have a chance of getting award. That leaves only English-speaking countries as your options, and those awards are extraordinarily competitive.

You can get Fulbrights to countries where you may not speak the language, especially for the English Teaching Assistant position. It usually helps your case to do so, but if it's a small country and/or a language that's not commonly taught in the US, then it isn't held against you. I know kids going to the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Greece, Indonesia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, etc who haven't ever formally studied the language nor speak it at home. Even some of the Taiwan Fulbright ETAs majored in other languages in fact and may only have rudimentary Mandarin from a year of classes or so. Meet with the fellowship advisor on campus, a lot of people don't speak additional languages, and they still have options. There's also no GPA cutoff, being a better student always helps your case, but it doesn't have the rigid requirements that other fellowships have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won a Fulbright from a no name college. But I had a nearly perfect GPA and was fluent in the local language. If you don’t speak the language of the host country, you don’t have a chance of getting award. That leaves only English-speaking countries as your options, and those awards are extraordinarily competitive.

You can get Fulbrights to countries where you may not speak the language, especially for the English Teaching Assistant position. It usually helps your case to do so, but if it's a small country and/or a language that's not commonly taught in the US, then it isn't held against you. I know kids going to the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Greece, Indonesia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, etc who haven't ever formally studied the language nor speak it at home. Even some of the Taiwan Fulbright ETAs majored in other languages in fact and may only have rudimentary Mandarin from a year of classes or so. Meet with the fellowship advisor on campus, a lot of people don't speak additional languages, and they still have options. There's also no GPA cutoff, being a better student always helps your case, but it doesn't have the rigid requirements that other fellowships have.

The teaching assistant Fulbrights are generally viewed as far less prestigious.

[Anonymous]

I read fellowship applications for one of these programs several years ago (I am a former award winner.) my sense is that the kids from the no name college who are not getting good advice sometimes get dinged and screened out early in the selection program because their applications are much less focused.

The girl from Harvard will say “I am interested in disability studies and this is why I need to do this program in Ireland and not one in the US. And I spoke with this professor from Limerick and here is a letter from her in support of my application, etc.” Other example: guy from Ivy Leagus school interested in “how the justice system deals with people whose crimes may be politically motivated” and then talks at length about a senior thesis he already wrote which references a number of novels that deal with political criminals, etc.

Kids from small schools will apply for a grad degree in English or politics and often don’t realize that a particular school is strong in linguistics or critical theory or a specific approach -so that even if it has the program they want, they are not a match with that approach etc. Idealy the student will have read work by the professors in the program and will have correspondence with the professor and we tend not to see that from the small schools. The faculty letters are also often more generic and much weaker.
remember also that often you are competing with at large applicants who are older and have more real world experience. You have to be as focus as they are!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From my DD's experience applying, the Rhodes seemed slightly more elitist. There were 16 finalists in her district and only three were from public schools. For the Marshall, they were much more welcoming and had more state school representation. They even expanded the # of scholars from 40 to 50! But, to have any shot at these scholarships you need a good narrative for "Why Oxford" or "Why UK" and you really do have to be a superstar. The state university should have a fellowships office to advise her along the way. My DD ended up winning one of them a few years ago, and it was a wonderful experience for her.

So they list "finalists" (not necessarily selectees) and their schools? Could you post a link?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As far as only elite college students getting these, that's a correlation not causation, those colleges admit more go getters who would've gotten these from any school.

What about all those donut hole kids who only chose to go to a state school for financial reasons?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As far as only elite college students getting these, that's a correlation not causation, those colleges admit more go getters who would've gotten these from any school.

What about all those donut hole kids who only chose to go to a state school for financial reasons?

That's life. That's the way the cookie crumbles. Ya know the cold, harsh Truth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As far as only elite college students getting these, that's a correlation not causation, those colleges admit more go getters who would've gotten these from any school.

What about all those donut hole kids who only chose to go to a state school for financial reasons?

They lose out. At this and the top-law & top-med advice, and the personalized phD faculty recs, and everything else an elite school offers. Elite schools provide need to families with upwards of 200k HHI. Families who are so called "donut hole" make a ton of money compared to the average household in the US and many of them COULD afford elite if they wanted to. They chose not to. And that choice has consequences. Families with actual financial need are well provided for by elite schools who are very generous with meeting full need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read fellowship applications for one of these programs several years ago (I am a former award winner.) my sense is that the kids from the no name college who are not getting good advice sometimes get dinged and screened out early in the selection program because their applications are much less focused.

The girl from Harvard will say “I am interested in disability studies and this is why I need to do this program in Ireland and not one in the US. And I spoke with this professor from Limerick and here is a letter from her in support of my application, etc.” Other example: guy from Ivy Leagus school interested in “how the justice system deals with people whose crimes may be politically motivated” and then talks at length about a senior thesis he already wrote which references a number of novels that deal with political criminals, etc.

Kids from small schools will apply for a grad degree in English or politics and often don’t realize that a particular school is strong in linguistics or critical theory or a specific approach -so that even if it has the program they want, they are not a match with that approach etc. Idealy the student will have read work by the professors in the program and will have correspondence with the professor and we tend not to see that from the small schools. The faculty letters are also often more generic and much weaker.
remember also that often you are competing with at large applicants who are older and have more real world experience. You have to be as focus as they are!

+100
sigh.

[Anonymous]

The most direct path to a Rhodes is through the Truman Scholarship. Many students from State and lower tiered universities qualify for both every year, but doing so takes effort and specific qualifications. Your DC must also have support from a professor that understands the process and can serve as a mentor. Grades are only part of it. Do some research. It’s doable if your DC is talented and understands all that is required.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won a Fulbright from a no name college. But I had a nearly perfect GPA and was fluent in the local language. If you don’t speak the language of the host country, you don’t have a chance of getting award. That leaves only English-speaking countries as your options, and those awards are extraordinarily competitive.

You can get Fulbrights to countries where you may not speak the language, especially for the English Teaching Assistant position. It usually helps your case to do so, but if it's a small country and/or a language that's not commonly taught in the US, then it isn't held against you. I know kids going to the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Greece, Indonesia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, etc who haven't ever formally studied the language nor speak it at home. Even some of the Taiwan Fulbright ETAs majored in other languages in fact and may only have rudimentary Mandarin from a year of classes or so. Meet with the fellowship advisor on campus, a lot of people don't speak additional languages, and they still have options. There's also no GPA cutoff, being a better student always helps your case, but it doesn't have the rigid requirements that other fellowships have.

The teaching assistant Fulbrights are generally viewed as far less prestigious.

That's true, I just mentioned it because ETA positions do constitute a large portion of Fulbright fellowships offered and awarded and colleges do announce all of their recipients together usually. (On that note, I think it is interesting that both Dartmouth and Yale have a ton of ETAs, rather than study/research recipients. https://news.yale.edu/2024/05/30/twenty-seven-graduating-seniors-recent-yale-college-alums-win-fulbrights) That being said, a non-ETA Fulbright award does seem more accessible and attainable to a high-achieving student at a state school or non-T20 college than some of the other nationally-competitive fellowships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From my DD's experience applying, the Rhodes seemed slightly more elitist. There were 16 finalists in her district and only three were from public schools. For the Marshall, they were much more welcoming and had more state school representation. They even expanded the # of scholars from 40 to 50! But, to have any shot at these scholarships you need a good narrative for "Why Oxford" or "Why UK" and you really do have to be a superstar. The state university should have a fellowships office to advise her along the way. My DD ended up winning one of them a few years ago, and it was a wonderful experience for her.

So they list "finalists" (not necessarily selectees) and their schools? Could you post a link?

PP: they did not list finalists, but at the group interview/coffee hour/dinner, they all introduced themselves and what school they were at

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:(Same PP) And most funding for grad school comes from the grad program itself, not major external fellowships.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As far as only elite college students getting these, that's a correlation not causation, those colleges admit more go getters who would've gotten these from any school.

What about all those donut hole kids who only chose to go to a state school for financial reasons?

They lose out. At this and the top-law & top-med advice, and the personalized phD faculty recs, and everything else an elite school offers. Elite schools provide need to families with upwards of 200k HHI. Families who are so called "donut hole" make a ton of money compared to the average household in the US and many of them COULD afford elite if they wanted to. They chose not to. And that choice has consequences. Families with actual financial need are well provided for by elite schools who are very generous with meeting full need.

Ugh! not you again.