Rhodes Scholarship (Great Britain)

Website: www.rhodesscholar.org

Campus Contact: Nate Eastman, Associate Professor of English, eastmna@earlham.edu

This fellowship requires an institutional endorsement. A copy of all materials must be submitted by the Campus Deadline to enable the Earlham Fellowship Liaison to write an institutional letter of endorsement.

Who May Apply

All Earlham students, international and U.S., are eligible to apply for the Rhodes, although your application must be made to the appropriate Rhodes Constituency. See the list of Constituencies here.

Successful applicants tend to have at least a 3.8 GPA. Candidates are selected according to the criteria outlined in the will of Cecil B. Rhodes. (In no particular order, these include: academic achievement, fondness for physical activity/excellence in sports, significant commitment to service and the welfare of others, demonstrated leadership skills). Applicants’ proposed courses of study must be available at Oxford. Through the years, Rhodes Scholars have pursued studies in all of the varied fields offered by the University of Oxford.

Application Pool Description

Highly competitive. There are a limited number of spots for applicants from each Constituency, as shown in the page linked above. The U.S. Constituency is further subdivided in 9 regions of the U.S. Because the pool is so competitive, applicants must plan to spend substantial time drafting and revising the necessary statements, working with mentors and the Campus Contact listed above.

Eligibility Limitations

Applicants must be Earlham students applying through the Earlham internal process, the recipients of a B.A. no later than October 1 of the year that the award begins, and at least 18 and no older than 24 years of age by October 1. Being awarded a Rhodes Scholarship does not guarantee admission to Oxford University – if granted a Rhodes, candidates will still need to apply to your preferred academic program at Oxford.

Award Description and Duration

Rhodes Scholarships are “investments in individuals rather than in project proposals.” It is hoped that scholars will carry out a “promise of effective service to the world in the decades ahead.” Rhodes Scholars are elected for two years of study at the University of Oxford, with the possibility of renewal for a third year. All educational costs, such as matriculation, tuition, laboratory and certain other fees, are paid on the Scholar’s behalf by the Rhodes Trustees. In addition, each Scholar receives a maintenance allowance adequate to meet necessary expenses for term-time and vacations. The Rhodes Trustees cover the necessary costs of travel to and from Oxford, and upon application, may approve additional grants for research purposes or study-related travel.

Application Requirements and Earlham Deadlines

Deadlines vary by Constituency and can be as early as the summer before your senior year. The liaison submits the campus endorsement. In addition to the campus endorsement (mailed by Earlham), five to eight letters of reference are required.

Final Deadline

While it is essential to receive an institutional endorsement, it is up to the student to forward her or his application and essay directly to the appropriate Constituency office.

Notification

State finalists are notified around the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday and are invited to interview in early December. Those selected by the State to represent a region proceed almost immediately to the regional interview. The cost of the state interview is the candidate’s responsibility; Rhodes pays for regional and national interviews.

Essay Questions

Most Rhodes Constituencies ask for three short essays that speak to individual selection criteria, but the exact nature of these essays varies by Constituency.

Recipients

  • 2020 Summia Tora (Economics and Peace & Global Studies majors; Global Constituency)
  • 2016 Hashem Abushama (Economics and Peace & Global Studies majors; Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine Constituency)