In a strong application, the separate components of the application fit together well, and offer a convincing composite picture of your strengths.

Your application may be compared to hundreds of others. It will likely be read by several groups of people during the selection process. To ensure that you are conveying the impression you intend, consult with as many people as possible as you put together your application package. A strong application will stand out from the crowd, and will impress a variety of people.

There are many people available to help you put together an effective application package.

• The Assistant Director, Fellowships in 103 Barnes Hall can offer advice, application strategy tips, and mock interviews. Email ccs-fellowships@cornell.edu
• The essay(s) are the most important part of your application. Plan on writing at least two drafts over several weeks and requesting feedback on the drafts from more than one person.  Ask one or two of your professors to read your drafts. Bring your work to the Knight Institute Writing Workshop for advice.  Ask one of your First-Year Writing Seminar instructors for feedback. 
• Faculty in your field can do more than write letters of recommendation. They may have experience sitting on fellowship selection committees, and be able to give you an “insider’s” point of view. Get their advice on which fellowships to target. Ask them to critique your personal statement. Ask if they are in contact with former students who have won one of the fellowships you’re targeting.

Letters of Recommendation Process

Identify recommenders

• Who know the things about you that you would like to emphasize.  
• Know your work from more than one class, or have seen you excel in more than one situation.  
• Know you both academically and personally.  
• Can say something meaningful about you; don’t choose a recommender just because he or she has a big reputation.

What recommenders need to do

They should be able to:

• Speak about you and your work in some detail, from personal experience. 
• Give concrete examples of times when you showed your strongest qualities. 
• Rank your qualities and achievements relative to those of other students (longtime faculty can do this more convincingly than TA’s).

Talking to potential recommenders

Make an appointment with each recommender you are considering.

Tell the recommender:

• Which fellowships you are applying for. 
• What each fellowship is looking for.

Ask the recommender:

• Whether or not they think you would make a strong candidate.  
• What they consider your strengths and weaknesses.

Once you have chosen your recommenders

Be sure they have sufficient information about the fellowship and about your plans.

Provide them with:

• A copy of your academic and extracurricular record. 
• A copy of your personal statement.
• A description of the fellowship’s intent and selection criteria.

Show your appreciation of their efforts on your behalf:

• Give them 3—4 weeks to write the letter(s). 
• Write a thank you note.  
• Keep them informed of your progress.

Personal Statements

Crafting Your Essay

The personal statement is an essay, generally under 1,000 words, which is designed to give the selection committee a sense of who you are and how closely your goals and strengths match the ideals of a specific fellowship. In this essay you have a great deal of flexibility on how to organize and present your thoughts.

Basic Points

• Your qualifications for the given fellowship.  
• How the fellowship fits in with your personal and professional goals.

A personal statement is generally most effective when it concentrates on:

• An issue or experience that you feel strongly about, or one that has helped to shape who you are. 
• A significant accomplishment or contribution you have made to your field or community.

What is the selection committee looking for in your statement?  

A selection committee may read hundreds of application essays back-to-back in a short period of time. Readers are looking for essays that:

• Make sense—logically, grammatically, thematically.  
• Engage their attention.  
• Provide substantive and relevant information.  
• Stand out from the crowd.

How to get started

Write down two or three experiences you feel have shaped who you are. Write down two or three significant problems you have faced and how you solved them. Then look for patterns.

• What values keep popping up.  
• What interests. 
• What strengths and skills.

Now take a look at your transcript

• How does your coursework express your interests and talents.  
• How has it developed them.

The writing process

Try several different approaches until you find one that feels right. Revise, revise, revise! If you need help on structure, visit the Writing Workshop.

As you write, show your essay to people who know you well and ask if it accurately expresses who you are. Be sure to show your essay to faculty advisors before you send off a final version.

Some common pitfalls

Weak essays generally share one or more of the following characteristics:

• Melodramatic or self-congratulatory statements. 
• Vague, abstract ideals.  
• Laundry lists of achievements.  
• Jargon and specialized vocabulary.  
• Misspelled words.  
• Poor grammar. 
• Convoluted syntax.

Project Proposal

How to Prepare Your Project Proposal or Plan of Study

Selection committees want to award money to candidates who will use it well. A project proposal or plan of study is often required when a fellowship allows flexibility on how and where awards will be spent.

The project proposal or plan of study

• A concrete plan of study or research.  
• Your goals.  
• The facilities or program that will provide you with the means to achieve those goals.
• An elaboration of how qualified you are to achieve those goals.  
• A statement describing how your plans for the fellowship fit in with your personal and professional goals.

Shaping your project

A strong proposal or plan is well-researched and shows an awareness of current activity in the field. To make sure that your project makes sense for the program or place you have targeted, consult with:

• Facility or academic department you are interested in.  
• Professors in your field of interest.  
• People who have actually studied in the program or place you are targeting.  
• People who have carried out similar projects or programs of study.

Be sure to show your essay to a faculty advisor in your field before you send off a final version.

The Interview

Generally speaking, the more competitive a fellowship is, the more likely that it will require an interview as part of the selection process. Highly prestigious fellowships may demand more than one interview. What can you expect in the interview?

Interviews are as various as the interviewers who give them. You can expect, however, that discussion will be based primarily on your application materials, and on your plans for the fellowship and the future.

What can I do to prepare for the Interview?

Preparation and practice before the interview will help you feel less anxious and will increase your chances of success.

• Reread your application. Know your essay, activities, transcript, and academic plan of study thoroughly. Your interviewers will.   
• Reread the description of the fellowship provided in the application packet. Pay attention to the origin and intent of the award, and think about how you fit in with those goals.   
• Outline a general strategy: things about yourself you would like to emphasize, topics you would like to concentrate on.   
• Practice! Ask faculty to give you a practice interview. Or brainstorm a list of potential questions and ask your roommate to “interview” you. Record the discussion so you can listen to yourself later.

How should I act during the interview?

Keep a sense of humor. The fact that you are there for the interview is proof that the committee thinks highly of you. Share your thoughts, energy, and enthusiasm with your interviewers. Body language is important—as much for you as for the interviewers.

• Breathe deeply.   
• Smile and look each interviewer in the eye.   
• Sit tall.   
• Take your time.   
• Be honest and straightforward.   
• Take pride in your accomplishments.   
• Share your convictions.   
• Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” or to ask for clarification.

Transcripts / Records

Fellowship selection committees are looking for students who spend their time purposefully, creatively, and energetically, not students who do things “just to build a resume.”

Your transcript should show both breadth of interest and a certain depth of expertise in at least one field, as evidenced in your choice of courses and in your grades. Your list of activities should show that you are more than “just a bookworm,” and that you have varied interests. Positions of leadership in one or more groups, or a clear commitment to a single cause or activity will add weight to your application. Honors and awards, publications, and research offer clear evidence of your intellectual energy and talent, and will make your application stand out.

Your academic and extracurricular record includes

• A copy of your transcript
• GRE scores (if required by the fellowship)
• A list of your principal activities outside of class (clubs, sports, public service, organizational affiliations, etc.)
• Honors and awards
• Publications
• Research