Marshall Scholarship

Applicants first submit their materials to a campus committee for review in August. The Cornell Faculty Endorsement Committee interviews all applicants and chooses nominees to the national competition, which is conducted by region. All applications must be processed and endorsed through the Office of National Fellowships Advising to be eligible for the competition. Endorsement decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

Selection decisions on campus and in the Marshall regions are based on the criteria below.

• A minimum GPA of 3.7. A GPA above 3.85 is generally competitive. The average GPA of Marshall Scholars in considerably higher. Students should excel in their chosen field, be widely read, and demonstrate intellectual flexibility.
• The online application asks for evidence of extracurricular interests, including service to others and leadership experience. It requires a proposal of an academic program in which applicants describe their ability to undertake the program and its role in advancing them toward their long-term goals. The application also requires Academic and Research History and short essays on leadership and ambassador potential.
• Three letters of recommendation are required. At least two should be from professors who have taught you at the undergraduate level. Your professors should be able to compare you to other students they have taught and to describe your readiness to pursue the UK degree program you have chosen. One letter may be from a person who knows you in a non-academic setting (e.g., from community work, extracurricular activity, employment, etc.).
• Students face a panel of experts from a variety of fields. Interviewers may ask questions related to the student’s field, pose philosophical dilemmas, ask questions related to current events, etc. Students should be prepared for a broad-ranging interview and should fully expect to be asked questions to which they do not know the answers. Information on the interview process is available from the Fellowship Coordinator.

Applications from students and alumni must be processed and endorsed through the Office of National Fellowships Advising to be eligible for the competition at the regional and/or national level. Endorsement decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

APPLICATION MATERIALS DUE to the OFFICE OF NATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS ADVISING by AUGUST 1, 2025.  All materials should be submitted in the online application portal accessed on the Marshall website.

You must contact the Office of National Fellowships Advising to begin the application process. You will submit the materials below electronically to the office by the August deadline. The Marshall Advisor will forward your application materials to the Cornell Faculty Endorsement Committee.

• Application form
• Academic and Research History
• Academic proposal
• Essays on leadership and ambassador potential
• Official, official transcript(s) of all college work

You should ask for recommendations at least four weeks before the due date. Have a conversation with your potential recommenders so they understand the scholarship’s selection criteria and have enough information about your candidacy to write a detailed, evaluative letter. Recommenders should submit their letters directly to ccs-fellowships@cornell.edu or in the online application portal once you have opened your online application by August 1, 2025. Neither the letters nor your application will go forward to the Marshall regional committee until after the campus endorsement process.