There are many websites promoting scholarships and fellowships. We have attempted to list some of the most prestigious and reputable opportunities for your undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate years.
Here is a list of tips to get you started.
- Determine what your goals are with the pursuit of a scholarship or fellowship.
- Do you want to pursue research?
- Do you want to teach others?
- Do you want to learn about another culture or language?
- Do you want to impact society and/or government in some way?
- Do you want to contribute to your chosen profession?
If your only goal is to be financially rewarded or supported, you may want to rethink the pursuit of a prestigious scholarship/fellowship. Sponsors are looking for dedication, passion, resilience, and a commitment to the mission and goals of the opportunity.
- Start early. Review the specific requirements and application details of those opportunities that may be of interest. Determine the timeline for the application and all the components that you will need to include. For many of these opportunities, students may need 6-12 months to prepare. Multiple drafts of personal statements and essays will be needed. Some opportunities require you to connect with a campus sponsor, receive a language evaluation, and/or be interviewed by a campus committee (separate campus deadlines may be in place).
- Seek advice and insight from campus faculty and advisors. Many Hofstra faculty are past recipients of these awards and/or have helped previous students apply for these awards. Faculty will be happy to help you before and during the application process, and many may write you letters of recommendation. Campus advisors can assist you with sorting through the steps of the application. They can give you post-graduation advice and how this might fit into your career and graduate school plans, and critique personal statements and essays (the Writing Center, the Center for Career Design and Development, the Center for University Advising).
- Determine if you are eligible and can submit a competitive application. The awards listed on this site are all highly competitive. Typically, organizations will specify a GPA minimum, but some do not. Often a 3.5 or a 3.75 overall GPA is a minimum requirement. Organizations are looking for active students who have been involved in some capacity on campus or in the community, have unique and compelling stories to tell, and are dedicated to the mission of the organization. Because you are competing against the best and brightest from across the country and in some cases, the world your application needs to be the best it can be. Represent Hofstra University with pride and purpose!