Rhodes Scholarship

Please note that this page details the process for the US Rhodes Scholarship.  The Office of Global Awards also manages the nomination process for the Canadian and Global Rhodes Scholarships.  If you are eligible for either of these awards, please contact the Director of Global Awards in the spring of the year that you would like to apply.  Applicants to any other Rhodes constituency are strongly encouraged to participate in the ADC.  Even if you do not, please let the Director of Global Awards know that you are applying so that we can support your application as much as possible.

There are also specific Rhodes Scholarships for approximately 30 different constituent countries.  Each constituency manages its own application process and most do not require institutional endorsement.  However, the Office of Global Awards is happy to support Rhodes applicants from any constituency.  For support, please contact the Director of Global Awards at least one month prior to your constituency’s deadline.

Candidates must:

• Be between 18-23 years old
• Be a US citizen, national, or permanent resident
• Have completed their bachelor’s degree by the start of their studies at Oxford
• Have completed their bachelor’s degree by the start of their studies at Oxford
• Have obtained a grade point average of not less than 3.7 at the time of application (if you do not meet this GPA requirement but would like to be considered for the Rhodes Scholarship, please contact the Director of Global Awards to discuss your candidacy)

Outline

From the Rhodes Trust website:

“Rhodes's vision in founding the Scholarship was to develop outstanding leaders who would be motivated to fight 'the world's fight' and to 'esteem the performance of public duties as their highest aim', and to promote international understanding and peace. His will outlines four criteria to be used in the election of Scholars:

• literary and scholastic attainments
• energy to use one's talents to the full
• truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness and fellowship
• moral force of character and instincts to lead, and to take an interest in one's fellow beings.

In short, Rhodes Scholarship selection committees will be seeking young women and men of outstanding intellect, character, leadership, and commitment to service.  The Rhodes Scholarships support students who demonstrate a strong propensity to emerge as 'leaders for the world’s future'.”

NYU’s Endorsement Process

Any student or recent graduate wishing to apply for the US, Canadian, or Global Rhodes Scholarship must apply for and be accepted into the Global Awards Application Development Cohort (ADC).  The ADC typically involves weekly meetings throughout the summer.  In these sessions, students receive training and support on narrative development, understanding international graduate programs, essay writing, and more. Completing the ADC is a prerequisite for receiving NYU’s endorsement.  The preliminary application is typically released in early spring semester with a deadline in late March/early April.

Late applicants will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  If you have missed the preliminary deadline and would like to be considered for the Rhodes Scholarship, contact the Director of Global Awards as soon as possible: Kurt Davies (kurtdavies@nyu.edu).

This process is only for students from New York City campuses.  Students from NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai should contact the Global Awards office on their campus for information about that campus’s Rhodes process.