A General Picture of the Application Process
Every fellowship has its own application form. However, fellowship selection committees generally ask for:

• a transcript and extracurricular record
• two or more letters of recommendation
• a personal statement

For more competitive fellowships/scholarships, you may also be asked for a project proposal or plan of study or an interview.

What Makes A Strong Application?
In a strong application, the separate components of the application fit together well, and offer a convincing composite picture of your strengths.

• Your application will 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.

Who is Available to Help and Advise?
There are many people available to help you put together an effective application package.

• The Fellowship Office, E3310 Melville Library, can offer general advice, application strategy tips, personal statement critiques, mock interviews, and connections with past fellowship winners.
• Faculty in your field can do more than just 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. Have them critique your personal statement. Ask if they are in contact with former students who have won one of the fellowships you're targeting.
• For help with your personal statement or plan of study, consult the Writing Center and the Fellowship Office.

Special Notes on Prestigious Fellowships/Scholarships
If you have a GPA of 3.75 or higher, you may be eligible for one or more prestigious fellowships. In addition to an outstanding academic record, prestigious fellowship applicants should have made their mark in one or more other ways. Substantial intellectual or creative projects, evidence of leadership or public service, and strong, detailed faculty letters of recommendation are essential to compete for these awards. Several of these fellowships require official endorsement from Stony Brook University which entails an additional on-campus selection process.

Your academic and extracurricular record includes the following:

• 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

General Advice
F ellowship/Scholarship 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.

How to choose recommenders

• Choose 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. Make an appointment with each recommender you are considering. Tell the recommender which fellowships you are applying for and describe what each fellowship is looking for.
• Ask the recommender whether or not they think you would make a strong candidate and 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

Your recommenders should be 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 a T.A.)

Show your appreciation of their efforts on your behalf.

1. give them 3-4 weeks to write the letter(s)
2. write a thank you note
3. keep them informed of your progress

What is a personal statement?
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, but you should be sure to cover the following 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, ematically engage their attention, provide substantive and relevant information and 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, and revise! If you need help on structure, visit the Writing Center . As you write, show your essay to people who know you well and ask if it accurately expresses who you are.

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

What is a 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 is an academic proposal describing

• 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

• the 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 faculty in your field and to the Fellowship Office.

The Interview Process  

Which fellowships require an 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 for the future.

How to prepare

• 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 and/or the Fellowship Office to give you a mock interview. Or brainstorm a list of potential questions and ask your roommate to "interview" you. Tape record the discussion so you can listen to yourself later.

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