What to expect as an Applicant
If you decide to apply for one or more fellowships, the Fellowships Office Advisor will guide you through the process for each application. Together, we will develop a calendar of absolute deadlines for each stage of the process.
You can expect to be asked to complete information forms, whether online or as hard copies, for each program to which you are applying. You will be asked to invite three or more faculty members or research / internship supervisors to write letters of recommendation on your behalf. You will most likely be asked to arrange for an official transcript of your grades to be sent to the program office(s). You may be required to take the GRE in one or more versions and have the results report to the program(s). An Office Advisor will assist you with this process.
Perhaps most importantly, nearly every application will ask you to write two essays.
- One will be a proposal for academic studies or a research project or both.
- The other will be a personal statement of your development, interests, and goals.
An Office Advisor will serve as your primary editor, although the content and essential style must be your own. After you have prepared several drafts of each essay, you may meet with your recommenders and other faculty members who will comment on your essays, offering suggestions for final changes or improvements. These ad hoc committee meetings are generally very lively and benefit both the applicant and the participating faculty members.
In some cases, your application will require an endorsement from a Provost or from a faculty screening committee. Your Advisor will forward your name and application for endorsement and submit the letter of endorsement on your behalf.
Once an application has been submitted to a scholarship or fellowship program office, a waiting period follows. Within a month or two you will learn whether or not you are still under consideration, and if you are you will very likely be invited to an interview off campus. In most cases your expenses will be reimbursed. Before you go to your interview, you may choose to meet with a faculty committee for a mock interview so that you know what the experience feels like and what kind of questions you might expect to be asked.
Within a month or two of your interview, you will learn if you have been offered one or more scholarships or fellowships. The Office will help you make follow-up arrangements and issue publicity materials announcing your award(s).
To have completed the application process for a competitive scholarship or fellowship is in itself a great achievement and a significant step forward in making your plans for your future career or vocation. For this reason, after all applications have been submitted, early in the second semester the Office arranges a celebration, generally hosted by the President of UNH, for all who have applied along with their mentor and recommenders.