Marshall Scholarship Application Guide This application guide is provided by Dear Future Colleague (DFC). DFC seeks to address inequity ​ ​ ​ in educational opportunity by providing guidance to underrepresented students applying to competitive undergraduate and graduate scholarships, as well as law school. While the American education system is often regarded as a ‘meritocracy,’ pervasive systemic barriers tied to race, socioeconomic status, disability, institutional resources, and level of parental education affect bright students’ ability to reach their full potential. The DFC Scholarships team is made up of students and alumni recipients of competitive scholarships—many of whom come from underrepresented backgrounds themselves—who are ​ ​ ​ ​ all eager to provide resources and support to prospective applicants. We want to use our privilege and insight to help students to chase their dreams at the undergraduate and graduate level, both domestically and internationally. It is our hope that these applicants will join our professional ranks, diversifying academia and the workplace in a way that benefits ourselves, our professions, and the world. The mission of DFC is to journey alongside our peers today, with the hope that our futures will be intertwined as professional colleagues. Interested in mentorship? If you’d like to be paired with an alum of this scholarship to support ​ your application process, fill out our mentorship matching survey. If you are an alum and are ​ ​ interested in supporting prospective applicants, take our volunteer survey. ​ ​ Partnerships: DFC is eager to form mutually beneficial relationships with organizations and ​ individuals who share our commitment to diversifying the higher education space. If you’re interested in partnering with DFC, please contact [email protected]. ​ ​ Have questions about DFC and its services? Send us an email at ​ [email protected]. You can also follow DFC on social media for updates on ​ our program and more scholarship tips, tricks, and guides: ● @dearfuturecolleague on Instagram & Facebook ● @futurecolleague on Twitter ● www.dearfuturecolleague.org Steal this guide! This guide is licensed under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, so you can share it all you want - all you have to ​ ​ ​ do is attribute it to: © 2020 Dear Future Colleague. ​ ​ Last updated: 6 November 2020 Prepared by: Maggie Hilderbran (2019), Kristian Gubsch (2020), David Elitzer (2017), Aaron Sandoval (2020), Jackson Neagli (2018), Lawson Sadler (2020), Morgan King (2019) TABLE OF CONTENTS MESSAGE FROM THE GUIDE CREATORS DISCLAIMER ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP Description of Scholarship Scholarship Benefits Scholarship Requirements Application Deadlines Things to Know Further Information PREPARING TO APPLY Should You Apply for the Marshall? Timeline Choosing Your UK Course(s) APPLYING The Application Process Choosing Your Recommenders ADVICE BY FIELD OF STUDY STEM Humanities Social Sciences Interdisciplinary/Multidisciplinary THE WRITTEN APPLICATION General Essay Advice Employment and Activities Personal Statement Ambassadorial Potential Proposed Academic Program Steal this guide! This guide is licensed under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, so you can share it all you want - all you have to ​ ​ ​ do is attribute it to: © 2020 Dear Future Colleague. ​ ​ Leadership Post-Scholarship Plan Brief Statement of Future Career Aims REGIONAL INTERVIEWS General Interview Advice Sample Questions INTERVIEW ADVICE BY REGION Atlanta Boston Chicago Houston Los Angeles New York San Francisco Washington, D.C. ADVICE FROM UNDERREPRESENTED CURRENT SCHOLARS/ALUMNI ADDITIONAL RESOURCES CONNECT WITH FORMER SCHOLARS Contact Us MESSAGE FROM THE GUIDE CREATORS Hey there! We are a group of alumni and current scholars who want to help you apply for the Marshall Scholarship. This guide is intended to help inform you about the Marshall application process from the perspective of those who have been through it. We’re so excited you’re considering applying - and we’re rooting for you! DISCLAIMER We think the perspectives of students who have actually been through the application process are far too often left out of resources offered to scholarship applicants. However, because this guide is from the perspective of current scholars/alumni, it provides only a partial view of the application process. It’s important to keep in mind that these were our experiences and the suggestions that we found helpful, but they are not universal truths about how the program ​ selects scholars. Also, while we do our best to keep this guide current, we can’t guarantee that ​ Steal this guide! This guide is licensed under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, so you can share it all you want - all you have to ​ ​ ​ do is attribute it to: © 2020 Dear Future Colleague. ​ ​ everything remains 100% accurate - if you have questions, please check the Marshall website or ​ ​ reach out to your university’s scholarships/fellowships advisor or to the Marshall staff. ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP The Marshall Scholarship website has an excellent overview of the scholarship here. ​ ​ The Rules for Marshall Scholarships are available here - we recommend reading these carefully ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ if you’re considering applying, as they contain critical information about the application process and requirements, as well as the scholarship itself. The Rules are updated annually. ​ Description of Scholarship The Marshall Scholarship funds graduate study at any UK university in any field of study.1 ​ ​ ​ ​ There are two main routes: the One Year Marshall Scholarship (one academic year with no ​ ​ possibility of extension) and the Two Year Marshall Scholarship (two academic years with the ​ ​ possibility of a third-year extension). The Marshall website has a helpful flowchart explaining ​ ​ how these different routes work. You can only apply to one route. Most scholars are on the two-year track; however, there are always some one-year scholars in each class. If you’re applying for the one-year, you should have a strong reason for why it’s the right option for you. The scholarship is funded by the British government. Scholarship Benefits The scholarship funds the following: ● Tuition and fees ● A monthly stipend for living expenses ● Annual book grant ● Thesis grant ● Research and daily travel (i.e., bus or Tube pass) grant ● Airfare to and from the US at the beginning and end of your scholarship tenure ● Shipping costs for your belongings (up to a limit) to and from the US at the beginning and end of your scholarship tenure 1 This is mostly the case - there are just a few degrees that aren’t eligible for Marshall funding. See the Rules for a complete list. ​ ​ Steal this guide! This guide is licensed under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, so you can share it all you want - all you have to ​ ​ ​ do is attribute it to: © 2020 Dear Future Colleague. ​ ​ Additionally, the scholarship (through government funding and the alumni association) provides funding for a series of enrichment events often including but not limited to (and always subject to change): ● Annual Marshall Thanksgiving dinner in London ● Annual trip to a selected destination within the UK (spring) ● Annual trip to Scotland (summer) ● Speakers on a range of topics (in London) ● Annual group trips to see a show at Shakespeare’s Globe and a West End play Other claimable expenses (that don’t fall under the official Marshall list): ● Travel & accommodation for visits to potential second-year universities (for two-year scholars) ● Moving expenses if you move between cities after your first year Scholarship Requirements These requirements are listed in full here on the Marshall website - a brief summary is provided ​ ​ below. The Marshall Scholarship is open to US citizens who have graduated from an accredited four-year institution with a GPA of at least 3.7. Applicants must have completed their undergraduate degree within the past three years (i.e., candidates must have graduated after April 2017 to be eligible for scholarships beginning in October 2020). Applicants also must not have studied for or received a degree or degree equivalent from a British university or have taken British A-levels or GCSEs. Application Deadlines Applying for the Marshall Scholarship requires endorsement from your college/university. ​ ​ CHECK YOUR COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY’S INTERNAL DEADLINES! These are school-specific and may ​ occur many months in advance of the final Marshall application deadline and in multiple stages. The deadlines for the 2021 scholarship competition (i.e., moving to the UK and starting your Marshall Scholarship in the fall of 2021) are here. For scholarships tenable beginning in 2021, ​ ​ the deadline for applicants to submit their applications is 5 pm (in the time zone of your ​ ​ endorsing college/university) on 25 September 2020. Final submission of the application and ​ ​ accompanying letters must be completed by 5 pm on 30 September 2020. ​ ​ ​ ​ NB: What matters most are your college/university’s internal deadlines, which are likely earlier ​ than those set by the scholarship. If you’re thinking about applying, start the process early and plan ahead. Steal this guide! This guide is licensed under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, so you can share it all you want - all you have to ​ ​ ​ do is attribute it to: © 2020 Dear Future Colleague. ​ ​ Things to Know Here are a few things we’ve learned about the Marshall through our experiences - what makes it unique, special benefits, and particularly important rules/restrictions. We think they’re helpful to know as you’re heading into applying and making the decision about whether or not the Marshall would be a good fit for you. ● The Marshall is distinct from other UK graduate scholarships (Rhodes, Gates Cambridge, Churchill, etc.) in that it allows study at any UK university. ​ ​ ● Because the Marshall also funds study in any field, the scholar/alumni network is fairly ​ ​ diverse academically and professionally. Alumni go off to do a ton of very different and very cool things. ● The Marshall focuses on UK cultural understanding - as seen through its annual trips within the UK, support for educational/cultural events, and focus on “ambassadorial potential” (i.e., building US-UK connections).