Why Apply?Gustavus Fellowships Office

At Gustavus, we believe that the process of applying for a nationally competitive fellowship can be transformative and is as important as the outcome. These fellowships are extremely competitive and putting together an application is time-consuming and difficult work. So why apply? It's a reasonable question.

A huge number of applicants self-select out of the process precisely for this reason. Sure, it is a long shot, but the fact is that someone will win. Why not you? Each year, students at institutions with no previous scholarship winners garner a Marshall or a Goldwater Scholarship. Gustavus students already have an impressive record of winning national and international scholarships over the years, and there is no reason you shouldn't add yourself to the list.

Applications are more than forms: they represent a process that includes research, homework, and self-evaluation. Why should you put yourself through a process that will take precious time from schoolwork and your already-limited personal life? Because the benefits are significant. Regardless of whether or not you're awarded a scholarship, you'll emerge from the application process with a stronger sense of who you are and a clearer vision of what you want to do.

When you apply for many national fellowships, you write a personal essay and study proposal: in essence, a selective life history and a short-term plan for the next few years of your life. For other fellowship applications, you will be expected to provide this same information in a series of shorter answers to questions about what you want to do and why. You will be required to put your deepest convictions into words, to step outside yourself, to think about what is ultimately of most importance to you. You must evaluate where you're standing now, and consider both what your ultimate destination might be and what you must do in order to get there.

The Gustavus Fellowships Office, along with faculty mentors, will guide you through an application process that will prove to be a meaningful learning experience. We will support you through rigorous self-assessment and reflection needed to write a strong personal statement and project description, both required by every national fellowship application.