Rhodes Scholarships

Thirty-two Rhodes Scholarships are awarded to U.S. citizens annually for two years of study in a degree program at the University of Oxford. Rhodes Scholars are elected in December and enter Oxford in October of the following year. The qualities required of applicants as noted in the Rhodes application are "proven intellectual and academic achievement of a high standard...integrity of character, interest in and respect for their fellow beings, the ability to lead, and the energy to use their talents to the full." To be eligible, applicants must not have passed their twenty-fourth birthday by October 1 of the year of application.

THE DUKE INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE:
Candidates for the Rhodes Scholarship apply as individuals rather than as nominees of the institution. It is the intention of the Rhodes Trust, however, that colleges and universities establish committees to encourage and assist qualified students to apply for the Scholarship. To this end, the Rhodes Trust requires an institutional letter of endorsement confirming that the "applicant has been selected to represent that institution in the state in which the applicant is applying." The Duke International Scholarship Committee has responsibility for providing this endorsement, which is based on evaluation of preliminary applications and interviews with students in September.

INFORMATION:
The Rhodes Scholarship web site is a comprehensive source of official information and application materials. In addition, a "Rhodes Scholarship" folder containing examples of personal statements and interview reports is available for review from the reserve desk in Perkins Library and in 103 West Duke Building.

PRELIMINARY APPLICATION (required):
Duke students and alumni/ae seeking endorsement to a Selection Committee by the Duke International Scholarship Committee must submit a preliminary application to 103 West Duke Building by the fall deadline for on-campus application (see schedule below). A preliminary application consists of the original and one (1) copy of the following: application form (signed in ink); college transcripts for each college/university attended; list of principal activities and honors in college; signed short personal statement describing academic and other interests plus a minimum of four of the five (5) - eight (8) required letters of recommendations (See Recommendations paragraph below). All applicants who meet the September 4 deadline for the preliminary application will be interviewed by the Duke International Scholarship Committee. Notification of interview times will be done through e-mail or telephone. The interview provides one component for the Duke Committee's evaluation of the strength of the candidate. It is also meant to imitate the interview format of the Selection Committees to provide experience for Duke candidates.

Please print and use the pdf format application forms available on the Rhodes Scholarship web site [http://www.rhodesscholar.org/] and submit them to:

Rhodes Scholarship Committee
c/o Office of Undergraduate Scholars and Fellows
Duke University, 103 West Duke Building
Box 90736, Durham, NC 27708-0736
phone: (919) 660-3070; fax: (919) 681-7059
e-mail: ousf@duke.edu

RECOMMENDATIONS:
Five to eight letters of recommendation are required for the official application with at least four of these letters from faculty. Faculty letters are expected to be very detailed and to address the applicant's intellectual interests quite specifically, perhaps describing memorable in-class debates and/or outstanding scholarly papers from seminars and independent study projects. Applicants should not, therefore, select prospective referees solely on the basis of class standing.

Our list of frequently asked questions for recommenders [FAQ-Letter, PDF] should be printed by applicants and given to professors writing their recommendations. Copies are also available from 103 West Duke Building. Applicants should read it carefully so that they can summarize its contents to their referees, if asked.  

FINAL APPLICATION:
Candidates who receive the endorsement of the Duke International Scholarship Committee will continue to meet with one Committee member who will help draft the institutional letter. Candidates are responsible for mailing their application by the postmark deadline and confirming that letters of recommendation have been mailed on time to the appropriate Selection Committee. Selected applicants will be invited to interview with a regional Rhodes committee; they are no longer interviewed by state committees. The regional committees will each elect finalists. Each of the eight districts will elect four Scholars.

Official Web Site
http://www.rhodesscholar.org