Abroad Award
Term Length: 13 Months
US Citizenship Required

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
• Applicants may be graduating seniors, recent graduates, or young professionals under the age of 33 at the time they depart for Asia who have earned at least a bachelor’s degree before the start of the Program.
• Applicants who have spent a total of six consecutive months or more than one cumulative year within the past five years in only one of the countries where we place Luce Scholars may still apply; however, they will not be placed in the country where they have spent significant time.
• Those with a total of six consecutive months or more than one cumulative year within the past five years in more than one Luce placement country within the past five years are not eligible.

The most important consideration is that a candidate demonstrates potential for leadership and accomplishment. Reviewers look for evidence that a candidate will be a leader both within his or her profession and as a member of the broader community. Initiative, creativity, maturity, humility, sensitivity, and strength of character are characteristics that typify successful candidates.

Successful candidates will have demonstrated significant leadership ability, intercultural competence, and evidence of potential for professional achievement. Reviewers will consider academic accomplishments; however, the Luce Scholars Program is experiential, focusing on learning through real-world experience rather than traditional classroom settings. Personal qualities such as resilience, flexibility, adaptability, maturity, humility, creativity, openness to new ideas, and sensitivity to cultural differences are as important as academic performance. 

Reviewers do not judge candidates based on whether or not they have developed specific plans for their year in Asia. They understand that you may have general ideas about the preferred placement, and assure you that this is neither a negative nor positive factor in selection. Your openness to possibilities and readiness to embrace new experiences are what Reviewers value, respecting your individual preferences and aspirations.

Luce Scholars are selected through a rigorous process over three rounds of evaluation:  

1. In the first round, applications are reviewed and evaluated by distinguished teams of readers and program staff to determine a group of 45-50 semi-finalists.
2. Candidates selected as semi-finalists engage in two virtual interviews with two experienced Luce Scholars in early to mid-November. The insights from these interviews will help determine a pool of 34 finalists.
3. The 34 finalists to a weekend of interactive programs, leadership workshops, and finalist interviews. It is a competitive process, a learning experience, and a time of growth for all finalists, even those not selected as Luce Scholars. Scholars are announced immediately after our finalist weekend.

The Luce Scholar Year is a thirteen-month commitment beginning with the orientation in mid-June through the wrap-up meeting in late-July of the following year.

After a week-long orientation designed to build community and prepare for a year of living and working in Asia, Luce Scholars spend July and August engaging in intensive language training in their respective placement countries. Language study is a program requirement and is funded by the Luce Foundation.

Individually tailored professional placements—a hallmark of the Luce Scholars program—begin in early September and are arranged for each Scholar based on their professional interest, background, and qualifications. These assignments, where Luce Scholars work alongside Asian colleagues, are the heart of the Luce Scholars experience.

In addition to the professional placement, the Luce Scholars cohort is an essential part of the Luce Year. Individuals share their experiences with their fellow Luce Scholars through regular group meetings and bonds of mutual learning, understanding, and support as they face shared challenges and serendipities.

The cohort convenes mid-fellowship in January for a five-day retreat to reflect, recharge, reevaluate, and bond as a group. At the end of the Luce Year, the cohort gathers once more for the wrap-up meeting. This meeting is an opportunity for Scholars to share their experiences with one another and reflect on their time as Luce Scholars.

Applicants will be asked to complete 9 required tasks and if they choose, 1 optional task (listed below). Candidates are not required to complete these tasks in order.

We strongly encourage applicants to request letters of recommendation as soon as possible.
Applicants may jump to the two Request Recommendation Letters tasks at any point in completing an application. Applications will be considered incomplete if letters of recommendation are not submitted by the deadline. The application includes sections for contact and biographical, academic, and professional information.
– LSP Application Personal & Background Information
– LSP Application Academic Information
– LSP Application Professional Information
– Personal Statement
– Five Short Answer Questions
– Upload a Video
– Signature
– Request a Professional Letter of Recommendation
– Request a second Letter of Recommendation – this may be from a second professional letter or an academic letter
– Supplemental Materials Upload (optional)
Transcripts are no longer required.
You can save your application progress at any point and as frequently as necessary, but  once submitted, you will no longer have access to it. Please print a copy for your records before submitting