Fellowships & Scholarships

These terms are often used interchangeably. In some cases, a scholarship may refer to a grant in support of undergraduate education, and a fellowship may refer to a grant for post-baccalaureate work. Fellowships usually also come with some kind of cohort experience and/or leadership development.

Information about selection criteria and the mission of a scholarship or fellowship can be found on the Undergraduate Research and Fellowships site. You can also visit the website of a specific award for further details.

Many scholarships and fellowships require that applicants be US citizens. You can search for opportunities for non-US citizens on the Undergraduate Research and Fellowships site. Some scholarships or fellowships permit applicants to apply through their country of citizenship.

You’re not too late! It’s never too late—or too early—to start thinking about applying for nationally competitive awards. Some awards are only available during your first or second year of undergraduate study, so sophomore year is the ideal time for especially focused students to start thinking about fellowships and scholarships. At the same time, for students whose intellectual and personal goals come into focus later in their career, senior year or even after might be the ideal time to apply. Get started as early as you can, since the best way to increase your competitiveness is to keep applying for things, but you don’t need to worry that you’ve “missed the boat” even if you don’t apply for any awards until after you’ve graduated.

Absolutely! Once a Husky, always a Husky. As long as you are eligible for an award and not enrolled at another institution, we are glad to support you in your application process.

Absolutely. There are a number of fellowship opportunities that offer post-graduate service or professional experiences with no expectation that you are necessarily going on to graduate school. Profellow.com is a great resource for these professional opportunities.

Stop asking that question. Prestige is much less important than your specific fit for the fellowship in question. A program that is a perfect match for your interest and skill set is going to be a better launching pad for you into a future career than a super-prestigious fellowship that doesn’t align with your interests, values, or goals. Also, if you’re hyper-focused on prestige, that will come across in your application materials and compromise your competitiveness.

Some awards require institutional endorsement. For these awards, Undergraduate Research and Fellowships conducts an internal process in order to select applicants for endorsement. If you are interested in applying for an award that has an internal deadline, please contact us to receive further information about the process.

It really depends on the fellowship–some awards care a ton about grades, while others place more emphasis on experience or the quality of the specific project you are hoping to fund. When applying, carefully consider the specific selection criteria and mission of the scholarship or fellowship in order to determine if these match your strengths and experiences. Keep in mind, the real benefit of the application is the process: the opportunity you will gain to articulate your goals and values, the chance to draft materials you can use for graduate school or other opportunities, and the opportunity to receive focused feedback on your writing.

The amount of time required for selection varies by scholarship or fellowship. Often this information will be available on the scholarship or fellowship website. Advisors in Undergraduate Research and Fellowships can also provide guidance in terms of when applicants typically receive a response.

Selection committees vary, but frequently include experts in a particular field or past winners of scholarships or fellowships. During internal campus reviews, selection committees consist of Northeastern faculty, staff, and advisors in Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.

There are three factors for choosing a recommender: relationship, relevance, and prestige. Ideally, you would choose a professor/supervisor who knows you well, who can speak directly to the selection criteria, and who is well-known in their field. It goes without saying, however, that few people fit all three factors. Relevance and relationship are most important, by far. It’s much more useful for you to have a glowing letter full of specific detail from your direct supervisor at your Hill internship than a boilerplate one from a Senator. That being said, it is rarely a good idea to ask a graduate student for a letter of recommendation. And you should never ask a family friend or fellow undergraduate.

Always give your recommender room to say “no”, and give them plenty of notice. A weak letter of recommendation can tank an application, so the phrase “Can you write me a strong letter of recommendation” is your friend.

If they agree, you should be clear about why you’re asking them to write for you and give them a copy of your resume and a draft of your personal statement (or give them a date by which you will send them that draft). Additionally, give at least a month notice and a specific due date. Letters of recommendation are almost always the last priority for your writer, so help them out as much as you can with as much information upfront as possible.

Definitely. The first letter someone writes for you will serve as a template for later letters, so multiple letters are not an issue at all. If you are asking someone to write you multiple letters, it’s a good idea to send them a spreadsheet with due dates and links to the submission forms.