First Steps to Fellowships is a program for motivated first-year and sophomore students interested in pursuing Fulbright and other nationally competitive fellowships. This four-part seminar series will include workshops, presentations, and small-group conversation aimed at providing students with the tools they need to develop a competitive profile for a variety of these opportunities. Because we will be discussing a variety of fellowships related to variety of interest areas, no specific academic field of interest is required.
All applicants accepted into the program will be required to commit to attending all three sessions. Goals and Benefits of the Program
- Obtain an overview of nationally competitive fellowships.
- Learn the process of applying for national fellowships: researching and selecting a fellowship to pursue, working with your mentors and recommenders, writing your proposals/essays/personal statements.
- Acquire knowledge and qualities that make a strong applicant, and develop a plan for acquiring formative experiences aligned with fellowship(s) of interest.
- Engage in conversation with fellowship applicants and faculty members involved in the selection process for a variety of these awards.
- Collaborate with peers to develop a personal statement for upcoming fellowships opportunities.
- Be added to the First Steps alias, which will alert you during your time at St. Olaf about upcoming fellowships opportunities.
Topics Include
- The Art of Inquiry
- Finding Research, Internships, and Volunteer Experiences (note: while you’ll be learning about research opportunities, since some local opportunities are due in early March, it’s recommended you begin considering Steen and/or Magnus as opportunities).
- Collaborating with Faculty, Staff, and Professionals
- Developing Writing Skills
Eligibility Requirements
- First years and sophomores at St. Olaf College are eligible to apply.
- If the applicant pool exceeds the allotted space, sophomores will be given preference over first years.
- Although most of the fellowships opportunities discussed will pertain to US Citizens only, non-US Citizens are welcome and encouraged to apply.
To Apply
Fill out this online application by 2/16/24.
Selection
If the applicant pool exceeds the allotted space, sophomores will be given preference over first years. Candidates will be assessed by a faculty committee and will be evaluated based on a wide variety of factors, including their writing ability and current GPA. The faculty committee for this program will aim to capture students from diverse backgrounds and academic disciplines.