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SOROS FELLOWSHIPS FOR NEW AMERICANS
| Eligibility: |
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You
must be a senior in college, a holder of a bachelor's degree, or
currently enrolled in the first two years of a graduate program.
A New American is an individual who (1) is a resident alien, i.e.,
holds a Green Card; or (2) has been naturalized as a U.S. citizen;
or (3) is the child of two parents who are both naturalized citizens. The average age of Soros winners is 24. Last year only two winners were graduating seniors entering graduate school. |
| Duration: |
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Up
to two years |
| Award: |
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$20,000
stipend and half the tuition cost of any U.S. graduate program |
Holy
Cross
procedure: |
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You
apply for this award independently, but you may call upon the resources
of the Graduate Studies Advisor for assistance assembling the application. |
| Essay(s): |
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Two
essays: 1500 words on your experiences as a new American and 1500
words on your goals and how graduate education will advance them. |
| Then
what: |
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The
completed application is submitted in late November. Eighty-four
finalists are interviewed and winners are named in March. |
GENERAL
INFORMATION
Established
in 1997 by the Foundation supported by Paul and Daisy Soros, themselves
immigrants from Hungary, this award is intended to share with other new
Americans the gift of education that the Soroses found so helpful to their
success. Winners are chosen on the basis of their likelihood to
achieve leadership in their chosen fields, and the competition is intense,
with more than 1000 applicants each year for the thirty awards. In
addition to demonstrating a capacity to undertake advanced academic work,
selection criteria include at least two of the following:
"i. creativity, originality, and initiative, demonstrated in any area
of your life;
"ii. accomplishment in an activity that requires drive and sustained effort;
and
"iii. commitment to the values expressed in the U.S. Constitution and
Bill of Rights, i.e. support of human rights and the rule of law, opposition
to unwarranted encroachment on personal liberty, and advancing the responsibilities
of citizenship in a free society."
You may
pursue a graduate degree in any professional or scholarly field, including
medicine, law, social work, engineering, and the traditional arts, humanities,
and natural and social sciences. This is one of the very few national
competitions that supports students interested in law school or medical
school. The award funds two years of study (or less, if the degree
normally requires less time). It is up to you to apply to the school
of your choice and gain admission.
A complete
application includes several components:
- an application
form;
- two essays of
no more than 1500 words each, one describing your experience as a New
American (including such things as the role of family and institutions
to bring you to this point and what of your activities give evidence
of creativity, accomplishment, and commitment to American values); and
a second describing your major goals in relation to your education,
the future career for which it will prepare you, and how graduate training
will make those goals possible. Please note: you are expected
not to seek help in the formal writing of these essays; it is appreciated
by the selection committee that not all New Americans are equally fluent
in English, but even so, they want to assess your ability to communicate
in writing. Further suggestions may be found in the handout on
Proposal Writing.
- a resume of 1-2
pages, supplemented as appropriate with up to 5 pages of additional
material documenting your accomplishments, such as newspaper articles
about your achievements, excerpts from a portfolio of your work, commendations,
programs for events you have organized or participated in, or slides
or tapes of creative work.
- two letters of
recommendation, one from a faculty member familiar with your current
academic work and one from someone familiar with your performance in
a paid or volunteer work position;
- a form from a
college administrator attesting to the date of completion of your degree;
- a transcript;
- documentation
of your status as a New American (copy of green card, passport, and
or number and date of naturalization of you or your parents);
- scores from the
relevant graduate aptitude test (GMAT, MCAT, GRE, LSAT);
- self-addressed
postcard so you can be notified that your materials were received.
The necessary forms can
be obtained from the Graduate Studies Office or from the web site: www.pdsoros.org.
If you are selected for an interview, your expenses will be paid to an
interview with a panel consisting of distinguished New Americans and alumni
of the Fellowship program. About a third of these finalists will
receive awards.
Return
to Fellowships page
Return
to Graduate Studies home page
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