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ST. ANDREWS SOCIETY SCHOLARSHIP

FOR GRADUATE STUDY IN SCOTLAND

Eligibility:		Graduating seniors from schools within 250 miles of New York State, US citizens with some Scottish ancestry who have financial need.
Duration:		One year; cannot be deferred or renewed.
Award:		$20,000 toward tuition, then other expenses to support study in any field at any Scottish university.
Holy Cross procedure:		Preliminary applications are solicited in mid-fall. The Graduate Studies Advisor, in consultation with members of the Committee on Graduate Studies and Fellowships, selects the nominee from among these applicants.
Essay(s):		Two 200-word statements on why you wish to continue your education and why you wish to study in Scotland.
Then what:		Six applicants are invited to an interview in New York City, and two are selected.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Since 1956, its bicentennial year, the St. Andrew's Society of the State of New York has supported one-year scholarships for students to study in Scotland. They have granted over 120 scholarships in that time. Scholarships may be held at any of the Scottish universities, including the "new" universities, and any field of study is appropriate. It is preferred that applicants not have previously studied in the United Kingdom.

Schools within 250 miles of New York State are eligible to nominate one candidate each for this award. Preliminary applications are solicited on copies of the final application form in mid-November. The nominee is selected from among these, occasionally with the help of a personal interview with the Graduate Studies Advisor, and assisted in preparing the final application, which is submitted in mid-December. In addition to filling out the application form and responding briefly to two questions about your plans for Scotland, you will need three letters of recommendation, along with an institutional endorsement signed by Father McFarland, and certification from the financial aid office that you would need assistance to carry out graduate study in Scotland.

Six finalists are invited for an interview in February or March. Criteria for selecting them include significant reasons for studying in Scotland, academic achievement, extracurricular activities, financial need, statement of personal objectives, proof of US citizenship, and some Scottish descent. If you are selected as a finalist, you will be required to provide proof that you have applied to your chosen university, because otherwise there would not be time to process your application. Shortly after the interview luncheon, awards are announced for two of the finalists.

This is an unusual application in its brevity and relative informality. As such, it is not as daunting as some of the others. Nevertheless care and attention to detail is required if you are to succeed. Holy Cross last had a St. Andrews winner in 1999. Additional information can be found on the St. Andrews website: http://www.standrewsny.org/scholar.html.

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