Required Statements for Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell, and Watson Candidates
Rhodes
The statements required by the Rhodes application and the preliminary college application are described below:
A signed short personal statement describing the applicant's academic and other interests. This statement should describe the specific area of proposed study and the applicant's reasons for wishing to study at Oxford, and it must conclude with the following signed statement: "I certify that this essay is my own work." This personal essay must not exceed 1,000 words in length (no smaller than 10 points typeset) and should be written in as simple and direct a manner as possible. (If you are nominated, the Rhodes Selection Committee will place special emphasis on this personal essay, and if you are selected it will be sent to Oxford colleges to which Rhodes Scholars-elect apply for admission.)
Marshall
The statements required by the Marshall application and the preliminary college application are described below:
1. A short statement (NOT MORE THAN 1000 WORDS), describing your academic and other interests and pursuits.
2. A short statement describing your proposed academic programme, giving reasons for your choice of course of study and preferred university. Those hoping to read for a research degree should give an outline proposal of the research they wish to undertake. If any postgraduate study has already been undertaken, state briefly the field, and list any theses or dissertations written or published.
3. A 500 word statement describing your reasons for wishing to live and study in the UK. How do you feel this will benefit you in the future? Why are you choosing the UK rather than anywhere else? You are encouraged to think deeply about your reasons for choosing the UK, including cultural and political factors as well as academic factors. You should discuss the uniqueness of the program of study in the proposed academic program essay, but you can also refer to it in this essay.
Mitchell
The statements required by the Mitchell application and the preliminary college application are described below:
The applicant should devote careful thought to the essay, which should describe the applicant's field of interest and the justification for the applicant's proposed study in Ireland or Northern Ireland. Selection committee members will place special emphasis on the personal statement. The essay should not exceed 1000 words and should be written clearly. The applicant must certify on the online application that the essay is his or her own work. The personal essay is extremely important. Members of the Selection Committee examine the essay for clues to the character, commitment, and interests of each candidate. This is the only opportunity for the applicant to convey a sense of his/her passions, personality, and intellectual drive. In addition, a well-written essay should provide the Committee with valuable insight into the applicant's motivation and rationale for the proposed graduate study program that is not otherwise communicated in the rest of the application materials.
Watson
The statements required by the Watson application and the preliminary college application are described below:
The proposal should describe your plan for the 12-month fellowship year, including a description of your proposed project and details as to how you intend to carry it out. In addition, you should include information about what it is that prepares you to undertake your project. When considering destinations, consider budget, safety, visa regulations, availability of resources, and time constraints. Travel to any country under U.S. State Department Travel Warning or under U.S. Department of the Treasury Embargo will not be approved.
During the 12-month fellowship, the fellow may not return to the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are considered foreign territories, for the purposes of this fellowship. Fellows who hold a foreign passport may not return to either their home country or the U.S. Fellows who plan to apply for graduate or professional school should have all necessary interviews before they leave.
In your personal statement, you should discuss how this is your project-how it reflects your talents, concerns, and commitments. It may include a description of your background, your college years, your professional goals and aspirations, and your reasons for seeking a Watson Fellowship to undertake your project. The personal statement is an opportunity to provide the Watson Fellowship Program with a sense of who you are, including how you would benefit from the unique experiences the Watson Fellowship permits and how you would embrace the challenges of immersing yourself in cultures other than your own for a year.
The specific content of each statement is up to you, but neither the proposal nor the personal statement should exceed five double-spaced typewritten pages using at least an 11–point font.