A Brief Introduction to Fellowships and Scholarships
Fellowships and scholarships offer funding to support a range of purposeful activities, including undergraduate research, language study/other study abroad, self-designed projects, teaching and service, graduate or professional study, or even internships and professional placements. They can open doors for you to things you might not be able to pursue otherwise.
There are opportunities for students and graduates of every nationality and at every stage of their careers. What might be the right fit for you?
Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program at Wellesley College (sophomores and juniors)
The McNair Scholars Program is a federal TRIO program funded at 187 institutions across the United States and Puerto Rico by the U.S. Department of Education. McNair participants are first-generation college students with financial need, and/or members of a group that is traditionally underrepresented in graduate education and have demonstrated strong academic potential. The goal of the McNair Scholars Program is to increase graduate education for students from underrepresented groups. At Wellesley, the McNair Scholars Program is STEM focused, and applications are typically due in November each year.
Careers in Higher Education
This resource will give you an overview of the career opportunities available if you want to pursue a job in a college or university setting. There are two basic career pathways in Higher Education — academic affairs and student affairs.
“I was motivated to fight for environmental justice in my community after hearing about the respiratory illnesses that many children were diagnosed with as a result of the environmental contamination we live with.”
Technology Internships for First Years and Sophomores
While it is true that many internship opportunities are geared towards students in their junior year, an increasing number of companies are creating first-year and/or sophomore-focused internship programs. Please note that this is certainly not an exhaustive list, and there are a number of additional companies that may not have first-year/sophomore specific programs, but that are first-year/sophomore-friendly.
Environmental Studies
There are many career options for environmental studies majors/minors. Career paths will differ depending on whether one wants to focus on law and policy making, on teaching and communication, on more advanced research, or another intersection of environmental studies and another discipline.
“Medicine is about studying how life works, but the practice of medicine is also learning about life through other people. I have appreciated the opportunity to experience both this summer.”
On-Campus Recruiting Program Policies (Students)
Career Education expects all students to abide by the following rules in order to maintain the success and integrity of Wellesley’s recruiting program.
Fulbright Program (rising seniors & graduates)
Supports a year (or occasionally more) of study or research abroad in any discipline, or year-long English teaching assistantships (ETAs) abroad in programs designed by the host countries. Eligible are graduating seniors and graduates who are US citizens. Campus application deadline for Wellesley students and graduates typically in August, after an optional draft deadline in July.
Wellesley College Graduate Fellowships (WCGF—seniors & graduates)
Wellesley College offers a number of fellowships and scholarships for graduate study or research open to Wellesley seniors and graduates. Two awards are open to women graduates of any American institution (the Schimke and the Shackford). Awards are usually made to applicants currently enrolled in or applying to graduate/professional school for the following academic year; there is a single common application process for most of these awards, and the campus deadline is typically in January.
Yenching Academy Scholarship at Peking University (seniors & graduates)
The Yenching Academy of Peking University builds bridges between China and the rest of the world through an interdisciplinary master’s program in China Studies for outstanding graduates from all over the globe. This initiative brings together young people who show promise to lead and innovate in their fields in an intensive learning environment where they can explore China and its role in the world — past, present, and future. The Academy aims to thereby shape a new generation of global citizens with a nuanced understanding of China and its role in the world.
Wellesley is an official Partner Institution for the Yenching Academy: campus deadline typically in November.
Udall Scholarship (sophomores & juniors)
Supports a year of undergraduate study for American Indians and Alaska Natives working on an array of policy issues in Indian country or interested in pursuing health-related careers, or for students with demonstrated leadership, service, and commitment to issues related to conservation and environmental issues. Eligible are college sophomores and juniors who are US citizens, nationals, and permanent residents. Campus application deadline typically in early February.
Truman Scholarship (juniors)
The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation supports the graduate education and professional development of outstanding young people committed to public service leadership. This scholarship provides funding toward senior year and graduate school for juniors interested in a career in public service. Campus application deadline typically in November.
Schwarzman Scholars Program (rising seniors & graduates)
Supports leadership development & a special one-year Master’s program at Tsinghua University in Beijing, taught in English. Eligible are graduating seniors, current graduate and professional students, and recent graduates from any country and any major (knowledge of Mandarin is an asset but is not required). Official deadlines typically in May and September.
Saint Andrew’s Society of New York Graduate Scholarship (seniors)
Supports one year of study in any discipline at a university in Scotland. Eligible are Wellesley seniors who are US citizens with Scottish heritage and financial need. Campus application deadline typically in November.
Rhodes Scholarship (rising seniors & graduates)
Did you know that citizens of any country are now eligible to apply for the Rhodes Scholarships, for graduate study at the University of Oxford? Campus deadline for Wellesley applicants for Global Rhodes is typically in early June and for the Canadian and US Rhodes typically in late August. Application deadlines for other Rhodes competitions may fall even earlier (see their website, and Career Education deadline listings). All prospective Wellesley Rhodes applicants are encouraged to seek advice from Kate Dailinger, of Wellesley's Career Education, and learn more through this resource page.
National Institutes of Standards & Technology Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (NIST SURF) (students)
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) offers Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) at NIST laboratories in Gaithersburg, MD; Boulder, CO; and Waimanalo, Hawaii. The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship is designed to inspire undergraduate students to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) through a unique research experience that supports the NIST mission. Eligible are currently enrolled undergraduates who are US citizens or permanent residents, majoring in chemistry, computer science, physics, engineering, materials science, fire research, nanotechnology, information technology, mathematics, biology, manufacturing, statistics, or another STEM discipline.
Mitchell Scholarship (rising seniors & graduates)
*As of March, 2024, the Mitchell Scholarship has paused the selection of new Scholars. There will be no new class selected in autumn 2024, but they hope in future to be able to re-open this award.
Supports one year of study in any discipline at a university in Ireland. Eligible are graduating seniors and graduates who are US citizens between the ages of 18 and 30. Campus application deadline for seniors (who must seek institutional nomination) typically in August; graduates apply directly for the Mitchell but are very welcome to seek application advice from Wellesley's Fellowships office.
Michel David-Weill Scholarship (seniors)
Supports a two-year master’s degree in any field at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), but Economics is especially encouraged. Eligible are graduating seniors at Wellesley who are US citizens. Campus application deadline typically in November.
Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (sophomores and juniors)
The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF) was founded to increase diversity among minority faculty scholars in higher education. MMUF supports underrepresented minority students and others who have demonstrated commitment to eradicating racial disparities in academia by encouraging talented students to develop their academic interests, pursue and complete their doctoral training, and thrive in their faculty careers in higher education. With funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, MMUF undergraduates are able to conduct original undergraduate research in the humanities and social sciences. Campus deadline annually in March