UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

THE PAUL AND DAISY SOROS FELLOWSHIPS FOR NEW AMERICANS

Website	Eligibility	Deadline	Past Winners
Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships	Graduating Seniors/Grad Students	November 1

 

Purpose

The purpose of The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans is to provide opportunities for continuing generations of able and accomplished New Americans to achieve leadership in their chosen fields. The Program is established in recognition of the contributions New Americans have made to American life and in gratitude for the opportunities the United States has afforded the donors and their family.

 

Application Procedure

What is entailed in completing an application:

1. Complete online an application form;
2. Submit two essays on specified topics;
3. Submit a 1-2 page resume;
4. Assure the submission of three recommendation letters, of which one is from a faculty member familiar with the applicant's current or most recent academic work and one is from someone who is familiar with her/his performance in a work-setting, whether paid or volunteer;
5. Submit an institutional status form from the institution attended indicating when and whether the present degree program will be completed (this may be completed by a registrar, a dean or director of the program, or other authority); candidates who have a bachelor's degree and have not yet enrolled in a graduate program need not provide this form;
6. Assure the submission of a transcript from the applicant's undergraduate institution, and if her/his graduate training is already in progress, from the graduate institution as well; candidates may submit a photocopy of the transcript;
7. Submit documentary evidence that the applicant meets, as of NOVEMBER 1, 2006, the definition of New American as detailed below; and
8. Have taken and submitted to the Fellowship Program by the second week of December, 2006, scores from any graduate aptitude test (e.g., GMAT, MCAT, GRE, LSAT) required by programs to which the applicant has applied; candidates may submit a photocopy of the score report; this requirement does not pertain to students in programs where portfolios or auditions determine admissions

 

Eligibility

1. 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 Program is open to individuals who retain loyalty and a sense of commitment to their country of origin as well as to the United States, but is intended to support individuals who will continue to regard the United States as their principal residence and focus of national identity.
2. The applicant must either have a bachelor's degree or be in her/his final year of undergraduate study. Those who have a bachelor's degree may already be pursuing graduate study and may receive Fellowship support to continue that study. Individuals who are in the third, or subsequent, year of study in the same graduate program are not, however, eligible for this competition. Students who have received a master's degree in a program and are continuing for a doctoral degree in the same program are considered to have been in the same program from the time they began their work on their master's degree.
3. To be eligible you must not be older than thirty years of age as of NOVEMBER 1, 2006.
   

Qualifications

1. A successful candidate will give evidence of at least two of the following three attributes or criteria for selection: (1) creativity, originality, and initiative, demonstrated in any area of her/his life; (2) a capacity for accomplishment, demonstrated through activity that has required drive and sustained effort; and (3) a commitment to the values expressed in the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The third criterion includes activity in support of human rights and the rule of law, in opposition to unwarranted encroachment on personal liberty, and in advancing the responsibilities of citizenship in a free society.

    

Selection Procedure

1. Candidates must demonstrate the relevance of graduate education to their long-term career goals and potential in enhancing their contributions to society. Fellowships are not solely awarded on the basis of academic record. The academic record is relevant as evidence of the candidate's ability to complete successfully a graduate degree program and it strengthens the demonstration of achieving the Program's specific criteria for selection.
2. After screening, 84 candidates will be selected for interviews. The interviewers will be distinguished New Americans. The Program will provide funding for travel and accommodations. After its recommendations have been reviewed and approved by the Program's Board of Trustees, the class of Fellows will be announced in February. Unsuccessful applicants may reapply if they continue to meet the program requirements.

 

Value of the Award

Each year the Fellow receives a maintenance grant of $20,000 (paid in two installments) and a tuition grant of one-half the tuition cost of the U.S. graduate program attended by the Fellow (up to a maximum of $16,000 per academic year). The Fellowship Program pays the tuition grant directly to the institution. The size of the tuition grant depends on the cost of tuition at the institution the Fellow attends. Fees are not included in calculating tuition.

 

Application Tips

Their web site gives a lot of useful information on what makes a good application, what makes a good recommendation, etc. Read all of this helpful information!

 

Contact Information

Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
400 West 59th Street
New York, NY 10019

Or by telephone (212-547-6926) or by

Email (pdsoros_fellows@sorosny.org).

 

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