Rhodes Scholarship: Definition, Eligibility, and Application Process

The Rhodes Scholarship, established in 1902, stands as one of the oldest and most prestigious international fellowship programs. Managed by the Rhodes Trust, a British charity honoring Cecil Rhodes's will, it offers exceptional students the opportunity to pursue graduate study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Because of its prestigious reputation, the Rhodes scholarship draws applications from thousands of the world's top college students each year.

What is a Rhodes Scholarship?

The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford. Each year, the Rhodes Trust selects roughly 100 students from around the world, including 32 Americans, through an intensive application and interview process. The first scholars arrived at Oxford in 1903, making it the oldest international scholarship.

The scholarship covers tuition and fees for at least two years of study at Oxford, where scholars can earn a second bachelor's degree, a master's degree, or a doctorate degree in one of various subjects. Scholarship winners must still apply for admission to Oxford, and the scholarship covers application fees. The scholarship also covers the fee for a student visa, flights to and from the U.K., health care coverage, and an annual stipend for living expenses - nearly $25,000 for the 2023-2024 academic year. The total amount of the scholarship varies but can reach about $250,000, representatives at the Rhodes Trust say.

Eleanor Wikstrom, a senior at Harvard University in Massachusetts and winner of a Rhodes scholarship to begin studying at Oxford in fall 2024, says the value of the Rhodes goes beyond the doors it will open. A social studies major with a focus on colonialism, she plans to earn a master’s degree in global and imperial history at Oxford. The ability to study that period of history in the U.K. with students from around the world was a major draw for the scholarship, she says.

“I also think that Rhodes offers this really amazing cohort that is not quite as prevalent with any other scholarship,” Wikstrom says. "It means being connected to other extraordinary young people at Oxford for several years, and then being introduced into a global alumni community of amazing people who are working for the common good. It can open doors that they don't even know exist right now."

Eligibility Requirements

Not everyone can apply for the Rhodes Scholarship. There are specific eligibility requirements, including age and citizenship, which vary by country. Applicants are chosen by "constituency," which is the country, region, or district where they live. It is important that applicants DO NOT register recommenders online. Once you register your referees on the online application, you will not be able to change your recommenders nor will your referees be able to make any changes to their letters for the national deadlines.

Age and Education

Applicants have various age requirements. Applicants must be aged 18-23 on 1st October of the application year. Or be under the age of 27 on 1st October of the application year AND you must also have completed your first undergraduate degree on or after 1 October of the previous year. In some instances, older applicants who completed their undergraduate degree later than usual may apply up to age 27, according to Babette Littlemore, director of communications at the Rhodes Trust. Applicants also must have completed or will have completed a college or university undergraduate degree with a GPA of 3.7 or higher. Applicants must Hold a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent by the beginning date of the grant.

Citizenship and Residency

To be eligible, applicants must be a U.S. citizen or in the process of becoming one at the time of application. students have been expanded in recent years to include legal permanent residents and DACA recipients, which refers to an immigration program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The list of countries from which students can apply has expanded, as well.

U.S. Districts

states and territories are grouped into 16 districts. applicants typically choose the district in which they have a permanent residence or have spent the most time. The district you’ll apply through will be one of the following:

The district in which you completed at least two years of your college education and received your bachelor’s degree prior to October 1st in the year that you apply.
The district in which you were a legal resident on April 15th in the year that you apply.

Who Should Apply?

Because of the competitive nature of the applicant pool, successful applicants typically possess at least a 3.9 GPA, says Kyle Mox, associate dean of national scholarship advisement at Arizona State University. But strong academic chops are just one part of the equation, experts say. The scholarship has continued to promote largely the same values and qualities over the course of its existence, including leadership and public service. The selection committee is looking for applicants "that are going to provide value to the world," Mox says.

Read also: Rhodes Scholarship Requirements

“It is intensely service-driven,” he says. “Any students that I’ve worked with who have succeeded, progressed and have been offered the award were passionately motivated by a desire to serve the world. They were high-achieving but not for the sake of being high-achieving. They were high-achieving because they had things they wanted to fix. That’s got to come through in the application."

Because applicants must still apply to Oxford after being awarded the scholarship, the committee looks for well-rounded students who would be easily admissible, Cutchins says.

"They have to have excelled in multiple areas, and at least ticked the box in most if not all of the major facets of student life: athletics, service, the arts, etc.," he says. "Someone smarter than me once said that Rhodes scholars are 'well rounded with a bump.' They are good at everything, and exceptional in one or more dimensions."

Students should take an honest look at their achievements and determine if they meet the criteria, he says. He encourages students who are on the fence to apply, even though "the vast majority of students who apply for the Rhodes - 98%+ - are not going to win." The application and interview process can be an immensely beneficial experience for students as they embark on their professional life, he says.

"I usually set a low bar, asking students if they are feasible, realistic, plausible candidates," he says. "If a student wants to be a Rhodes scholar, then I think they should make someone else say no to them, rather than them saying no to their own goals."

Selection Criteria

Committees of Selection will have regard to those qualities which Cecil Rhodes expressly listed in order to define the type of Scholar he desired. The Rhodes Scholarship outlines four criteria to be used in selecting scholars:

Literary and scholastic achievements: GPA and difficulty of coursework are the standard places to demonstrate academic achievement. The Rhodes Trust has adopted a 3.7 minimum GPA requirement to be eligible to apply for a Rhodes Scholarship and the average GPA of recipients is 3.9. Academic merit is also be demonstrated through excellent recommendations from people who know the candidate and can make informed comparisons with many other students. Recommendations, should provide specific and well-documented details about the selection criteria outlined by Rhodes. The Selectors will also look for adequate preparation for the proposed course of study, particularly in the upper-level course work and real strength in the major field.
Energy to use one’s talents to the full: Showing passion and vigor to pursue goals despite setbacks can demonstrate this characteristic. This means evidence of mastery in non-academic areas, such as sports, the arts, debate, activism, or other extracurriculars, and also includes demonstrations of your capacity for teamwork.
Truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness and fellowship: Concern for others can be reflected in countless ways aside from direct hands-on charitable work. Reference padding, with sudden and extensive charitable activity in one’s junior year for example, is usually transparent to committees.
Moral force of character and instincts to lead, and to take an interest in one’s fellow beings: Formal leadership positions, such as elected office in student government or another organization, are one way to demonstrate leadership.

Rhodes Scholarship Application Process

To become a Rhodes scholar, students are typically encouraged to apply during their junior year of college, experts say. The online application opens in early July each year and closes in early October. Individual schools often set varying internal deadlines for different checkpoints within the application. While students are explicitly prohibited from receiving help on the personal essay, many schools help guide them through various aspects of the application, such as interview preparation.

Required Application Materials

While several pieces of the application are consistent across all constituencies, some details among them change, Cutchins says. All selection committees require a 750-word, original personal statement and a 350-word academic statement. Applicants must also supply an official transcript, a full resume and five to eight letters of reference. All of these materials, excluding the letters of recommendation, should be submitted electronically through the Northeastern application portal in time for the internal deadline. DO NOT submit your application through the Rhodes site electronically for the internal deadline. Once your application is complete, but before it has been submitted electronically, save it as a PDF and submit it.

"All constituencies ask that some of the letters are written by people who can comment on the student's academic ability and others serve as character references," he says. "Some constituencies detail the exact number of each kind of letter that should be submitted."

The personal essay should be an incredibly strong and original piece of writing, experts say. The most important part of the written application is the 1000-word “personal statement”. This statement asks you to address all of the following prompts by weaving them into the narrative of your statement (the word allocation across the three is up to you):

Which Rhodes Scholar quality do you display most strongly, and how are different contexts and people helping you to develop the other qualities?
What would you like to learn from and contribute to the Rhodes community in Oxford?
From your place in the world, how will you use your energy and talents to address humanity’s pressing challenges?”

This will be complemented with a 350-word academic statement where you’ll elaborate on your reasons for wishing to study at Oxford and in your proposed area of study.

University Endorsement

To be considered for the scholarship, applicants must first be nominated and endorsed by their university. Then applicants compete with others within their constituency, or district. During the endorsement round, many universities organize a nomination committee, which typically consists of faculty members, staff and, if possible, Rhodes scholar alumni, Mox says. When students are nominated, the university produces an endorsement letter signed by the university president or a high-ranking dean. This endorsement should include confirmation that the student has satisfied or will satisfy the requirements to receive a bachelor's degree in the year following the submission of the application, if the student is an undergraduate. An institutional endorsement is required to apply for a Rhodes Scholarship.

National Round and Interviews

Shortlisted candidates must attend a district reception and interview in November, after which each district committee selects a maximum of two winners. Friday and Saturday preceding the Thanksgiving holiday: District receptions and interviews. The names of Scholarship winners are announced at the close of the District interviews. There is no application fee for submission of the Rhodes Scholarship application form; however you must submit your application online, before the deadline, and we can’t accept any other form of application.

Wikstrom says she was alerted roughly two weeks prior that she was selected for an interview. In that interim, several fellowship advisers at Harvard conducted intense mock interviews and held a mock reception. Though the reception is not an official part of the selection process, “if you say something during that reception, it is fair game during the interview,” Wikstrom says, so it's worth preparing for.

The Importance of Being Authentic

While it's wise to prepare, experts say the selection committee values authenticity. Wikstrom says some of the feedback she got during mock interviews was to be less "canned" and show her natural personality more. "I wanted to steep myself in those materials that meant a lot to me and were really formative for the way I thought about things. There’s nothing that you can do in that last week or last two weeks that will save you. There’s no new fact you’re going to learn. There’s no new method that’s going to save you. You are the sum of everything you’ve done up to that point.

What It's Like to Study at Oxford

If you’re an American student, the education that you’ll receive at Oxford has some key differences from what you’ve likely experienced for your undergraduate education. One difference lies in the structure of the university, which is made up of 38 different colleges, each with its own separate admissions process. On that note, even if you’re awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, you’ll still need to apply to one of Oxford’s colleges-and it’s not guaranteed that you’ll be accepted. Oxford’s colleges are small, typically hosting 200-500 students each.

Another notable divergence from American higher education is that some degrees at Oxford are taught primarily through what’s called the tutorial system. Rather than participating in classroom discussions and lectures, you’ll work one-on-one or in small groups (typically no more than three students total) with a tutor who will assign readings and essays. You’ll meet with your tutor weekly to discuss your assignments, and you’ll sit for exams at the end of the term (Oxford’s academic calendar consists of three eight-week terms per year). are accustomed to.

Degrees that are earned through the tutorial system included bachelor’s degrees and certain graduate degrees, including many DPhils (doctorates). On the other hand, many master’s degrees, particularly in the sciences, are “taught degrees” with high levels of collaboration and group work.

Degrees Offered

A Rhodes Scholarship allows you to earn any full-time postgraduate degree available at Oxford, with a few exceptions, typically over two years’ time. This allows you to complete one or two master’s degrees, a second bachelor’s degree, or a doctoral degree. It’s worth noting that the Rhodes Scholarship cannot be taken for less than two years, so if you are interested in a one-year master’s degree, you’ll typically follow it with a second one-year master’s.

In recent years, most Rhodes Scholars from the United States have elected to earn master’s degrees, either in the shape of a single two-year degree or two one-year degrees. However, some Rhodes Scholars do choose to earn a second bachelor’s degree. Though a second bachelor’s may seem redundant, it can be the right choice for certain candidates, given the fact that the Oxford BA is far more specialized than the BA that you’d typically earn in an American university. On top of this, you can also apply to convert it to an MA seven years after you matriculate without undertaking any further coursework. DPhils (the British term for PhDs) are also popular-these days, nearly half of all American Rhodes Scholars begin DPhils. DPhil candidates begin in a master’s program and then apply to progress to the DPhil during their first or second year. Progressing to a DPhil also enables you to a third year of funding through the Rhodes Scholarship.

However, if you elect to move on to a DPhil, you should expect to spend at least four years studying at Oxford. The Rhodes Scholarship only guarantees full funding for DPhil candidates through the third year, so costs beyond that can get complicated. Depending on your discipline, you may be able to get costs covered for your fourth-year tuition and fees, though it isn’t guaranteed. Either way, the Rhodes Scholarship does not pay a stipend past the third year of study, so you’ll need to have another source of funding for your living expenses.

Benefits of the Scholarship

In most cases, the Rhodes Scholarship covers the costs of two years of study at Oxford. If awarded a Rhodes, you can expect to receive the following:

All Oxford University and College fees covered, including the University application fee
A living stipend (during the 2021-2022 academic year, the stipend is £17,310 which converts to approximately $23,700 USD)
A settling-in allowance of £250 (~$350 USD), received upon arrival in Oxford
Roundtrip economy airfare to and from the United Kingdom
Fees covered for visas and healthcare

You may also receive research grants that pay for you to attend conferences or conduct extra fieldwork.

Competitiveness

The Rhodes Scholarship is extremely selective. Globally, the selection rate is very competitive. The Rhodes Scholarship has a selection rate of around 1 percent for applicants from the United States. And even when considering only candidates who were endorsed by their college, just 3.3 percent ultimately received a scholarship. This makes the Rhodes one of the most selective scholarships in existence.

Notable Rhodes Scholars

Rhodes scholars have gone on to have prominent positions in politics, the arts, sports and other roles. Among some famous Rhodes scholars are basketball great Bill Bradley, former President Bill Clinton, songwriter Kris Kristofferson, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. Senator Cory Booker, for example, was not only a Rhodes Scholar in the 1990s, but he also served as president of the university's L'Chaim Society.

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