The Daniel M. Sachs Class of 1960 Graduating Scholarship
Deadline: October 22, 2007
Fields of study: Open; study at Oxford, or study, work, or travel abroad
Adviser: Mr. David Loevner • dloevner@hlmnet.com • 908-947-0134
Description:
The Graduating Scholarship, named for the late Daniel M. Sachs ’60, was instituted by his friends and classmates to provide a senior with an opportunity to study, work, or travel abroad after graduation. The purpose is to enlarge the holder’s experience of the world. Sachs was a distinguished student and a fine athlete who intended to enter politics. The scholarship that commemorates his qualities is meant for students of broadly comparable intentions who are thinking of public affairs, whether politics, civil service, international affairs, journalism, and public education; or law; science; or medicine in the public interest.
The advisers to the Sachs Fund specifically wish to call the opportunity to the attention of students majoring in the sciences, engineering, and the humanities, no less than to those in departments more directly concerned with politics.
The scholarship may be held in one of two ways: It may be a traveling fellowship that enables the scholar to carry out a program of his or her own devising, or it may be held as a scholarship entitling the recipient to qualify for an appropriate degree from the University of Oxford. Sachs continued his own education after Princeton at Worcester College, Oxford; Worcester is receptive to applications for membership from Sachs Scholars and extends a reduction in fees. If a Sachs Scholar wishes to study there, the Sachs Fund assures a tenure of two years at a total stipend sufficient to pay for university and college tuition and to provide an allowance for other expenses.
Proposals for the alternative traveling option must involve study, research, or work outside the United States and Canada. The stipend will be set in accordance to anticipated needs up to a maximum of $40,000. Candidates may be asked to provide evidence that they have access to the institutions, milieux, or circumstances in which they intend to carry out their programs, and also that they are fluent in the languages they would need. Under this option, tenure is limited to one year.
Criteria for Selection:
The process of selection is not a competition in which applicants are ranked by some order of merit, but rather an attempt to identify that member of the graduating class whose tenure of the scholarship would be most in keeping with Dan Sachs’ qualities of character, intelligence, and commitment, and in whose prospective career the scholarship would be most likely to have consequences of value to the public. If no candidate presents a proposal that seems appropriate to the committee, the scholarship will not be awarded.
Application Procedure:
Seniors who wish to apply should address a letter to:
The Sachs Scholarship Selection Committee c/o David R. Loevner, 406 West College. Candidates should set forth in their letter how they would use the Sachs Scholarship if they were to be selected. A statement of extracurricular interests and activities inside and outside the University and an original, certified transcript of the candidate’s academic record must accompany the letter. The letter and any attachments must be printed single sided on normal weight paper and submitted unfolded. Six stapled photocopies of the application package, consisting of the letter, resume and transcript, must also be submitted with the original.
Though not required, candidates are encouraged to submit letters of recommendation from persons who know them well and can speak to the merits of their proposal; candidates may request up to three letters from members of the faculty or others. Such letters must be submitted directly to the Committee at the address above in original form; fax or e-mail submissions are not acceptable.
Letters of candidacy and supporting materials must be submitted no later than October 22, 2007. Letters of recommendation can be submitted after this date, but may not receive consideration. The candidates whose proposals are most appropriate and whose records give evidence of ability to carry them out will be interviewed on campus on November 30 and December 1.
Additional Information:
A meeting of seniors interested in the scholarship will be scheduled early in the fall semester. See also Daniel M. Sachs Class of 1960 Graduating Scholarship Frequently Asked Questions (pdf).
Advice for Sachs Applicants
1. Candidates proposing to apply for a highly selective graduate degree program at Oxford (e.g., M.Phil in international relations) are advised to reflect on, and to share with the Sachs selection committee, whether alternate program(s) could be suitable for them in case they are not admitted to their preferred program.
2. Traveling fellowship option proposals that do not involve matriculation at a recognized institution are welcomed, and should be presented with as much specific detail as possible, including anticipated living arrangements, estimated budget, and a description of what the candidate expects to be doing on a day-to-day basis.