The information in this Guide is the best available as of August 2008. You may also consult the Princeton Fellowship website for any updates and further information at www.princeton.edu/odoc/student_funding/fellowships_and_grants/postgraduate.

There is no easy way to win a fellowship, but thoughtful preparation can make the process less daunting and your chances of success more likely. Princeton has organized a network of fellowship advisers to help you with the application process. You should be encouraged by the fact that Princeton students have consistently won a generous share of these fellowships in the past.

As you begin thinking about fellowships, consider the following:

1. If you are considering graduate study, think seriously about where you would like to study and why. Discuss possibilities with faculty members, both those who know you well and those who are familiar with areas of study, universities, and countries of interest to you. Identify opportunities specifically suited to you and your goals.

2. Inform yourself about the qualifications necessary for each fellowship. Read this Guide and use the Web thoroughly.

3. Plan carefully the proposal, essay, or prospectus that you will be required to submit as part of the application process. Develop preliminary drafts as soon as possible and have them ready for review prior to classes beginning in the fall. For a few of the fellowships, Princeton University requires that you present a draft of your statement before beginning the application process. Use this time to have faculty, friends, and advisers help you.

4. Consider who can write the strongest possible recommendations for you; then talk with those individuals about your future plans and goals. Remember that some faculty members may be on leave in the fall term and perhaps unavailable to write a letter of recommendation. It is much more important to have a letter of recommendation from a faculty member who knows you well than from a dean or prominent professor who is only just acquainted with you. You owe it to yourself, therefore, to begin thinking about prospective letters of recommendation early. You may want to approach potential recommenders now. Applications will require between two and eight letters of recommendation, which are absolutely critical in the selection process.

5. Most fellowship applications must be accompanied by transcripts and photographs. If several transcripts are required, it is usually permissible to submit one original and photocopies. You can order transcripts online at registrar1.princeton.edu/trans/trans.cfm. In addition, several fellowships require that a physician sign a certificate of good health. The physicians at McCosh Health Center will perform this service, but you should not wait until the last minute to schedule an appointment.

6. There will be information meetings about fellowships during the academic year. Look for e-mail announcements.

7. You must submit scores for the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) when you apply for many of the listed fellowships, including the Churchill, Department of Defense, Ford, and National Science Foundation Fellowships.

The GRE General Test is given year-round on the computer. You can register online at www.ets.org/gre/grereg. Be sure to check the Score Report Mailing Date when selecting a test date.

The Subject Tests are given in the paper-based format only on specified dates. The following subject tests may not be offered on all November dates: economics, geology, history, music, and sociology.

8. Be sure that the academic department and degree you wish to pursue exist at the institution(s) you are considering. Often a proposal is strengthened by your knowledge of the school’s programs. Refer to the section “Reference Material Available in Firestone Library” in this Guide for an overview of tools for identifying specific programs to meet your needs. Catalogs of several British universities—including Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, University College (London), and the London School of Economics—are kept in the Reference Room in Firestone. In addition, the College Catalog Collection on microfiche, located in the Microforms Service on the C Floor of Firestone, contains the announcements and course descriptions for most U.S. and foreign universities. Many institutions now have detailed home pages on the Web. Use this address for British universities: www.marshallscholarship.org/studyuk.

9. Remember that no individual can be intimately familiar with all degree programs in even one university, such as Oxford, much less in all of England or Europe. While the fellowship advisers listed in this Guide are very willing to help you with a choice of degree program or choice of university within their spheres of knowledge, you must take the initiative to seek out information. You must be willing to talk with faculty in your own department, to seek out knowledgeable people elsewhere, and to carefully read the collection of catalogues. Whenever possible, correspond directly with faculty members at the institution(s) to which you are applying in order to secure their support or sponsorship.

10. This collection of fellowship opportunities is only a fraction of those available to students interested in graduate study. The Office of Career Services maintains a collection of books and binders of many other fellowship, grant, and scholarship opportunities, including Annual Register of Grant Support: A Directory of Funding Resources; Cash for Grad School: The Ultimate Guide to Grad School Scholarships; Directory of Research Grants; Financial Aid and Special Fellowships: Women, Minorities, International Students; Free Money for Graduate School: A Guide to More than 1,000 Grants and Scholarships for Graduate Study; Harvard College Guide to Grants; Money for Graduate Students in the Arts and Humanities; Money for Graduate Students in the Biological and Health Sciences; Money for Graduate Students in the Physical and Earth Sciences; Money for Graduate Students in the Social and Behavioral Sciences; The Graduate School Funding Handbook; and The Grants Register: The Complete Guide to Postgraduate Funding Worldwide.

In addition, the Office of Career Services maintains a Web page with information on a variety of work-based fellowships (as opposed to fellowships for further graduate study). This page can be found at web.princeton.edu/sites/career/Undergrad/Industries/fellowships.shtml.

11. A number of scholarships and grants included in this booklet and listed in the directories mentioned above specifically target members of ethnic minorities and sometimes women. In some cases, the scholarship program restricts the applicant pool to specific groups (e.g., Ford Foundation Fellowships); in other cases, the scholarships make a point of encouraging minority candidates, but do not restrict the applicant pool (e.g., National Science Foundation). Fellowships are available for study in a wide range of academic and professional fields. Some are administered by the graduate institutions themselves; others may be supported by specific organizations, such as the local chapter of the NAACP. The Black Graduate Caucus on campus is a resource to undergraduates of color who are interested in pursuing fellowship opportunities.

12. If you are a non-U.S. citizen, there are opportunities for you, too! Some fellowships listed in the Guide are open to ALL graduating Princeton seniors. Be certain to check out the Jack Kent Cooke, Dale, Labouisse, ReachOut 56/81, and Sachs.

In addition, the National Association of Fellowships Advisors’ (NAFA) website is a useful resource for funding opportunities open to non-U.S. citizens. These external sites related to prestigious scholarships and awards that may be helpful to you is located on the NAFA website at www.nafadvisors.org/resources.htm.

13. Expect e-mail reminders about fellowship meetings and deadlines. The URL for the “Postgraduate Fellowship and Scholarship Opportunities for Princeton University Students” website is: www.princeton.edu/odoc/ student_funding/ fellowships_and_grants/postgraduate.

14. Those students pursuing fellowships that are more project-oriented or self-directed should contact relevant organizations and talk to professors to assure that your plans are viable.

Even with outstanding credentials, what often differentiates an application is not just what you have done so far, but how well you can articulate what you intend to do in the future and how the fellowship will enable you to pursue those goals. — Dean Peter Bogucki