George J. Mitchell Scholarships
Princeton’s Deadline for Institutional Endorsement: Noon, September 22, 2008. Students seeking the endorsement must consult with Dean Ordiway by September 16, 2008.
Deadline for Submission of Application to National Committee: October 6, 2008
Fields of study: Any discipline offered at an institution of higher learning in Ireland or Northern Ireland
Adviser: Dean Frank Ordiway • ordiway@princeton.edu • Ext. 8-1998
Description:
The US-Ireland Alliance sponsors a competitive national scholarship for graduate study by American citizens between the ages of 18 and 30 at institutions of higher learning on the island of Ireland. Named to honor the former U.S. senator’s pivotal contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process, the George J. Mitchell Scholarships are intended to familiarize and connect the next generation of American leadership with the island of Ireland. These scholarships support one year of graduate study in any discipline offered at an institution of higher learning in Ireland or Northern Ireland. The Mitchell Scholarship provides tuition, housing, a living expenses stipend, and international travel. Normally there are 12 scholarships awarded each year.
Eligibility and Criteria for Selection:
Applicants for the Mitchell Scholarship must be U.S. citizens, age 18 or over but not yet 30 as of October 1, 2008. They also must have academic standing sufficient to assure completion of a bachelor’s degree before they begin study under the Mitchell Scholarship. Mitchell Scholars must exhibit superior levels of academic achievement, leadership, and community service.
Application Procedure:
The US-Ireland Alliance collaborates with the Princeton Review company in an online application for the scholarships. The online application for the 2009–10 awards is now available at http://us-irelandalliance.org/mitchellscholarships/. The application and all recommendations must be submitted online. The deadline for all required materials is midnight Eastern Daylight Time on October 6, 2008. No mailed or late applications or recommendations are accepted, although certain required documents (U.S. citizenship, transcripts, and photos) must be sent by mail to the scholarship office. Candidates are urged to read the instructions carefully before completing the application and also to review the FAQs on the Web page to gain useful background on the selection process. Applicants also should ensure that their recommenders understand the process as well as the deadline requirement.
Institutional Endorsement:
An applicant who is a full-time student at the time of application must submit an institutional endorsement. The applicant must be endorsed by an institution where he or she will have completed two years of full-time study before October 1, 2009. Students seeking Princeton’s endorsement must consult with Dean Ordiway by September 16, 2008.
The applicant must register an institutional endorsement contact, utilizing the online recommendation functionality contained within the online application. It is preferred that applicants in their first year of graduate study would have the endorsement from their undergraduate institution, while those in their second or third year would have been endorsed by the graduate institution.
For any technical questions concerning the online application, please e-mail mitchellsupport@us-irelandalliance.org. Questions about the Mitchell Scholarships should be addressed to the director, Mary Lou Hartman, at (703) 841-5843 or via e-mail at hartman@us-irelandalliance.org.