The Star of the West International Summer Study Scholarship is intended to encourage study and research abroad among full-time cadets intending to apply for highly competitive graduate schools and fellowships, including:

• The Rhodes Scholarship
• The Marshall Scholarship
• The Truman Scholarship

Proposals for independent study or research must be approved by a department and carry a 3- hour course equivalent for credit.

The International Summer Scholarship includes a grant of up to approximately $5,000. The application consists of one letter of recommendation, two written statements, and a budget.

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

A faculty member may not write letters of recommendation proposing a program led by that faculty member. A faculty member acting as the supervisor for an independent research study may write a letter of recommendation for the applicant they will be supervising.

BUDGET

Budgets should specify all projected costs for a proposed program, including:

• International and local travel (plane tickets and taxis)
• Tuition
• Meals
• Lodging

It is STRONGLY recommended that you visit https://studyabroad.yale.edu/paying-study-abroad/budgeting and use the study abroad budget calculator available on that page to build your budget worksheet. You can then email that worksheet to yourself and submit it as part of your application.

ESSAYS

Statement of Purpose (1 page):

This 1-page document outlines the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of what you are proposing for your Star of the West experience. If you are pursuing a research project, developing a strong, feasible and compelling project is the most important aspect of a successful application. The first step is to familiarize yourself with your host country and institution in order to convincingly explain why that country and institution are ideal for your proposed program.

Whether you are applying for a research project or a study program, the proposal should indicate a clear commitment to the host country community and a description of how you will engage with it.

The Statement of Purpose must also explain how your Star of the West-funded program would enhance your competitiveness and preparedness for competitive graduate programs and/or fellowships.

Format: single spaced, 12-point Times New Roman, 1 inch margins.

Personal Statement (1 page):

This 1-page narrative is designed to give the reviewers a picture of you as an individual. It is an opportunity to tell the committee more about the trajectory that you have followed and what plans you have for the future. Whereas the Statement of Grant Purpose focuses on what you will be doing in the host country, the Personal Statement concentrates on how your background has influenced your development and how that relates to the Star of the West opportunity.

The statement can deal with your personal history, family background, intellectual development, and the educational, professional, or cultural opportunities to which you have or have not been exposed; explain their impact. This should not be a reiteration of facts already listed in the Statement of Grant Purpose.

Format: single spaced, 12-point Times New Roman, 1 inch margins.

Students with GPAs lower than 3.5 or without plans to apply for graduate schools or fellowships may be eligible to apply for the OIDP scholarship.

Only currently-enrolled, full-time cadets who will not graduate until after summer 2020 are eligible to apply for this award.

The application deadline is 5:00 pm on 19 February 2021.