Fellowships
Get Help: Fellowship Advising
The fellowship application process is highly developmental, regardless of the outcome. A dedicated fellowship advisor, as well as your individual faculty mentors, are here to support you.
Alexandra Anderson, Senior Associate Director of the Center for Career & Professional Development, partners with students and alumni in the fellowship exploration and application process. Collaborating with faculty and staff colleagues across campus, Alex promotes fellowship opportunities, coaches applicants through the process, and serves as the campus representative to granting agencies to complete all required functions in support of candidates.
As a first step, please contact Alex at afca@southwestern.edu to schedule a meeting to explore your fellowship interests.
Many fellowships have deadlines very early in the fall semester, so you will benefit from working on your application throughout the summer leading up to the application deadline.
You should also reach out to your key faculty mentors - like your academic advisor, your Capstone professor, your research supervisor, or faculty you’ve had multiple classes with. All fellowship applications will require letters of recommendation, and these faculty are likely candidates to serve as recommenders. For applications where review of your application materials prior to submission is permitted, faculty mentors as well as the fellowship advisor will be valuable resources as you write.
The Debby Ellis Writing Center is another source of support, as well.
Fellowship advising resource links
Personal Statements/Proposals of Study
- Proposal Writing Resources (University of Illinois): https://grad.illinois.edu/fellowship/external-resources
- Writing Personal Statements webinar (Wellesley): https://www.wellesley.edu/careereducation/resources/writing-personal-statements-webinar
- Writing a Fellowship Proposal webinar (Wellesley): https://www.wellesley.edu/careereducation/resources/writing-fellowships-proposal-webinar
Recommendation Letters
- Recommendation Letter Advice for Applicants (NYU): https://www.nyu.edu/academics/awards-and-highlights/global-awards/support-and-resources/recommendation-letter-guidelines.html
- Recommendation Letter Advice for Recommendation Writers: Joe Schall’s Writing Recommendation Letters Online: https://www.e-education.psu.edu/writingrecommendationlettersonline/
- Specific resources for nationally competitive scholarships/fellowships: https://www.e-education.psu.edu/writingrecommendationlettersonline/node/138