Description.
The Mitchell Scholars Program is a national competitive fellowship sponsored by the US-Ireland Alliance. The Mitchell Scholars Program, named to honor former U.S. Senator George Mitchell's pivotal contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process, is designed to introduce and connect generations of future American leaders to the island of Ireland, while recognizing and fostering intellectual achievement, leadership, and a commitment to public service and community. Up to 12 Mitchell Scholars between the ages of 18 and 30 are chosen annually for one year of postgraduate study in any discipline offered by institutions of higher learning in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Applicants are judged on three criteria: academic excellence, leadership, and a sustained commitment to service and community.
Benefits.
Mitchell Scholarships support one year of graduate study in any discipline offered by an institution of higher learning in Ireland or Northern Ireland. The Mitchell Scholarship provides tuition, accommodations, a living expenses stipend, and an international travel stipend.
Bowdoin’s Internal Selection Process. The Mitchell Scholars Program requires that Bowdoin students secure a formal institutional endorsement from the College. In order for the Committee to consider endorsing you, you must submit the materials listed below to the Office of Student Fellowships and Research by the “Initial Bowdoin Deadline.” The Committee will review these materials, and those students who are deemed competitive will be contacted to schedule an interview date and time. Based on the submitted materials and the interview, the Committee will decide which applicant(s) will receive Bowdoin’s endorsement.
- Personal statement (some details provided under the "Final Application" tab; complete details can be found on the Mitchell Scholars Program Web site)
- Unofficial transcript (print off of Bearings)
- Current resume
- Three letters of recommendation. (Please note that if you receive Bowdoin’s endorsement you will need to submit five letters of recommendation.)
Materials for the Final Application. If you receive Bowdoin’s endorsement, it is your responsibility to continue revising and collecting your materials. Endorsed candidates are strongly encouraged to use the online application system to register Cindy Stocks, Director of Student Fellowships and Research, as their fellowship advisor. This will allow her to view, but not edit, your application before it is submitted to the Mitchell Scholarship office. By the “Final Bowdoin Deadline” endorsed applicants must elctronically submit a complete, online Mitchell Scholarship Application, which includes:
- Personal Information
- Education/Employment Section
- Five Letters of Recommendation and an Institutional Endorsement. All applicants are required to provide five letters of reference using the online reference system contained within the online application. Candidates register those who are providing references online and must furnish and emali address for each person. Once registered, each recommender will receive an email with a login user name and password in order to submit the recommendation online.
Of the five letters of recommendation,if a candidate is a full-time student, at least three must be from persons with whom the applicant has done academic work at a college or university. Applicants who are not now and have not been full-time students in the past academic year are required to provide five letters but only two letters of recommendation from an academic with whom they have studied.
Letters of recommendation should comment on the candidate's general fitness for the proposed course of study. Confidential observations, negative as well as positive, on the candidate's character, integrity, generosity of spirit, intellectual distinction, leadership and commitment to service will be of great value to the selection committee in deciding which candidates should be Mitchell Scholars.
- Awards and Activities Information
- Personal Statement. Selection committee members will place special emphasis on the personal statement. The essay should not exceed 1000 words and should be written clearly and thoughtfully. Applicants can enter a statement directly into the application form or upload it from his or her computer. Although the online application system will accept documents in many formats, it is recommended that the applicant use Word to format the essay. The applicant must certify on the online application that the essay is his or her own work.
- Supporting documents. The following supporting documents must be uploaded as part of the online application before the national deadline. Finalists will be required to provide these documents in hard copy in advance of finalist weekend.
- ONE electronic image file of passport-sized photo, unmounted head and shoulders, of the applicant must be uploaded. Finalists must provide ten hard-copies of this image with signatures on the back of the photos in advance of finalist weekend.
- ONE electronic image file of the applicant's signature must be uploaded. Finalists will be required to sign the back of their photos submitted in hard-copy in advance of finalist weekend.
- ONE electronic file containing unofficial copies of [all] a candidate's college [and graduate, when applicable] transcript[s] must be uploaded in pdf format. Finalists will be required to submit ONE official hard copy of all transcripts (upon request in advance of finalist weekend). ORIGINAL offiicial transcript[s] must be certified by the Registrar or other responsible university official.
- The following document is NOT uploaded at the time of inititial application:
- ONE electronic image (ONE pdf file) of the applicant's birth certificate, passport, or documented evidence of U.S. citizenship (a driver's license is NOT a citizenship document) must be available so that the candidate can provide it upon request (before the semi-final interview). Finalist may be asked to furnish hard-copy of this document (upon request in advance of finalist weekend).
More about the Selection Process. Initially, a team of Readers evaluates the applications, based on the material available to them, including the application, letters of recommendation, personal statement, and academic transcript[s]. Following evaluation by the Readers, roughly thirty semi-finalists are selected and may be invited for semi-final interviews held via skype. Semi-finalists will be invited via email and assigned a fixed date and time for the interview. Approximately twenty finalists are then invited to Washington, DC, for interviews with the Selection Committee. Final interviews will be held Friday and Saturday, 18 and 19 November 2011. All applicants who wish to become Mitchell Scholars must be present on both days. Travel and accommodations arrangements are made by the Mitchell Scholars program at no cost to the finalist.
Please note that applicants are responsible for all photocopying needed for the internal selection process and as required by the foundation.
