- Have demonstrated superior standards of intellectual ability, scholastic achievement and personal promise during his or her undergraduate career.
- Be a college junior pursuing a bachelor's degree
- Plan to enter a research- or creative-focused master’s or doctoral program in the arts, humanities, or social sciences. NOTE: Students in the social sciences who plan to pursue graduate study in neuroscience or clinical psychology should not apply for a Beinecke Scholarship.
- Be a United States citizen or a United States national from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
- Have a documented history of being eligible to receive need-based financial aid during their undergraduate years, with a slight preference for Pell Grant recipients. Other evidence of meeting this criterion is a student’s history of receiving need-based institutional, state, or federal grantsin- aid. The nominated student will be required to complete and submit a Financial Aid Data Sheet outlining how the student meets this criterion. During the selection process, the amount of financial need will be one of the factors considered, with preference given to candidates for whom the awarding of a Beinecke Scholarship would significantly increase the likelihood of the student’s being able to attend graduate school.
- Applicants should be aware that the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs is involved with the campus review process. Students with serious social or academic violations, such as those that are included as part of their permanent record at Bowdoin, are advised to consult with the Director of Student Fellowships and Research early in the process. Students may also consult with their dean for guidance.
Beinecke Scholarship
Description
Since 1975 the program has selected more than 590 college juniors from more than 100 different undergraduate institutions for support during graduate study at any accredited university. The Beinecke Scholarship Program will select 20 new Beinecke Scholars each year, and Bowdoin College is one of approximately 135 schools invited to nominate a junior for receipt of this prestigious award. (Please note that the selection committee does not respond favorably to nominees planning to attend professional schools such as law, business, or medical.)
Benefits
Each scholar receives $5,000 immediately prior to entering graduate school and an additional $30,000 while attending graduate school. There are no geographic restrictions on the use of the scholarship, and recipients are allowed to supplement the award with other scholarships, assistantships and research grants. Scholars are encouraged to begin graduate study as soon as possible following graduation from college, and must utilize all of the funding within five years of completion of undergraduate studies.