Keasbey Scholarship

• The successful candidate will demonstrate academic excellence, active participation in extracurricular activities, leadership abilities, and the promise of personally and intellectually benefiting from two years of study in Britain.

• Applicants for a Keasbey Scholarship must be a citizen of the United States and must be a member of the graduating class of their college or university.

• A married Scholar may not hold the scholarship. Therefore, a nominee should not expect to marry before completing two years of study abroad. If the Scholar marries, the scholarship is forfeited.

• The Scholar may not have another scholarship, such as a Rhodes, Marshall, Mellon or a fellowship grant for foreign study from his or her own college.

• The Keasbey Scholarship may not be deferred or interrupted.
• This following statement from the Keasbey Foundation provides insight into the mission of the Keasbey Scholarship.

In view of Miss Keasbey’s admiration for Great Britain and the distinguished persons its educational system has produced, she was obviously interested in promoting Anglo-American relations through the selection of American Keasbey scholars who would be exposed to the British educational institutions. The exceptional records of American Keasbey scholars not only academically, but also in their participation in their college and university activities, such as theater, music, social work, debate and athletics, have created a wide acceptance for American Keasbey scholars who have returned to the United States with a deep appreciation for the experience that the Keasbey Foundation has made possible for them and a better understanding of the heritage all Americans have from Great Britain.

• Endorsed candidates are responsible for applying to the graduate or undergraduate program at Oxford, Cambridge, or the University of Edinburgh prior to their December interview in Philadelphia. Given that in recent years competition for the Oxford and Cambridge graduate programs, in particular, has grown more intense, it has become more important for US students to apply to Oxford and Cambridge early, and to establish contacts with potential advisors and graduate directors. In some cases, it may make sense for students to apply to at least two different programs at the same time. 
• For information on how prior study abroad experience in the UK will impact your application, and more detailed information about what the Keasbey Foundation is looking for in a competitive candidate, please click here.
• 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.

Bowdoin’s Internal Selection Process. Every third year, Bowdoin is allowed to nominate only two students for the Keasbey.  By the “Initial Bowdoin Deadline,” please submit the following materials to the Office of Student Fellowships and Research:

• A curriculum vitae
• Unofficial academic history from Polaris
• A four-page, double-spaced Academic Interest and Proposed Course of Study Statement. Please see the "Final Application" accordion tab for more details.
• Signed and witnessed "Permission Form and Waiver"
• Three letters from faculty members with whom the nominee has worked closely saying, in substance, that the candidate is believed to be capable of academic work which should result in the nominee obtaining a good Honors degree in his or her field of interest.  A faculty member should electronically submit his/her letter to Gina Pappas (gpappas@bowdoin.edu) by the "Initial Bowdoin Deadline." Please note that if a student is endorsed, their recommenders will have the opportunity to revise and update their recommendations before early November.

The applicant should save the first four items listed above as PDFs and electronically submit them to Gina Pappas (gpappas@bowdoin.edu).

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.

Applicants are reminded that endorsed candidates will be required to apply to the program(s) they wish to enroll in as a Keasbey Scholar prior to the December interview with the Keasbey Trustees.

Materials for the Final Application. If you receive Bowdoin’s nomination, it is your responsibility to continue revising and collecting your material and to remind people writing your recommendations of all dates and deadlines. By the “Final Bowdoin Deadline,” nominees must provide the items listed below to the Office of Student Fellowships and Research:

• A completed Keasbey application cover sheet
• A curriculum vitae
• An official transcript of the nominee’s academic grades, including official transcripts from any study abroad experiences
• A four-page, double-spaced Academic Interest and Proposed Course of Study Statement. This statement should summarize the areas of the nominee’s major academic interest and the course of study proposed to be taken in Great Britain. This will require some research on the part of the nominee and, preferably, prior discussion with faculty members who have had experience with educational institutions in Great Britain so that the proposed course of study abroad will have a relationship to what the nominee has done as an undergraduate and to the nominee’s career objectives. This is particularly important if the successful nominee hopes to do at least some work in Great Britain at what would be considered the graduate level here, such as to read immediately for the M.Phil., B. Phil., or M. Sc. degree.
• Three letters from faculty members with whom the nominee has worked closely saying, in substance, that the candidate is believed to be capable of academic work which should result in the nominee’s obtaining a good Honors degree in his or her field of interest.

The applicant should save the first four items listed above as PDFs and electronically submit them to Gina Pappas (gpappas@bowdoin.edu).

The Office of Student Fellowships and Research will be responsible for gathering the following and sending all materials directly to the Foundation for further consideration.

• A letter addressed to the Trustees by a senior administrative official who knows the nominee personally and who is generally familiar with the nominee’s academic qualifications. The letter should include a description of the nominee’s extracurricular activities and leadership qualities.

More about the Selection Process: The Foundation is asking three other American colleges to make two nominations each and expects to make two awards. Bowdoin’s nominees will be interviewed by representatives of the Foundation on December 13, 2024, at the law firm of Morgan Lewis & Brockius LLP in Philadelphia. 

Finalists are required to apply to the undergraduate or graduate program they propose to attend in the UK prior to the scheduled interview in Philadelphia.