Knight-Hennessy Scholarship

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program is designed to build a multidisciplinary community of Stanford graduate students dedicated to finding creative solutions to the world's greatest challenges.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars may pursue a graduate education in any of Stanford’s graduate programs.

They welcome students pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees in Stanford's schools of business; earth, energy and environmental sciences; education; engineering; humanities and sciences; law; and medicine – all of which are rated among the best in the world.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars are ambitious, in the best sense, and will drive large-scale change in our complex world. Annually, ~70 scholars will be selected from around the globe.

Express Interest in Applying:

March - April 2026

Initial Bowdoin Deadline:

8/8/2025 at noon

Official KHS Deadline:

10/8/2025 at 1:00 p.m. PST

Campus Contact: Cindy Stocks

*Information derived from

https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/

Please be reminded that Bowdoin’s Honor Code applies to the fellowship application process.

The education of Knight-Hennessy Scholars is fully funded for any graduate degree at Stanford. The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program funds up to the first three years of your graduate education, and if your degree program exceeds three years - such as an MD or PhD program, or a Stanford dual- or joint-degree program - then your Stanford home department will fund the remainder of your education to the extent consistent with its standard funding commitment for that program. (That is, e.g., six years for PhDs in engineering, five years for PhDs in humanities.) As a Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University, you receive: a fellowship applied directly to cover your tuition and associated fees, and a generous stipend comprising your on-campus room and board; books, supplies, and instructional materials; health insurance and associated fees; travel to and from Stanford; local transportation; and reasonable personal expenses. If you engage in optional research projects during the summer, the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program can provide summer funding. In addition, Knight-Hennessy Scholars pursuing positive impact through social entrepreneurship may be eligible to apply for seed funding.

Citizens of all countries are encouraged to apply. (Note: It is anticipated that roughly 1/3 of the selected scholars will be from the U.S.)
Applicants are eligible to apply to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program if they are applying to enroll in anyfull-time graduate degree program at Stanford.
Applicants are eligible to apply during their final year of study for their first/bachelor's degree or within four years of earning their first/bachelor’s degree (even if they have earned a graduate degree).
Applicants must meet the requirements of the Stanford graduate program(s) that they wish to pursue.
Applicants must complete not only the Knight-Hennessy Scholars application, but also the entire application process for the relevant graduate degree program - including any standardized test required by the department (GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, etc.) and, if needed, an English proficiency test.

Students who are considering applying for the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship should email Cindy Stocks, Director of Student Fellowships and Research, and request access to the "National Fellowships that Support Graduate Study" Canvas course. Cindy will then give you access to the course so you can learn more about the opportunities that fund graduate study, including the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship, and begin to get your thoughts down on paper.

Gaining access to the Canvas course doesn't commit you to applying; rather, it is one of several tools to help you figure out whether this opportunity is a good fit for you. After reviewing the Canvas course and answering some preliminary questions, you should schedule a meeting with Cindy in March or April (before applying in the fall) to explore more deeply whether the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship is the right fit for you.

The goal is for you to have a finalized list of which national fellowship(s) you want to apply to before the end of classes, so you can work on your application(s) over the summer.

By the Initial Bowdoin Deadline, (see above), applicants must:

Submit a copy of their Knight-Hennessy application to the Office of Student Fellowships and Research. Applications should be saved as a PDF and submitted electronically to gpappas@bowdoin.edu.
Unofficial academic history from Workday. This document should be electronically submitted to gpappas@bowdoin.edu.
Two draft letters of recommendation submitted electronically to gpappas@bowdoin.edu.
Signed and witnessed "Permission Form and Waiver " to the Office of Student Fellowships and Research. This document should be e-mailed to gpappas@bowdoin.edu.

The Committee will review these materials and interview all applicants deemed competitive.

If you receive Bowdoin’s endorsement, it is your responsibility to continue revising and collecting your application materials as well as to remind your recommenders of the relevant deadlines. In addition, you are responsible for submitting your applications by the relevant deadlines to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program and to the appropriate graduate program.

Electronically submit a complete Knight-Hennessy Scholarship online application. Please see the Knight-Hennessey website for complete details regarding the application materials. Note: the Office of Student Fellowships and Research will be responsible for uploading the College's institutional endorsement.
Electronically submit a complete application specific to your selected Stanford graduate degree program. You must separately apply to the specific Stanford graduate degree program that you want to pursue, The requirements of and deadline for the graduate degree program depends on the specific program. For more information: click here.
Provide the Office of Student Fellowships and Research with an electronic copy of your application.

Kelsey Freeman '16

As a Government and Legal Studies major, Kelsey focused her time at Bowdoin on Indigenous rights—researching barriers to college access for Native students, leading an Alternative Spring Break to the Passamaquoddy Reservation, working for a Native social services agency, and completing an honors project on Indigenous social movements. Post-Bowdoin, Kelsey published a book, No Option but North, which won the Colorado Book Award and is based off of her year on a Fulbright Fellowship in Mexico interviewing Central American migrants. Kelsey also works at Central Oregon Community College, where she developed a college-readiness program for Native American high school students.

Mollie Friedlander '14

Mollie majored in Spanish and neuroscience at Bowdoin, and was also a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Spain the year after graduating from Bowdoin. She is now pursuing an MD and PhD in developmental biology at Stanford School of Medicine, and she aspires to a career as a physician-scientist, practicing pediatric endocrinology and heading a laboratory.

Knight-Hennessy Scholarship

Benefits

Eligibility

Express Interest in Applying

Initial Application

Final Application

Meet a Recent Recipient