Strauss Scholar Luis Larais profiled on Today@UCI
Strauss Scholar Kenny Loois profiled on Today@UCI
Multiple Scholarship Winner Vicky Zhouis profiled on Today@UCI
Rhodes Scholarship finalist Megan Bakeris profiled on Today@UCI |
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Known as the SOP, our office helps undergraduate students prepare successful applications for prestigious merit scholarships — such as the Rhodes and Fulbright — that are international, national, and regional in scope. These are funded by outside agencies, not UCI.
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DEADLINES: Fulbright, Rhodes, Marshall, Churchill, Mitchell, and Gates candidates
June 27
- All Scholarships: View winning applications in the SOP office. Email to schedule a viewing appointment!
July 14
- Marshall, Mitchell, Rhodes, Churchill: Email 1st draft of applications (including essays) to SOP office.
- Marshall, Mitchell, Rhodes, Churchill: 1st draft of faculty letters of recommendation due to SOP office.
July 30
- Fulbright: Electronically submit 1st draft of application (including essays) to SOP office.
- Fulbright: 1st draft of faculty letters of recommendation due to SOP office.
August 11
- Marshall, Mitchell, Rhodes, Churchill: 2nd draft of applications due to SOP office.
- Marshall, Mitchell, Rhodes, Churchill: Final draft of faculty letters of recommendation due to SOP office.
September 2
- Fulbright: Electronically submit Final Draft of application. Bring hard copies of supplementary materials to SOP office.
- Fulbright: Final draft of faculty letters of recommendation due to SOP office.
September 2-5
- Marshall, Mitchell, Rhodes, Churchill: Candidate interviews with UCI faculty screening committee.
September 10-25
- Fulbright: Candidate interviews with UCI faculty screening committee.
September 19
- Gates: Final draft of applications due to SOP for optional review/feedback.
- Gates: Faculty letters of recommendation due to SOP office.
PROCEDURES
☆ (Fulbright) Select a country.
Visit the Fulbright website for details.
☆ Select an institution.
Research strong programs and universities specializing in your field.
Find out which institutions/programs faculty consider competitive.
For U.K. – Check the RAE (Research Assessment Exercise), which rates the quality of specific programs at U.K. universities and colleges. Conducted every 4-5 years, it displays results by subject area and by institution. Programs rated 4, 5, or 5* are considered competitive.
Read the Guardian Newspaper’s guide to interpreting RAE results.
☆ Email Rebecca an updated CV as soon as possible.
☆ Notify Rebecca which program, institution, and country you have selected ASAP.
☆ Provide Rebecca with summer mailing addresses for faculty recommendation letter writers.
Rhodes requires 5-8 letters; Mitchell requires 5; Marshall and Churchill each require 4; Fulbright requires 3; and Gates requires 2.
SOP staff will send each faculty member a packet containing your CV, personal statement/project proposal, information about the program(s) to which you are applying, deadlines for all steps, and examples of letters written by UCI faculty for past scholarship winners.
☆ Provide a draft of your project proposal to faculty recommenders/letter writers and Rebecca.
☆ Login to begin the application process(es)
Fulbright
Marshall
Mitchell
Churchill
Rhodes
☆ Read UCI winning applications in the SOP office.
Email to schedule an appointment.
☆ Obtain a short letter of affiliation (an informal invitation to study should you receive a scholarship) from a faculty member at your overseas institution of choice.
This letter shows the committees judging your application(s) that someone overseas vouches for your proposed study/research enough to extend a non-binding invitation to study there.
Ask UCI faculty whom they know at your selected institution. Email their contacts (identifying your mutual acquaintance) to convey your interests, skills, and goals, and name the scholarship(s) for which you will apply. Building on existing professional relationships between UCI faculty and colleagues abroad helps expedite the process. Submit your updated CV, transcripts, and a draft of your project proposal to acquaint overseas faculty with your viability as a visiting student and researcher.
If your UCI faculty do not know anyone at your chose institution, find UCI professors in other fields who have connections to faculty at your proposed institution (or to faculty at any institution in your country) to establish a chain of introduction.
HOW THE SOP HELPS YOU:
☆☆ Merit Scholarship Info ☆☆
TOP FACTS:
- Prestigious scholarships emphasize excellence in academic, leadership, or community service realms. Although some may incorporate a financial need component, it is not the primary selection criterion.
- They fund future research and academic or career endeavors rather than immediate monetary assistance.
- Applications often require a thorough statement of proposed study or research, a personal statement, and several letters of recommendation from faculty.
- Developing a strong application involves weeks — sometimes months — of planning and drafts. Begin the process early!
Funding agencies generally ask for:
- Official transcripts
- Three letters of recommendation from faculty
- A project proposal or plan of study
- A personal statement
Some scholarships may also require:
- An interview
- Additional letters of recommendation
- Attaining institutional endorsement of your application
You can find out about scholarships sponsored by UCI and the UC system by contacting the Office of Financial Aid at (949) 824-8262 or finaid@uci.edu).
Advising Appointments
We are eager to meet with you and help you navigate the application process for prestigious scholarships! Please follow these steps to schedule an appointment with an SOP advisor:
- Review Prestigious Scholarships, listed by application deadline. Click on links for details regarding eligibility and the selection process. Note scholarships for which you qualify based on class standing, subject area, etc.
- Email the following materials to SOP staff:
- Completed Prospective Scholarship Winner Information Form
- An updated CV (extended resume) - Find tips for creating one here.
- A current Unofficial Transcript.
- An informal Statement of Purpose and Goals - Write 300 words or less describing your academic and career goals and how you plan to achieve them.
Once we have received these materials we will get in touch with you to schedule an appointment.
RECENT SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS!
2006 CARPE DIEM FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Jennifer Yanni (Humanitarian Honoree)
2008 CORO FOUNDATION FELLOWS PROGRAM
Yvette Shirinian (Winner)
2007 CORO FOUNDATION FELLOWS PROGRAM
Kenny Loo (alternate)
2006 CORO FOUNDATION FELLOWS PROGRAM
Emil Kuruvilla (Selected Participant)
2007 DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Scholarship
Alexander Phillips (Winner)
2007 FORD PREDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP
Catherine Nguyen (Alternate)
Theresa Nguyen (Honorable Mention)
2007 FREEMAN-ASIA AWARD
Li Ana Marcus (Winner)
2008-2009 FULBRIGHT FELLOWSHIP
Brian Baek (Winner)
Jarrod Larson (Winner)
Yoo Nam (Winner)
Jessica Newman (Winner)
Denise Sandoval (Winner)
Neil Saigal (Winner)
Christina Zdenek (Winner)
2007-2008 FULBRIGHT FELLOWSHIP
Tim Martin (Winner)
Martin Vega (Winner)
2006-2007 FULBRIGHT FELLOWSHIP
Marika Csapo (Winner)
Vanessa Zuabi (Winner)
Hugo Salazar (Winner)
2006-2007 U.S. FULBRIGHT-SPONSORED TEACHING SCHOLARSHIP
Genevieve Ernst (Winner)
2007 GATES CAMBRIDGE SCHOLARSHIP
Mukul Kumar (Winner)
2007 GLAMOUR MAGAZINE'S TOP TEN COLLEGE WOMEN
Anita Narayana (Finalist)
2007 BARRY M. GOLDWATER FELLOWSHIP
Satoru Emori (Winner)
Allison Zemek (Winner)
2007-08 JACOB K. JAVITS FELLOWSHIP
Catherine Nguyen '05 (Winner)
2007 JACK KENT COOKE GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP
Annette Burgueno (Winner)
2008 MERAGE INSTITUTE FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM FELLOWSHIP
Satoru Emori (Finalist)
2006 MERAGE INSTITUTE FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM FELLOWSHIP
Vilma Palma (Winner)
2006 GEORGE J. MITCHELL SCHOLARSHIP
Brittany Schick (Winner)
2007 NASA Graduate Fellowship
Rebecca Shupe
2007 NATIONAL DEFENSE SCIENCE & ENGINEERING GRADUATE (NDSEG) FELLOWSHIP
Vicky Zhou
2008 NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
Julie Rico (Winner)
Lilly Irani (Winner)
Loralee Larios (Winner)
Stephanie Chan ’06 (Winner)
Leah Dickenson ‘ 07 (Winner)
William Hinkle ’75 (Winner)
Satoru Emori (Honorable Mention)
Justin Little (Honorable Mention)
Jeffrey Cannon (Honorable Mention)
Stephanie Crofts (Honorable Mention)
Dana Garfin (Honorable Mention)
Suman Lam (Honorable Mention)
Paul Nakamura (Honorable Mention)
Tatyana Sheps (Honorable Mention)
Erik Tollerud (Honorable Mention)
Megan Warner (Honorable Mention)
Joseph Wolf (Honorable Mention)
Anaya Esperanza ’06 (Honorable Mention)
Thai Chu ’05 (Honorable Mention)
Ian Crossfield ’04 (Honorable Mention)
Scott Mackenzie ’07 (Honorable Mention)
Christina Meng ’04 (Honorable Mention)
Heather Stalker ’07 (Honorable Mention)
Thanh Vu ’06 (Honorable Mention)
2007 NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
Danielle Issa (Winner)
Jenny Ouyang (Winner)
Jung Park ’06 (Winner)
Michael Thompson (Winner)
Joy Trujillo (Winner)
Matthew Whiteside (Winner)
Vicky Zhou (Winner)
Laura Marshall (Honorable Mention)
2008 NATIONAL SECURITY EDUCATION PROGRAM DAVID L. BOREN UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP
Nick Gerda (Winner)
Michael Ji (Winner)
2007 NATIONAL SECURITY EDUCATION PROGRAM DAVID L. BOREN UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP
Joanna Do (Alternate)
2006-07 NATIONAL SECURITY EDUCATION PROGRAM DAVID L. BOREN UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP
Tiffany Wu (Winner)
2009-10 ROTARY FOUNDATION AMBASSADORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Jackie Seiglie (Winner)
2006-07 ROTARY FOUNDATION AMBASSADORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Linna Lee (Winner)
2007 PAUL & DAISY SOROS FELLOWSHIPS FOR NEW AMERICANS
Theresa Nguyen (Finalist)
2006 PAUL & DAISY SOROS FELLOWSHIPS FOR NEW AMERICANS
Dora Castañeda '01 (Winner)
2008 DONALD A. STRAUSS PUBLIC SERVICE SCHOLARSHIP
Andy Hoang(Winner)
2007 DONALD A. STRAUSS PUBLIC SERVICE SCHOLARSHIP
Luis Lara (Winner)
Trinh Luu (Winner)
2006 HARRY S. TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP
Mukul Kumar (Winner)
2007 JESSE M. UNRUH ASSEMBLY FELLOWSHIP (CAPITAL FELLOWS PROGRAMS)
Vasudhsiri Torch Sathienmars (Winner)
Scott Seekatz (Winner)
JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION FELLOWSHIP (CAPITAL FELLOWS PROGRAM)
Aida Macedo de Partida (Winner)
USA TODAY 2008 COLLEGE ACADEMIC ALL-STARS
Khushboo Kaushal (Honorable Mention)
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Division of Undergraduate Education
