Fellowships at ��Ƶ| ��ƵCollege

Fellowships at Mount Holyoke

Think of ��Ƶas your launch pad.

Generations of talented, motivated ��Ƶstudents have pursued their dreams through fellowships — and so can you. We’re here to help you identify and apply for these life-changing awards.

Campus Voices

Spotlight on award winners

Finding connection through curiosity

Hilary Vergera FP’24

she/her

Fulbright spotlight: Unwanaabasi Abasiurua ’21

Unwanaabasi Abasiurua ’21

Expanding global and local perspectives

Elena Frogameni ’22

Upcoming events

Fellowship opportunities

The fellowships landscape is crowded with possibilities — good news for ��Ƶstudents or graduates looking to continue their education in uniquely valuable ways.

There are two kinds of fellowships, broadly speaking: Premier Programs, which students and alums must apply for through the College, and Direct-apply awards. As you explore the opportunities below, remember that Fellowships staff are ready to help you navigate options and applications.

Interested in pursuing a particular fellowship? to discuss your eligibility with the Fellowships advisor.

To receive one of these prestigious fellowships, individuals must first complete an internal campus process by submitting an application to the college’s Fellowships staff and the Committee on Fellowships. This is because the organizations that sponsor these fellowships rely upon campus officials to review eligibility and then endorse and/or nominate applicants. This is a list of the most significant:

Beckman Scholars Program: a 15-month mentored research experience for exceptional undergraduate students in chemistry, biological sciences or interdisciplinary combinations.
: funds graduate study in the arts, humanities and social sciences. Two students have won this award in the last decade.
: funds undergraduate study abroad in areas of the world critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in language study. Six students have won this award in the last decade.
: funds one-year, full-time research assistantship at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington, D.C. One student has won this award in the last decade.
: funds nine to 12 months of study in the sciences, engineering or math at University of Cambridge in the U.K.
: funds one academic year of graduate study in Germany. Nine students have won this award in the last decade.
: funds a summer grassroots project that promotes peace in a region of conflict. Twelve students have won this award in the last decade.
: funds graduate study, research, university teaching and primary and secondary school teaching in more than 140 countries. Sixty-seven students have won this award in the last decade.
: supports undergraduate studies of outstanding students in math, natural sciences and engineering. One student has received honorable mention for this award in the last decade.
: funds one to two years of graduate study at a university in the U.K.
: funds one year of graduate study at a university in Ireland or Northern Ireland.
: fully funds graduate study at Oxford University in the U.K. One student has won this award in the past decade.
: funds a one-year master’s program in public policy, economics and business, or international studies at Schwarzman College/Tsinghua University.
: funds one year of graduate study in Scotland (available to students of Scottish descent). One students has won this award in the last decade.
: supports graduate study toward a career in government or public service.
: supports undergraduate study of students who demonstrate commitment to a career related to Native American nations or the environment. One student has won this award in the last decade.

For more details about these opportunities – including review of eligibility, award criteria, and timeline for competition – current ��Ƶstudents and recent graduates should visit the (requires login).

The organizations offering these fellowships do not require nomination from ��ƵCollege — students and alums can apply directly. But we encourage you to work with the Fellowships advisor to strengthen your application. Here are programs for which MHC students are well-suited:

: funds summer language instruction and cultural enrichment activities overseas. Twenty students have won this award in the last decade.
: connects recent college graduates with a variety of non-profit organizations in Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia for a paid, two-year program. One student has won in the past decade.
: funds one to three years of graduate study in any subject at Cambridge University in the U.K. One student has won this award in the last decade.
: The program cultivates and supports a community of Stanford University graduate students committed to effecting positive change in a world facing immense and complex challenges.
: funds career-based internships in Asia for applicants who have neither studied nor previously traveled in Asia. One student has won this award in the past decade.
: recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines. Thirty-three students have won this award in the last decade.
: Offers up to $90,000 to New Americans — immigrants and children of immigrants — in graduate school support for any degree-granting program in the US.

Please visit the to learn about opportunities for graduates of the College and the Alumnae Association’s application timeline and process.

Applying for a fellowship

Winning a competitive fellowship is a life-altering experience. The question is how it will change your life for the better.

The answer depends on your particular educational and personal goals, and which fellowships you pursue.

But whether a fellowship funds a research project abroad or graduate studies in the United States, the benefits recipients enjoy are clear. Here are five reasons to consider applying for a fellowship, beyond financial:

Open doors: Build a valuable network of mentors and peers who can support you — potentially across a lifetime.

Pursue life goals: Progress toward your educational and career goals.

Expand your mind: Whether through an independent research project or a graduate program abroad, fellowships offer rich intellectual challenges that can change how you think forever.

Grow leadership skills: Hone your critical thinking and collaboration skills while studying with people from diverse backgrounds. Understand urgent global challenges and emerging solutions.

Become a citizen of the world: Learn firsthand how the world is interconnected. Live abroad and develop foreign language skills.

If this piques your interest — and you’re a self-starter with a record of high academic achievement — you should seriously consider applying for a fellowship. The fellowships landscape is crowded with possibilities — good news for ��Ƶstudents or graduates looking to continue their education in uniquely valuable ways.

Have you gotten to know the world of national fellowships? Set your sights on one particular opportunity? Think a fellowship might help you advance a professional plan or goal?

Remember that because most national fellowship programs rely on campus officials to prepare and nominate applicants for the award, you can’t apply directly. For this reason, your first step is to complete an to meet with Mount Holyoke’s Fellowships advisor.

It’s worth keeping an open mind as you go into the meeting: You might come in with your heart set on one fellowship, and then discover another opportunity aligned to your passions and goals. We’ll help you see the big picture.

As you begin your fellowships journey, expect the application process to be time-consuming — and rewarding. It may involve:

An application form.
A personal statement explaining your reasons for pursuing the award.
An essay or proposal where you detail your project topic, scope and goals.
Transcripts from all undergraduate institutions, including study abroad.
Letters of recommendation from professors and/or professionals who can attest to your academic and personal qualities.
A language evaluation, if the fellowship involves studying in a non-English speaking foreign country.

Mount Holyoke’s Fellowships staff looks forward to helping you succeed.

Happening at Mount Holyoke

Fellowships in the news

Lower lake in the fall with an Adirondack chair looking out over the water.

Fellowships at ��Ƶcelebrates 2024 recipients

��ƵCollege congratulates our recipients, alternates and finalists of the 2023-24 fellowship application cycles.

Connecting cultures through higher education

��ƵCollege student Ana Maria Stan ’24 has been selected by Middlebury College as a recipient of the “Projects for Peace” grant program. Stan will work alongside Romanian educational non-profit Volo Studere to assist Ukrainian refugees.

Maya Elsner named a Truman Scholar

Elsner, a ��ƵCollege Frances Perkins Scholar, has been named one of 62 Truman Scholars nationally.

More Fellowship news

Fellowships at ��Ƶstaff

Faculty and staff

Briana Chace

Associate Director of Fellowships

Committee on Fellowships

Applicants for fellowships often need faculty endorsement in order for sponsoring foundations to accept their applications. Members of the committee on fellowships meet with and supply feedback from applicants seeking MHC endorsement for select awards. Committee feedback can be crucial in improving applications. The committee is supported in its work by several subcommittees that review content-specific applications where it is advantageous for faculty experts in those areas to provide advice.