Lowell Fellowships Pages
Fellowships Home
General Information & Getting Started
List of Fellowships *new*
Applying for Fellowships
Frequently Asked Questions *new*
Advice for Sophomores *new*
House Nominations
Fellowships Resources
fellowships
Applying for Fellowships
Many fellowships programs have specific, complicated application procedures. You must follow them carefully. If you have questions, please contact the fellowships tutors (
).
Application Materials
Most applications for Harvard competitions are available at the Fellowships Office of the Office of Career Services. Do not rely entirely on applications you find on national fellowship program websites. Some fellowships require University endorsement, and Harvard may use separate application materials for its endorsement process. Once you have found fellowships for which you would like to apply, use the online supplement to The Harvard College Guide to Grants to determine if Harvard requires additional materials.
Application Deadlines
Please note that fellowship programs will often have detailed submission requirements. Applications may have postmark, receipt, or online submission deadlines; specific submission times; or carrier limitations. If you are mailing applications internationally, it is suggested that you allow additional time and also use a service that will allow you to track your package.
All OCS applications have very strict 12:00 noon deadlines, and the OCS Fellowships Offices notes:
Common excuses like computer glitches, printer problems, alarms not working, not knowing about needing to make copies, late recommendation letters, waiting for transcripts, busy course schedules, traffic problems, etc. are simply not viable excuses for missing deadlines. Students should have their applications completely printed, assembled in proper order, and in complete sets at least the night before the deadline, if not earlier. If you have any problems getting your recommendation letters, it is clearly stated on your application forms that you must still come with the rest of your completed application before the time the application is due. If there are any extraordinary circumstances beyond your control that might prevent you from submitting your application on time, it may be helpful to contact your fellowships tutor or resident dean, but you should do so before the deadline.
Writing Proposals
Please remember that fellowships are means to pursue important goals, and your primary opportunity to express the importance of this project is in your proposal. A fellowship proposal is not like a college application essay in that you are not writing to communicate all your activities and accomplishments. Rather, your proposal should be focused on the project you want to undertake. A proposal should also describe who you are and why there is a good fit between you and the project. Think of your writing as a story told through both a personal essay and a project proposal. Make a compelling case for you as an applicant, for the location of study or travel, and for the project you hope to pursue.
Additionally, think about the people who will be reading your proposal. Please keep in mind that selection committees for most general scholarships may not be overly familiar with the intricacies of your specific field, so try to keep jargon and technical language to a minimum.
Show your essay to someone before you submit it. The fellowships tutors--Josh Goldman, Courtney Peterson, and Susanna Mierau--are happy to review essays and give you feedback during our weekly office hours. We will read primarily for substance and content, not grammar or punctuation.
CV's, resumes, activities lists
Most fellowships require you to submit something that lists and describes each of your jobs, research experiences, and extracurricular activities. Even if the document is called an activity list, you are still expected to describe what you did within each organization, rather than just to provide a list.
Courtney has written a brief (7-page) guide on preparing CV's for fellowships applications. To get a copy, email her () and request it and she will send it to you. Then, once you have updated your CV accordingly, email Courtney your CV and come visit her in office hours to discuss it.
Letters of Recommendations
Almost all programs will require letters of recommendation. Here are a few tips to get you started on requesting letters of recommendation:
•Make sure you give your referees sufficient time to write their letters! Two weeks is a reasonable minimum.
•Don't feel guilty about asking for letters of recommendation. It's part of your professors' job.
•If people have already written letters for you, don't be bashful about asking for more letters. Once your professors have written letters, it's not much work to change the addressee and send them out somewhere else.
•If possible, try to figure out what you're going to apply for and request all your letters at once (but don't let that discourage you from applying to other things later on).
•If you need a letter sent somewhere, include a stamped, addressed envelope.
•In the pile of information you give to your recommenders, include a cover sheet that says what thing(s) you're applying for and when the letter(s) is due. Include a copy of your CV and your essays/proposals (or, if you haven't yet finished writing, just include a synopsis of what you're planning to do).
•Professors are busy and forgetful. Remind them when the deadlines are approaching. Keep following up until you know the letters have been submitted.
•If you're unsure what someone thinks of you, it's OK to ask whether that person feels she can write you a strong letter of recommendation. You can use her response to gauge whether you want to ask her for a letter.
•Letters should be from people who best know you and your accomplishments. It doesn't matter if the professor has tenure or even whether she's still at Harvard.
•It is OK to get letters from TF's. Letters written by professors tend to be stronger, but you are better off with a letter from a TF who knows you than a professor who doesn't. You can request that a letter from a TF be written jointly with a professor or at least be cosigned by her. More about this here.
•Write thank you notes when someone writes you a letter of recommendation.
•Whenever you request a letter of recommendation, have a copy sent to your house file.
•Read more about letters of recommendation in the recommendations section of the fellowships FAQ.
In the recommendations section of the
FAQ, we offer several suggestions about who to ask (and who not to ask) for letters, how to ask, and how to use the House credential file.
House Nomination
Several Harvard competitions require House nomination. Please see the nominations page for more information on applying for these fellowships.
Project Budgets
OCS has developed a brief guide to preparing project budgets, which are requirements for several research and travel-related programs.
Harvard Travel Policy
Students submitting proposals to support travel or study abroad should be aware that the University will not support or sponsor travel to countries for whom warnings have been issued by the U.S. Department of State.
Applying for Graduate Study
If you are applying for fellowships that fund graduate study, please note that most of these programs will not also coordinate your admisison to the school. It is your responsibility to simultaneously apply for graduate school admission and fellowships; be careful to meet all admission and application deadlines. (For U.K. Fellowships, see also this entry from the FAQ.)
