Advice for All Applicants

Developing your Application Portfolio:

Here you will find targeted advice relevant to the specific components you can expect to find in most, if not all, national scholarship and fellowship applications. We are deeply committed to the process involved in applying for any national scholarship, fellowship, or other competitive experiential learning opportunity because of what it can do for you beyond winning.

All of these opportunities are highly competitive, and while you are capable of achieving excellence in your efforts, the competition can be intense. However, what you will gain from giving yourself time to think about and critically reflect upon your passions, dreams, ideals, and vision for your future is worthy of pursuit and recognition. Articulating your authentic sense of self in a personal statement, carefully selecting and cataloging your activities on a CV, detailing your research interests in a proposal and ultimately crafting a compelling portfolio of materials based on your experiences thus far, will serve you in everything you plan to pursue both during and after your tenure at UChicago.

To that end, we cannot over-emphasize the importance of developing a strategic plan well in advance of beginning the scholarship application process. Because the success of your efforts rests so heavily on building a solid undergraduate experience, both inside and outside of the classroom, the earlier you begin to plan, the better. 

Disclaimer

The CCRF supports UChicago undergraduates and alumni who are undertaking nationally competitive application processes.  It provides support only and cannot, under any circumstances, accept responsibility for missed deadlines, incomplete applications, missing letters of recommendation or other supplementary materials, or selection outcomes at the campus or national level.   The responsibility of completing and submitting an application rests solely on the student or alumni engaging in a national application process.