The Rhodes Scholarship

Purpose: Established by Cecil J. Rhodes, a British colonial and statesman, for bringing potential leaders from around the world to study at his alma mater and one of the most eminent universities in the world, Oxford. His aim was to "aid in the promotion of international understanding and peace."

Amount and Tenure of Award: All tuition and fees at Oxford, an additional maintenance allowance (currently over 7,000 pounds sterling, per year), plus travel costs to and from Oxford. The award is usually for two years, although, in some instances, it may be extended to a third. The award is tenable at Oxford only.

Eligibility:

Citizenship: U.S.

Marital Status: Applicants may be married, but winners receive no extra money for support of a spouse or children.

GPA/Class Standing: The requirements read, "proven intellectual and academic quality of a high standard." Although there is no formal cut-off defined in terms of GPA, applicants with anything less than a 3.7 will have little chance of winning. Also, any C's on your transcript would have to be justified as aberrations owing to some very exceptional circumstances.

Age and/or Class: Applicants must be at least 18 and not more than 24. At the time of application in October, applicants must be advanced enough in their studies to complete the Bachelor's Degree by the following October, when the scholarship begins. Thus, most students will apply during the fall of their senior year.

Career Plans and/or Degrees Sought: There are no restrictions as to the field of your career, but you should evince an aspiration to rise to the top of whatever field you choose; the selection committees look for potential leaders. The area of the degree you are seeking is limited only by the menu offered by Oxford.

The level of the degree you seek at Oxford is a bit more complicated. About one third of Rhodes Scholars pursue an Oxford B.A.; most of the remainder seek a Master of Philosophy or Master of Science. Pursuit of another B.A. might strike you as peculiar, but British higher education works very differently than it does in the U.S.

Few applicants pursue the Ph.D. at Oxford since the scholarship will only fund study in programs in which a degree can be earned within two years (in some special cases, within three), and most American students are not prepared to earn a British Doctorate within two (or even three) years.

But why would so many Rhodes Scholars pursue another B.A.? Isn't that redundant, a waste of two years?

No. First, keep in mind that higher education in Britain is much more exclusive than in the U.S. Most students admitted to a British university (and not just Oxford) are at least of the caliber of students in typical honors programs in the U.S.

Second, in Britain, study for, say, a Bachelor's in economics, is devoted entirely to economics. Students do not take general education requirements in areas other than economics. All of the rounding out that we attempt to accomplish in U.S. universities is to have taken place in the British equivalent to our high schools. Thus, to take another B.A. in England is not to slog through the same material you have already mastered in a B.A. in the U.S; the program will be much more in depth.

Third, an Oxford B.A., even in Britain, is not just a B.A. that you happen to earn at Oxford. It is more or less a degree all its own.

Fourth, graduate degrees in Britain, even at the Master's level, are often earned solely through the production of original research--that is, they do not include "course work." This contrasts markedly with graduate programs in the U.S., where even most Ph.D. programs include a requisite amount of course credit hours. The simple fact is--for better or worse--most American students with a B.A. are not prepared to embark on original research without additional course work.

Increasingly, however, Masters of Philosophy and Master of Science programs at Oxford include both the equivalent of what we would call "course work" and a requirement to produce a thesis based on original research. Depending on your field of study, you may qualify to be admitted to such a program.

If you must pursue the Oxford B.A., recognize what it will do for you upon return to the U.S. Your chances of admission to a good graduate program in this country will certainly be enhanced, and some of your work at Oxford may well transfer as course credit toward requirements here.

Experience: Although academic distinction is a necessary condition for selection, it is not the only one. Candidates will also have to show "integrity of character, interest in and respect for their fellow beings, the ability to lead, and the energy to use their talents to the full." Brains in a bottle will not qualify; a record of involvement in activities outside the academy is necessary. Since Cecil Rhodes considered "fondness for and success in sports" to be a good index of "energy" sufficient to use one's talent to the full, athletes may have an edge against a non-athlete in a situation where all other things are equal. However, demonstration of physical fitness "does not require evidence of outstanding achievement in varsity sports if applicants are able to demonstrate in other ways the physical vigor which will enable them to make effective contributions to the world around them." That a little creativity will go a long way in making the case for your physical vigor was perhaps demonstrated by the former Rhodes Scholar, former President of the United States.

Important Features of the Written Application: It is quite short and simple in form. In addition to a succinct list, not to exceed one page, of "activities and honors in college (including prizes, scholarships, offices held; athletic record; extracurricular interests and substantial activities)," you must submit a "personal statement" describing your "academic and other interests." This statement cannot exceed 1,000 words and must include a description of "the specific areas of proposed study and the applicant's reasons to study at Oxford."

Do not be fooled by the simplicity of form. It will not do to claim your are interested in, say, linguistics and that Oxford has a good reputation in this area. The way in which study is organized at Oxford is very different from anything you've encountered here, so you must do considerable research into Oxford in general and the particular program of study in which you are interested. Also, your personal statement must be a highly polished piece of writing; since you have only 1,000 words, each one must count.

In addition to a letter of support from the campus representative, you must have at least four letters of recommendation from persons with whom you have taken undergraduate courses, and up to four letters from other persons. You must have a total of at least five letters and not more than eight.

Application Process: Students apply either in the state in which they have received at least two years of college training, or in the state in which they have legal residence. 32 scholars from the U.S. are selected annually, four from each of eight regions. Arkansas is grouped with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The written application is submitted to a state committee, which selects candidates for interviews at the regional level. (The state-level interviews will be eliminated for the 2005-6 competition.)

Deadlines: Interested students should contact the campus representative no later than the spring prior to the year in which they will apply. (Since application is usually made during the senior year, students should contact the campus representative no later than the spring of their junior year.) A first draft of the application is due early in the summer, and applicants continue to polish the application, in consultation with the faculty representative, over the remainder of the summer. It is essential that applicants begin the process early, since the final applications must be mailed by the middle of October and the month of September must be reserved for final polishing and participation in mock interviews. Also, from July to October, it is very difficulty to contact persons at Oxford to make inquiries regarding degree programs.

CAMPUST DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: September 9, 2005.

For Further Information: Contact Professor Elisabeth Sherwin, UALR Department of Psychology, ebsherwin@ualr.edu, Phone: 501.569.3171

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