The Rhodes Scholarships are the oldest and most celebrated international fellowship awards in the world. Each year 32 young Americans are selected as Rhodes Scholars, through a decentralized process representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Applicants from more than 300 American colleges and universities have been selected as Rhodes Scholars. In most years, even after a century of competition, a Rhodes Scholar is selected from an institution which has not formerly supplied a successful applicant. Rhodes Scholars are chosen not only for their outstanding scholarly achievements, but for their character, commitment to others and to the common good, and for their potential for leadership in whatever domains their careers may lead. The Rhodes Trust, a British charity established to honor the will and bequest of Cecil J. Rhodes, provides full financial support for Rhodes Scholars to pursue a degree or degrees at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom in partnership with the Second Century Founder, John McCall MacBain and other generous benefactors.
The Rhodes scholarship website provides information about the annual competition for the Rhodes Scholarships available to United States citizens, and is an introduction to the community of American Rhodes Scholars. Rhodes Scholarships are also available to citizens of certain other countries. For information about the global Rhodes Scholarships, and further information about the Rhodes Trust and Oxford University generally, please visit the website. District receptions and interviews are held annually on the Friday and Saturday preceding the Thanksgiving holiday. Districts will notify candidates regarding interview status at differing intervals, but in all cases no later than two weeks prior to the interviews. Election announcements are made at the conclusion of the Saturday interviews. For those contemplating application, rules and requirements will generally remain similar from year to year. However there are two important changes beginning in 2014 - in the personal statement requirement, and with regard to the eligibility for the scholarship of lawful permanent residents who meet the requirements. Also, some states may move to different districts from time to time in order to keep the number of candidates applying in each district as close as possible. Applicants should always consult the last page of the Memorandum of Regulations for specific details concerning district composition.
Specific Eligibility Criteria
- You must be a citizen of the United States.
- You must be a lawful permanent resident of the United States for prior to and including at least 5 years of the application deadline.
- You must be at least 18 but not yet 24 years of age (i.e., the applicant must still be 23 on October 1 in the year of application).
- You must advance academically to assure completion of a bachelor’s degree before October 1 in the year following election.