Fellowships

What we do:

Meet with the Adams House Fellowships Team to get feedback on application strategies and drafts at the weekly Fellowships Table held most Sunday evenings at 6:00 pm in the DHall.  Sign up for a time slot here.  If you are coming to Fellowships Table to get feedback on a draft essay, please email it to adamsfellowships@gmail.com or to ONE of the fellowships tutors by Saturday at 6:00 pm.  In the draft you send, please include your name, the fellowship you're applying for, anything you'd like us to focus on as we read, and any restrictions as to word count. Take a look at Adams Fellowships Tutors' general advice for writing personal statements at this link.

Applying to Fellowships:

Harvard College abounds with fellowship opportunities for study, travel, and service.  Many postgraduate and national fellowships in these areas are administered by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (URAF), located at 77 Dunster Street (near Kirkland House) on the second floor.  The Adams House Fellowships Team works with URAF to help advise students with the process of considering fellowship opportunities and applying for appropriate fellowships.  

Although many well-known fellowships are administered through URAF, there are other fellowship and funding sources available to Harvard students as well.  The Harvard Funding Sources database is a comprehensive resource with information about all of these sources.  

Steps to Finding a Fellowship:

1. Go to the the Harvard Funding Sources database and enter search terms for the kinds of fellowship opportunities that interest you.  Note that many postgraduate and national fellowships are administered through by URAF, while others are administered by other Harvard offices, including academic departments.  

2. Consult the list of postgraduate and national fellowships administered through URAF.  

3. Check with your academic department to see if there are fellowships that may not be included in the Harvard Funding Sources database.  

After You Have Found a Fellowship:

1. Request application materials from the relevant office.  Once you have learned more about the fellowship that interests you, a good next step is to take a look at the application itself and take a first crack at answering the questions.  If you find the questions fairly easy to answer, you might have found a fellowship that is a good match.  However, if you find yourself struggling, you may want to think a bit more about how well the fellowship fits with your goals.  

2. Take a look at winning applications from other students.  URAF maintains a library with student reports from traveling fellowships and also has some interview reports from Rhodes and Marshall interviews.  URAF is located at 77 Dunster Street on the second floor (near Kirkland House).  

3. Come to a Fellowships Table in Adams House to get feedback on your application once you've begun working on it (see below for more info on Fellowships Table).  Your Fellowships and Writing Tutors are good resources for helping you as you write and revise application statements. 

4. In addition to your Fellowships and Writing Tutors, you should definitely consult with others as you write application drafts.  Professors, mentors, friends, and parents can all offer valuable perspectives.  The Writing Center can also provide helpful advice on how to improve application essays.  

5. Take a look at our advice for writing personal statement at this link.

Other Harvard Resources:

  • URAFURAF hosts regular information sessions about various fellowship opportunities and on topics such as writing fellowship essays and preparing for fellowship interviews.  You can find the calendar of URAF deadlines and info sessions here.  To register for the URAF mailing list, go here.  The staff at URAF are also are available for individual counseling, both during drop-in hours (no appointment necessary), and by appointment.  Drop-in hours during the fall and spring terms are 2:00 to 4:00pm, Monday through Thursday, at 77 Dunster Street on the second floor.  Requests for further information, answers to questions, and requests for appointments may be sent to undergradresearch@fas.harvard.edu or fellowships@fas.harvard.edu.  
  • Writing CenterThe Writing Center offers advice on essay writing and other topics that may be of interest or relevance to fellowship applicants.