Soros Fellowship for New Americans

National deadline: November 12, 2012

Eligibility requirements:

• A New American (a green card holder or naturalized citizen if born abroad; a child of naturalized citizens if born in this country).
• Not yet 31 years old, as of the application deadline.
• A college senior or holder of a bachelor’s degree.
• Not beyond your second year – if already enrolled -- in the graduate degree program for which you request support.

Award summary and conditions:

• Thirty Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans will be awarded in 2013 on the basis of a single national competition.
• Each fellowship supports up to two years of graduate study – in any field and in any advanced degree-granting program – in the United States.
• Each award is for up to $25,000 in maintenance grants and up to $20,000 in tuition support for each year of graduate study supported, a total of as much as $90,000.

Application process: Electronic submission

Application materials: Go to: http://www.pdsoros.org/forms/for specific instructions for applying.

The application MUST include the following:

• Personal and contact Information
• Eligibility confirmation
• Higher education history
• The graduate program[s] for which the applicant seeks support
• Additional required submissions:
  • Essays
  • Recommendations
  • Resume
  • Transcripts
  • Scores of standardized tests already taken

In addition, you are invited - but not required - to submit

• Exhibits which might include:
  • Copies of newspaper or magazine articles about you and/or your accomplishments,
  • Excerpts from a portfolio
  • Letters of commendation
  • Programs for events you have organized or in which you have participated
  • Title and author pages of publications you have authored
  • Additional letter of recommendation.
  • Information on how you learned about this program.

At this stage of the application, the Soros Fellowship program has minimized documentary requirements that confirm eligibility, educational, and test results. If you are asked to be a finalist, however, they will specify the official documents they will need from you before they can invite you to the finalist interviews.

Faculty Representative: Keith Raether

National committee interview: Yes

Selection process:

• Selection criteria emphasize creativity, originality, initiative, and sustained accomplishment.   
• The program values a commitment to the constitution and the bill of rights.
• The program promotes a strong sense of community among fellows and alumni through fall conferences for fellows and numerous events for fellows and alumni held throughout the country.
• The top 84 applicants will be designated “finalists” and will be asked to appear for interviews in New York City or Los Angeles in late-January of 2013.  Reasonable expenses will be covered by the Fellowship Program.

Announcement date: 30 recipients will be announced in March 2013

Contact information: http://www.pdsoros.org/overview