By: Charlize Trostinsky
Fellowships are a great opportunity for Cornell students to gain mentorship and financial support as they further their academic careers. These programs are prestigious and can change the lives of the students who receive them, opening the door to opportunities they could have never imagined. While many students know fellowships exist, they are unsure where to begin or what they can get out of them. Krista Saleet in the Fellowships Advising office in 103 Barnes Hall came to the Career Exploration Center to give Human Ecology Career Assistants the inside scoop and now I am here to share it with you.
Cornell students have access to a plethora of opportunities through the Profellow database that provides information for over 2,000 fellowships. Some of these fellowships are often very specific to identity and field and there are plenty of opportunities for each student to find one that aligns with their personal background and discipline. Other fellowships are less specific and are open to all students, with some requirements that I will review later. Lastly, some fellowships require institutional endorsement from the students’ respective universities like Cornell. The fellowships advising office is a great resource for students to learn more about these fellowships and decide which ones are best fit for them.
Applications for fellowships are very similar to college applications because you need to display true interest in your field, write a compelling personal statement, and get strong recommendations from professors. Sandy Chen, a sophomore in ILR, shared about her experience being a Fellowship Ambassador during the information session. She stated that they helped her a lot with refining her resume and strategizing approaches to apply to competitive programs. She also stated that they offered appointments through the career services website for any questions or advice students may need.
The fellowships listed are very competitive and most have a minimum GPA in the 3.5-3.7 range. Some fellowships also require institutional endorsement, requiring an applicant to be selected through a Cornell application round before the national competition. However, these requirements are not required for every program available, so it is important to do prior research to discover an opportunity that will work for you. Cornell Fellowships Advising works with all students no matter the student’s circumstances and can help guide you to an opportunity that fits your needs. They also work with international and DACA students. For example, the Rhodes and Marshall fellowships have specific sectors for international students and a plethora of other fellowships are open to DACA students.
The Fellowships Advising office is also planning to offer drop-in sessions and additional appointments as the team develops. For the time being, students are encouraged to schedule an appointment as well as contact Cornell alumni who have participated in programs they are interested in. There are currently three fellowship applications open that may be of interest to students (Carnegie, Truman, and Goldwater) and the office is available to help students with their applications.
Whether you are thinking about applying to a specific fellowship or just exploring possible options for post-grad, the Fellowships Advising Office can provide you with life-changing opportunities in your academic and professional career. I encourage all Cornell students to visit Barnes Hall or schedule an appointment through the Cornell Career Services website to discover the endless options available. You can click the link below and book an appointment for a 45 minute meeting that can change your post-grad path and set you up for success.
Appointments: https://outlook.office365.com/book/CornellCareerServicesCCS1@cornellprod.onmicrosoft.com/?ae=true
Fellowships Website: https://career.cornell.edu/channels/fellowships/
Profellow: https://www.profellow.com/
More about Krista Saleet: https://career.cornell.edu/staff/#krista-saleet