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George J. Mitchell Scholarships

EligibilityEndorsementPreliminary ApplicationLetters of RecommendationFinal Application SubmissionApplication Schedule and DeadlinesAdditional InformationGeorge J. Mitchell Scholarship Website

Description

Launched in 1998, the Mitchell Scholarship recognizes outstanding young Americans who exhibit the highest standards of academic excellence, leadership and community service. Administered by the US-Ireland Alliance, a non-partisan, non-profit organization based in Washington, DC, the Scholarship is named in honor of the pivotal role the former U.S. Senator played in the Northern Ireland peace process. The Mitchell Scholarship program links future American leaders to the island of Ireland by a year of graduate study at a university in Ireland or Northern Ireland.

The Mitchell selection committees look for persuasive, documented evidence of significant achievement in three areas: academic, leadership, and community service. All three areas are important. Some applicants have impressive academic credentials but lack a credible record of accomplishment in leadership and service. Membership or participation in a long resume of extracurricular activities is less convincing than demonstrating a significant, tangible impact in the candidate's community or school. Academic excellence, leadership and community service are equally important criteria.

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Eligibility

To qualify, candidates must:

  • be citizens of the United States of America
  • be aged 18 or over but not yet 30 on October 1, 2012
  • have academic standing sufficient to assure completion of a Bachelor's degree before they begin study under the Mitchell Scholarship

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Endorsement

Mitchell Scholarship applicants must be endorsed by the Dartmouth College Committee on Graduate Fellowships. The Committee will review all application materials and interview each applicant to decide on endorsements. You will be informed of your status via email.

For scholarships requiring endorsement, all materials must be sent to Scholarship Advising by email (preferred), or to Hinman Box 6201, Hanover, NH 03755 or HB 6201.

For all endorsed applicants, you must register Kristin O'Rourke, Asst. Dean for Scholarship Advising, as the Institutional Endorsement contact on the online application.  You are also welcome to register Kristin O'Rourke as the Fellowship Advisor for read-only access to your online application.

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Preliminary Application

Please register your intention to apply for a Mitchell Scholarship by submitting the Scholarship Registration Web Form.

Applicants will submit the following to the Scholarship Advising office by the preliminary application deadline of July 1, 2012:

  • Online application, including 1,000 word Personal Statement (Email PDF of application directly to Scholarship Advising)
  • Five Letters of Recommendation (3 academic and 2 other recommendations) DUE AUGUST 1
  • Academic Transcripts.  Submit the Dartmouth Transcript Release Form - This will allow Scholarship Advising to request your Official Transcript from the Registrar's Office in a timely fashion. Please submit by MAIL or FAX (see form for information).

These applications will be read by Scholarship Advising. The preliminary application (with comments) will be returned to you over the summer. Please see RWiT or any writing advisor for help with your essays. You may also submit a draft of your essay and resume in advance to Scholarship Advising.

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Letters of Recommendation - Due August 1

Four Letters of Recommendation are required: Three academic or research, one other letter. For nomination the four Letters of Recommendation should be sent to Scholarship Advising as a PDF or .doc by email (preferred), or to Hinman Box 6201, Hanover, NH 03755 or HB 6201. Please provide your recommenders with the Guidelines for Writers of Letters of Recommendation when requesting a recommendation.

You should also provide them with any information about you that can help them formulate a strong recommendation, such as, information on the scholarship and what your study and research plans are, a copy of your CV, a paper your wrote for their class, research topics, future academic or career goals, etc.

On the application, you are required to list four recommenders with email addresses.  Once registered, your recommenders will automatically receive an email requesting online submission of their recommendation letter - with instructions included.  Candidates cannot eliminate a recommender once a reference is submitted from that person.

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Final Application Submission

Completed applications should be submitted online one week before the final online deadline of October 2, 2012.

Applicants are responsible for uploading as PDF attachments to their applications:

  • One electronic image file of passport-type photo (save as a PDF, not jpeg)
  • One electronic image file of signature (sign a blank paper, scan and upload PDF)
  • One electronic file containing unofficial copies of all transcripts (as PDF, Scholarship Advising can send this to you)

**If invited to interview as a semi-finalist, you will be required to provide one electronic image file of birth certificate, passport, or other evidence of US citizenship.  Finalists will be required to provide original documents, along with a hard copy of the official transcript(s).

Scholarship Advising will submit the Online Institutional Endorsement for each applicant to the Mitchell Foundation by the deadline of October 4, 2011.

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Mitchell Application Schedule

May 2012

Mitchell Information Session

June 2012

Register with Scholarship Advising

July 1, 2012

Preliminary Application Deadline

August 1, 2012

Letters of Recommendation Deadline

july/August 2012

Feedback on Preliminary Applications Available in Scholarship Advising

September 5, 2012

Final Application Campus Deadline

Mid-September 2012

Interviews with the Committee on Graduate Fellowships

October 2, 2012

Official Deadline for Final Online Application and Supplemental Materials

November 2012

Mock Interviews for Finalists

November 2012

Mitchell Finalist Interviews

January 2013

Mitchell Scholarship Awards Announced

 

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Additional Information

George J. Mitchell Scholarship website

Email Scholarship Advising

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last Updated: 9/20/12