Opportunities for Seniors and Alumnae/i

Note: internal deadlines designate when an application is due to the Undergraduate Dean's Office. External deadlines refer to the date all application materials are due to the awarding institution — be aware that most institutions do not accept late applications.

Institutional Nomination Required

James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Gaither Junior Fellows work as research assistants to the Endowment's senior associates working on the Carnegie Endowment’s projects. Junior Fellows have the opportunity to conduct research for books, co-author journal articles and policy papers, participate in meetings with high-level officials, contribute to congressional testimony and organize briefings attended by scholars, activists, journalists and government officials. Positions are paid, full-time positions for one year. Junior Fellows are currently paid a salary of $40,000 per year. A full benefits package is also provided.  

Applicants must be graduating seniors or students who have graduated during the last academic year.  Applicants should have completed a significant amount of course work in international affairs, political science, economics, history, Russian, Chinese or Middle East studies or communications. 

This one-year fellowship is highly competitive.  Applications are judged on the quality of the written essay, related academic study and/or work experience, grades, recommendations, and personal interviews. Foreign students are eligible, but must be able to work in the U.S.   

Fulbright Grants

Awarded for a year's study or research abroad in many different countries. There are also awards to assist in teaching English as a second language in more than 50 countries. U.S. citizenship required.

Luce Scholarships

Awarded for a year of internship or job placement in East Asia. Candidates must have clearly defined career interests not connected to Asian affairs. Bryn Mawr is allowed to nominate three students and/or alumnae/i. U.S. citizenship required.

Marshall Scholarships

Awarded for one or two years of study in Great Britain in a wide range of subjects. Criteria are similar to the Rhodes and applicants must have a 3.7 GPA. U.S. citizenship required.

McCall MacBain Scholarships

Provides full funding for a masters or professional degree in any field at McGill University in Montreal. Open to U.S. and International students, seniors and alums. Nomination required.

Mitchell Scholarships

Awarded for a year of research or study in the Republic of Ireland or in Northern Ireland in a wide range of subjects. Applicants must have a demonstrated record of intellectual distinction, leadership and extracurricular activities. U.S. citizenship required.

PULSE Fellowships

  • Adviser:  Eleanor (Ellie) Stanford, Fellowship Adviser
  • Deadline(s):  tba

PULSE invites talented university graduates to partner with Pittsburgh nonprofits for a year of service and leadership. PULSE Fellows SERVE with a Pittsburgh nonprofit full-time, LIVE in community with other Fellows, and GROW as leaders. During this year of service (August to August), PULSE Fellow benefits include housing, monthly stipends (food, transportation, personal, development, etc.), loan deferment eligibility and more.

Rhodes Scholarships

Awarded for one, two or three years of study at Oxford in a wide range of subjects. Applicants are judged according to a comprehensive set of criteria, with the aim that Scholars be "physically, intellectually, and morally capable of leadership." U.S. citizenship required for the American Rhodes Scholarship. Citizens of some Commonwealth countries are also eligible, but have earlier deadlines. See the Rhodes website for more information.

Schwarzman Scholarships

  • Adviser: Eleanor (Ellie) Stanford, Fellowship Adviser
  • ​Deadline(s)​: US and other passports: Preliminary: Aug. 1, 2023; Internal: Sept. 3, 2023; External: Sept. 19, 2023
  • Chinese passports:  internal: Mar. 29, 2024; external: mid-May 2024 (to start Sept. 2026)
  • Bryn Mawr Application Process and Related Information

Awarded for a year of graduate study in public policy, economics and business, or international studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Academic record, leadership potential, entrepreneurial spirit, exemplary character, and desire to understand other cultures are all considered for selection. Students from all majors are eligible, as are international students. 

Watson Fellowships

Awarded for a year of non-academic inquiry and travel abroad. Candidates must submit a "realistic, imaginative, and personally significant" project proposal. The fellowship does not fund formal study at a foreign university. Students must apply during their senior year; no applications from alumnae are accepted. Bryn Mawr is allowed to nominate up to four candidates from among the senior class.


No Institutional Nomination Required

DAAD Study Scholarship for Graduating Seniors/Internships

For a year of well-defined study or research project that makes a stay in Germany essential. Projects may be in a wide variety of fields, and candidates are expected to have a good command of German. Internships are available in various fields ranging from German studies to journalism and scientific research. Citizens of countries other than the U.S. or Canada should contact the New York office regarding eligibility.

Davis Projects for Peace

Provides $10,000 to a Bryn Mawr student or group of students to design a grassroots summer project to promote peace.

Ford Foundation Predoctoral Grants

Provides three years of support for study leading to the Ph.D. to candidates who have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. Membership in an ethnic or racial group underrepresented in the professoriate is an explicit positive factor in selection. Must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national. 

Gates Cambridge Trust Grants

  • Deadline(s)​:
    • U.S. citizens: Preliminary: Aug. 1, 2023; Internal: Sep. 11, 2023; External: mid-Oct. 2023
    • International: Preliminary: Oct. 1, 2023; Internal: Oct. 12, 2023; External: early Dec. 2023 OR         early Jan 2024

Awarded for graduate study at Cambridge. You must apply directly to Cambridge University and fill out a Gates Supplementary Information Form by the beginning of November. GREs are required.

Jacob K. Javits Fellowship

This program provides an annual fellowship for up to 48 months to students of superior academic ability—selected on the basis of demonstrated achievement, financial need, and exceptional promise—to undertake study at the doctoral and Master of Fine Arts level in selected fields of arts, humanities, and social sciences. The fellowship consists of an institutional payment and a stipend. (In 2010, the maximum stipend was $30,000, and the institutional payment was estimated to be $13,755.) Eligibility is limited to individuals who at the time of application plan to enter a doctoral or a Master’s of Fine Art program in upcoming academic year or who have not yet completed the first full year of study in the program for which they are seeking support. Eligibility is limited to U.S. citizens or nationals, permanent residents of the U.S., or citizens of any one of the Freely Associated States.

Madison Fellowships

Awarded to college seniors and recent graduates who are committed to the teaching of American history, government, and social studies in secondary schools. The grant supports graduate studies leading to a Master's degree. U.S. citizenship or permanent residence status required.

National Science Foundation

Awards three-year graduate fellowships in mathematics, science and engineering. Deadlines vary by field but all are in early November. GREs are required. U.S. citizenship or permanent residence status required.

NSEP | Boren Scholarships

  • Adviser: Eleanor (Ellie) Stanford, Fellowship Adviser
  • Deadline(s)​: Internal: Jan. 6, 2024; External: early Feb. 2024
  • Bryn Mawr Application Process and Related Information
  • Note: Seniors may also be eligible for the Boren Undergraduate Scholarship, which requires officially postponing graduation for one year. ​

Awarded for up to two years of overseas or domestic study, or a combination of both. Boren Fellows study languages, cultures, and world regions that are critical to U.S. national security and that are not widely studied in the U.S. Recipients are required to seek employment with an agency or office of the federal government involved in national security affairs. U.S. citizenship required.

PHENND Fellows

PHENND Fellows is a year-long post-graduate fellowship program which offers top graduates of Philadelphia-area colleges and universities positions in nonprofit agencies where they can help to make a difference in the city of Philadelphia.

This program is designed to aid in the transition between college and full-time employment, encouraging highly achieving students to remain in Philadelphia through housing, employment, benefits, and exciting opportunities to network and get involved in improving the city. Fellows can gain knowledge, contribute talent, and develop leadership skills while experiencing the Philadelphia lifestyle. 

This fellowship is only available to graduating seniors. PHENND Fellows must be U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents.

Soros Fellowship for New Americans

Awarded for two years of graduate study in the U.S. Candidates must be under 30 and either holders of Green Cards, naturalized U.S. citizens, or children of two naturalized citizen parents.