The Rhodes Scholarship programme is the oldest (established 1903), and perhaps the most prestigious, international scholarship programme in the world. Administered by the Rhodes Trust in Oxford, the programme offers more than 100 fully-funded Scholarships each year for postgraduate study at the University of Oxford in the UK – one of the world’s
leading universities.
Selection Committees for the Scholarships are looking for young leaders of outstanding intellect and character who are motivated to engage with global challenges, committed to the service of others and show promise of becoming value-driven, principled leaders for the world’s future. The Selection Committees are looking for the following:
• academic excellence (e.g. First Class Honours or GPA of minimum 3.7 out of 4.0, or equivalent).
• energy to use your talents to the full (as demonstrated by mastery in areas such as sports, music, debate, dance, theatre, and artistic pursuits, particularly where teamwork is involved)
• truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness and fellowship
• moral force of character and instincts to lead, and to take an interest in your fellow human beings
Eligibility criteria
a. Nationality/citizenship: You must be a citizen of Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania or Uganda.
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b. Education/residency: You must have been resident in one or more of the countries listed above, or Kenya, for at least five of the last ten years.
c. Age: You must have reached your 19th and not have passed your 26th birthday on 1 October 2019, which means you must have been born after 30 September 1993 and on or before 1 October 2000. Exceptions, extending the upper age limit by no more than 2 years, may be made for students who have undertaken an undergraduate degree of five years or more, at the discretion of the National Secretary. In such cases, exceptions will only be
considered for applicants born after 30 September 1991 and on or before 1 October 2000.
d. Academic achievement: You must have completed (or will have completed by no later than July 2019) an undergraduate degree from a college or university (normally a Bachelor’s degree) to a sufficiently high standard to be admitted to postgraduate study at the University of Oxford. This would normally be the equivalent of a First Class, or a GPA of 3.7 or more. In this respect, please note carefully the requirements for your chosen course at Oxford.
e. English Language requirement: You must have a sufficiently high standard of English to meet the English language proficiency requirements (at the Higher Level listed) of the University of Oxford: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/applying-to-oxford/application-guide.
f. Given the very intense international competition for places at the University of Oxford, candidates studying in Burundi or South Sudan will have a greater chance of successful admission to Oxford if they have an Honours degree (or have taken an Honours year) from a University outside of the their country or if they have studied to Masters level within their country. Please contact your National Secretary if you require further advice.
Candidates may wish to consider applying to the Rhodes Trust’s sister Foundation, The Mandela Rhodes Foundation (https://mandelarhodes.org/), to pursue an Honour’s year or a Master’s degree prior to making an application for the Rhodes Scholarship.
Application
a. You can apply online from 01 June 2018 at http://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk via the scholarships tab.
b. You must submit your application online, with all supporting documents, by 23:59 East Africa Time (EAT), Friday, 31 August 2018.
c. In preparation for making your application, you should read carefully the general information for candidates on the Rhodes website, the Conditions of Tenure for the Rhodes Scholarship, the information in this document and the graduate admissions pages of the University of Oxford: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate.
d. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a social reception (e.g. a lunch or dinner reception) and an interview. No candidate will be selected without interview. You must be available to attend the interview and social reception, in person, as no accommodations can be made on date and time of these events.Interviews will be held in Kigali, Rwanda, in later October / early November. Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed for interview candidates traveling from outside of Rwanda. Overnight accommodation will be provided if necessary.
e. All applicants will be emailed with the outcome of their application by 15 November 2018.
4. Documents and details to be submitted with application
You must submit a completed application form on-line with the documents and information detailed below. All documents must be submitted in English, or with English translations included. Please note that, if you are invited to interview, you will be asked to bring the originals of all documents with you:
a. One or more of the following documents to confirm that you meet the nationality, residency criterion, and the age criteria: A certified copy of your birth certificate (or an affidavit of birth); National Identity Card; A valid passport (with translation, if necessary)
b. An official transcript from the college or university at which you are studying, or have studied, showing grades achieved (to date). If your official transcript is not in English, you must submit both (i) the original official document issued by your institution and (ii) a translation into English certified by a professional translator, the issuing body of the original transcript or an authorized notary;
c. Evidence of residency within the region for at least five of the last ten years, for example official school records.
d. Evidence of English Language Proficiency (see the Eligibility Criteria above). You should upload a copy of a standardised English test that is recognised by the University of Oxford (e.g. TOEFL / IELTS) along with the test’s marking scheme. Alternatively, you can upload a letter requesting a waiver to this requirement if you meet the University of Oxford’s criteria for a waiver: www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/englishproficiency.
e. A full curriculum vitae which should include details about academic qualifications, prizes, scholarships, positions of leadership, employment positions, involvement in student, voluntary, community or political activities and any cultural, musical or sporting accomplishments. This should not exceed two A4 (12pt) pages in length. Please do
not include a photograph in your CV.
f. A head-and-shoulders colour photograph (jpg format). Please note your photo will not be available to the selection committee until after final shortlisting decisions have been made.
g. A personal statement of no more than 1,000 words. The personal statement is your chance to tell your story in your own voice: Who are you? What matters to you? What are you hoping to do in the world? Your academic transcript, your curriculum vitae and your reference letters will provide the substantive detail of your commitments and accomplishments, but this essay gives you the opportunity to cast the overarching narrative for the selection committee.
For more information,please visit https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/scholarships/apply/east-africa