In the first year, 111 Schwarzman Scholars were selected from more than 3,000 applicants, making the program one of the most selective in the world. The first class of Schwarzman Scholars was featured in the New York Times and is composed of students from 32 countries and 75 universities, with 44% from the United States, 21% from China, and 35% from the rest of the world. This year, this unparalleled fully-funded opportunity will be extended to up to 125 students. The program is open to students and young professionals between the ages of 18 and 28 years old, regardless of nationality, who are proficient in English and have obtained an undergraduate degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university. To learn more about the application requirements, please click here: ttp://schwarzmanscholars.org/admissions/eligibility/.
The application (http://schwarzmanscholars.org/admissions/application/) is now available on the Schwarzman Scholars website and will close on September 15 for applicants from the United States and across the globe. For applicants who hold passports from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macao, regardless of where they attended university, the application can be found on the Tsinghua University website at http://www.sc.tsinghua.edu.cn/column/application and must be submitted by June 15, 2016.
In addition to evaluating applicants’ proven intellectual and academic ability, the admissions process is heavily focused on evaluating applicants’ leadership potential, strength of character, ability to anticipate and act on emerging trends and opportunities, and desire to understand other cultures, perspectives and positions. Those selected will have demonstrated their potential to not only benefit from but also contribute to the Schwarzman Scholars program and the network of Schwarzman Scholars alumni.
The written application will be reviewed by a distinguished team of readers from around the world who will narrow the pool based on an extensive set of guidelines. To evaluate candidates across a globally diverse applicant pool, the process relies on readers from many different regions and backgrounds who can provide insights to identify the highest level of leadership and academic excellence. More than 300 semi-finalists will be invited to an in-person regional interview in Beijing, Bangkok, London, or New York, and will go before panels of distinguished figures comprised of CEOs, former heads of state, university presidents, non-profit executives, journalists, and other leaders from around the world.
Webinars for interested applicants will be hosted in April and throughout the next several months leading up to the application deadline. To find out more, please sign up for a session through our website at http://schwarzmanscholars.org/news-article/campus-information-sessions-webinars/ or contact us with any questions http://schwarzmanscholars.org/contact-us/
It’s also good to contact the National and International Scholarships Office here at Illinois at topscholars@illinois.edu to organize application materials and learn about all NIS-supported scholarships.
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