So, in the last post I covered that fellowships are funds awarded to students to pursue research or a project. And today we will talk a little bit about how to actually apply for them.
If only there was some magical, wonderful website that listed out all of Yale’s fellowships by different categories and also offered you tips and tricks for applying and also the ability to meet with representatives who can advise you on where to apply and help you hone your application and also—
Let me just stop you right there and tell you to hold on to your hats and glasses, folks. Boy, do I have news for you. The Yale Center for International and Professional Experience (CIPE) is everything you need and more when it comes to learning about fellowships.
In less than one minute on the site just now, I found three totally awesome and totally unique fellowships to which Yale students can apply:
Franke Fellowship in Science and the Humanities
Supports senior essay, research, and art projects that explore intellectual connections between science and the humanities.
Richard U. Light Fellowship
Supports intensive language study at approved sites in East Asia.
Service Through Music Fellowship
Supports one year of purposeful work abroad that combines music and public service.
What’s that, you say? “Oh, Alec, as much as I love a good website, I love physical infrastructure even more. I wish that there was an actual place that went by the same name as that website.”
Well, get ready for this, bucko. There is. And it is awesome. You can drop by there any time to meet with an advisor to talk about all your fellowship and study abroad needs. Plus, they always have a big container of lifesaver mints on-hand, which I just go IN on.
After my Chinese teacher told us all about the Light Fellowship, she encouraged us to go to an information presentation at the CIPE. So one day after class, I went to the beautiful building, took this fancy elevator up to the third floor, and, after tearing my way through a handful of lifesaver candies, sat down in a big room with probably 50 other people to learn more about the Light Fellowship and application process. The presenter was a Yale alumna who had partaken in THREE different Light Fellowships at her time at Yale (I didn’t even know that was possible!)
She gave us lots of great tips and walked us through the application process—nothing too difficult: an essay expressing your interest in the program, a few supplemental essays talking about your background and extracurricular or leadership experiences at Yale, some basic personal information, and two letters of recommendation. You will submit all of this by the end of the semester through this very user-friendly online portal. Then, your application will be reviewed by Yale faculty members who serve on the committee, and within the next two months, you’d get an email back with your results—I found out on a random Tuesday right before an English class the following semester and nearly jumped out of my seat.
Regarding applications, that’s all she wrote! To learn a bit more about my experience taking part in a fellowship, roll on over to Part 3.
