Know Your Timeline
Scholarly opportunities exist for students at all levels!
Start early and prepare for success
For many awards, you may need to position yourself by gaining key co-curricular experiences, like research and internships, over many semesters, including the summers. Starting in your first year is ideal, but if you don't find these until later, there are still many opportunities you can pursue. UREF, along with your other advisors and mentors, can help you develop these experiences by connecting you with the best people and resources. Finally, fellowship applications are not something that you can hammer out in a weekend or even a week. You should start working with your fellowships advisor well in advance of the deadline and then work continuously on drafts that evolve toward a polished product.
Gain readiness
Not only does civic engagement and community involvement provide real-world experience and learning but volunteering and leadership activities also strengthen your application and position as a candidate. UIC offers opportunities to get engaged through the Student Leadership and Civic Engagement site as well as through individual schools and colleges.
For first-years
During your first year, it may seem that many fellowships are too far in the future to be a priority; yet as a first-year student, you have the most flexibility in shaping your future at UIC. If you approach your college education intending to take advantage of many opportunities, both academic and extracurricular, and thus in the process craft an ideal education for yourself, you will likely have made yourself competitive for several fellowship opportunities.
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- Visit your faculty’s office hours and build relationships with them.
- Get to know your advisor and your department.
- Look for interesting, well-taught courses and don’t be afraid to stretch yourself.
- Go to interesting events and talks on campus, and then talk with the presenters and other attendees about your shared interests.
- Seek opportunities to get involved in undergraduate research or creative projects that align with your interests.
- Consider applying for the UK Summer Institutes
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- Engage in research, creative projects, and independent study opportunities.
- Apply for fellowships or scholarships from your department, college, as well as nationally competitive awards that fit with your interests and career goals, such as the Goldwater or Udall.
- Interested in studying abroad? Consider resources like the Gilman Scholarship and visit the UIC Study Abroad Office.
- Studying a foreign language and want to learn it faster? Check out the Critical Language Scholarship.
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If you are interested in one of the fellowship opportunities on our list for the academic year following your UIC graduation, you should plan to work with UREF on your application during the summer before your final year of college: the Fulbright Grant, Rhodes Scholarship, Marshall Scholarship, Mitchell Scholarship, Churchill Scholarship, Soros Fellowship, Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship, Rangel International Affairs Fellowship, Schwarzman Scholarship, Knight-Hennessy Scholars, and the Gates Cambridge Scholarship are those for which we strongly encourage you to work with us through the summer.
Be aware that fellowships which fund graduate school and other post-college opportunities have deadlines that fall before you even submit your graduate school applications!
- Take challenging courses in your major and related to your interests and career goals.
- Complete a thesis/capstone or other major independent study project that is meaningful and of interest to you.
- Apply for fellowships or scholarships from your department, college, as well as nationally competitive awards such as the Goldwater and Udall.
- Interested in a career in public service? Your third year is the time to apply for the Truman Scholarship.
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- Many deadlines for the academic year following your graduation are due at the beginning of your senior fall semester, so plan ahead and work on these through the summer before your senior year!
- Maintain and build your relationships with advisors and faculty throughout this year.
- Thinking about graduate school? Consider the James Madison Scholarship, the Soros Fellowship for New Americans, the Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship, or the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. There are many more fellowships that fund graduate study on our listing page.
- Want to expand your horizons overseas, where you can do research, study, or teach? The Fulbright US Student Program enables you to choose your own adventure!