Eligibility

Who is eligible?

• Wellesley College seniors who will obtain their bachelor’s degree before the start of their studies in the UK and Wellesley College graduates under the age of 30;
• U.S. citizens; and
• Students and graduates with an exceptional academic record (successful candidates tend to have a GPA of at least 3.7);

What makes a strong applicant for this fellowship?

• Students and graduates with a strong record of commitment to service.

How do I apply?

All Wellesley College seniors who wish to apply for the Mitchell Scholarship must undergo the campus review and nomination process. Each fall, a faculty committee assembles to evaluate, interview and select Wellesley’s Mitchell nominees for that year. While Wellesley can nominate an unlimited number of Mitchell candidates, only the strongest applicants are sent forward.

Graduates apply directly for the Mitchell, but are still very welcome, along with current students, to seek advice from Wellesley’s Fellowships team.  

Interested applicants should explore resources available on the official Mitchell website, the Wellesley Fellowships website, and after that are most welcome to make an appointment with Kate Dailinger, via Handshake. (Note that Fellowships advising appointments are available year-round, and via telephone and video chat, as well as in person. It’s wise to plan ahead: due to the number of late-summer/early fall deadlines and of Wellesley applicants for these awards, the advising calendar for August and September fills up quickly...Cannot find an available appointment? Drop by Fellowships Pop-Up Advising: no appointment required. See our Events listings for details and drop in online!)

Application checklist

☐ Four letters of reference. Please do not request these via the official Mitchell application system until your application has been selected for endorsement by Wellesley: instead, please give your recommenders this link to allow them to submit their letters; should they have any difficulty with the online form, please ask them to email their letters to fellowships@wellesley.edu. 

*If you’re also applying for Wellesley’s nomination for the Rhodes and/or Marshall, please let your recommenders know that the campus committee only needs one letter: it could be the letter for one of these scholarships, or a letter addressing both/all three of your applications, as the writer prefers.

Submit the following to the campus committee via the form found here:

☐ Completed online application, found via the official Mitchell website, including the

• Personal statement   
• Unofficial transcripts (Wellesley, study abroad and any other institutions)
• *Please upload a single pdf or Word document with all the required official application components

☐ A copy of your resume/cv/list of activities and awards (not part of the official application, but helpful to the campus committee)

☐ Wellesley Fellowships office signature document (please print, sign & date this form, then submit a scanned pdf or other image of the signed document along with your application materials)

Note that if your application should be endorsed to go forward to the national competition, you will need copies of official transcripts, proof of citizenship, a photograph, and other materials: please see the official instructions and plan ahead, as it may take more time to gather these materials than you think — official transcripts, for example, can take weeks to secure…

You’ll also need to plan for the required video component of the application  (completed shortly after online application submission).

Application Timeline

Spring/Summer before applying: NOTE that there will be no competition for the Mitchell Scholarship in autumn 2024

• March 18, 2024: opt in to the Postgrad Fellowships Spring Prep, which includes customized timelines, reminders, and planning!
• Attend a Fellowships info session if possible, and book a Fellowships appointment with Kate Dailinger to discuss application plans.
• Visit the official Mitchell website to learn more about the fellowship and the application, as well as reading about the Wellesley application process here.
• Explore our fellowships roadmap, which includes timelines, links, and resources, for fellowships to support graduate and professional study
• Discuss your thoughts about graduate school and the Mitchell  with faculty and other mentors, get their advice--and make asking for letters easier...
• Identify reference-writers and request four references (not via the official application system--see application checklist).
• Identify the department(s) and degree program(s) in which you hope to enroll in Ireland.
• Start writing your essays.

April
Mitchell Scholarship application typically becomes available online.

May 1: opt-in to Postgraduate Fellowship Summer Support program by submitting this Getting Started worksheet to this form to help plan and build your applications  - and gain access to additional check-ins to help you stay on-track and craft strong applications with minimal stress!

July 24: Optional Draft Deadline —Whether or not you need to apply for Wellesley’s nomination for the Mitchell, if you’d like feedback on your proposed course of study in Ireland, personal statement, list of activities and awards, etc., submit drafts at latest by this deadline, in order to be guaranteed feedback before campus and national deadlines and to take priority in the booking of an appointment during August, in the run-up to deadlines for many postgraduate fellowships. 

August

• Order any relevant non-Wellesley transcripts (from a transfer or study abroad institution).
• Check in with recommenders, to be sure they'll be able to meet the campus deadline.

Campus deadline for seniors seeking Wellesley’s nomination for the Mitchell: ​no deadline in 2024, while the Scholarship is on pause

• Submit the required application materials (see checklist above) to the campus committee via the form here.

• Request that copies of your letters be submitted by their writers, ideally by this deadline, via this link; should they have any difficulty with the online form, please ask them to email their letters to fellowships@wellesley.edu. 

Early September
Interviews with the campus Committee on Extramural Graduate Fellowships. Nominees then work on finalizing their applications.

Late September (TBD)
Mitchell Scholarship national deadline – submit all materials online.

Late September
Deadline for completing video interview portion of the application

Late October
Mitchell semi-finalist interviews are conducted via video chat.

Weekend before Thanksgiving
National Mitchell finalist interviews. Winners announced shortly thereafter.

Questions?
Email fellowships@wellesley.edu or call Caitlin Roberts-Donovan at 781.283.2347.  Caitlin knows the campus application procedures and so much more--and she’s always glad to help!

Whether you’re a senior who’s required to apply for the Mitchell through Wellesley, or a graduate who should apply directly for the Mitchell, you can book a Fellowships advising appointment via Handshake to talk with Kate Dailinger.  She did her own graduate work in Britain (in early medieval history), has worked with students and graduates from around the globe for more than a decade, and would look forward to talking with you about what you’re hoping to do and why applying for fellowships can be valuable — whether or not you win an award.