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Application Process

The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest (first awarded in 1902) international scholarship programme, enabling outstanding young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford.

Applying for Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration

What is Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration and how can you apply as an Inter-Jurisdictional candidate?

If you have a connection to two or more Rhodes Scholarship constituencies, but don't meet all of the eligibility criteria, you may be able to apply for Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration. Below you can find detailed guidance on what Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration is and how to apply.

  • There are some candidates who do not meet the eligibility criteria for any Rhodes constituency, but who are strongly connected to two or more Rhodes constituencies. This might be because candidates have moved between different countries and so haven’t lived in one constituency for as long as traditional candidates. These candidates may therefore apply for 'Inter-Jurisdictional' Consideration, as they are between 'jurisdictions'.

  • Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration is a way of enabling Inter-Jurisdictional candidates to apply for a Rhodes Scholarship despite not meeting the eligibility criteria for nationality/citizenship and/or years of residence or schooling.                                                                                                    

  • Applicants who are applying for Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration must meet the age requirements, the academic requirements and any English language requirements for that constituency (as stated in the Information for Candidates document). However, the nationality/citizenship requirements and/or the required number of years of schooling or residency in country may be relaxed for cases where candidates are successful in their request for Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration.

    Please note that these requirements may only be relaxed if the Rhodes team grant the applicant approval following the Inter-Jurisdictional check (as outlined in the process below).

  • Inter-Jurisdictional candidates are subject to the same application and reference deadlines as other applicants in their constituency.

    However, you should aim to request your Inter-Jurisdictional check (see the process outlined below) before the deadline for all constituencies you have a connection to. This will ensure that your Inter-Jurisdictional status can be checked in advance of the deadline and if you need to apply through a different constituency, you will have to time to amend your application.

    For example, if you have sustained and verifiable links to both Bermuda and New Zealand, but you don't meet the eligibility criteria for either, you would begin an application form for whichever of the two constituencies you believe you have the strongest connection to. If your strongest connection is to Bermuda, you will start your application for Bermuda but should request your Inter-Jurisdictional check before the deadline for both New Zealand and Bermuda. If you request your check after the deadline for either constituency, we may not be able to consider your application.

  • If you have any questions about Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration you can contact us at scholarship.queries@rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk; it would be helpful if you included 'inter-jurisdictional' in the subject line. 

     

The Process for Applying for Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration

If you have read the above information and believe you may be eligible to apply for Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration you should take the following steps.

  1. Different constituencies do have different eligibility criteria, you may wish to complete the Eligibility Checker for each country you have a connection to so that you can check if you are eligible to apply directly to any of them.
  2. If you do not meet all of the eligibility criteria for any one constituency, you should choose the country with which you believe you have the strongest connection and then complete the Eligibility Checker, answering any questions about Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration.
  3. Once you have completed the Eligibility Checker you will be taken to the information page for your chosen constituency. Please ensure that you read all of the details here carefully, especially the Information for Candidates documents.

Please note - if you do not meet the age or academic criteria, you will not be eligible for Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration. In this case, the Eligibility Checker will direct you to further information and options.

Application Form

  1. Once you have read all of the information for your constituency, you can use the link on the constituency page to start your application!
  2. You will need to register with Embark (the Rhodes application platform) and then you will be able to start the application form. You will find that, as you do not meet all of the eligibility criteria, you cannot proceed past the Preliminary Screen on the online application form and that an error message has appeared at the bottom of the screen. Below the error message there will be an 'Inter-Jurisdictional' box with an option to 'Tick here if you would like to apply for Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration'. You should tick this box and click 'save and next'. This will open up the rest of the application form for you.
  3. As an Inter-Jurisdictional candidate, you will need to complete the 'Inter-Jurisdictional' section. This will be very important as it is your primary opportunity to outline your case for Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration. Your 500 word justification should lay out clearly the strength of your connection to all of Rhodes constituencies with which you are connected. You should also explain why you have the strongest connection to the constituency through which you have chosen to apply. You should include a timeline to clarify your movements over time and to further highlight your strong connections to the relevant countries. Please also ensure that you complete the Nationality & Residence section of the application form.
  4. When you have completed the Inter-Jurisdictional and Nationality & Residence sections, you should tick the box on the 'Request Inter-Jurisdictional Check' page. A member of the team at Rhodes House will then assess your eligibility for Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration and which constituency it would be most appropriate for you to apply to. It is therefore important that you have completed the relevant details before you request this check. You cannot submit your application without approval from Rhodes House. You will be informed via email with the outcome of your request.
  5. You should request the Inter-Jurisdictional check in advance of the earliest deadline for the constituencies you have a connection to. We would advise that you do this at least 2 weeks in advance of the deadline to allow the Rhodes House team to process your request for Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration and to give you time to complete and submit your application.
  6. Once your Inter-Jurisdictional check has been completed you should complete the rest of the form. Please note that the rest of the form wording is tailored towards applicants who meet all of the eligibility criteria, therefore you should complete the rest of the form to the best of your ability. Where the form asks you to upload a document that you do not have (as you fit into the Inter-Jurisdictional category) please upload documentation relevant to the question and your situation.

Application Assessment

In assessing applications for Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration, the team at Rhodes House will primarily be looking for the following:

  • The extent to which you meet the eligibility criteria for each of the constituencies you are connected to.
  • A clear rationale for why you have chosen the constituency in which you are applying.
  • Evidence of connection to, investment in, and commitment to, the constituencies and any regular contact with them if you are no longer based there.
  • Reasoning for the movement between constituencies
  • A clear timeline to capture your movements between countries.
  • Please note that attending university for your undergraduate degree in a constituency is not considered a strong connection on its own.

Communication of Outcomes

  1. If Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration is granted, you will be emailed to confirm which constituency it would be most appropriate for you to apply to. In the event that this is a different constituency to the one you have chosen, you will need to update your application accordingly. You can then complete the rest of your application and submit ahead of the deadline. Post submission, your application will be reviewed alongside all other candidates for the constituency that you have applied via.
  2. For applicants who are not granted Inter-Jurisdictional Consideration, you will also receive an email indicating that your request was not successful and information directing you to any other appropriate options.

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