You are here : Scholarships > Information for Advisors
Information for Advisors
What is the Rhodes Scholarship and how can you help your students to apply?
The Rhodes Scholarship is a fully funded, full time, postgraduate award which enables talented young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford. Rhodes Scholars come to the UK for two or more years and can apply to study most full-time postgraduate courses offered by Oxford University.
We are looking for young people of outstanding intellect, character, leadership, and commitment to service.
The criteria which were laid out in the Founder’s Will, and have remained largely unchanged since 1902, still guide us today:
- Literary and scholastic attainments (academic excellence);
- Energy to use one's talents to the full (as demonstrated by mastery in areas such as sports, music, debate, dance, theatre, and artistic pursuits, particularly where teamwork is involved);
- Truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness and fellowship;
- Moral force of character and instincts to lead, and to take an interest in one's fellow beings.
Broadening Student's Horizons: Studying abroad on the Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University will give your students different perspectives and many opportunities to learn in one of the world’s most cutting-edge academic environments.
Institutional Reputation and Networking: Student and staff populations can take pride in their university/department producing a Rhodes Scholar who will study at the University of Oxford and represent their community.
Outreach: A winning Rhodes Scholar gains significant media coverage and so will raise awareness about your university. Future students with aspirations for the Rhodes may be more likely to apply to the university.
Ask: Is the Rhodes Scholarship right for you?
- Are they eligible? You can refer them to our eligibility checker.
- What do they want to achieve with the Rhodes?
- Do they meet the Rhodes Selection Criteria?
- Is their proposed course at Oxford, full-time, postgraduate and in line with our Conditions of Tenure?
- Would other scholarship opportunities be better suited?
Explain: How the application process works
- Review the guidance documentation specific to the applicant's constituency
- Help them think about which referees would be best
- Recommend that they check the Rhodes Trust website, and review the Additional Resources section!
- Have they started to think about their personal statement?
Prepare: Interview Preparation
- Have they done a professional interview before?
- Recommend practising interview skills, and that they ask for help with mock interviews.
The Rhodes Scholarships are international and each constituency has different eligibility criteria, referee requirements and application dates. To ensure you provide your applicants with accurate, tailored information, please select the constituency your applicant is applying for from the List of Rhodes Scholarship Constituencies.
In collaboration with our Outreach Ambassadors, we organise open or institutional webinars to students and faculties throughout the year. The webinar is usually organised as follows:
- Presentation of the Rhodes Scholarship
- How to apply with a focus on some key documents
- Mythbusting the Rhodes Scholarship – why you should apply
- The Rhodes Scholar Experience
- Q&A session (the participants will also be able to ask their questions throughout the session via the chat)
During the webinar, our Rhodes Outreach Ambassadors will present the scholarship, share their insights, tips regarding the application and selection processes based on their experience as former applicants and now Rhodes Scholars.
You can find our webinar providing Information for Faculty and Academic Advisors on our YouTube Channel.
We are happy to run a webinar/an information session in your institutions/to your students/with institutions officials. Please reach out to us on outreach@rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk.