Gates Cambridge Scholarship : Introduction

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Category :
Master’s and PhD Programs
Subject Areas :
Research, MPhil, LLM, MASt, Diploma, MBA
Scholarships Provided by :
Gates Cambridge Trust
Scholarships Provided to :
Outstanding students from outside the UK for full-time graduate study and research in any subject available at the University of Cambridge

Gates Cambridge Scholarship is a prestigious and highly competitive international scholarship awarded to outstanding students from outside the UK for full-time graduate study and research in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. Established in the year 2000, by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates Cambridge Scholarship program aims to build a global network of future leaders committed to improving the lives of others.

All aspects of the scholarships program, including the selection of scholars, scholars in residence, alumni relations and all financial and administrative matters are managed by the Gates Cambridge Trust. The purpose of the trust is to enable Gates Cambridge Scholars from any part of the world outside the United Kingdom to benefit from education in the University of Cambridge. But the trust does not admit or place the scholars directly. Students must first apply directly for admission to Cambridge and make a separate application for the scholarship. Applicants must demonstrate exceptional academic achievement, potential for scholarly development, and a commitment to use the benefits of their education for the common good.

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship supports one to three years of study in any field at the Cambridge University. The award includes all tuition costs and a maintenance allowance.

Eligibility Criteria :

Candidates applying for Gates Cambridge Scholarship :

• may be citizens of any country outside the United Kingdom.
• should be under the age of 30
• may apply to study any subject available at the University of Cambridge.
• may apply to pursue one of the following full-time residential courses of study :
- PhD (three year research-only degree)
- One year postgraduate course (e.g. MPhil, LLM, MASt, Diploma, MBA etc.)
- MSc or MLitt (two year research-only degree)
• must be admitted to one of the degrees above at Cambridge through the University's normal admission procedures. Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree before beginning study in Cambridge.
• must be well prepared for the Cambridge course for which they are applying and must meet all of the conditions for admission specified by the University (e.g. academic, English language proficiency, if required, and any other conditions set).
• must be able to show evidence of high academic achievement (including a high GPA and GRE scores), leadership potential, social commitment and a good fit with Cambridge.
• who are already studying at Cambridge are only eligible to apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship if they are applying for a new course of study (e.g. a one year ‘MPhil only’ student may apply for funding to continue on to the PhD). Candidates already studying at Cambridge who are not applying for a new course of study (e.g. have already started their PhD) are not eligible to be considered for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
• If pursuing a PhD, candidates may hold a Master's degree.

Value of Scholarships :

A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge, namely:

• Provides University Composition Fee and College fees
• Maintenance allowance for a single student
• One economy single airfare at both the beginning and end of the course

Application & Selection Procedure

Applications form can be downloaded from the website www.gatesscholar.org

All applicants can apply simultaneously for admission as a graduate student to the University of Cambridge and a Gates Cambridge Scholarship using the one application pack. Before applying to the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, the candidates must gain admission to the University of Cambridge and show evidence of leadership potential, social commitment and a good fit with the course at Cambridge for which they are applying.

To be considered for graduate admission and a Gates Cambridge Scholarship most applicants will need to submit all of the following documents to the Board of Graduate Studies :

• Graduate Admission and Scholarship Application Form (GRADSAF) - on-line or hard copy
• Academic transcripts - hard copy
• References (2 academic and 1 personal) - hard copy
• English language test scores (if required) - hard copy
• Any other documents required for admission to the course - e.g. research proposal, example of written work etc. (see the individual department/course website for details) – hard copy

Although there is no minimum GPA/degree class required to apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, successful applicants will be academically outstanding and meet all graduate entry requirements. All applicants are first evaluated by the academic department in Cambridge. This is because once application are received for the scholarships, Gates Cambridge Trust asks the respective academic departments in Cambridge to rank their very best candidates.

Gates Cambridge Trust's mission is to increase opportunity and equity for those most in need, particularly in the areas of health and education, often through the use of science and technology. So while selecting the scholars, the trust looks for students with outstanding academic credentials, demonstrated leadership abilities, a passion to contribute to the improvement of society and a good fit with the graduate programme at Cambridge. For that the trust's selecting panel uses the departmental rankings - alongside the further Gates-specific criteria of leadership potential and commitment to produce the final interview list.

Short listed Gates Cambridge Scholars have to appear for an interview which will last 20 - 25 minutes. The interviews may be in person, by Skype or by telephone and are conducted by a panel of three to five members, knowledgeable in a general way about the candidate's field of study. The interviews are usually held in late march and all candidates are informed of the results of their interview within a week.

Useful Contact

Gates Cambridge Trust
Ground Floor, The Warehouse,
33 Bridge Street
Cambridge, CB2 1UW
United Kingdom

Tel: + 44 1223 338467
Fax: + 44 1223 577004

Web address: www.gatesscholar.org
E-mail address: Contact Now

Tags

UK education , UK scholarship , cambridge university

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