ROTARY SCHOLARSHIPS (updated 2/07)

Nominees are interviewed in May, selected candidates are forwarded to the district by June, and notification of winners is announced in June. Applicants may wish to attend a few club meetings to familiarize themselves with Rotary.

Though not as well-known as the Rhodes or Fulbright Scholarships, the Rotary Foundation is the largest private source of scholarships in the world. The Rotary Foundation seeks to promote international understanding through student exchanges: all scholarships are "ambassadorial," which means Rotary seeks candidates who would represent both the organization and their country well. The Foundation emphasizes enthusiasm, eloquence, and other qualities which would make you a good representative of your country over strict academic qualifications. Even if you do not have an outstanding academic record, you still have a chance at receiving this scholarship.

Types of Awards

Multi-year Ambassadorial Scholarships provide a flat grant of US$13,000 or its equivalent per year for a period of two or three years. Requirements: ability to read, write, and speak language of host country.

Academic-year Ambassadorial Scholarships provide funds of up to $25,000 for round-trip airfare, tuition fees, room, board, and books for both undergraduate and graduate studies. Requirements: ability to read, write, and speak language of host country; pass language proficiency exam as determined by Rotary.

Cultural Ambassadorial Scholarships fund either three or six months of intensive language study and cultural immersion in a country where the target language is spoken. Applications will be considered for study of Arabic, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish and others. Grants of up to $13,000 for 3 months of study or $19,000 for 6 months are available.

Eligibility

Applicants pursuing university studies must have completed at least two years of university coursework when the scholarship begins. (As it takes approximately one year to complete the application process--from applying to the local Rotary Club to entrance to the study institution--this means that freshmen as well as upperclassmen may apply.) Applicants pursuing vocational study must have a secondary school education and have been employed in a recognized vocation for at least two years when the scholarship begins. Scholarships are available to individuals of all ages. The only other requirement that applies to all of the Rotary Scholarships is that you cannot be a Rotarian, an Honorary Rotarian, or a lineal descendant (child or grandchild by blood and any legally adopted child) or spouse of a living person in the aforementioned two categories.
Rotary scholarships cannot be applied to a study abroad program sponsored by an institution in the applicant's home country, such as a Stanford Overseas Studies Program; scholarships must either be used for a foreign-sponsored program or direct enrollment in a foreign university.
Note to foreign students: You are also eligible to apply for a Rotary Scholarship (either through a local Rotary Club or a club in your home country) to fund your Stanford education.

Conditions of the Scholarship

All Rotary Scholars are required to fulfill certain responsibilities--mostly giving speeches to Rotary Clubs in your host district and sponsor district upon your return. During the study period, scholars are also expected to make both formal and informal appearances before Rotary clubs and districts, schools, civic organizations, and other forums, as a representative of Rotary and your country. Multi-year and Academic-year Ambassadorial Scholars must also submit two reports per year to the Rotary Foundation; Cultural Ambassadorial Scholars have to submit just one. These responsibilities are small compared to the amount of the scholarship, plus you will probably enjoy it.
 
The Application Process
 
Choosing a Rotary Club

You can either apply through a Rotary Club in the area where you attend college or your home town. You may apply through any one Rotary club in either the Stanford area or your hometown. ( Due dates are set by each individual club; they can be as early as January and as late as July of the year prior to the the commencement of your study.) In making a choice between one or the other, you may want to consider how competitive your home district would be versus the Stanford district in terms of number of applicants and the number of scholarships available.
Perhaps the most important factor is the number of spaces available. The number of scholars from each district depends on the amount of money that district has contributed to the Rotary Foundation during the past year. Since the Stanford District has traditionally been very generous, you may have a better chance of winning a scholarship from this district than your home district, even if more people may apply from this area, simply because more scholarships are available.
On the other hand, if you come from a small town with no college within sight, you may have a much better chance than applying through this area where your competition are students from Berkeley, Santa Clara, San Jose State, UCSC, Foothill, etc. However, don't let this deter you from applying to the Stanford district. District 5170's policy is that if two applicants are equally qualified, they will pick the one whose home town is this district. Since two applicants are rarely equally qualified, you will still have a good chance.
 
Contacting a Rotary Club

Call the appropriate Rotary Club Scholarship Coordinator and introduce yourself as a Stanford student who is very interested in applying for the (multi-year/one year/language/...) scholarship. Say that you are interested in finding out more about the club and ask whether or not it would be possible for you to go to one of their meetings soon to introduce yourself. If one club is not receptive, though this is unlikely , try another.

During your conversation with the Scholarship Coordinator, ascertain three things:

* Scholarship application due date for that particular club. (Typically February or March)
* Whether that club offers the particular scholarship you are interested in (not all clubs offer all scholarships)
* Number of scholarships available in that club's district.

The Scholarship Coordinator will be available to assist you with the application process, which involves an application and an interview. Once you have received the nomination from your local club, your application will be forwarded to the district level.

Tips for a Successful Application

If you are applying for the Multi-year or Academic-year Schoalrships, you should:
Research in detail which schools you might like to attend. You are required to choose five different universities in three different countries and rank them in order of preference. (Rotary tries to spread out their money geographically, so competition for a place such as Oxford is much stiffer than for a non-English speaking country.) Knowing about specific programs is definitely a plus; you should delineate as specific a course of study as possible in your application essay. The ORC has an extensive library of foreign university catalogs, reference books, and other information which you may find useful. You should have at least one "backup" school to which you are reasonably assured of gaining admittance. Be prepared to justify your choices to your interviewers, and to revise your choices based on the advice of the panel.

If you are applying for the Cultural Ambassadorial Scholarship, make an effort to find out as much as possible from your scholarshop coordinator about at least some of the universities and/or language institutions where students usually receive assignments (Cultural Ambassadorial Scholars cannot choose their study institution).

No matter which scholarship you are interested in, you should be able to explain how and why studying abroad will enhance your education. Try to make your reasons unique; statements about "broadening your horizons" are too simplistic. Also, regardless of the scholarship, it is important to do your homework on the Rotary, and mch information is available on the Rotary website.

ESSAYS: If you would like some feedback about your essays, please feel free to bring them to the ORC.
 
The Interview Process and District Nomination Process

After your application is received by the District, the Scholarship Committee will review your application and contact you for an interview. Although your interview is only about half an hour long, you are asked to be at the interview site about a half-hour in advance. Rotarians, alumni, and visiting Rotary Scholars will be there to talk and to answer any questions which you may have. While Rotary is not explicitly evaluating you while you are mingling with others, what you do during this time will be a part of their overall impression of you. A good guideline is to regard the occasion as you would a formal dinner.
 
The Interview

A selection committee of about a dozen Rotarians and perhaps a Scholar will ask you questions. If you are applying to go to a country with a fairly common official language (German, Spanish, French, Japanese), expect someone there to test you in your speaking ability. The selection committee will probably not ask you esoteric questions or purposely try to stump you; if they do, remember to stay calm. If the committee asks a difficult question, take a moment to think--it can only help your answer.

Some hints: Expect some country specific questions

Be ready for general questions like:

* What type of difficulties/challenges do you expect to face and how will you surmount them?
* What was your most significant achievement? How was it significant?
* Why do you think we should pick you above other candidates for the Scholarship?
* Be ready to answer questions on current events, especially regarding your country.

The following is the interview experience of Sinclair Wu (Stanford student, Rotary Scholar - Summer '95):
 "When it finally came time for me to be interviewed, I walked into a room expecting only a small panel. Lo and behold there were about a dozen rather serious-looking people sitting around an oval table... Some of the questions that I was asked included:

1. Why are you applying for a Rotary Foundation Cultural Ambassadorial Scholarship?
2. What is your opinion of the American political system?
3. How would you explain the American political system to a foreigner?
4. What do you know about Japan?
5. What do you know about the Rotary Foundation?
6. Why should we nominate you as an Ambassadorial Scholar over other applicants?
7. What would you say is your greatest accomplishment?
8. What challenges have you encountered as a Treat Cross Cultural Exchange Program Fellow?
9. Describe two different situations in which you organized something with other people.
10. Give a one-minute introduction of yourself in Japanese.
 
The research I did on Rotary prior to my interview turned out to be very helpful. Question 1 or some form of it is almost always asked, so have a relatively well-polished answer in mind. Questions 4 and 5 are extremely open-ended; if you are asked questions like these, don't be afraid to ask for clarification or direction. Avoid babble."

 
District Nomination

If you are nominated for a scholarship at the District level, you are basically guaranteed a scholarship, provided you gain entrance to the university of your choice and pass an additional language exam (where necessary). (Final confirmation from Rotary International takes about four months to process.) Rotary is involved in your university application process only to the extent that you receive a letter stating that you will be a Rotary Scholar and that the Rotary Foundation will provide the funding outlined in the particular scholarship for which you have been nominated. Depending on your host country and institution, this letter of financial support could be an important part of your application since visas for many countries are contingent on financial security.

Once you are admitted to your first choice institution, you will also be expected to go to that university. Only if you were not able to gain admission or if that university does not offer your course of study are you allowed to change. At this time, it is very possible that even if you can gain admission to another university, you will not be allowed to use the scholarship for that particular university because that district may already be oversaturated with other Rotary Scholars. Therefore, get the application in as early as possible.
 
Final Notes

The ORC staff is available to assist you through your application process. Please keep in mind that we have an extensive library of foreign university catalogs, reference books, and other information which you may find helpful. We are also available to critique your application essays and provide general advice. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask