Documents and Tips for a Successful Application

Below please find the required items listed on the online application form. The first four documents must be submitted on the online application form here. The applicant may also submit the reference letters and transcripts, or they may be submitted directly by the letter writers and registrar through the form by applicants who list the email of the letter writers and registrar. Reference letters and transcripts that are not submitted directly to the online application form may be emailed to scovillefellowship@gmail.com

Provide the following information:

• Name
• Telephone Number
• Email Address
• Semester for which you are applying
• Name, address, email address, and telephone number for each of your two references (whether these letters are included with your materials or will be emailed separately).
• List 5-6 of our participating organizations that you would like to work with if chosen as a Scoville Fellow. Please check this list of organizations to see which are eligible to host a fellow during the upcoming term.

1. How you learned about the Scoville Fellowship. Please be specific about the publications, websites, professors, career advisor/career office, friend, web search, etc.
2. A full curriculum vitae The c.v. should include complete educational and professional data, as well as information on the applicant’s extracurricular activities, and should be no more than two pages.
3. A personal essay of no more than 750 words discussing the candidate’s qualifications, interests, fellowship objectives, and career goals. The essay should clearly address the candidate’s interest in and passion for the area of international peace and security by describing a personal experience that helps inform their world view or relates to an international peace and security issue. The essay should complement, rather than repeat, the candidate’s resume.
4. A policy/opinion essay of no more than 750 words answering the following question: What is the greatest emerging threat to international peace and security and why? Applicants should refer to one or more of the issue areas addressed by the fellowship, discuss specific possible solutions to the problem they cite, and are encouraged to connect it to the interests and experiences described in the personal statement. Essays must be titled. Candidates may submit a short bibliography that is not counted against the word limit. Candidates are encouraged to address this prompt in the style they feel best complements their argument; previous essays have included academic policy papers, essays in the style of an op-ed, and short videos or podcasts.
5. Official transcript(s) detailing the candidate’s entire college academic record including undergraduate, graduate, and foreign study. Candidates whose current courses are not listed on their transcript are required to submit a list of these courses on a separate sheet of paper. Applicants who have attended more than one college or university must submit official transcripts from each school in chronological order (order of attendance). Transcripts should have the school seal and signature of the registrar. Photocopies of official transcripts are acceptable; web-printed transcripts lacking the proper seal and signature are not.
6. Two letters of reference. Each letter should address the accomplishments and standing of the candidate; the candidate’s interest and experience in international peace and security issues; the candidate’s ability to communicate, both orally and in writing; the candidate’s maturity and judgment, and the candidate’s potential to make a significant contribution to peace and security issues. Applicants must not submit more than two reference letters. Signatures are preferred but not required. Reference letters must be submitted as an attached Word or PDF document rather than in the body of the email. Reference letters will not be accepted from members of the Scoville Fellowship board, staff at a participating organization, or a current funder, to avoid the conflict of interest.
7. Candidates must not use generative artificial intelligence (AI) programs (such as ChatGPT) to write any of their materials, including the essays, although they may use artificial intelligence tools to assist with spelling and grammar in preparing their applications. Candidates will be required to affirm, before submitting an application, that the work contained in their application is their own and that they did not utilize AI to write their materials.

Please read the following instructions for submitting applications. Failure to comply with these requests may delay the processing of your application and hinder your chances of being selected for an interview.

Applicants are required to submit all documents through our online application form between December 7, 2024 and January 6, 2025 for the fall 2025 semester that will begin between July 15 and October 1, 2025. An automated email response will be sent when items are received. Applicants who do not receive the email response within 24 hours of emailing materials should re-submit their application.

In order to expedite the processing of the applications we request that applicants and others submitting materials on their behalf use the following titles when naming attachments:

General Application:

• Applicants are requested to number each page of a multi-page document.
• Applicants should not submit blank pages or extraneous documents.
• Board members reviewing applications will only read items submitted through the online application form. Any message regarding application materials may be sent in a separate email to scovillefellowship@gmail.com
• There is no need to write Scoville Fellowship or the semester for which you are applying in the title of each document.
• Applicants are responsible for submitting all required documents, including reference letters and transcripts, on time. Failure to send all items on time may adversely impact a candidate’s application.

Transcript(s):

• Transcripts from undergraduate, graduate, and foreign study should be submitted in chronological order in a single attachment.
• Official academic transcripts should be scanned and uploaded rather than sent in the mail. We understand that some universities prefer to send transcripts directly to a potential employer. In that case these items should be emailed to scovillefellowship@gmail.com. We will reluctantly accept transcripts in paper copies if they are not available as emails.
• Do not upload or send email copies of transcripts that need to be downloaded or that require a password to open; these transcripts are only available to be downloaded for a limited time. Instead print, scan, and upload the transcript as an attachment.
• Applicants may need to rotate their transcripts 90 degrees so they can be read on the computer.
• Applicants are asked not to submit copies of certificates or diplomas.
• Applicants are requested to submit high-resolution transcripts that are easy to read; those who submit difficult to read transcripts will be asked to resubmit a higher resolution version, which may delay processing of the application.
• When submitting transcripts, candidates are asked not to include the guide to grades often found on the back of the transcript.

Reference Letters:

We understand that some reference letter writers and universities prefer to send letters directly to a potential employer. In that case these items may be uploaded directly to the applicant’s file on the Submittable form.

• Review all your application requirements and complete the eligibility form to ensure you are eligible and prepared.
• Complete your application on time and reach out to recommenders early enough to give them plenty of time to write on your behalf.
• How to check on the status of my reference request?If you have submitted an application that asked you to provide references or other providers of supporting documents on your behalf, you will receive a notification email when your document provider uploads any supporting materials. 
• If you have not yet received this notification and would like to resend the request to your reference or document provider, you can do this by following these steps:
• 1. Sign into your account and click on the submission that contains the supporting document request.
• 2. Click on the Forms tab
• 3. Open the Initial Form, and scroll through the application until you see the reference area. Below the supporting document field, you will see an option to Resend Request:
• Click on it, and a new request will be sent to your document provider, reminding them to submit materials on your behalf.
• If the document has already been received, you will see an indication that saysso, along with the date that it was received:
• Please note: If you need to rescind or change the reference request, you must contact the organization and request that they open the reference form for editing.
• Draft and review your personal statement and policy essay to make sure you have a strong statement are following Scoville’s guideline for both essays.
• Remember the personal statement should highlight your motivation, experiences, background, skills and future career endeavors. The personal essay should not be the same as the policy essay ( these are two completely different essays).
• The policy essays should focus on one of the international peace and security related policy issues. Hence why the question is “What is the greatest emerging threat to international peace and security and why?”
• Submit your transcript earlier as it often takes a process to get them in our system.
• Reach out to us if you have any questions or needs any clarifications.