AmericanScholarship - Update on Scholarships in America

The George J. Mitchell Scholarships provide funding to twelve U.S. citizens for one academic year of graduate study in any discipline at any university in Ireland (both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland). These scholarships were established in 1998 by the Irish Government to honor George J. Mitchell, the former U.S. Senator who served as Chairman of the peace negotiations in Northern Ireland. Under Senator Mitchell’s leadership, the governments of the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom and the political parties of Northern Ireland agreed to an historic peace accord. Senator Mitchell’s role in the negotiations earned him worldwide praise, a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, and the gratitude of the Irish people. The stated goal of the Mitchell Scholarship is to “interest the next generation of American leaders in the island of Ireland.”

Funding for the Mitchell Scholarships comes from the Irish and British governments, a major anonymous donor, and several private corporations. In the U.S., the Scholarship is administered by the US-Ireland Alliance in Washington, D.C.

ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION CRITERIA:
Graduating seniors and recent graduates who are US citizens may apply. The selection criteria, as stated in the application materials, are as follows:

Prospective Scholars must have a demonstrated record of intellectual distinction, leadership, and extra-curricular activity, as well as personal characteristics of honesty, integrity, fairness, and unselfish service to others which indicate a potential for future leadership and contribution to society.

All applicants must receive endorsement from their undergraduate or graduate institution if they are attending a university at the time of application. Yale endorsement is given by the Yale Committee for the Mitchell Scholarships and coordinated by the Office of International Education and Fellowship Programs (IEFP). Following institutional endorsement, candidates apply directly to the US-Ireland Alliance. After reviewing applications, a national selection committee invites selected candidates for semi-final and final interviews in Washington, D.C. Because the Mitchell program has only 20 national finalists for 12 awards, it only interviews candidates who declare their commitment to the Mitchell Scholarship if invited to be a finalist.

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT:
Interested applicants should schedule an appointment with Mark Bauer, Assistant Director for UK and Irish Fellowships, 203-432-8685. No appointments made through email. For a schedule of open hours and appointment times, visit our Staff Schedules.

APPLICATION INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS:
All Applicants seeking Yale endorsement for the Mitchell should follow these steps:

• Refer to the Application Timetable (.doc) for further instructions.
• Download and review the Mitchell application materials from the US-Ireland Alliance web site
• Register for the Mitchell Scholarship on the Yale Student Grants Database; complete this registration by 12:00 Noon, Friday, August 31. Note: Students should register after July 1, 2007.
• Download the following Yale application materials (selected fields on these Word documents can be filled out on your computer, then printed for submission):
• Yale Registration Form (.doc)
• Yale Dean’s Report Form (.doc)
• Yale Referee Cover Sheet (.doc) for your Mitchell recommenders
• Students who are also applying for the Marshall Scholarship should register for the Mitchell, as above, but they should submit their Yale Mitchell registration form and personal statement as part of their Marshall endorsement application by the Marshall campus deadline, as detailed in Applying for Multiple UK Fellowships.
• Submit Yale/IEFP Registration Form by 12:00 Noon, Friday, August 31 . Email submissions welcome: iefp.applications@yale.edu
• By the Campus Deadline, 12:00 Noon, Tuesday, September 4 , assemble and submit 5 packets, each consisting, in this order of:
• One signed copy of your Student Grants Database Mitchell Registration Cover Sheet (on top of original packet only),
• A copy of your Mitchell Personal Statement,
• A detailed resume or list of activities and awards (two pages max),
• An unofficial transcript for all colleges attended

Submit all application materials by the Campus Deadline: Tuesday, September 4 (12:00 Noon):
Yale Committee for the Mitchell Scholarships
c/o Office of International Education and Fellowship Programs
55 Whitney Avenue, Room 309, Box 208351
New Haven, CT 06520-8351

more info click here