The George J. Mitchell Scholarship is a nationally competitive award sponsored by the US-Ireland Alliance. Named in honor of the former U.S. Senator's pivotal contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process, the Mitchell is designed to introduce and connect upcoming generations of future American leaders to the island of Ireland, while recognizing and fostering scholarship, leadership, and a commitment to community and public service. The Mitchell Scholarship Program funds scholars for one year. Scholars are normally enrolled in a one-year master's degree or similar program at an institution of higher learning in Ireland.
Eligibility
All applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Be 18 years of age but not yet 30 on Sept 27 of the year of the application
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university before beginning study as a Mitchell Scholar. (Degrees from international accredited universities are acceptable, if all other conditions are met).
- While married applicants or applicants with partners are accepted, no allowance is made for the expenses of an applicant’s spouse, partner, or dependents.
Selection Criteria
Successful applicants have documented evidence of superb achievement in:
- Academics: applicants should exhibit sound scholarly excellence and strong preparation for the proposed field of graduate study
- Leadership
- Commitment to community and public service
Application Process
- Visit the Mitchell Scholarship website to review criteria and eligibility requirements. Begin the online application (can be saved and completed in multiple sittings).
- Email cua-fellowships@cua.edu once you have looked over the Mitchell Scholarship website.
- Complete entire application for endorsement by 27 July (CUA only; DO NOT submit to Mitchell).
- Receive endorsement from faculty through the on-campus interview process.
- Submit the application to Mitchell by the application deadline, which is 5:00pm EST 27 Sept.
What to Expect
- Applicants should expect to work with the Fellowships Adviser to revise their application components several times. However, the Mitchell strictly prohibits the applicant from seeking help or accepting edits/feedback on their personal statements. Additionally, a recorded video interview is part of the Mitchell application process. A steady internet connection, quiet location, and functioning web camera and microphone will be needed.
- After submitting their application online by the campus deadline, each applicant will have a campus interview. Graduate students and alumni do not need a campus endorsement.
- Following this interview, an endorsement letter from the campus committee will be uploaded by the Fellowships Adviser and the student will then submit the completed application to Mitchell.
- All application materials will then be reviewed by the Mitchell.
- Semi-finalists will be required to submit hard-copy official transcripts in sealed envelopes by post to the Mitchell Scholarship program.