Sophomores only
The Thomas R. Pickering Undergraduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program honors a distinguished American diplomat who held the rank of Career Ambassador, the highest rank in the U.S. Foreign Service. The Pickering Fellowships are funded by the U.S. State Department and administered by the Woodrow Wilson Foundation. The Pickering Undergraduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship seeks to recruit talented students in academic programs relevant to international affairs, political and economic analysis, administration, management, and science policy. The goal is to attract outstanding students from all ethnic, racial, and social backgrounds, who have an interest in pursuing a Foreign Service career in the U.S. Department of State. The Program develops a source of trained men and women from academic disciplines representing the skill needs of the Department, who are dedicated to representing America's interests abroad.
The fellowships are open to students who are in their sophomore year of undergraduate studies and are United States citizens at the time of application.
The fellowship award includes tuition, room, board, and mandatory fees during the junior and senior years of college and during the first year of graduate study, with reimbursement for books and a travel stipend. The Fellow must commit to pursuing a graduate degree in international studies at one of the graduate schools identified by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. Participating graduate schools provide financial support in the second year of graduate study, based on need. Pickering Fellows meet annually in Washington, DC for a program orientation.
To be eligible for the Pickering Fellowships, applicants must be U.S. citizens. Women, members of minority groups historically under-represented in the Foreign Service, and students with financial need are encouraged to apply. Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale at the time of application, and they must maintain that average throughout participation in the program.
A completed application for the Thomas R. Pickering Undergraduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship includes both an online application form, which requires secure registration at the Woodrow Wilson Foundation Web site, and a series of hard-copy supporting documents, as follows:
- Certification of U.S. citizenship: copy of U.S. passport, birth certificate, or U.S. citizen naturalization papers
- Copy of SAT scores
- Two letters of recommendation
- Official academic transcripts from every undergraduate school attended
- In addition, all applicants who receive(d) financial aid must also provide a copy of their most recent financial aid letter that lists grants or loans. They must also provide a copy of the Student Aid Report (SAR), which indicates the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) number. The SAR is generated from the submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.
Registration for the online application becomes available in the Fall semester, and the application deadline is February 1.
To be competitive, students should contact the BC Campus Coordinator for the Pickering Fellowship in September, to begin preparing their applications.
If you would like additional information about the scholarship and the application process before talking with the Campus Coordinator, consult the Thomas Pickering Undergraduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship web site.