About:
Having an existence of over 100 years, the Rhodes scholarship is given to students across 22 designated constituencies out of which India is a prominent name. The Rhodes Scholarship India is applicable for students having Indian citizenship or a valid Indian passport. The students who have a PIO or OCI card are not eligible to apply for the scholarship.
Scholarship Requirements:
These qualities, the key eligibility criterion for the scholarship include –
- The students must have taken their formal education at an Indian institution for a minimum of 4 years of the last 10 years.
- The students who have either completed class 12 exam or have received/pursuing the final year of an undergraduate degree can also apply for the scholarship.
- The age of the applicant should be above 19 years and below 25 years as on 1 October 2020 (for academic the Rhodes Scholarship 2020). This means, the students born between 30 September 1994 and on or before 1 October 2000 are eligible to apply for the Rhodes scholarship 2019.
- The applicants must have completed (or will complete by June/July 2020) their undergraduate degree with a First class or equivalent.
- The students must also intend to enroll in a full-time postgraduate programme at the University of Oxford.
Courses Applicable for the Rhodes Scholarship
Find below the details of degree courses or degree combinations which are permissible for students to obtain the Rhodes scholarship –
- A BA programme with senior status, i.e., done over two years
- A one-year taught Master’s course like BCL, MSt or MSc which is followed by another one-year taught Master’s course in the second year
- A one-year taught Master’s course like BCL, MSt or MSc which may progress to D.Phil. In this combination, the students can apply for the scholarship for the third year. (Note: This movement is not applicable for students in Physical & Life Sciences and Maths division).
- A two-year BPhil or MPhil or BCL programme that progresses to DPhil. In this scenario too, the students can apply for the third year of the scholarship.
- A two-year MLitt or MSc by research. (Note: No scholarship will be given for the third year in this scenario).
- A three-year DPhil programme.
How To Apply:
Step 1: Fulfilling the Rhodes Eligibility
Prior to starting the application process, the students need to make sure that they fulfill the specified eligibility criteria.
Step 2: Selecting an Oxford Course
Once an applicant fulfills all the eligibility conditions for the scholarship, he/she can move further to the second step. It involves them to select a suitable postgraduate degree course or degree combinations for which the scholarship is applicable.
Step 3: Prepare the Personal Statement
The scholarship application involves the students to prepare a personal statement of not more than 1,000 words that highlight their story.
Step 4: Prepare the List of Referees
The students are also required to provide a list of six referees who can submit reference letters on their behalf at the time of application. Prepare the list of referees in advance and take their permission beforehand to avoid any chaos while applying.
Step 5: Gather All Relevant Documents
The applicants are required to ascertain that they have all the relevant documents with them in order to complete their online application.
Step 6: Start the Application
- Visit the official website of the Rhodes Trust.
- Select the country.
- Click on “Application for Rhodes Scholarships 2020”.
- Click on “Register” button to start.
- Once registered, log in to your account to complete the application.
- Provide all the necessary details and upload all supporting documents.
- Submit the online application form.
Step 7: Prepare for the Final Interview
In case the student is long listed, the students have to appear for a personal interview at regional centres in Delhi or Bangalore (Note: For students residing outside of India, the interview shall be conducted over the telephone or through video conference). Also, the shortlisted candidates have to appear for an interview to be conducted in Delhi in the month of November on the basis of which they will get the scholarship.