The Beinecke Scholarship

UCI (Big 7 Pre-Application) Mandatory Advising Deadline:

October 29, 2019 at 12:00 noon Pacific Time for Fall 2020 fellowship placements

Access the Beinecke Scholarship Pre-Application between September and October annually to begin the mandatory advising process.

Overview

A scholarship given to Junior-level students with a history of receiving need-based financial aid who plan to enter a master’s or doctoral program in the arts, humanities or social sciences. The scholarship program seeks to encourage and enable highly motivated students to pursue opportunities in these fields. The ideal candidate is one for whom receiving the Beinecke would increase the likelihood of their being able to attend graduate school.

Eligibility

Eligibility for 2019-20 Beinecke scholarship advising requires meeting the following criteria:

• Junior class standing during the 2019-20 academic year; students must plan to receive a baccalaureate degree between December 2020 and August 2021
• U.S. citizenship or citizenship in American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
• Demonstration of superior intellectual ability, scholastic achievement and personal promise as an undergraduate
• Intent to enter a master’s or doctoral program in the arts, humanities or social sciences. Note: Students in the social sciences who plan to pursue graduate study in neuroscience should not apply for a Beinecke Scholarship.
• Demonstration of a documented history of receiving need-based financial aid during their undergraduate years

Please note that external scholarship agencies will consider all of your credit-bearing coursework from any college or institution as part of the review process (including CSU, community colleges, private colleges or other UC campuses/Extension programs, and including units earned while in high school). Grades from other colleges will be included in calculation of your overall GPA for eligibility purposes.

SOP Required Advising Process

Campus endorsement (nomination) is a required component of the Beinecke Scholarship application. You may NOT apply directly to the Beinecke Foundation. Working with SOP staff advisors during Fall quarter to produce a competitive fellowship application is mandatory.

In early November, SOP staff review Pre-Applications, determine whether you are eligible for the scholarship(s) you have chosen, and meet with potential applicants to discuss their candidacy and subsequent steps. Eligible candidates will receive an invitation to join our Big 7 Canvas Course, where you will find prompts, deadlines, and detailed instructions for how to prepare the following application first-draft materials:

UCI may nominate one student annually for Beinecke Scholarship consideration. To apply for UCI nomination, submit a complete application package to the SOP office by the UCI deadline. The package must contain:

1. An application form (which can be found here)
2.  Financial Aid Data Sheet (which can be found here), to be completed, signed, and submitted by the student.
3. A current Resume or Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) (read our Curriculum Vitae Handout for information on creating one effectively)
4. a Personal Statement of 1,000 words or less detailing your background, interests, career aspirations, and plans for graduate study – consult Nomination Materials and Forms for content details
5. Three (3) faculty letters of recommendation from faculty (ideally UCI faculty) who can atest to your academic accomplishment and potential for success in advanced graduate study
6. An official transcript from each institution at which you’ve completed undergraduate coursework
7. Only for students planning to pursue an MFA degree in creative writing, studio art, film, music performance, and/or theater and dance: they are encouraged to submit a sample, portfolio, or external evaluation of their work to supplement the standard nomination package.

Recommenders should provide signed letters on letterhead directly to SOP by email at sklrship@uci.edu, campus mail (Zot code 5695), or drop them off in person at our office (193 Science Library, in the Writing Center). Please remind them to include their signatures on their letters. Letters will be due on November 26, 2019 for consideration in the campus endorsement (nomination) process.

In January, SOP will convene a faculty screening panel to select no more than one (1) Beinecke nominee. UCI’s Beinecke faculty screening committee will review all applications. The one nominated student will receive a letter of support from the dean of the Division of Undergraduate Education and a completed Certification of Eligibility Form. SOP staff will mail the endorsed application materials to the Sperry Fund for evaluation and funding consideration.

Winners will be announced May 1st.

*Application materials are available here.*

Selection Procedures

The Foundation will award up to 20 new scholarships from an applicant pool from approximately 135 nominating schools. Most winners are near the top of their class academically and often plan to pursue careers in college teaching and/or research (but not secondary school teaching). The Scholarship Committee looks for individuals with intellectual ability, scholastic achievement, and personal promise, as exhibited during the undergraduate years.

Since 1975 the program has selected more than 640 college juniors from 110 different schools for support during graduate study at any accredited university.

Finances

Each scholar receives $4,000 prior to entering graduate school and an additional $30,000 while attending graduate school. There are no geographic restrictions on the use of the scholarship, and recipients are allowed to supplement the award with other scholarships, assistantships and research grants. The award may be spread over up to 5 years to comply with institutional limits on the total amount of a student’s annual award and scholars must utilize all of the funding within five years of completion of undergraduate studies. In the absence of institutional support or limits, scholars may receive a maximum award of $15,000 annually.

For More Information

Further information and applications are available at the Beinecke website.

For applications and more information, contact the Scholarship Opportunities Program at 824-0189. We are located within the Center for Excellence in Writing & Communication, on the first floor of Science Library (Building 520).

SOP is able to advise competitive undergraduate candidates at UC Irvine only.