Scholarship Advising

Getting Started

The Scholarship Opportunities Program (SOP) advises top-performing undergraduates in applying for 20 nationally and internationally prestigious, merit-based scholarships and fellowships for study, research, and teaching, here in the U.S. and abroad. SOP advising is individualized, students are paired with a Professional Advisor that will work closely with you on your scholarship application, helping you every step of the way to make sure you put your best foot forward.

To receive SOP services, UCI students must complete the following steps:

Step 1: Take the 2-min. Virtual Advisor Quiz.

Quickly find out which of our 21 scholarships you are eligible for! You can retake the survey indefinitely to see different results or download and save them.

Take the Quiz

Step 2: Meet with a Student Advisor.

Schedule a 20 to 30-min. advising appointment with a Student Advisor to go over your results from the Virtual Advisor Quiz and narrow down the scholarships you are interested in based on your academic and professional goals. After expressing interest in receiving SOP scholarship advising for specific awards, the Student Advisor will give you access to the SOPre-Application.

Schedule Appointment

Step 3: Submit your SOPre-Application.

The SOPre-Application is a short questionnaire that gives us all the information we need to tailor a personalized advising experience for you, taking your experiences, plans, goals, and interests into account. The application is administered through SOP’s Champion Management System and is only viewable by SOP. If you have any questions about the SOPre-Application, please contact us at scholars@uci.edu.

Submit your SOPre-Application by your scholarship’s SOPre-Application deadline listed below.

Step 4: Meet with your assigned Professional Advisor.

Complete the first 3 steps above to be assigned a Professional Advisor. Your Professional Advisor is your go-to person for every aspect of your scholarship application, assisting you with essay drafts and application components while advising you on strategies and next steps.

SOPre-Application Deadlines

The SOPre-Application deadlines vary, based on external scholarship deadlines, and help ensure that you have the most time to draft scholarship materials, secure letters of recommendation or affiliation, and receive institutional endorsement.

Trailblazer’s 12 Deadlines

SOPre-Application Due:	Trailblazer's 12 Awards
October 13, 2026	- Beinecke Scholarship
January 27, 2026	- Schwarzman Scholars (China, Hong Kong, Macau, & Taiwan Passport holders ONLY)
February 2, 2026	- Schwarzman Scholars - British Marshall Scholarship (UK) - Rhodes Scholarship (UK)
March 2, 2026	- Fulbright U.S. Student Program (140+ countries) - Knight-Hennessy Scholars - Gates Cambridge Scholarship (UK) - National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program - Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans - Churchill Scholarship (UK)
April 27, 2026	- California Capital Fellows - Carnegie Endowment Junior Fellows Research Internship

Explorer’s 8 Deadlines

SOPre-Application Due:	Explorer's 8 Awards
April 27, 2026	- Donald A. Strauss Scholarship - Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship - NOAA Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship - Department of Defense SMART Scholarship-for-Service - Killam Fellowships (Canada) - Harry S. Truman Scholarship*
October 13, 2026	- NIH Undergraduate Scholarship - Morris K. Udall Undergraduate Scholarship

Personal Discovery

The Scholarship Opportunities Program advocates for a process of personal discovery. By seeking advising through our office, we hope that you will grow and learn from the experience, not only about technical skills like writing admissions essays or preparing a CV, but also about yourself, your goals, and your future. Take a look at the diagram below for an overview of SOP services and our advising cycle: