Postgraduate
awards include opportunities to
fund graduate study, as well as
opportunities to spend a year or
two doing something worthwhile
before heading to graduate
school. Some awards are to be
applied for in senior year,
while others are for sophomores
and juniors.
Muhlenberg students and recent
graduates have applied for and
received such prestigious awards
as the Fulbright, Truman,
Rotary, National Science
Foundation and more. Additional
information on the awards and
award winners can be found on
Muhlenberg’s website at
http://www.muhlenberg.edu/mgt/provost/academic/award.html,
or through the link on the
Career Center website.
Postgraduate awards offer an
excellent way to seek funding to
meet your goals, but they aren’t
for everyone. Awards seek to
find the most scholarly – or as
Dean Shiner Wilson has said,
those with a passion for
learning and a restless
curiosity. Unfortunately,
students who might be highly
qualified often overlook these
opportunities.
The following are a few quick
tips if you are considering
applying:
Look online at the
website noted above to
find details on several
national and international
awards.
Talk through your ideas with
an advisor or faculty member
who knows you well. Ask
her/him to challenge you.
You need to dig deeper than
you may be used to. Think
of the old adage about
peeling an onion – the
focused ideas are a few
layers deeper than you might
initially be thinking. You
need to demonstrate that
focus and speak about your
intended area of study as if
you are already a graduate
student in that field.
Plan ahead. Know your
deadlines. Ask well ahead
of time for recommendations
you may need. Plan to
revise your personal
statement or essay several
times before it is
finalized.
GO FOR IT! We hear from
alumni that the process
alone made it worthwhile,
regardless of whether or not
they received awards. The
self-reflection and
discipline required for the
application process provide
excellent preparation for
whatever may lie ahead for
you.
2400
Chew St.