Designed to prepare the next generation of global leaders, Schwarzman Scholars is the first scholarship created to respond to the geopolitical landscape of the 21st Century. Whether in politics, business or science, the success of future leaders around the world will depend upon an understanding of China’s role in global trends.
With the inaugural class enrolled in 2016, the program gives the world’s best and brightest students the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and professional networks through a one-year Master’s Degree at Tsinghua University in Beijing – one of China’s most prestigious universities.
Students pursue a Masters in Global Affairs, with concentrations in one of the following disciplines: public policy, economics and business, and international studies. The concentration gives students an opportunity to focus on aspects of global affairs they may not have previously studied.
Students spend a year immersed in an international community of thinkers, innovators and senior leaders in business, politics and society. In an environment of intellectual engagement, professional development and cultural exchange, they learn from one another and pursue their academic disciplines while building their leadership capacities. This experience will expand students’ understanding of the world and create a growing network of global leaders for the future.
For those ready to make their mark on the world, Schwarzman Scholars represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Location:
ChinaBenefits
The students selected to become Schwarzman Scholars will receive a comprehensive scholarship. It will include:
- Tuition Fees
- Room and board
- Travel to and from Beijing at the beginning and end of the academic year
- An in-country study tour
- Required course books and supplies
- Health insurance
- A stipend of $4,000 for personal expenses
Eligibilities
- Undergraduate degree or first degree from an accredited college or university or its equivalent.
Applicants who are currently enrolled in undergraduate degree programs must be on track to successfully complete all degree requirements by August 1, 2019 before orientation begins. There are no requirements for a specific field of undergraduate study; all fields are welcome, but it will be important for applicants, regardless of undergraduate major, to articulate how participating in Schwarzman Scholars will help develop their leadership potential within their field.
- Age Requirement.
Candidates must be at least 18 but not yet 29 years of age as of August 1, 2019.
- English language proficiency.
Applicants must demonstrate strong English skills, as all teaching will be conducted in English. If the applicant’s native language is not English, official English proficiency test scores must be submitted with the application. This requirement is waived for applicants who studied at an undergraduate institution where the primary language of instruction was English for at least two years of the applicant’s academic program. The requirement will also be waived for applicants who have studied in English for two or more years at a Master’s degree level or higher.Acceptable test options are:- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL PBT)
- Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT)
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
Many Chinese applicants to Schwarzman Scholars have had difficulty registering at English language test sites in Mainland China due to high demand. To ensure that talented applicants are not excluded in this first year, we will allow applicants from China to temporarily submit results from CET-6 or TEM-8, using the “additional information” field in the application form. If those candidates are on the shortlist to be invited as a semi-finalist for an interview, they will be required to complete a phone interview before semi-finalist decisions are made. If they are a finalist, their offer of admission will be conditional, and they will still be required to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score above the minimum requirements for Schwarzman Scholars before March 1 of 2019.
This requirement is waived for applicants who graduated from an undergraduate institution where the primary language of instruction was English for at least two years of the applicant’s academic program.
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE NOT PART OF MINIMUM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
- Marital status. Married applicants may apply and will be at no disadvantage in the application process. Spouses/partners may accompany Schwarzman Scholars to Beijing, but Scholars are expected to live in the dormitory and participate fully in the program like single students. Spouses/partners may not live in the dormitory, and no additional funding will be provided to support spouses/partners living off-campus.
- There are no citizenship or nationality requirements.
- Grade point average/class rank/pre-requisites. Academic excellence will be a requirement for successful applicants, but there is no minimum GPA or class rank required to apply. Applicants are expected to have demonstrated excellence in their academic studies, and the most competitive candidates will be among the top students in their graduating class. There are no course prerequisites for applicants to the program, although some individual classes at Tsinghua University may have prerequisites.
Schwarzman Scholars does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, veteran status, or disability unrelated to job or course of study requirements.
Eligible Regions: Open for allApplication Process
Interested candidates will participate in a rigorous and thorough selection process, designed to identify the most promising young leaders from around the world. The process includes an online application and credentials evaluation as well as in-person regional interviews. Those selected will have demonstrated their potential to not only benefit frombut also contribute to the Schwarzman Scholars program.
Required forms and records include:
- A complete and successfully submitted online application, including the requested personal statement(s) and supplementary components below.
- Uploaded transcripts/academic records from every degree-granting college or university attended (undergraduate or graduate – must be combined into one PDF and then uploaded). If transcripts are not in English, official translations must be included.
- Three electronic letters of recommendation. At least one of these letters must come from a recommender who can comment on the specific examples of leadership described in the candidate’s application, but the recommender must at least be able to comment on the candidate’s leadership qualities from direct knowledge of the candidate. Recommendations must be translated to English by a professional translator if written in another language.
- Video: Submission of a video is strongly recommended but not required. The video can be up to one minute in length, and candidates are invited to introduce themselves in any style or setting they think best convey their interests and personality. Note: the file must be less than 20MB in order for you to upload it to the application.
- Current resume/CV: Please submit a resume or c.v. appropriate for any application for employment in your country. This can be no longer than 2 pages.
- Two Essays:
- Essay One: Statement of Purpose and Leadership (750 words). Feel free to write this as one continuous statement or to break it into short sections for each theme. In either case, you must stay within the 750-word limit. Describe your professional interests and goals; how they have evolved over time, and how will the Schwarzman Scholars program and a deeper knowledge of China’s role in the world help advance your goals? Based on your prior professional and personal experiences, how do you think you will contribute to the community of Schwarzman Scholars and to the program’s mission? Include specific situations in your professional, academic, or personal life when you have demonstrated the leadership qualities outlined below. Guidance on describing your leadership qualities and experience in the Statement of Purpose and Leadership: Candidates must describe specific examples of their leadership that (1) explore their intellectual/analytical abilities to understand challenges and opportunities, and envision solutions, (2) take initiative to act, (3) use strong interpersonal skills to inspire a team effort, and (4) push through resistance and/or challenges in reaching results. The applicant’s example(s) of leadership might address some but not all of these characteristics. Examples might include efforts such as founding a student or community organization that successfully addressed a pressing need; taking on a transformative role in an existing organization; founding and running a startup to take advantage of an emerging opportunity. Candidates should NOT let these examples limit their thinking and should draw on their own personal experiences for similar examples of leadership. The key is to help the committee understand the candidate’s leadership characteristics, not just to list titles and accomplishments. Candidates should avoid describing situations that might fall into one of the following categories, all of which are valuable learning and growth experiences, but do not give the committee a deeper understanding of the applicant’s leadership characteristics over extended periods of time: (1) accomplishing a difficult but typical task assigned in the workplace (2) solving brief problems of cultural miscommunication while traveling or studying overseas (3) simply winning office in a student or community organization (It is, however, helpful, to describe the challenges faced and accomplishments achieved in office.) (4) brief situational challenges (focus instead on longer-term projects and challenges.)
- Essay Two: Current Affairs Essay (up to 500 words): Choose an issue in contemporary social, international, business, environmental, diplomatic, arts, or other policy that is of interest to you. This essay should lay out the current factors and trends influencing the topic and make a realistic recommendation of how local, national, or international leaders should intervene to contribute to a more peaceful and prosperous future.
Schwarzman discourages applicants from submitting any supplemental materials that are not required, such as portfolios, writing samples, additional recommendations, etc. Such materials will not be shared with the Review Committee.
Applicants who hold passports from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macao, regardless of where they attended university or reside, will apply between January 1st and May 31st, 2018 through the portal available here. The selection process for Chinese nationals includes an online application and in-person interview at Tsinghua University in Beijing early July 2018. Candidates will be notified as soon as admissions decisions are reached, by October 1st, 2018 at the latest. For cases of Hong Kong permanent resident card holders, they should apply to Schwarzman Scholars via the China Application System. If the applicant were to apply via the U.S./Global system with a Hong Kong permanent resident card, he or she runs the risk of losing the permanent resident card. We are just learning that the Ministry of Education (MOE) is increasingly stringent on dual citizenship/resident cards, so we just want to make sure we’re advising candidates correctly in the ever-evolving MOE regulations.
Application Deadline: September 27, 2018
Application ClosedOfficial link
