Beinecke Campus Application Instructions

Campus Deadline: 28 February 2025

Overview

The Beinecke Scholarship is open to US citizens who aspire to earn a research based or creative focused master’s or doctoral degree in the arts, humanities or social sciences (excluding professional degrees in law, business, medicine). The Scholarship will provide 2 years of funding towards that degree anywhere world-wide. Your undergraduate studies does not have to be in the arts, humanities or social sciences, however.

In addition to funding, Scholars receive considerable mentorship. Funding may be augmented by other scholarships/fellowships and some graduate institutions may even match the Beinecke funding.

Please note: To be eligible for the Beinecke Scholarship you must have a history of need based financial aid of any amount. You may contact the Financial Aid Office to ascertain if you are qualified.

For more information visit the Beinecke Scholarship website. Lafayette’s most recent Beinecke Scholar is currently completing his doctoral studies in economics at Oxford University.

Submit the following materials electronically as WORD attachments using the “Submit Materials” tab on our website:The signed/dated Nomination & Permission Waiver form

  1. Application Statement (1,000 words or less) describing your background, interests, plans for graduate study, and career aspirations. The statement should include a discussion of some experiences and ideas that have shaped those interests, plans, and aspirations. (Please send Personal Statement as a WORD document.) When describing your plans for graduate school, it is advisable to identify one or two programs that you would love to attend. You may attend graduate school anywhere in the U.S. or abroad. So dream big! Cambridge, Oxford, the Sorbonne, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia…anywhere! When writing the Statement please pay attention to the following advice from the official Beinecke Scholarship selection committee:  Clarity above all else! Personality is a bonus
      • As a rough guide, ˜75% research statement and ˜25% personal statement
      • Applicants should use the statement to articulate and help the selection committee understand:
        • the research/creative questions that interest them,
        • the origins of their interest in those questions,
        • the work they have done to deepen their engagement with those questions,
        • the larger stakes of those questions for their field and long-term goals (i.e., answer the “so what?” question), and
        • their long-term professional goals (connect the dots between graduate school and future career: why pursue graduate study, and why pursue X graduate study at Y university?)
  2. A detailed, fulsome Résumé or Curriculum Vitae (the document may be longer than one page). The résumé/CV should include any foreign language skills and level of proficiency acquired. The CV should adhere to the following guidelines: 
      • Clarity above all else!
        • Please, no fancy designs, colors, or graphics—make it readable, use the same font as the essay, use a reasonable font size (minimum 11 point).
        • An ugly, poorly formatted CV document makes the selection committee very unhappy.
      • More than 1 page!
        • As an applicant you are very accomplished (or should be), and the selection committee wants to see EVERYTHING you have done during your time in college (including jobs of all sorts); do not reach back to high school unless what you include extended into college (e.g., a research project begun in high school, internships or employment begun in h.s., etc.)
      • Don’t pad it!
        • Be honest. For example, a final paper for a class is not really considered an “independent research project”. The final paper may be major and independent in a sense and can be listed as such, but not as an “independent research project” for the Beinecke CV
  3. Optional: Other Material that you consider directly relevant to your application such as art portfolios, musical compositions, etc.
  4. The completed Beinecke Application Form (this is a writable PDF). Please note:
      • Undergraduate major(s)/minor(s): Is there a clear connection between undergraduate field(s) of study and anticipated field of graduate study? If not, make sure that connection is explained in the Application Essay AND letters of recommendation.
      • GPA: Major GPA is more important than cumulative; a major GPA below 3.7 will likely raise red flags and will need to be explained in the application essay, letters of recommendation and endorsement letter
      • Anticipated highest graduate degree: This will almost always be PhD, MFA, MM, DM, or another terminal degree in a creative field; anything else (e.g., MPP, MA, MPhil) will likely raise red flags
      • Graduate programs of interest: These are VERY important! Applicants should only list the terminal degree programs (i.e., if they think they want an MA before the PhD, they should just list the PhD programs on the application form!)
  5. The names of 3 faculty members who have agreed to write you strong Letters of Recommendation (LORs). Each LOR must provide a strong and detailed assessment of your “intellectual curiosity, character and potential for advanced graduate study.”

Recommenders should submit their LORs as email attachments to  externalscholarships@lafayette.edu or Dean Goldberg. These letters must be signed and on letterhead. They should be addressed to the Beinecke Scholarship Selection Committee.

Important: The Beinecke Foundation expects fulsome, detailed letters of approximately 1 1/2 to 2 pages in length. As such, make sure you speak with your recommenders about your graduate study aspirations and vision for your future. Additionally, you need to ask if they can and will write you a STRONG letter addressing your potential for advanced graduate study.

Please have your recommenders contact Dean Goldberg if they have any questions/concerns regarding the letter of recommendation or the campus selection process.

Questions: Contact Dean Goldberg