An exceptional number of students from the University of King’s College have become Rhodes Scholars. In light of this auspicious history, King’s encourages its most academically talented and well-rounded final-year students to consider the possibilities afforded by the Rhodes Scholarship (Oxford), as well as the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, and the McCall MacBain Scholarship (McGill).
Information Session for Rhodes and McCall MacBain Scholarships on Aug. 22
The Rhodes Scholarship is open to undergraduate and graduate students in all faculties. The scholarship covers all university and college fees, a personal stipend, living/accommodation expenses, and two economy class flights (one at the start of the scholarship and one at the end of the scholarship) to study at the University of Oxford.
Up to 11 Rhodes Scholarships are awarded annually in Canada, including two in the Maritime Region (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island). A Rhodes Scholarship is tenable at the University of Oxford. Election to the scholarship is normally for two years but the scholarship may be held for one year only, depending on the degree program pursued by the scholar. A scholarship may be renewed, at the complete discretion of the Trustees, for a third and final year for those who were initially admitted to Oxford to pursue a doctoral degree. Scholars may follow their own course of study.
The Rhodes Trust focuses on four criteria which are used in the selection of Scholars:
Note: Please review the criteria on the Which Scholarship page to ensure you are applying for the most appropriate Rhodes Scholarship.
Always defer to information provided by the official Rhodes website.
The application process for candidates has two parts: an internal screening process to secure the President’s recommendation and an external application submitted to The Rhodes Trust online portal by the student. See detailed steps below.
Insofar as King’s students are Dalhousie students, King’s students may opt to apply to the Rhodes Scholarship through Dalhousie’s internal selection process; however, students must choose one institution or the other through which to begin the application process, not both.
Candidates are to email the following documents, in English, (preferably in one PDF document) to susan.macdonald@ukings.ca:
Please see The Rhodes Scholarship for Canada Information for Candidates document (available here) for full details on the curriculum vitae, the personal statement and the academic statement.
Applications will be assessed through an internal process at King’s. Shortlisted candidates will be offered interviews at King’s, and on the basis of their application and interview, one or two students may secure the recommendation of the President to go on to the regional competition.
For more information, please see the official Rhodes Trust page.
A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at the University of Cambridge. It also provides additional, discretionary funding. Each year Gates Cambridge offers ca. 80 full-cost scholarships to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. Approximately two-thirds of these awards will be offered to PhD students, with approximately 25 awards available in the US round, and 55 available in the international round.
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is awarded on the basis of four criteria:
You can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship if you are:
Although this award is similar in structure to the Rhodes, students apply directly to this award by December or January, depending on the course of study.
For more information, visit the Gates Cambridge Website.
The McCall MacBain Scholarship covers the recipient’s tuition and fees for an eligible master’s or second-entry professional undergraduate program at McGill and provide them with a living stipend of $2,000 per month during academic terms. In addition to the high-value awards tenable at McGill, the program offers smaller awards that can be held at any public university in Canada. The McCall MacBain Scholars program is not just financial support; rather it offers a cohort-based experience of retreats, workshops, and other programming.
The McCall MacBain Scholarship is awarded on the basis of five criteria:
Interested students apply directly to the scholarship. For more information, visit the McCall MacBain Website. Applications will open in 2024 for September 2025 admission.