Scholarships and fellowships
I was named a Barry M. Goldwater Scholar for 2015-2016 and a George J. Mitchell Scholar for 2017, and at Duke I chaired the Graduate/Professional Young Trustee nominating committee from 2021 to 2022.
Nearly every applicant to these awards has accomplishments, so listing yours does little. The essay has to say what you intend to do with your life and why this award fits that plan. My Mitchell statement followed one idea, migration, from a DNA test in its first sentence to a return to Dublin in its last.
I review personal statements, research essays, and statements of leadership and service, for undergraduate awards such as Goldwater, postgraduate awards such as Mitchell, and merit scholarships.
Some programs limit outside help or require you to work through a campus fellowships office, so check the rules before booking. I cannot promise a result. These awards turn away many excellent applicants.
Selected/Applicants
George J. Mitchell Scholarship, 2017
Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, 2015-2016
Each dot is one applicant or nominee. Figures from the Scranton Journal and Scranton News.