Skip to content

Office of Major Fellowships

Working With The Office of Major Fellowships (OMF)

Grant Wilkins sitting in a chair and talking to Robyn Curtis, who is seated at her desk.

Interested in applying for a major scholarship or fellowship, but don’t know where to start?

  1. Reach out early.
    The best time for to start working with the Office of Major Fellowships is in your first year on campus, though support is available at any stage of your undergraduate or graduate degree program, including after you graduate.
  2. Be open to possibilities.
    When you meet with a fellowship advisor, you will discuss what you are studying or researching, and what you want to do next. This helps you identify opportunities, both on and off campus, that can make you more competitive for major fellowships or scholarships when you become eligible to apply.
  3. Think beyond the classroom.
    Many scholarship and fellowship programs are interested in more than academics. They also look for how you are engaged in making your campus and community a better place than you found it.  
  4. Give yourself time to apply for major awards.
    When it is time to apply, it’s best to start early. An application package for a larger fellowship opportunity tends to be a several month process, including gathering letters of support.
  5. Focus on your personal and academic growth, not on awards.
    Major fellowship programs are exceptionally competitive. It’s important to see the application process as an opportunity for personal and professional growth. Whether or not you win an award, you will come away from your experience with invaluable skills you can apply to your future career.

Preparing For Your Appointment

Research Fellowship Options

Explore the major fellowships database to determine which opportunities you are most interested in working towards.

Update Your Resume

Bringing an up-to-date resume to your meeting can help your fellowship advisor determine if your skills and experience match what fellowship opportunity reviewers are looking for in potential recipients.

Meet With the Right Advisor

Make sure before you book your meeting that you are speaking with the advisor who provides advising support for the fellowship opportunity that you are interested in.

Book an Appointment

Come Prepared

Create a list of questions you would like to ask your fellowship advisor before your meeting, so they are better able to assist you.