Mitchell Scholarship

Summary

The Mitchell Scholars Program, named to honor former US Senator George Mitchell's pivotal contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process, is designed to introduce and connect generations of future American leaders to the island of Ireland, while recognizing and fostering intellectual achievement, leadership, and a commitment to public service and community.

Up to twelve Mitchell Scholars between the ages of 18 and 30 are chosen annually for one year of postgraduate study in any discipline offered by institutions of higher learning in Ireland and Northern Ireland. (Note: postgraduate courses in Ireland are taught in the English language.) The Mitchell Scholars Program provides tuition, housing, a living expenses stipend, and an international travel stipend. Applicants are judged on three criteria: scholarship, leadership, and a sustained commitment to community and public service. In addition, applicants should also have a genuine desire to study in Ireland.

Type of funding

Overview: Students interested in the Mitchell Scholarship must seek William & Mary’s nomination. The application for nomination is done through Mitchell’s application portal. The application must be completed online (not submitted) with fellowship advisor read-only access.

Note: It is your responsibility to let your recommendation writers know that they will have to submit their letters twice: first to the Mitchell application Box folder (for the campus review process) by the campus deadline of August 6; and a second time to the Mitchell application portal (the system will generate a letter request when you enter their email into your application account) by the national deadline. * Please tell your letters to wait to submit their letters to Mitchell until you have completed the campus review process.

Application Format: The application (for the campus and national rounds) is completed on Mitchell's online application portal.

Deadlines and Timeline:

• August 6 at 11:59 p.m.: Campus Application Deadline. By the campus deadline the application needs to be complete in Mitchell's online application portal. Letters of recommendation are also due to the Mitchell application Box folder by August 6. Make sure you designate W&M's Fellowship Academic Advisor as your fellowship advisor in the portal. Applicants SHOULD NOT use the submit button to meet the campus deadline. The Fellowship Advisor will be able to view all pending applications in the portal. (Once the "submit" button is selected, the application goes to the Mitchell Scholarship and cannot be returned for edits.)
• Early September: Campus Interviews Take Place
• Late September: Campus finalists will have a short window to edit applications after the campus interviews before submitting their applications in time to meet Mitchell's national deadline.

Endorsements: William & Mary is not limited in the number of applicants it can nominate. However, nominations are only given to students who will be competitive at the national level.
Note: Alumni do not need a campus endorsement for the Mitchell Scholarship.

National Application Process

The national deadline is 5:00 p.m. EST on September 28, 2022. All students must meet the campus deadline in order to be eligible for endorsement by the national deadline. Learn more about the Mitchell Scholarship, including eligibility information, details about the program, and answers to frequently asked questions about the program.

Important Note

Please note: for Mitchell, we are not allowed to offer any help on your essays. However, applicants are allowed to receive strategic feedback from their advisor/mentor on their personal statement draft. Line-by-line editing is not allowed, and each applicant’s personal statement must represent their own work.