Here is how to apply for the Gate Cambridge International Scholarship at The University of Cambridge 2022 if you are dreaming to travel abroad to study at any university in the United Kingdom.
The Gates Cambridge Scholarships are one of the most prestigious international scholarships in the world. Scholarships are awarded to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge
Who can Apply for Gate Cambridge International Scholarship
You can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship if you are:
- a citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom
- applying to pursue one of the following full-time residential courses of study at the University of Cambridge:
- PhD
- MSc/MLitt
- One year postgraduate course (with some exceptions – see below)
Current student at Cambridge?
If you are currently studying at Cambridge and wish to apply for a new postgraduate course you can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship. For example, if you are currently studying for an MPhil you can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue a Ph.D.
Current Gates Cambridge Scholars may also apply for a second scholarship if they are applying for a new degree. All current Cambridge students will be considered in round two. However, if you have already started a course you cannot apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to fund the remainder of it.
RELATED: Clarendon Scholarships at the University of Oxford in UK 2022
General funding at Cambridge
Whether or not you are eligible for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship you may be eligible for other funding offered by the University of Cambridge. See www.student-funding.cam.ac.uk for more details.
Gates Scholarship Amount and Value
Gates Cambridge Scholarship for International Students will Cover the Full cost of studying at Cambridge. It also provides additional, discretionary funding. It covers the following costs:
- University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate
- A Maintenance Allowance for a Single Student (£17,500 for 12 months at the 2020-21 rate; pro rata for courses shorter than 12 months) – for Ph.D. scholars the award is for up to 4 years
- One Economy Round Airfare Ticket at both the beginning and end of the Course.
- Inbound Visa Costs & the Cost of the Immigration Health Surcharge
- Academic Development Funding: From up to £500 to up to £2,000, dependent on the length of your course, to attend conferences and courses.
- Family Allowance: Up to £10,120 for a first child and up to £4,320 for a second child (2020-21 rate). No funding is provided for a partner.
- Fieldwork: You may apply to keep up to your normal maintenance allowance while on fieldwork as part of your Ph.D. (the Trust does not fund other fieldwork costs as these should be funded by the University Composition Fee).
- Maternity/Paternity Funding: Should you require it, you may apply to intermit your studies for up to 6 months and continue to receive your maintenance allowance during this time
- Hardship Funding: For unforeseen difficulties.
Courses that are NOT eligible for Gates Cambridge Scholarships:
- Any Undergraduate degree such as BA (undergraduate) or BA affiliated (a second BA)
- Business Doctorate (BusD)
- Master of Business (MBA)
- Master of Finance (MFin)
- PGCE
- MBBChir Clinical Studies
- MD Doctor of Medicine degree (6 years, part-time)
- Graduate Course in Medicine (A101)
- Part-time degrees
- Non-degree courses
What we are looking for Gate Cambridge International Scholarships
Our Scholars come from diverse backgrounds and each brings something unique to the programme. We use four criteria to select them.
Academic excellence
To be competitive for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship candidates must show evidence of academic excellence (through their transcripts, references, experience, and the potential to succeed on the chosen course). Academic departments at the University of Cambridge nominate only the most academically outstanding applicants for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, which ensures that those whom we select will thrive at Cambridge.
Reasons for choice of course
You should be able to make a strong case for a particular postgraduate degree at Cambridge. Ph.D. applicants (and most research MPhil applicants) will need to make contact with a potential supervisor with whom they will develop a research project, a summary of which is part of the application. You will need to demonstrate that you have the academic background and the necessary skills and expertise to complete the course.
Taught MPhil and other applicants need to make a strong case for how completing the proposed course will facilitate their career plans. Gates Cambridge seeks Scholars who will have an academically transformative experience at Cambridge, so it is important that you fully research and justify the course for which you are applying.
A commitment to improving the lives of others
A defining characteristic of the Gates Cambridge programme is the commitment of our Scholars to improving the lives of others. We interpret this criterion broadly and applicants define it themselves by providing evidence of their past, current, and future commitment to the societies in which they will live and work.
A capacity for leadership
Successful applicants must be able to demonstrate a capacity for leadership, which can be expressed in a multitude of ways. Applicants should provide evidence of their leadership experience to date and indicate the ways in which their leadership skills may have an impact on their future careers.
A note on the ratio of PhD: Masters awards
In order to create and sustain a viable Scholar community in Cambridge University and for Scholars to take full advantage of their time in Cambridge, we aim to select approximately 2/3 Ph.D. scholars each year. Those applying for taught Masters should pay special attention to explaining why this is the optimal course for them and how it is critical to their future academic or professional training plans.
Gates Cambridge manages two selection rounds each year; full details are below.
If after reading the details below you are not sure in which round you should apply please email info@gatescambridge.org with details.
Whether or not you are eligible for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship you may be eligible for other funding offered by the University of Cambridge. See www.student-funding.cam.ac.uk for more details.
US Citizens Resident in the USA
This is the earlier round for applicants who are both US citizens and residents in the United States; it is specific to Gates Cambridge. Students meeting these criteria must apply by 14 October and submit all their documents by this date (including references), they are not eligible for the later round.
| What stage? | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications open | September 2022 |
| Application deadline | TBC |
| Departmental ranking | TBC |
| All applicants notified of application outcome | TBC |
| On-line review and selection by panels | TBC |
| Scholarships offered | Late January 2023 |
| Scholarships accepted | 72 hours after the offer |
All Other Gates Cambridge Scholarship Eligible Applicants
The large majority of applicants will apply in this round, which is also aligned with the University’s postgraduate funding competition. There are two possible application deadlines and these are based on the course to which you are applying.
| What stage? | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications open | September 2022 |
| Application deadline | Dependent on your course – either early December 2022or early January 2023 |
| Departmental ranking | December – February |
| All applicants notified of application outcome | February 2022 |
| On-line review and selection by panels | February and March 2023 |
| Scholarships offered | Late March |
| Scholarships accepted | 72 hours after the offer |
The Gate Cambridge International Scholarship Application Process
Watch the University’s short overview film about applying for postgraduate admission and funding and then read below about specific requirements for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
A Combined Gates Cambridge Scholarships Application Form
Applicants submit their application for admission and funding (Gates Cambridge and other funding) via the University’s Graduate Application Portal.
To be considered for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship you must complete the section to apply for admission to a course and a College place and the Gates Cambridge part of the funding section. Gates Cambridge has access to the full application for admission and funding when reviewing applications.
The admission section
In this section you are applying to a specific graduate course and a College place. You will provide all of the usual details about yourself, your academic background, plans and suitability for the proposed course.
The funding section
In this section you can apply for a range of funding offered by the University and associated bodies, including the Gates Cambridge Scholarships, which has it’s own sub-section. When applying for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship you will be asked to provide the following:
Statement
In the application form we ask:
In no more than 3000 characters (approximately 500 words) please explain why you are applying for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship and how you meet the four main criteria. Full details about how to apply, including selection criteria and guidance on completing this statement, can be found at: www.gatescambridge.org
The statement is used by the Gates Cambridge shortlisting committees to distinguish between candidates who have been highly ranked by departments on academic grounds. It helps our committees identify those candidates who, as well as being academically outstanding, possess a capacity for leadership and commitment to improving the lives of others. This is the only part of the application form where applicants are specifically asked about their fit with the Gates Cambridge programme and you should use your background, achievements, experiences and future aims to show how you would be a good fit with the Gates Cambridge programme.
Research Proposal (PhD Applicants Only)
Gates Cambridge requires Ph.D. applicants only to submit a research proposal as part of their application for funding. Most PhD applicants will upload a research proposal as part of their application for admission, but where this is not the case a research proposal is required to apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship. If you are applying for a degree other than the PhD you do not need to submit a research proposal as part of your materials of the Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
Gates Cambridge reference
In addition to two academic references for admission, Gates Cambridge applicants submit a reference about their fit with the scholarship.
In the application form we ask:
Please give your assessment of the applicant’s suitability for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship. These are awarded on the following criteria: intellectual ability, justification for the choice of course, a commitment to improving the lives of others, and leadership capacity.
We also ask:
- How highly would you rank the applicant for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship?
- On what overall group are you basing this ranking?
- What is the size of this group?
The Gates Cambridge Reference is used in the same way as the Gates Cambridge Statement – to reduce a large number of well-qualified applicants to those who match the Gates Cambridge criteria.
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Referees are also asked how they rate the applicant for the scholarship: exceptional, strong, not strong, weak. They may paste/type up to 4,000 characters into the online reference or upload a separate letter.
NOTE: That the applications for Gate Cambridge International Scholarship at The University of Cambridge 2022-23 entries are now closed. Academic Year 2022 – 23 will open in September 2022.
