The MSU Office of Prestigious External Scholarships serves all undergraduates seeking opportunities for scholarships, fellowships and other awards that provide incredible leadership, research, and graduate study abroad experiences. The application process for these awards should begin in a student's sophomore or junior year.
Prestigious fellowships include the Rhodes, Marshall and Gates-Cambridge. In addition to recognizing the most promising future leaders and scholars, these scholarships provide unparalleled opportunities to earn a graduate degree by studying abroad at any UK university.
Other prestigious fellowships include the Truman, Goldwater and Udall. The office regularly advises students who compete for other awards and scholarships such as the Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP), which places students from traditionally under-represented communities in an intensive summer research experience at another major university in the U.S.
Mississippi State has a rich history of success in promoting its best students for external scholarships. The university has been recognized by the Washington, D.C.-based Truman Scholarship Foundation for "sustained success" in helping students both to win the $30,000 competitive awards and to prepare for public service careers. And most recently, the Goldwater Foundation, which recognizes the most promising undergraduate researchers across the nation in science, math or engineering, awarded the Goldwater Scholarship to a Mississippi State student in 2013.
Applying for these competitive national awards can be daunting. The process for many students, however, is an important step in the challenging task of applying to the nation's most competitive graduate schools.
If you are interested in these opportunities, please schedule an appointment with Dr. Thomas Anderson, associate professor of English, and director of the Office of Prestigious External Scholarships. Call 662-325-2522 or email Tammy Smith at TSmith@honors.msstate.edu.