Schwarzman Scholars
This scholarship funds a one-year Master's degree in Global Affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Open to students from any major and all courses are taught in English. Seniors, graduate or professional students, and graduates under the age of 28 are eligible to apply. All citizenships are eligible.
Schwarzman Scholars prepares young leaders for a world where China plays a vital role. Scholars will learn from world-class faculty and guest speakers about the emergence of China as an economic and political force through a rigorous and dynamic core curriculum. Candidates are evaluated based on their potential to be future leaders in their chosen field. Schwarzman Scholars endeavors to mix experiential and theoretical knowledge to guide those who aspire to build a more peaceful, prosperous world. The program funds up to 200 students annually (40% U.S., 20% Greater China, and 40% other countries).
Click here to view last year's online Schwarzman Information Session. Enter Access Passcode: Illinois-2022
May 20, 2024
Applicants who hold passports from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao must officially apply online through the China application system prior to May 20, 2023. Finalists will be invited to interview at Tsinghua University in Beijing in early July. Schwarzman Scholars does not formally require a university endorsement process. Thus, Chinese applicants may choose to independently submit application materials to the Schwarzman. However, if you are interested in obtaining feedback on your application, please provide the National and International Scholarships Program with your application components and current résumé for our review. In any case, the National and International Scholarships Program would appreciate a copy of all materials prior to your final submission. We also will provide additional information and coordinate mock interviews for those students called to an interview.
Unlike other prestigious scholarship schemas, Schwarzman Scholars does not formally require a university endorsement process. An applicant may choose to independently submit application materials to Schwarzman Scholars. However, if you are interested in obtaining feedback on your Schwarzman Scholars application from a campus committee, then you need to submit materials by this deadline. University faculty and staff who are familiar with Schwarzman Scholars will review materials received by this date. If materials are submitted late, only the National and International Scholarships program will be able to provide feedback.
Required information includes:
- A signed Scholarship Waiver (either scanned or in hardcopy).
- Three letters of recommendation addressing specifically your qualifications as a Schwarzman Scholar. Two letters should be from academics (generally) or professionals in your field. The third letter should focus on leadership and ideally also be aware of the leadership example you used for your essay. Please see Schwarzman criteria for more specific guidelines. For the August deadline, do not register your letter writers online until after you receive your optional review from the National and International Scholarships Program. Instead, have the letters sent directly to the National and International Scholarships Program as attachments at topscholars@illinois.edu. Letters should be written to the attention of the "Schwarzman Scholars Selection Committee."
- A complete Schwarzman Scholars application (copy and paste your answers into a Word document if you are unable to create a PDF).
- A current résumé, 2-page maximum
- Optional 1-minute video introducing yourself.
All candidates need to upload and submit required documents (with any revisions) to the online Schwarzman application site, including official transcripts from all colleges. You will also be asked to register your letter of recommendation writers on your online application. The letters of recommendation should be specifically tailored toward your application as a Schwarzman Scholar and must be received online by this date as well. The National and International Scholarships Program would appreciate a copy of all materials (including letters) prior to submission.
Short-listed candidates will be called for a regional interview in late-October/November. The final selections will be announced shortly after the interviews. The National and International Scholarships Program will coordinate mock interviews for those students called to an interview.
Visit our Canvas page for additional tips and samples of winning applications.
Prior Mandarin language or in-country experience in China neither helps nor hinders an application.
For official information on Schwarzman Scholars (which supersedes any information provided here) and access to the online application, please visit their website.