About
The CISP Scholarship is designed to cover most of the costs of a wide variety of off-campus summer and Maymester programs for cadets and non-cadets. The Star of the West International Summer Study Scholarship is intended to encourage study and research abroad among full-time cadets intending to apply for highly competitive graduate schools and fellowships, including:
- The Rhodes Scholarship
- The Marshall Scholarship
- The Truman Scholarship
Proposals for independent study or research must be approved by a department and carry a 3- hour course equivalent for credit.
The CISP scholarship and Star of the West international summer scholarship include grants of up to $5,000. Depending on the availability of funding, proposed program budget, and other factors, award amounts in a given year may be lower. The application consists of one letter of recommendation, one written statement, and a budget.
Letter of Recommendation
A faculty member may not write letters of recommendation proposing a program led by that faculty member. A faculty member acting as the supervisor for an independent research study may write a letter of recommendation for the applicant they will be supervising.
Budget
Budgets should specify all projected costs for a proposed program, including:
- International and local travel (plane tickets and taxis)
- Tuition
- Meals
- Lodging
Essays
Statement (2 pages):
You should seek to accomplish two objectives with this 2-page statement:
1) Give the reviewers a picture of you as an individual. It is an opportunity to tell the committee more about the trajectory that you have followed and what plans you have for the future. You might discuss your personal history, family background, intellectual development, and the educational, professional, or cultural opportunities to which you have or have not been exposed; explain their impact.
2) Outline the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of what you are proposing for your Star of the West experience. If you are pursuing a research project, developing a strong, feasible and compelling project is the most important aspect of a successful application. The first step is to familiarize yourself with your host country and institution in order to convincingly explain why that country and institution are ideal for your proposed program.
Whether you are applying for a research project or a study program, the proposal should indicate a clear commitment to the host country community and a description of how you will engage with it.
The Statement of Purpose must also explain how your Star of the West-funded program would enhance your competitiveness and preparedness for competitive graduate programs and/or fellowships.
The statement can deal with your personal history, family background, intellectual development, and the educational, professional, or cultural opportunities to which you have or have not been exposed; explain their impact. This should not be a reiteration of facts already listed in the Statement of Grant Purpose.
Students must be cadets and have a GPA of 3.5 or higher to be eligible to apply for the Star of the West. Students with GPAs lower than 3.5, non-cadets, or students without plans to apply for graduate schools or fellowships may be eligible to apply for the CISP scholarship. Both applications can be accessed in the Campus Community platform; look for the “Summer Study Abroad Application” item on the programs listing here.
Summer 2025 Timeline
Application opens on 5 January 2025
Deadline is 27 February 2025
Notification of awards will be no later than spring break.