Applications for 2021-22 entry are now closed. Academic Year 2022 – 23 will open in September 2021.
Who can apply?
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 PhD. 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.
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.
Courses which 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
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. PhD 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 impact in the 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 PhD 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
US citizens resident in the USA
This is the earlier round for applicants who are both US citizens and resident 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?DateApplications openSeptember 2021Application deadlineTBCDepartmental rankingTBCAll applicants notified of application outcomeTBCOn-line review and selection by panelsTBCScholarships offeredLate January 2022Scholarships accepted72 hours after offer
All other 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 course to which your are applying.
What stage?DateApplications open September 2021Application deadlineDependent on your course – either early December 2021 or early January 2022Departmental rankingDecember – FebruaryAll applicants notified of application outcomeFebruary 2022On-line review and selection by panelsFebruary and March 2022Scholarships offeredLate MarchScholarships accepted72 hours after offer
The 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 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 PhD 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 the large number of well-qualified applicants to those who match the Gates Cambridge criteria.
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 on-line reference or upload a separate letter.
Who should write the Gates Cambridge Reference?
This is a common question. You should definitely not ask friends or family, or someone who is unable to comment on your suitability for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
You should ask someone of appropriate standing who is able to answer the question with authority and who understands the the criteria and highly competitive nature of the Gates Cambridge programme.
Many applicants ask a current or former academic advisor who is aware of their personal attributes, others ask a current or former employer, while others ask senior staff in an organisation with whom they may have volunteered. These are all sensible choices, although this is by no means an exhaustive list. Some applicants ask one of their two academic referees to write the Gates Cambridge reference: this is fine as long as that person has a good understanding of your personal qualities and does not provide a third academic reference. The important point to remember is that the Gates Cambridge Referee must understand what the Scholarship is about and must be able to write authoritatively about how you meet the criteria.
Some points to consider are:
It is essential that the Gates Cambridge Referee is fully briefed about the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, especially its selection criteria;
It is useful when referees use specific examples of how you meet the Scholarship’s criteria;
While your referees are likely to be busy, you will need to ensure they understand the need to keep the reference focused on the Gates Cambridge criteria and not, for example, rehash a standard or previous reference.
