Frequently asked questions

How important is sport? I love playing, but I have never managed to get above 2nd or 3rd grade. I have been told you need to have a University Blue to be in the running.

Not so, but you would be expected to be an enthusiastic participant in your sport(s) of choice. See sporting and similar activities under "Qualifications".

What is community work?

Almost anything that involves you giving up your leisure time to help others. A Rhodes Scholar should not be one-sided or selfish. And, while we are on the subject, you should note that success in being elected to office in student societies and committees may or may not be evidence of unself-seeking leadership and service. It all depends on your motives in putting yourself forward for election! See community work under "Qualifications"

Does my school principal count as an academic referee?

No. Your school principal would be a referee who "can write of your school days". Academic referees should have more recent knowledge of your academic abilities and should preferably know you through your university study.

One or more of my referees will be overseas when reports will be required: is it possible for them to supply their reports before they go?

Yes. If the Honorary Secretary sends out the letters to referees in your state, you should send contact details to the Honorary Secretary as soon as possible. A letter will be sent to your travelling referees early. Be sure to do this well before your referees are due to fly out, as they are sure to be busy in the last week before they leave and the last thing they will want to do is write a reference.

In NSW and the ACT you are responsible for handing the letter to your referees seeking a report from them, so you should ensure that you do so in plenty of time for the referee to complete his or her letter.

I had all of my schooling in South Australia, but I am doing my University degree in New South Wales. Where should I apply?

You should apply in the State in which you receive, or will receive, your first degree.

One of the conditions of eligibility states that I should not have reached my twenty-fifth birthday by 1 October in the year I submit my application. I turn 25 on 25 September. It is only 5 days outside the limit – can a special case be made for me to apply?

No. Not even if you turn 25 on 30 September.

I have permanent residency, but I am not an Australian citizen. Can I apply for the scholarship?

No, not unless you can produce evidence of citizenship not later than 1 September.

I have seven referees – can I use them all?

No, and if you supply seven names, we will use the first six.

I will not complete my honours thesis until the end of the first semester next year. Can I apply this year?

Yes, if you believe your academic referees will be able to speak with complete confidence about your expected performance at the end of your honours year. While you can apply this year (and next year, if you are still within the age limit), we do discourage candidates from having a "trial run". The time of the members Selection Committee is valuable and it really does need to be concentrated on serious applications.

It's the middle of August and I have just learned one of my referees is too ill to supply a reference. Can I substitute another?

Yes. Send the details to the Honorary Secretary (or, better still, bring them in). Be sure the substitute referee understands that he or she will be under very severe time constraints.

I'm planning to do a research degree. When should I get in touch with the department at Oxford in which I want to work?

The sooner the better. You should be aware that the Oxford academic year runs from the beginning of October to the end of June, not from the beginning of March to the end of November as is usual in Australia. This means that many members of the academic staff may be away from Oxford between July and September, and you may find it difficult to make contact with the person in your research area who can best advise you.

Plainly, you will need to be well advanced by May, otherwise you may find it difficult to get any commitment or indication from the Oxford department that they would be keen to have you on their research team. In general, any expression of interest from Oxford is conditional on you obtaining a scholarship of some sort, whether it be a Rhodes Scholarship, or any other.

The instructions for the completion of the application form say to include copies of any correspondence from Oxford, either colleges or departments. Should I include all correspondence that has passed between me and Oxford?

No.

Ideally, we only want one letter, the one that says the Oxford department is happy to have you as a DPhil or MPhil student (subject to whatever restrictions they may have as far as GMAT or GRE scores, if applicable, are concerned) and that your area of research is of interest to them. We don't want chapter and verse of how you got to that final letter, that is, we don't want all your preliminary correspondence.

A letter is preferable to an email, but an email will do.

You will enclose the letter or, in the case of an email, a hard copy of the email with your application. A copy of the email is to be forwarded to the Honorary Secretary electronically, complete with all system-generated headers, as we may wish to confirm an email with the sender.

Is it a good idea to apply for other scholarships as well as the Rhodes?

It certainly is! If you are serious about studying overseas, a scholarship is the only way you will do it (assuming that you don't have the funds to pay your own way). Check with the scholarships office at your university. Some universities only show on their web page those scholarships that are currently open, so it is a good idea to check it every week or so. Other universities show all scholarships and their closing dates, so have a look at the web pages of other Australian universities as well your own. Also, it's worth checking the web pages of overseas universities to see what scholarships, if any, they might have on offer.

If you are fortunate enough to be elected a Rhodes Scholar, you can then withdraw from any others for which you have applied.

Would the fact that I am applying for other scholarships adversely influence the committee's decision decision in any way?

Not at all. Indeed, the committee would be very surprised if Rhodes applicants were not also applying for other scholarships in order to maximise their chances of being able to study overseas.

I can't fit all the details of my referees on the application form. Can I supply them on a separate sheet?

Yes. Write "see attached" on the space for referees details on the application form, and attach a separate list. Don't forget to include post codes and fax numbers (where possible).

I am doing a Science/Law degree. I got First Class Honours in Physics in my Science degree course, and I expect to complete Law this year. Should I apply this year or wait until I see how I go in Law?

It is not easy to generalise, but you should probably apply this year unless you have a very good reason for waiting a year (assuming you will still be within the age limit). It would be surprising if you did not have a fairly good idea of how you are going in your Law studies by mid-year!

If you are unsure what to do, talk to the Honorary Secretary.