Selection Process and Timeline

Graduate/professional applications are coordinated by the Office of Fellowships and Awards in the Graduate School. Undergraduate applications are coordinated by the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards. More details about each stage of the application process are outlined below.

SELECTION PROCESS

After the application deadline:

• A committee of past Bonderman Fellows, UW faculty and UW staff review applications.
• 20-24 undergraduate finalists and 20-24 graduate/professional finalists are chosen. All applicants are notified if they are moving on to the finalist stage.
• Finalists are invited for an interview in April.
• Finalists notified of their selection status in April/May.

Interviews

• Interviews are conducted via Zoom and last about 30 minutes.
• Interview panels consist of 4-5 people, including past fellows, UW faculty and UW staff who:
  • Have experience with international travel, international work and student development;
  • Come from different disciplines, personal identities and lived experiences.
• Questions focus on the applicant’s proposal, motivation for having applied, the proposed itinerary, how they might handle any issues that arise during travel, etc. 

SELECTION TIMELINE

SELECTION CRITERIA

Bonderman Fellowships introduce students to cultures, peoples, and areas of the world with which they are not familiar, therefore the criteria are:

• Has had little to no international experience.
  • We understand that no situation is the same and many students will have some previous international experience. We are particularly interested in how the Bonderman Fellowship would be different than your previous experience(s). 
• Proposes travel to countries that would be a new challenge for them. 
  • Travel to highly westernized/developed areas (including Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) is not competitive.
  • Travel for academic (e.g. research) or professional reasons is not competitive.
• Has the skills necessary for independent solo travel, including self-awareness, interpersonal and cross-cultural skills, resilience and fortitude. We are looking for candidates who:
  • Show potential for thoughtful participation in the global community
  • Describe goals for personal growth in their proposal
  • Have strong potential for transformation–are reflective and open to learning
  • Are curious about people and considerate of different perspectives; are likely to remain aware that they are ambassadors of the program, the UW, and the U.S. 
  • have good problem-solving, conflict resolution and coping strategies for challenges

The Bonderman selection committee will evaluate applications based on the following questions:

• Has the applicant had international experience and does the proposed itinerary challenge them? 
• Is the itinerary carefully planned and feasible for the applicant?
• Is the applicant’s purpose for travel personal or academic/professional?  
• Does the applicant reflect on mistakes and are they open to learning?
• Do they take responsibility for themselves? (describe their needs and propose plans for self-care)?
• Is the applicant curious about people and are they considerate of different perspectives and practices?
• Can they resolve a conflict?
• Does the applicant describe strong coping mechanisms for dealing with setbacks and disappointments?
• Are they flexible and do they have good problem-solving strategies?

For undergraduate applicants, review and interview committees will give extra consideration to undergraduate applications that demonstrate these characteristics/backgrounds:

• Applicants from low-income backgrounds, have received need-based financial aid, or those who have not/would not generally have the opportunity to travel independently.
• Applicants who have a demonstrated commitment to public service and plan to pursue a future career in public service. We welcome a wide range of public service interests and types of service. Public service careers can happen in all realms (government, nonprofit, or private sector) and all fields through which you intend to work toward solving the world’s most complex problems and enriching the lives of others (teachers, community organizers, scientists, entrepreneurs, socially impactful businesses, arts, etc.). Past majors of Bonderman Fellows include music, social work, neuroscience, international studies, communication, industrial design, and more.
• Applicants who carefully plan to deepen their experience in each country on their itinerary, ideally spending more than one month in most countries.
• Applicants who approach their Bonderman travels as a continuation of their educational experience, rather than as an award, reward, vacation or time off.
• Please see FAQs for more details!