Loyola University Chicago

Fellowship Office

Deadlines: What You Need to Know

Give your application the time it needs.

Many major fellowships, such as the US Fulbright Program and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, have deadlines in the fall, anywhere from late September to early December.  These applications are quite complicated, requiring two or three different essays; and in the case of the Fulbright award, a letter from an overseas affiliation. It’s in your best interest to begin outlining your plans before the end of the spring semester. 

For many, nationally competitive, fellowships, universities set a campus deadline before the program application deadline. In most cases, the campus deadline is one month before the program deadline. 

While preparing a submission, you can come to an information session, research the award’s website to find guidance on what to write and start an online application. Even if you decide not to apply for an award, it is always a good idea to start an online application, to gain familiarity with that program’s application process. There is no penalty for not submitting an online application. 

Over the summer, you can revisit the award requirements and outline for your plans, so it can evolve into a full proposal. The Fellowship Office can help you with this: you can always contact us and send us your essays via e-mail. We can work with you on all aspects of an application, especially in organizing and polishing essays. Fellowship Office staff are available to assist you throughout the year, including over the summer. 

By taking these steps, you can prepare yourself for fall deadlines, such that you can better manage both your application responsibilities and your fall classwork. 

Please contact us for any questions you may have about deadlines, application preparation, and guidance on what you need to do to develop the strongest proposal possible.