Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Has anyone here won a Gates Cambridge Scholarship?

I have applied but am still waiting - frankly I don't see much chance of me getting one...

Do you (or anyone here) know how tough the competition is for this scholarship?

Immensely tough - although certain subjects and nationalities seem to stand a higher chance (I think they've got some kind of quota system). The application form is quite annoying, as it places less emphasis on yor actual research (as do all other funding schemes) but asks you to demonstrate things like "a capacity for leadership". Overall, it's probably one of the most competitive scholarships around. Are you thinking of appling to Cambridge next year? What course?

So it's really tough? Darn. I'm not eligible for many of the full-cost grants (e.g. Chevening) because I barely have a year of full-time work experience, so I'm really hoping for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship. Saw the 2004 yearbook and they gave out a lot of scholarships--if the competition's tough, I take it that the number of applicants is several times the number of the grant winners. Sigh.

Dev Studies is probably a good one though, as you should have less difficulty making your course relevant to "the development of your home country" (showing your "commitment to benefit others") - that's what the Gates application form asks you to do - than someone studying Mediaeval Ebglish Literature or something like that. You should definitely apply - most people do (hence the competition is quite tough) - and you can probably also apply for an ORS grant through your Faculty. Depending on which college you'll be at they might be able to help you out as well, so bear that in mind when making a decision (I don't know whether you've given any thought to college choice yet?)

Remember, however, that the deadlines are early: Gates is February 28th (or November 1st, I think, if you're American), ORS is February 1st. If you want to apply for Gates that also means that your application for your course has to be in by October 15th, I believe. Well, that means you've still got half a year, which is plenty of time to be fair.

I have met a few Gates scholars here, but they didn't strike me as being particularly extraordinary people. Perhaps it is simply a case of sour grapes, though, for my application to the Gates Cambridge Trust was unsuccessful. Fortunately, I managed to get the ORS, Cambridge Commonwealth Trust and St. John's Benefactors' awards instead, so I could come after all.

Yeah, you're right. You just need to apply to as many places as possible and I'm sure you'll get something. Personally, I've been going mad this year with funding applications (AHRB, Gates, DRS, St John's Benefactors, Kurt Hahn Trust) - they just take up so much time (plus my AHRB application form got lost between referees and faculty several times). Well, at least now they're nearly finished and I can concentrate on my actual work.

Unfortunately, I'm not eligible for the Commonwealth scholarships, so I'm really trying to look for as many awards as I can.

Yeah, it does seem that way--it's a bit like the luck of the draw, so it's probably best to apply for as many funding opportunities as possible. I can imagine how tiring that must be. I've applied for a couple of grants, but I'm trying to scrounge for others to increase my chances.

I wonder if you have checked with your local British Council yet? They should have comprehensive literature on all the private charitable trusts/foundations that give out awards, grants, scholarships for research programmes. In many cases, the awards are full awards.

Best of luck!

Short update: I received an e-mail today telling me that I was on the shortlist for Gates and will be required to attend an interview on May 20th.