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Office of External Scholarships,
Fellowships & Awards

Director: Janice McDonald
Email: jmcdona@binghamton.edu
Phone: 607-777-4324
FAX: 607-777-6768
Office: CIW Library 107

Recent Recipients
 
Undergraduate

2011 American Political Science Association Minority Fellowship - Jacqueline Tello ‘11

2010-2011 Association of SUNY Council Members and College Trustees Excellence Scholarship – Joshua Stewart ‘11

2011 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Recipient – William Marsiglia ‘13

2011 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Recipient – Jared Schmitz ‘12 

2011 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Honorable Mention – Matthew Antalek ‘12

2011 Ralph Bunch Summer Institute - Vanessa Quince ’12

2011 Critical Language Scholarship, Russia – U.S. Department of State, Christine Hubbard ‘11

2011 Critical Language Scholarship, South Korea – U.S. Department of State, Richard Sosulski ‘12 

2011 Fulbright Scholarship Recipient, South Korea - Dong Woo (Philip) Kang ‘09

2011 Fulbright Scholarship Recipient, Germany– Michael Lemp ‘11

2011 Fulbright Scholarship Recipient, Germany – Chelsea Solan ‘10

2011 National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship Recipient – Vincent Ialenti ‘08

2011 National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship Honorable Mention – Jacqueline Tello ’11, Adam Hill ’10, Jiri Stehlik’10, Sheila Saia ‘07

2011 Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship, Junior Summer Institute at UC Berkeley - Luisa Batiz ’12

2010 American Political Science Association Minority Fellowship Recipient – Edgar Alfonseca ‘10

2010 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Recipient – Adam Blanden ‘11

2009 and 2010 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Honorable Mention – Bilal Ahmed ‘11

2010 Benjamin Gilman International Scholarship – Dennis Chen ‘11

2010 Boren Undergraduate Scholarship National Security Education Program – David Lundgren ‘10

2010 Fulbright Scholarship Recipient – Kristyn Mohr ‘10

2010 Fulbright Scholarship Recipient – Luke McDonald ‘11

2010 Leopold Schepp Foundation Scholarship – Yao Liu ‘11

2010 Math for America Scholarship Recipient – Jennifer Chen ‘10

2010 National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship Honorable Mention – Gregory Stoddard ‘10

Graduate

2011 Critical Language Scholarship, India – U.S. Department of State, Latoya Lee (Sociology)

2011 Critical Language Scholarship, Jordan, Dellvin Williams (Sociology)

2011 Fulbright Scholarship Recipient, Jamaica – Heidi Savery (Anthropology)

2011 Harvard-Yenching Library Travel Grant – Chunghoon Shin (Art History)

2011 Mendel Fellowship, Lilly Library at Indiana University – Laine Little (Art History)

2010 – 2012 National Research Service Award from NIHM and a Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology Dissertation Award - Lindsey Stone (Psychology)

2009-2011 SUNY Doctoral Diversity Fellowship – Ashley Raba (Watson)

2009-2011 SUNY Doctoral Diversity Fellowship – Justin Garcia (Biological Sciences)

2009-2011 National Research Service Award, National Institutes of Health – Kristen Dupre (Psychology)

2008-2011 Social Science & Humanities Research Council of Canada Fellowship; 2010 Puffin Foundation Ltd, Artist’s Grant; 2010 New York Department of Cultural Affairs, Brooklyn Arts Council Community Regrant – Jennifer Kennedy (Art History)

2010 National Research Service Award F31, National Institutes of Health – Anne Maloney (Psychology)

2010 Northeast Asia Council Grant for Short-term Research Travel to Korea – Chunghoon Shin (Art History)

2010 Scott Opler Graduate Student Fellowship, Society of Architectural Historians – Deniz Karakas (Art History)


 

 

Graduate School and Graduate Funding

Graduate Study

As you begin thinking about graduate study you need to carefully consider your reasons for wanting to attend graduate school. Graduate school is a significant academic challenge as well as a major financial commitment. Selecting a graduate school isn't going to be like applying to undergraduate colleges. You must have a clear idea of the course of study you want to pursue. At the graduate level you are looking for a particular department, or even a program within a department. In many cases, students select a graduate program because of one or two professors at the institution who conduct research in a specialized field. There are close to 2,000 institutions in the United States that offer graduate degrees -- your task, through careful research, is to find the programs that match your academic background, interests, professional goals and personal preferences.

Start with the faculty members you know here at Binghamton. They're the experts in the field and are an invaluable source of information. Also, if there are graduate students you know in your intended field of study, ask their advice. Just a few years ago they were looking for graduate schools themselves.

Consult the general guides, such as Peterson's, and rankings, like US News, (see the following list for some good places to start). An excellent website is maintained by the Council of Graduate Schools. Start to check out the websites of departments that interest you. As you begin to narrow down your list, contact the Graduate Director or Chairperson of the department if you have specific questions. If at all possible, visit the department. Talk to faculty and graduate students there, sit in on a class (if possible). If you can't visit, ask if there are graduate students you can speak with by phone or email.

You need to find a department that offers a degree program that matches your academic interests and will help you to achieve your goals. But you also need to consider other factors. You will be spending the next few years of your life there, so try to determine if this is a place where you would be comfortable. There are many questions to ask about the department, the university, the surrounding community; some will be of importance to you -- others will not.

For example --

A number of factors, academic as well as more quality of life issues, should guide your selection.

Funding Your Graduate Education

After the academic issues are addressed, you need to consider how you will pay for your graduate education. Most graduate students receive some financial support during their graduate school years, but most college seniors applying for graduate school lack sufficient information on how to secure funding to pay for their studies. The following information provides a brief overview of the options available to fund your Masters or Doctoral degree in most fields of study. Funding opportunities for students attending medical or law school differ from those presented here (consult with the pre-health or pre-law advisor and the schools you are interested in attending).

The primary source of funding for students pursuing a Masters or Doctoral degree is the graduate department or the university you plan to attend. Over half of all graduate students who receive funding do so through the individual academic department or university. There is usually a space on the graduate school application to indicate interest in any type of financial aid the university offers. Make sure you indicate your interest. Tell your references you are applying for funding so they can comment on your qualifications in their letters. This funding comes in a variety of forms and is primarily merit-based, rather than need-based. The types of funding discussed below are not loans; you do not need to pay them back.

Types of Funding

Tuition Waivers/Tuition Scholarships

Most universities offer tuition waivers or tuition scholarships (they're the same) which cover all or a significant portion of tuition costs. Typically, you apply by completing a special section on the regular graduate school application.

Assistantships

A form of financial support awarded by the academic department attended for graduate study. As with tuition waivers, you usually indicate your interest in them on the graduate school application. Assistantship recipients typically receive a monthly or biweekly stipend and also receive a tuition waiver. Most departments have a number of these available and often offer multi-year packages. If you are initially offered a year of support, ask about a multi-year commitment; some institutions will offer up to a five-year package.

Stipend amounts vary widely by discipline and by geographic area across the country. For information on what to expect in your field, speak with the Undergraduate and Graduate Director and the graduate students in your department.

There may be a variety of assistantships within a department or only one type. The title and duties assigned can vary; make sure the offer letter you receive from the graduate department clearly spells out what is expected of you (including the number of hours you are expected to commit).

Types of Assistantships

Summer Support

Universities occasionally provide summer support when classes are not in session. Usually the student is expected to be working on a research project or independent study over the summer months.

Work-Study

The federal work-study program subsidizes part-time positions for graduate students to work on campus in an administrative office or the library. To apply for this need-based program you must submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). If you are interested in work-study, speak with the graduate department at the university of interest to you.

Internships

These are part-time positions usually found in a number of offices throughout a university. Interns can work in any area from Admissions or the Registrar to Advising Offices. You need to check with the graduate schools you are interested in for additional information.

Fellowships/Scholarships

Many universities offer fellowships or scholarships which carry a tuition waiver and stipend but do not require the student to perform any duties in return. In addition to university resources, numerous national and regional fellowships/scholarships fund graduate studies in a variety of disciplines. The Graduate Office or the financial aid office at the graduate institution will have information on any they offer.

You should check out the information on fellowships/ scholarships for graduate study at:

Summary

Early in the process find out DEADLINES and meet them. You may need to take one or more standardized tests, like the GRE. You will definitely need to request letters of recommendation and carefully prepare your personal statement. Allow time for rewrites and careful preparation of the application (spell-check and grammar-check). These things must be done in a timely manner so you and the faculty members writing the recommendations can meet the DEADLINES. The Council of Graduate School website contains a useful "Timetable for Applying to Graduate Schoo." It's good, practical advice.

Take the time to carefully research graduate schools. There are many resources to assist you as you make this important decision. Some good places to start your research on graduate schools:

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Last Updated: 7/26/11