Application Process
For a printable checklist of the application components, click here.
1. Check your eligibility.
A qualified Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship applicant should:
- have majored in and/or have a strong professional background in a STEM (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) field;
- demonstrate a commitment to the program and its goals;
- have U.S. citizenship or permanent residency;
- have attained, or expect to attain by June 30, 2013, a bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university;
- a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale is strongly preferred*
*Note: Candidates who can demonstrate excellence through other avenues will also be considered. All applications are considered in their entirety and selection is based on merit.
2. Register
Begin the application process by registering for an applicant account. Registering as a user of the Woodrow Wilson Web site will enable you to save your unfinished application so that you can return later to add or change entries and view the status of supporting documentation (i.e. transcripts, resume, and recommendations).
There is no fee to register. You will need to provide basic contact information and choose a username and password. Any information collected is used only for purposes of the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship (see the Foundation's privacy policy).
3. APPLY!
To ensure you have all necessary components, please view/print the checklist.
Sign-in using the username and password you created during registration.
If this is your first visit, mouse-over "Not Applied" then select "2013 Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowships."
If you are returning to complete an unfinished application, mouse-over "Saved Applications" then select "2013 Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowships."
If you are returning to check the status of your supporting documentation, depending on the status of your application, mouse-over either "Saved Applications" or "Submitted Applications;" then select "2013 Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowships."
To be considered for the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship, you must complete all items on the application – but you may save the work you have done on parts of the application during any online session, and return to complete other parts during subsequent visits.
Information required on the application includes:
- Your educational background: Information on your undergraduate institution, graduate institution (if applicable), and academic record.
- Your preference(s) of master's program(s): A rank ordering that indicates which of the participating universities you wish to apply to. You may select all of the institutions, or choose one or more of them.
- Two 500-word essays: Brief essay questions on why you want to teach in a high-need urban or rural school and on how you would explain a complicated concept.
- Information on the recommenders you've asked to write letters for you: This section is used in the course of the application process to allow you to check back and learn which of your recommendation letters have been received.
- Personal information: Brief answers regarding your citizenship (required), race/ethnicity (optional), date of birth (optional), and gender (required: an "undeclared" option is available).
- Additional information: Space for any clarification or description of extenuating circumstances you wish to provide.
4. Submit Supporting Documents
In addition to your online application, you must submit a resume, recommendations, and official transcripts.
Resume
The resume—perhaps the most important component of your application—provides you with the opportunity to showcase your excellence.
- Please be sure to include all colleges/universities attended, along with enrollment dates, as well as information and employment dates for all professional experience.
- If you won awards or fellowships or excelled in sports or other extracurricular activities, please be sure to include this information on your resume.
- Any volunteer experience, particularly with adolescents or in an underserved community, is also worth detailing.
Your resume should be uploaded as a .PDF to your application.
TIP: There is no need to limit your resume to one page for your Woodrow Wilson Fellowship application. Remember: this is an important opportunity to showcase your excellence.
Recommendations
Please request letters of recommendation from three (3) recommenders and provide their contact information in your application as soon as possible. Recommenders should be advised they will receive and email notification directly from the Woodrow Wilson Foundation.
Each recommender will be required to complete a recommendation form, as well as a letter of recommendation. The site will provide the necessary instructions.
Letters of recommendation must come from individuals who are not members of your family. In general, recommenders should comment on your character, your commitment to education and service, and your capacity to work in high-need urban and/or rural contexts.
- If you are still enrolled in a degree program or are a very recent graduate, please include, as one of your recommendations, a letter from at least one faculty member in your major content area who can comment on your academic ability.
- If you have been employed over the past several years and are not able to request a faculty recommendation, please include, as one of your recommendations, a letter from a professional colleague who can comment on your skills/knowledge in your specialty field.
Note:You will be able to track receipt of your letters of recommendation in the "supporting documentation" section of your application. It is your responsibility to follow up with your recommenders to ensure that they have submitted their online recommendation.
Official Transcripts
Copies of official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions you have attended—this includes any institution that awarded credit for coursework—must be provided with your supporting documentation. The transcripts must be provided in an unopened envelope from your institutions(s). Contact each of your institutions to request that official copies of your transcripts be mailed to:
The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
Teaching Fellowship
P.O. Box 5281
Princeton, NJ 08543-5281
For express deliveries or courier service only, please use the street address:
The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
Teaching Fellowship
5 Vaughn Drive
Suite 300
Princeton, NJ 08540
Telephone: (609) 452-7007, ext. 141
If you'd like to submit a transcript from a foreign college/university, follow these steps to have your foreign transcript evaluated:
- Have your official transcript(s) translated (if necessary) into English.
- Send your transcript(s), course descriptions, and the English translation to a credential evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. A fee ranging from $165-$295 is required. Be sure to request a "course-by-course/detail" evaluation. * Foreign transcripts which are already in English, still will require a course-by-course/detail evaluation.
- Have an official copy of the transcript and translation sent to:
Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowships
P.O. Box 5281
Princeton, NJ 08543-5281
5. Interview (Finalists only)
Interviews will be conducted at various sites in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. Applicants selected to interview will be asked to select the date and location that best works for them. The interview day will be held from 10:00 A.M.-3:30 P.M.
Sample STEM Teaching Lesson
Candidates will meet in groups where each applicant will present a short sample teaching lesson focused on a STEM based concept. This lesson may be on any STEM subject but should not be more than five minutes in length. A white board, chalk board, or chart paper will be available for the candidate's use and supporting materials may be used if appropriate. Candidates are not expected to know how to teach and should use this as an opportunity to demonstrate their potential.
Interview
Each candidate will participate in a 30 minute individual interview with Woodrow Wilson selectors.
Question & Answer Session
Candidates will be provided with an opportunity to ask any additional questions about the program not previously addressed.
6. Review Financial Aid Opportunities
Each of the participating institutions provide financial aid opportunities for graduate students. Should you be interested in applying for need-based financial aid from the federal government, you will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which can be found at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
The Federal government offers loan forgiveness of up to $17,500 in Federal loans for math and science teachers who 1) meet the highly-qualified teacher status, 2) teach for five consecutive years, and 3) teach for these five years in a low-income school. As a Teaching Fellow, you should easily meet the criteria of being a highly-qualified teacher in a low-income school. For more information, please visit the Federal Loan Forgiveness Website.
7. Await a Decision
The Woodrow Wilson Foundation expects to award up to 15 Fellowships at each of the participating institutions. In addition, the Foundation will select a number of alternates who may be offered the Fellowship if those originally selected choose to decline for any reason.