Applying for the Gardner Fellowship
2012-13 APPLICATION DEADLINE
The UC Berkeley deadline for the 2012-13 Gardner Fellowship is Wednesday, February 15, 2012 by NOON. Only completed applications received by the deadline will be considered.
You may download an application here: 2012-13 Application.
INFORMATION SESSION
January 19, 2012
4-5 p.m.
Harris Room
119 Moses Hall
ELIGIBILITY
Seniors graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University during the 2011-2012 academic year are eligible and encouraged to apply for the John Gardner Fellowship.
The Fellowship welcomes applications from any major field of study and from a wide variety of service experiences; applicants only need to share a common commitment to the cause of public and voluntary sector service in the United States.
You must be a United States citizen at the time of your placement.
SELECTION PROCESS
Applicants must submit all of the following to the Program Administrator:
- One copy of the completed application form,
- A formal resume,
- An official academic transcript, and
- Three (3) letters of recommendation, at least one (1) of which must be from a faculty member who is familiar with the applicant's university-level work.
A selection committee then reviews each application and interviews a handful of finalists. Gardner Fellows are usually notified of their selection by the end of March.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Applicants are judged according to the following criteria:
- Demonstrated commitment to public service
- Record of academic accomplishment
- Maturity, personal integrity, and sense of responsibility
- Creativity, energy, and initiative
- Leadership potential: the ability to inspire others to action
OBLIGATIONS
Program staff assist the selected Fellows in designing an appropriate placement and finding a suitable mentor. Fellowships begin in September but applicants to the program should be available the spring and summer following selection to interview with prospective mentors and organizations. Gardner Fellows must also participate in three meetings over the course of their Fellowship year: an orientation session to be held during the late spring or summer at one of the two campuses, a mid-year meeting, and an evaluation meeting at the end of the Fellowship year. Fellows might also be asked to assist the Fellowship in future years by helping to recruiting applicants and mentors and by participating in information and training sessions.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
After all Gardner Fellowship applications have been received, the following process occurs:
- The selection committee reviews all application files. The length of time this takes depends on the number of applications received. (Members of the selection committee are to be determined.)
- The committee then selects ten (10) finalists for three (3) Fellowships. You will be notified by the Program Administrator by e-mail if you are selected for an interview.
- The ten finalists interview before the selection committee. Interviews are scheduled for late February or early March and usually last for about half an hour.
- After all interviews are completed, the selection committee selects three Gardner Fellows and one alternate.
- In late March the Program Administrator notifies the finalists about whether or not they have been awarded a Fellowship.
Good luck and thank you for applying for the John Gardner Fellowship.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the UC Berkeley Program Administrator, Terri Bimes, at:
Institute of Governmental Studies
131 Moses Hall, #2370
Berkeley, CA 94720-2370
phone (510) 642-3233
fax (510) 642-3020
E-mail: bimes@berkeley.edu
Stanford University also has information about the Fellowship at Haas Center for Public Service website.
Terri Bimes
Assistant Director of Research
Institute of Governmental Studies
131 Moses Hall, #2370
Berkeley, CA 94720-2370
phone (510) 642-3233
fax (510) 642-3020
E-mail: bimes@berkeley.edu
Stanford University also has information about and application forms for the Gardner Fellowship at the Haas Center for Public Service website.
