Rhodes Scholarship for Canada

The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest (established in 1902) international scholarship program in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Administered by the Rhodes Trust in Oxford, the program offers 100 fully-funded Scholarships each year for postgraduate study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom – one of the world’s leading universities. Rhodes Scholarships are for young leaders of outstanding intellect and character who are motivated to engage with global challenges, committed to the service of others and show promise of becoming value-driven, principled leaders for the world’s future.

Selection of successful candidates will be based on the criteria set out by the Rhodes Trust:

• Academic excellence
• Energy to use your talents to the full (as demonstrated by mastery in areas such as sports, music, debate, dance, theatre, and artistic pursuits, including where teamwork is involved).
• Truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness and fellowship.
• Moral force of character and instincts to lead, and to take an interest in your fellow human beings.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants are responsible for reviewing the Rhodes Scholarship Overview and Application Overview pages on The Rhodes Trust website for full details on applying.

• Nationality/citizenship: You must be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada. Applications from refugees/asylum seekers currently residing in Canada will also be considered in this constituency.
• Education/residency: You must be domiciled in Canada.
• Age: You must meet either of the below criteria:
  • • i. You must be aged 18-23 on Oct. 1, 2024 (i.e., you must have been born after Oct. 1, 2000 and before Oct. 2, 2006);
      
      OR (for older candidates who completed their first undergraduate degree later than usual)
      • ii. You must be under the age of 27 on Oct. 1, 2024 (i.e., have been born after Oct. 1, 1997) AND you must also have completed your first undergraduate degree on or after Oct. 1, 2023. A university’s policy determines the date of completion of academic requirement for a degree and this may be different from when a degree is considered awarded by the university or the date of a graduation ceremony. The National Secretary will make the final determination of completion where required.
• Academic achievement: You must have completed an undergraduate degree (usually a Bachelor’s) by July 2025, and you must have an academic background and grade that – at a minimum – meets or exceeds the specific entry requirements of your chosen course at the University of Oxford (https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/courses/courses-a-z-listing).
  • Candidates will have a higher chance of successful admission to Oxford if they have:
    • A First Class Honours Degree or equivalent, or
    • A GPA of 3.70/4.0 or higher
  • Please contact the National Secretary if you require further advice about academic requirements of the Scholarship.
• If unsuccessful in your first application to the Rhodes Scholarships, you may subsequently re-apply only once more (and this must be in the same constituency), subject to meeting the eligibility criteria.

Carleton University Rhodes Scholarship Application Process

Candidates must submit an internal application to be considered for university endorsement. Internal applications will be reviewed by the Carleton Rhodes Scholarship Internal Selection Committee.

Candidates must submit the following documents, in English and in one pdf to graduate.awards@carleton.ca by August 11, 2025 for the 2026 Competition. Documents for the internal review process are similar to the documents that are required for the official application if selected for endorsement. Please see The Rhodes Scholarship for Canada Information for Candidates document for full details and deadline dates.

• A full curriculum vitae which should include details about academic qualifications, publications, prizes, scholarships, positions of leadership, employment positions, involvement in student, voluntary, community or political activities and any cultural, musical or sporting accomplishments. This should not exceed two letter size pages in length with a minimum 12 pt. font.
• A personal statement of no more than 1,000 words. The personal statement is your chance to tell your story in your own voice: Who are you? You are asked to address each of the following prompts by weaving them into your statement (the word allocation across the three is up to you):
  • Tell us how you overcame a challenge in your life. Which Rhodes Scholar character qualities did you draw from? What did you learn from the experience?
  • What would you like to learn from and contribute to the Rhodes community in Oxford?
  • From your place in the world, how will you use your energy and talents to address humanity’s pressing challenges?
• A copy of transcripts of all university studies completed.
• Names and contacts of your six referees.

Candidates will be notified of the committee’s decision and provided further details if selected for endorsement.