A Roadmap for Success

We want you to apply and are here to help!  A few important tips to get the most out of this page...

Grades come first.  Many research and fellowship opportunities have a minimum GPA requirement (often 3.5 or higher) and favor applicants engaged in challenging coursework.  Identify the tools, resources, routines, accommodations, and/or strategies that will enable you to do your best work in every class.

You build your best letters of recommendation every day.  Most of these opportunities also require one or more strong faculty letters of recommendation.  Attending class is a prerequisite to a good faculty letter, but it is not enough.  Prepare and contribute consistently and with quality, attend office hours, share achievements, and get to know your faculty mentor(s) professionally.  You want your letter writer to be able to identify 2-3 relevant points or anecdotes unique to you and your work.  Even better, keep track of these points to share with your letter writer as examples that may be relevant to a particular application.  And always important: ask early.  A good letter of recommendation is not a template; it takes time to write. Ideally, you will give your writer a month or more notice but never less than a week.  A generic, rushed, or lukewarm letter is not a strong letter. YOU are responsible for building your strongest faculty references.

Successful applicants start early and add to their resume credentials incrementally.  There is a strategy to successfully securing research and fellowship positions; it starts by building a competitive application, one step at a time.  Each J-Term and summer experience is a building block.  

If you aren't rejected for something you aren't applying enough.  These are all competitive opportunities, and while the applications may seem daunting, the process of applying is excellent preparation for graduate and professional school, jobs, and other future opportunities.  To strategize for your best chances, it is recommended that you start at Step 1 below to build up to more competitive opportunities. 

If you are excited to start applying, we recommend the following:

Step 1, Rock the classroom.  Build your best GPA and recommendation letters every day. 

Step 2, Begin at Hollins.  Visit the Center for Career Development and Life Design or attend a workshop to build your resume.  Add relevant experiences by applying to "Undergraduate Research Opportunities at Hollins" and to "Undergraduate Funding Opportunities at Hollins" to demonstrate your ability to secure grants.  Be sure to explore campus internship and leadership opportunities as well.

Step 3, Expand beyond Hollins.  With a strong foundation of experience on campus, your applications for paid opportunities will be more competitive.  The world is wide and your Hollins classmates are not your competition; their successes should inspire your own!  "Undergraduate Research Opportunities" and "External Internship Opportunities" exist in all disciplines; many of these summer opportunities have annual fall deadlines and are open to rising sophomores through seniors.  Start applications early and save your materials to keep improving upon them.

Step 4, Identify relevant honors.  Fellowships are rewards for the experience you have demonstrated through internal and external opportunities. With a resume evidencing your experience and dedication on AND beyond campus, your applications for "External Fellowship Opportunities" will be more competitive. 

Step 5, Meet with the director for institutional nominations.  If you have built your most competitive application with Steps 1-4, you may be eligible for institutional nominations.  These particular "External Fellowship" honors require meeting with the director, and applications are limited to those who have demonstrated the foregoing successes.