What is the Mitchell Scholars Program? What does it mean to be a scholar through this program? Answering these questions is the purpose of our post today. Let’s get straight to it.
Program Purpose and Origination
The Mitchell Scholars Program, also known as George J. Mitchell Scholarship is a scholarship program for a very niche and small group of students. The intent of this scholarship program is to foster a high level of multicultural awareness and experience between those in America and the island of Ireland. This is achieved via the program’s administration of student travels from the US to Ireland for study.
Irish relations are the main focus of the scholarship because it is offered exclusively by the US-Ireland Alliance. The namesake of the scholarship, George J. Mitchell was a notable senator. In addition, Mitchell was a staunch advocate for the advancement of US-Irish alliances and relationships.
Candidate Criteria
In order to become a considered candidate for this scholarship, you must apply directly to the US-Ireland Alliance. Anyone can apply, but few have exactly what it takes in order to win one of the twelve scholarships awarded here annually. According to the alliance, decisions are based simply on a set of three, basic criteria.
First, the candidate must be of high standing in grade point average and all other areas of scholastic activity. Without the highest marks, acceptance is highly unlikely. Next, the candidate must display a provable history of leadership skills and qualities. Finally, the third requirement is that of public service excellence. One must be able to irrefutably show a history of community involvement, passion, and works. Excellence in these three areas are what the alliance looks for.
Placement
When scholarship is awarded, the school will then work with the student in order to achieve the most ideal school placement. The two territories in which students may be schooled are the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Within these, there are currently nine, excellent universities that serve as schooling destinations for all scholarship recipients.
Let’s take a brief look at a few of the scholarship-accompanying schools.
Trinity College, Dublin
Located just outside of historic Dublin’s walls, Trinity College is over 400 years old, having been established in 1592. The school has three specialties which it professes: arts, humanities, and social science, engineering, math, and science, and finally, health sciences. Outside of academics, the school is well-known for its rich culture in self-governance, clubs, societies, and more.
University of Ulster
The University of Ulster is another esteemed school the Mitchell scholarship directs students to. Founded in 1865, the university has campuses in Belfast, Magee, and several other locations nearby. Students attending here are privy to an excellent education in a wide variety of areas including arts, business, engineering, management, information technology, and several others.
In addition to these two, great schools, there are seven others in total affiliated with the scholarship. These are:
- University of Limerick
- University College Cork
- National University of Ireland, Galway
- National University of Ireland, Maynooth
- University College Dublin
- Dublin City University
- Queen’s University Belfast
In the end, a student that has been awarded this prestigious and rare scholarship will enjoy an excellent college education and cultural experience abroad. This article only serves to provide the very basics of this coveted scholarship program. For more detailed information on the Mitchell Scholars Program, you are encouraged to visit the official scholarship website.
See also: 50 Great Schools Where High School Students Can Get College Credit
