Gradhop

Thanks for the insight into the Gates community - very helpful.

Thanks for the reply and context. I have always been told that by far the most important thing when choosing a PhD programme is not the money, but the supervisor, as this can make or break your experience. But if I understand you correctly, the Gates community can make up for a less than stellar supervisor? By less than stellar, I mean a supervisor that offers limited contact hours and exposure to career enhancing opportunities. ETA: Going over my original post, I can see how it might have been implied that money, not supervision, was the contending factor and should have used the phrase "*equally* generous funding" instead.

Is winning the Gates scholarship a good reason for choosing Cambridge over another top, non-Oxbridge university with a generous funding offer? For instance, would the benefits of the Gates outweigh the potential of working with a less enthusiastic supervisor at Cambridge compared to more keen supervisors at another uni? PS: no, I am not in this predicament, just curious about how people choose given the short time winners have to accept/reject.

Reviving (?) this thread to share some words of encouragement about rejection for any future applicants who might be lurking. Please do not be dismayed if rejected for the Gates- all hope at funding is not lost! As stated earlier in this thread, the Gates panel have specific characteristics that they look out for and these traits can be observed in the bios of the scholars selected ( significant leadership experience with most scholars having established an organisation of some sort ). Rejection from the Gates does not mean you do not have a competitive application for other awards, it just means that you are not a fit for this particular award (notwithstanding the limited number of awards available) and that's perfectly okay. Be sure to apply for numerous funding opportunities including ones where you feel you've narrowly missed the eligibility criteria eg. selecting so and so college as a first choice preference. I hope this helps someone out there, I know I would have loved to read something like this during my application phase. All the best and congrats to the amazing new cohort. I look forward to starting my studies in October.?

Ditto! At last the wait is finally over! Well done to everyone. Don't feel too down about the rejection. I have followed the stories of some Gates Scholars/alums and discovered that they didn't even get shortlisted the first time they applied! I think if we're all good enough to get into Cambridge - one of the best institutions in the world - then we're equally good enough to go out and do some great things in the world. Good luck to everyone here who got an invite. I'm rooting for you all!

What panel btw? @luiswel

SO HAPPY FOR YOU! GOOD LUCK!

Just going out here on an optimistic limb. I have an inkling that emails are split between PhD and MPhil candidates. So far, all the invitees I've seen seem to be doing a degree that leads to a doctorate ( @keti and @gradapp2048 might just prove me wrong though as I am unaware of their degree status). Also, if all those shortlisted are PhD candidates then those who fail to respond by Monday, directly affect the number of MPhil candidates that the Gates can sponsor. Just a thought as I linger in this limbo of whether Cambridge will be more than just a dream for me or a reality come October ? UPDATE : Theory debunked by MPhil applicant on results page who received a Gates' email on Friday.

Ah Congratulations! Good luck with the interview! I assume all successful candidates within the social sciences would have been notified around the same time. If that's the case, then I guess I did not make it but at least the wait is finally over. Fingers crossed for the rest of ya!!

Hi, I also emailed my department sometime in January. They told me that they were not allowed to tell me if I had been put forward for the Gates as "ultimately the decision lies with the University". I too, did not know what they meant by this but I decided to let it go. We're now in March after all, so the grueling wait is almost over. Best of luck to you and to us all.

Thank you for the reply! I wish you all the best in Cambridge and in your future endeavours ?

CONGRATULATIONS!! I have been lurking for a while and I am so happy for you! Would you mind sharing your profile with us- you can be as vague as possible to cling to your anonymity I'm most particularly interested in your GPA/ rank of your institution and any extra curricular or work experience you might have had. Congratulations again!