The Wexner Foundation > Wexner Fellows/Davidson Scholars

The application for the 2012-13 academic year is now closed.

The Wexner Graduate Fellowship/Davidson Scholars Program seeks to strengthen professional Jewish leadership in North America. All Wexner Graduate Fellows and Davidson Scholars make a commitment to serve in the North American Jewish community as a Jewish professional.

Fellowships [see General Information and Awards for details] are awarded to outstanding candidates with a strong personal commitment to the Jewish community, who have demonstrated excellence in academic achievement, and who possess the potential to provide outstanding professional leadership that will shape the future of Jewish communal life in North America.

All are encouraged to apply, irrespective of denominational affiliation, gender, racial or ethnic origin, disability or sexual orientation. Please note that the Wexner Graduate Fellowship/Davidson Scholars Program honors the admissions policies of participating educational institutions.

Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible to apply for the Wexner Graduate Fellowship/Davidson Scholars Program a candidate must be entering (and not already matriculated in) a degree granting graduate program starting in the Summer or Fall of 2012*, based in North America, that will allow him/her to pursue a career as a professional Jewish leader in North America and commit to doing so. Applicants who are not citizens of United States, Canada or Mexico must have documentation that allows them to study and to work in that country. Applicants must be between the ages of 21 and 40 upon entering their graduate program.

*If your program begins at a different time please contact the Director of the Graduate Fellowship Program to determine eligibility.

Application Instructions for the 2012-13 academic year:

The application process for the Wexner Graduate Fellowship and for Davidson Scholars is one and the same. Davidson Scholars are also considered Wexner Fellows in the fields of Jewish Education and Jewish Professional Leadership. The selection process is conducted under the auspices of The Wexner Foundation.

All applicants are required to submit the following in addition to the on-line application directly to:

The Wexner Foundation
Office of the Graduate Fellowship Program
8000 Walton Parkway, Suite 110
New Albany, OH 43054
after Monday, October 24, 2011
and by February 9, 2012 at 12:00 PM (EST)

We recommend that you submit your application at least several days in advance of the deadline to allow for any technical complications that might arise on your computer.

1. Academic transcripts (undergraduate and, if applicable, graduate). Official transcripts must be received by The Foundation stamped with the college or university seal; photocopies will not be accepted.

2. Scores from the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (Institution #3134). If any of the programs to which you are applying require the GRE or other standardized graduate test then you must sumbit your scores as part of your application. If none of your schools require the GRE or a standardized test then you do not need to submit them to The Wexner Foundation.

You may schedule to take the GRE by computer any Monday - Saturday with Prometric at http://www.prometric.com/GRE/default.htm or (800) 473-2255. Fellowship applicants can call 866-473-4373 to request that their scores be sent to the Wexner Foundation if unavailable on-line. For other tests, the applicant must send an unopened test score transcript directly to:

Linda Smith
The Wexner Foundation
8000 Walton Parkway #110
New Albany, OH 43054

Alternative tests that your graduate program requires (GMAT, MCAT, or LSAT) may be substituted for the GRE. Please contact Or Mars, the Director of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship/Davidson Scholars Program regarding this matter.

3. Three letters of recommendation (available for electronic transmission to your identified referees through the website), with at least one from an academic instructor who has worked closely with the applicant and one from a supervisor who is well-acquainted with the applicant and his or her experience in a professional or volunteer setting. No more than three leters will be accepted.

4. A confirmation of application (or acceptance letter) from the graduate institution(s) the applicant intends to attend. Please note that fellowships will not be formalized until there is official documentation that a candidate has been accepted into the program designated for his or her career preparation. You do not need to be accepted to your graduate institution at the time you submit your application to The Wexner Foundation.

5. Jewish Studies applicants are asked to submit copies of funding or fellowship offers from graduate institutions or other sources if such an offer is extended prior to our interviews.

Interviews and Selection of Fellows for the Academic Year 2012-2013

Finalists are required to participate in personal interviews at the Foundation's expense. Those selected to appear before the selection committee will be contacted by e-mail (unless otherwise instructed) in mid-March. Interviews will be conducted on April 1, 2, 3, and 4, 2012 in New York City. Finalists who do not live in New York City will be brought to the interview at the Foundation's expense. Finalists who are living outside of North America will be interviewed via video conference. All finalists must inform the committee at this interview which graduate program he/she will be attending starting Summer or Fall 2012.

The selection of Fellows is made by the Wexner Graduate Fellowship/Davidson Scholars Committee which is composed of leading academicians and professionals who are committed to the fields encompassed by the program.

Any candidate accepted as a Wexner Fellow/Davidson Scholar must attend an orientation session near Baltimore, MD on May 7-9, 2012 at the Foundation’s expense. All Fellows are also required to attend the Summer Institute, August 19-24, 2012 and all subsequent winter and summer institutes.

If you have any questions regarding the fellowship please do not hesitate to contact Or Mars, Director of the Wexner Graduate Fellows/Davidson Scholars Program at omars@wexner.net. If you have questions about the application process please contact Linda Smith at lsmith@wexner.net.

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