Marshall Scholarship

Objectives

In a letter to the first class of Marshall Scholars, George Marshall echoed his own words in initially presenting his ideas for European recovery by saying,

A close accord between our two countries is essential to the good of mankind in this turbulent world of today, and that is not possible without an intimate understanding of each other. These scholarships point the way to the continuation and growth of the understanding which found its necessity in the terrible struggle of the war years.

The published objectives of the Marshall Scholarships are outlined as follows:

1. To enable intellectually distinguished young Americans, their country's future leaders, to study in the UK.
2. To help scholars gain an understanding and appreciation of contemporary Britain.
3. To contribute to the advancement of knowledge in science, technology, the humanities and social sciences and the creative arts at Britain's centres of academic excellence.
4. To motivate scholars to act as ambassadors from the USA to the UK and vice versa throughout their lives thus strengthening British American understanding.
5. To promote the personal and academic fulfilment of each scholar.

History

Plans to establish "Marshall Scholarships" as a living memorial to Secretary of State George Marshall were announced by British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden on July 31, 1952, and were enacted by the Parliament of the United Kingdom when the Marshall Aid Commemoration Act was passed in 1953. The act's passage was backed by "leaders of all political hues," with British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin describing the scholarship's establishment as "a great opportunity for Europe." From its establishment, the Marshall Scholarship has been open to both men and women, while the Rhodes Scholarship which inspired it only became open to women beginning in 1977 following the passage of the British Sex Discrimination Act in 1975.

In 1959, when Parliament doubled the number of scholars from 12 to 24, British politician Philip Noel-Baker argued that "Marshall, more than perhaps any other man, destroyed isolation in the United States and built up the conception that only collective security through international institutions can save the world...I think the world has never seen an act of greater national generosity than Marshall aid and the other aid which the United States has given to other continents throughout the last 15 years." By 1960, six years after their establishment, the scholarship was "on its way to becoming as well-known and respected as the fellow phrase, "Rhodes [Scholarship]," and both scholarships attracted roughly 500 to 600 applicants.

As part of the celebrations for the 50th Anniversary of the Marshall Scholarships in 2003, Marshall Medals were awarded to a group of distinguished Americans in recognition of their contributions to US-UK relations, including Justice Stephen Breyer (1959 Marshall Scholar), Dr. Ray Dolby (1957 Marshall Scholar), Thomas L. Friedman (1975 Marshall Scholar), and former President of Duke University Nannerl Keohane (1961 Marshall Scholar).

The number of scholars was increased to 30 in 1973, 40 in 1991, and between 2004-2007 "up to 44". In 2010, the Commission decided to offer a limited number of one year awards. In 2016, the Foreign Office announced that 40 scholars had been selected, a 25% increase over the originally planned 32, with Foreign Office Minister Alok Sharma calling it a demonstration of how "resolute Britain is in its commitment to the special relationship."

In the early years of the Marshall Scholarship, it was common for new Scholars to travel together to the UK via cruise ship, but now Scholars are usually flown together to London from Washington, D.C. following a welcome program with top US and UK government and diplomatic officials.

Selection, selectivity, and academic destinations

Prospective applicants must first be endorsed by their universities to apply. The selection process is then coordinated through the eight major British embassy/consulate regions in the United States (Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.). Selection committees in each region, consisting of former Scholars and other distinguished individuals, receive university-endorsed applications (including personal statements and essays) which are used to select a short list of candidates for interviews. Each committee then interviews each of the regional finalists prior to making the final decisions on the year's awards. In 2014, 16% of university-endorsed applicants received an interview.

Although most of the responsibility for selecting the recipients is in the hands of the committees, a few formal guidelines have been outlined in the official selection criteria, most notably:

As future leaders, with a lasting understanding of British society, Marshall Scholars will strengthen the enduring relationship between the British and American peoples, their governments and their institutions. Marshall Scholars are talented, independent and wide-ranging in their interests, and their time as Scholars will enhance their intellectual and personal growth. Their direct engagement with Britain through its best academic programmes will contribute to their ultimate personal success. In appointing Scholars the selectors will look for distinction of intellect and character as evidenced both by their scholastic attainments and by their other activities and achievements. Preference will be given to candidates who display a potential to make a significant contribution to their own society. Selectors will also look for strong motivation and seriousness of purpose, including the presentation of a specific and realistic academic programme.

Selectivity

Between 900 and 1000 students are typically endorsed to apply for the Marshall Scholarship annually, with 979 applying in 2014 (compared to 857 for the American Rhodes Scholarship, and 924 for the UK Fulbright Program), of whom 3.4% were ultimately selected. In 2015, 3.2% of university-endorsed applicants to the Marshall Scholarship were elected.

The Marshall selection committees place a strong emphasis on academic achievement and potential, and as such the application requires a minimum GPA of 3.7. Successful applicants, however, typically have much higher GPAs: more than half of applicants have perfect academic records. Winners from Harvard University have had average GPAs of 3.92, and Stanford University recommends that applicants have a GPA of 3.8 or above. In comparison, winners of the Rhodes Scholarship from Harvard have had an average GPA of 3.8.

Between 1954 and 2013, 239 of 1818 scholars received their undergraduate degrees from Harvard University (13%), 126 from Princeton, 108 from Yale, 83 from Stanford, and 60 from MIT. The most successful public university is the US Military Academy at West Point, with 34 scholars, followed by the University of California at Berkeley, with 28 scholars. Of the 548 scholars elected between 2000 and 2013, 30 were from Harvard and Stanford (5%), 26 from Princeton, 21 from Yale, and 17 from MIT, the US Military Academy at West Point, and the US Naval Academy.

Academic destinations

Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, UCL, Edinburgh, KCL and Imperial always dominate the list of preferred university selected by both the endorsed and actually interviewed Marshall Scholarship applicants throughout the years 2005 to 2016. With SOAS and LSHTM sometimes also being highly preferred.

These 9 institutions almost always tend to form the dominant block of the destination of eventually selected Scholars. That said, Scholars have attended a wide range of universities throughout the UK, many of which are ranked among the best in the world.

In 2015, there were 69 Marshall Scholars in residence at British universities including those who were selected for the classes of 2012, 2013, and 2014. During this time, there were 27 Scholars at University of Oxford, 17 at the University of London (including 5 each at the London School of Economics and King's College London, and 1 at University College London), 13 at the University of Cambridge, and 4 at Imperial College London. Of these scholars, 46 were studying Arts and Social Sciences while 23 were studying Science, Engineering or Mathematics.

Comparison to other post-graduate scholarships

The Marshall Scholarship is more selective than the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, Gates Cambridge Scholarship, Mitchell Scholarship, UK Fulbright Program and is marginally more selective than the American Rhodes Scholarship.

In structure and selection criteria, the Scholarship is most similar to the American Rhodes Scholarship and Fulbright Program. Like the Fulbright available for study in the United Kingdom, Marshall Scholars can study at any university in the UK. However, under the Fulbright, applicants compete in separate pools for 43 specified universities of varying selectivity, except for two awards tenable at any university.

In structure, the Marshall Scholarship is more flexible than the Rhodes Scholarship, in that Marshall Scholars can study at any British university, and can also attend a different university each year during a Scholar's tenure. In addition, a limited number of one-year Marshall scholarships are available. Unlike Rhodes Scholars, Marshall Scholars must be American citizens (in comparison, approximately 80 Rhodes Scholarships are given annually to citizens of over a dozen countries). In process, the Marshall Scholarship is marginally more selective than the Rhodes Scholarship, electing 3.4% of university-endorsed applicants in 2014, compared to 3.7% for the Rhodes. In addition, the selection processes differ in the difficulty with which it is to secure a final round interview: in 2014, 15.9% of university-endorsed applicants for the Marshall Scholarship received a finalist interview, compared to 24% of Rhodes applicants.

While the selection committees continues to emphasize academic potential, over time "the Marshall program has become more Rhodes-like, stating that it is seeking persons who also demonstrate leadership potential." In general, "nearly all Rhodes Scholars are willing to admit that, by and large, the Marshalls are superior if one looks just at grade point averages and other signs of academic achievement," but this is a point of both "admiration" and "disdain." Walter Isaacson, describing Rhodes Scholars as "fairly intelligent, well-rounded, honest people who could be counted on to be upstanding citizens," has said that "the real geniuses...were the Marshall Scholars," perhaps because of the expectation that Rhodes Scholars be "all-rounders." In practice, the Marshall and Rhodes have engaged an "informal rivalry," but in career trajectory after the completion of their fellowships, "the line between [the fellowships] is not so evident," with scholars pursuing similar fields with similar success. In general, a higher percentage of Marshall Scholars "go on to careers in academe and research, whereas Rhodes Scholars are more evenly scattered through the full range of professional occupations."