Hertz Fellowship FAQ
We want your Hertz Fellowship application to be a positive and motivating experience. We hope these answers help.
If you need further assistance with your application, please email us at fellowshipinfo@hertzfoundation.org. We're happy to make sure you understand the process and are able to submit your best application.
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Eligibility
- Who is eligible to apply for a Hertz Fellowship?
- Do you offer fellowships to non-United States citizens?
- Can I apply after my first year of graduate school?
- I have a master's degree. Do I apply as a first-year graduate student, or does my time in a master’s program count as graduate work in my application?
- Can I reapply if I’m not offered a fellowship?
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Who is eligible to apply for a Hertz Fellowship?
Who is eligible to apply for a Hertz Fellowship?
Applicants must be college seniors, first-year graduate students, or individuals in a gap year preparing to apply to graduate school, who intend to pursue a PhD in the applied physical and biological sciences, mathematics, or engineering. Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States. We ask all applicants to make a moral commitment to make their skills available to the United States in times of national emergency.
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Do you offer fellowships to non-United States citizens?
Do you offer fellowships to non-United States citizens?
Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States. For non-citizens, we require proof of application for citizenship or a permanent resident card.
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Can I apply after my first year of graduate school?
Can I apply after my first year of graduate school?
We generally do not award fellowships to students after their first year of graduate school, except in rare cases where the fellowship will make an exceptional difference in the kind, quality, or creativity of the applicant’s graduate research. There have been only two such cases in the last 10 years.
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I have a master's degree. Do I apply as a first-year graduate student, or does my time in a master’s program count as graduate work in my application?
I have a master's degree. Do I apply as a first-year graduate student, or does my time in a master’s program count as graduate work in my application?
If your master's degree is in a different field than you propose in your application, or if your graduate institution will consider you a first year graduate student, then you can apply as a first year graduate student. If your master’s degree is in the same field as you propose in your application, then it will count as graduate work for this application.
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Can I reapply if I’m not offered a fellowship?
Can I reapply if I’m not offered a fellowship?
Yes, you can reapply. When reapplying, it’s important to show the progress you’ve made in the time since you submitted your previous application.
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Participating Schools
- How can I add my school to the list of participating schools?
- If I receive a fellowship, can I use it at any participating school, even if it was not listed as the first choice on my application?
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How can I add my school to the list of participating schools?
How can I add my school to the list of participating schools?
If you’re awarded a fellowship, you may request to have your school added to the list of participating schools. We’ll evaluate your request to determine if the school is located in the United States and whether the quality and breadth of education in your field of interest meet our standards of excellence.
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If I receive a fellowship, can I use it at any participating school, even if it was not listed as the first choice on my application?
If I receive a fellowship, can I use it at any participating school, even if it was not listed as the first choice on my application?
When your fellowship is awarded, you will have the opportunity to make a final decision about the school you'd like to attend. It is possible to transfer your fellowship to a different school during your graduate work. At that time, you may also petition for your desired school to be added to the list of participating schools, if necessary.
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Essay Questions
- Can I upload multiple documents to my application?
- Is there a word limit for my essay?
- What is the foundation looking for in my personal essay?
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Can I upload multiple documents to my application?
Can I upload multiple documents to my application?
The application will allow you to upload multiple documents. Please limit the size to five megabytes per document.
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Is there a word limit for my essay?
Is there a word limit for my essay?
There is no word limit. Your essay in its entirety will be included in your application.
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What is the foundation looking for in my personal essay?
What is the foundation looking for in my personal essay?
We want you to reveal your creativity beyond your research. This could be your favorite extracurricular activity, a leadership experience, or anything else that gives us a better sense of what makes you who you are.
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Letters of Recommendation
- Can I submit letters of recommendation that do not use the Hertz Foundation format?
- Can I submit more than four letters of recommendation?
- Will you accept letters of recommendation after the deadline?
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Can I submit letters of recommendation that do not use the Hertz Foundation format?
Can I submit letters of recommendation that do not use the Hertz Foundation format?
We expect that all of your letters of recommendations will use our format. Please register your four references using the online application.
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Can I submit more than four letters of recommendation?
Can I submit more than four letters of recommendation?
Yes, you can submit more than four letters of recommendation. However, any additional letters must be submitted as supplemental information and will not carry as much weight as your primary four references.
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Will you accept letters of recommendation after the deadline?
Will you accept letters of recommendation after the deadline?
Yes, we will continue to accept letters of recommendations after the deadline. However, applications will be reviewed whether or not we have received all letters.
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Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
- Are GRE scores required to apply for a fellowship?
- May I submit GRE scores for a test that I plan to take after the application deadline?
- I received a score range rather than a score at the GRE test. Should I enter that range in my application?
- I am currently an MD/PhD student beginning my PhD. As a joint student, my MCAT scores were used for both my MD and PhD admissions, and I never took the GRE. Can I use my MCAT scores instead?
- I applied for the fellowship last year and had the Educational Testing Service (ETS) send my scores to the foundation. Can I reuse those scores, or do I need to have ETS send them again?
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Are GRE scores required to apply for a fellowship?
Are GRE scores required to apply for a fellowship?
The GRE is optional. We will accept GRE Subject Test scores but do not require them. To send us your scores, use the foundation's code: #4366.
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May I submit GRE scores for a test that I plan to take after the application deadline?
May I submit GRE scores for a test that I plan to take after the application deadline?
If you choose to submit GRE scores, we can accept your scores after the application deadline. Initial interview decisions will be made in early November. If we have not received your GRE scores by then, your file will be reviewed without them.
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I received a score range rather than a score at the GRE test. Should I enter that range in my application?
I received a score range rather than a score at the GRE test. Should I enter that range in my application?
Yes, enter the score or range information you receive at the test.
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I am currently an MD/PhD student beginning my PhD. As a joint student, my MCAT scores were used for both my MD and PhD admissions, and I never took the GRE. Can I use my MCAT scores instead?
I am currently an MD/PhD student beginning my PhD. As a joint student, my MCAT scores were used for both my MD and PhD admissions, and I never took the GRE. Can I use my MCAT scores instead?
MD/PhD students may submit their MCAT scores in place of GRE scores if they never took the GRE.
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I applied for the fellowship last year and had the Educational Testing Service (ETS) send my scores to the foundation. Can I reuse those scores, or do I need to have ETS send them again?
I applied for the fellowship last year and had the Educational Testing Service (ETS) send my scores to the foundation. Can I reuse those scores, or do I need to have ETS send them again?
Unless you’ve taken additional tests, we have your previous scores and do not require you to resend them.
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General Application
- When will the new application be available?
- I’m having problems with the online application. How can I get help?
- What qualifies as an upper division course?
- I’m a first-year graduate student, and my school does not provide transcripts until after the first semester is completed. What should I submit?
- How do I submit my transcripts?
- When will I hear back about my application?
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When will the new application be available?
When will the new application be available?
The Hertz Fellowship application season opens in August each year.
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I’m having problems with the online application. How can I get help?
I’m having problems with the online application. How can I get help?
Please email us with any questions or concerns regarding the application at fellowshipinfo@hertzfoundation.org.
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What qualifies as an upper division course?
What qualifies as an upper division course?
Every university defines upper division courses somewhat differently. Please use your best judgement to detail any courses that you feel are upper division.
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I’m a first-year graduate student, and my school does not provide transcripts until after the first semester is completed. What should I submit?
I’m a first-year graduate student, and my school does not provide transcripts until after the first semester is completed. What should I submit?
You don’t need to send transcripts unless your grades have been posted. If your graduate school transcripts are not available, we only require your undergraduate transcripts.
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How do I submit my transcripts?
How do I submit my transcripts?
Upload your transcripts using the online application. We accept unofficial transcripts in your initial application. If selected as a finalist, we’ll ask you to submit your official transcripts.
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When will I hear back about my application?
When will I hear back about my application?
The first round of interviewees are selected by early November. You should hear from us regarding your application status by mid-November.
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Other Awards
- If I am awarded both a Hertz fellowship and a fellowship, scholarship or grant from another institution, do I need to turn down the other offer in order to accept the Hertz fellowship?
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If I am awarded both a Hertz fellowship and a fellowship, scholarship or grant from another institution, do I need to turn down the other offer in order to accept the Hertz fellowship?
If I am awarded both a Hertz fellowship and a fellowship, scholarship or grant from another institution, do I need to turn down the other offer in order to accept the Hertz fellowship?
No, you don’t need to turn down the other offer. We coordinate with a variety of institutions, including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship, to make sure you can take advantage of both offers and receive the maximum possible compensation. You may also defer your fellowship if you are awarded a grant, such as a Fulbright grant, or a scholarship, such as a Rhodes Scholarship, Churchill Scholarship or Marshall Scholarship.
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Apply for the Hertz Fellowship
What could you do with the freedom to innovate? Our application period opens August 2020.