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.

General Application

  • When does the application become available, and what is the deadline?
  • What is the fellowship selection timeline?
  • I’m having problems with the online application. How can I get help?
  • When will I hear back about the status of my application?
  • Does the application require a research project proposal?

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'm an MD/PhD student. When should I apply?
  • Are part-time students eligible?
  • I am currently a master's student. Does my time in the master’s program count as graduate years in my application?
  • Can I reapply if I’m not offered a fellowship?
  • Does the fellowship support students completing a PhD at a school outside the United States?

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?

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?

References (aka Recommenders)

  • Can I submit supplemental letters of recommendation that do not use the Hertz Foundation format?
  • Can I submit more than four references (recommenders)?
  • Why does the application require reference forms versus letters of recommendation?
  • How do I submit information for my references (recommenders)?
  • When will my references (recommenders) be notified?
  • What tips do you have for choosing references (recommenders)?
  • At what point during the application should I notify my four references (recommenders)?
  • What is the deadline for submitting the four recommender evaluations?
  • Will you accept recommender’s completed evaluations after the deadline?

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'm 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?

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?

Transcripts and Course Verification

  • How do I submit my transcripts?
  • 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?
  • What qualifies as an upper division course?
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