Here's a look at some of the basics about full-tuition scholarships at some of the leading MBA programs
by Alison Damast
One of the management education world's greatest secrets is the wide variety of full-tuition fellowship programs at business schools. There are more than you might think—University of Virgina's Darden School of Business, for example, offers 61 full-tuition fellowships—and it is well worth taking the time to look into them during the application process. It could save you a cool $150,000, the average price for a two-year education at a top business school. We've rounded up some of the top schools' full-tuition fellowship programs, along with how to apply for them.
School: California Berkeley (Haas)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Haas Merit Scholarship; Haas Achievement Award; Maxwell Fellowship; White Fellowship
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: 14
How to apply: Automatic for Haas Merit Scholarships and White Fellowships; Haas Achievement Award requires optional essay as part of the application; the Maxwell Fellowship has a separate application.
Special requirements: Students must remain in good academic standing.
School: Carnegie Mellon (Tepper)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Dean's Scholarship; Consortium Fellowship
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: Not available
How to apply: Dean's Scholarship automatic consideration; Consortium application
School: U. of Chicago
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: The Dennis W. and Jane B. Carlton Fellowship; The Distinguished Fellows Program; The Wallman Fellowship; The David W. Fox Fellowship
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: 11
How to apply: Most admitted applicants are automatically considered at the time of the appliation, but many have additional interviews that are required as part of the final selection process.
Special requirements: All of the fellowships have a mentoring component, whether corporate or alumni. The Distiniguished Fellows are mentored by a professor.
School: Columbia
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Feldberg Fellowship; Kopf Fellowship; Project Charity Trust; Alexander Bodini Real Estate Fellowship; Margaret B. Greenawalt Scholarship Fund; Mario Gabelli Fellowship; Goldman Sachs Foundation; Heilbrunn Fellowship; Various Corporate Fellowships
Number of full-tuitiion scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: About 25
How to apply: Automatically considered
School: Cornell (Johnson)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Park Leadership Fellows
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: Up to 25
How to apply: Separate application
Special requirements: Participate in leadership curriculum, attend Park Speaker events, and complete a service project.
School: Duke (Fuqua)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Keller Scholarship
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: About 25
How to apply: All admitted applicants considered
School: Harvard
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: HBS Fellowship Program
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: 25
How to apply: Complete and submit financial aid application upon admission to Harvard Business School.
Special requirements: Scholarships are awarded based on financial need.
School: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Dean's Fellowships
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded: 10-12
How to apply: Automatically considered by the Admissions Committee
Special requirements: Maintain minimum GPA requirement during the four semesters.
School: University of Michigan (Ross)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship:Ross Fellowships; Consortium Fellowships
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded: Approx. 45
How to apply: All applicants automatically considered for the Ross Fellowship; all applicants who through the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management (CGSM) are automatically considered for the Consortium Fellowship.
Special requirements: None
School: New York University (Stern)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Consortium Fellowships and Dean's Scholarships
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: 42
How to apply: Automatically considered
School: Pennsylvania (Wharton)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Howard E. Mitchell Fellowship
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: 10
How to apply: Selection for the fellowships are made by a fellowship committee based on personal background, academic and extracurricular achievements, leadership, community involvement, strong interpersonal skills, integrity, and their response to the essay question. Admitted student who fits the criteria for the fellowship must complete a separate financial aid application.
Special requirements: The Office of External Affairs requires a one-page résumé and a one-page biography. This information is shared with the companies that financially support the Howard E. Mitchell Fellowship program. Also, the 10 recipients will be a part of a large network and leadership program with other Mitchell Fellows and alumni.
School: Stanford
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Charles P. Bonini Partnership for Diversity Fellowship; Mohammed bin Rashid Fellows Program; Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowship, all outside merit-based fellowships. The school also offers fellowships through their financial aid office based solely on financial need.
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: Not available
How to apply: All have a separate application process and requirements.
Special requirements: The Bonini fellowship requires an internship.
School: U. of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Carolyn and Harold Anderson MBA Premier Fellowship; Bank of America MBA Fellowship; The Thomas M. Belk MBA Fellowship; Thomas W. Hudson, Jr. MBA Fellowship; Richard H. Jenrette Fellowship; Jay Edward Klompmaker MBA Fellowship; Peter G.C. Mallinson MBA Fellowship; The Michaux Family MBA Premier Fellowship for Real Estate Students; Tiger Fellowship; Consortium Fellowship; Forte Fellowship; Kenan-Flagler Business School FellowshipNumber of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: 20How to apply: Automatically considered, except Consortium Fellowships which require a target="_blank">separate application to the Consortium for Graduate Study in ManagementSpecial requirements: Maintain academic eligibility
School: UCLA (Anderson)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Dean's Fellowships
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: Not available
How to apply: Either at time of decision or separate application
Special requirements: Maintain academic eligibility
School: Virgina (Darden)
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: Darden Jefferson Fellowship; Batten Entrepreneurial Scholarship; Batten Innovation Scholarship; Batten Media Scholarship; Batten Technology Scholarship; Class of 1957 Charles Abbott Scholarship; Darden Foundation Trustee Scholarship; Darden School Foundation Consortium Fellowship; Darden School Foundation Scholarship; IRC International Scholarship; Robert E. Lamb II Scholarship; Robert E. Lamb II Dean's Scholarship; Landmark Communications Scholarship; Pendleton Scholarship
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: 61
How to apply: All admitted applicants considered, excepted for the Batten Media Scholarship, which requires a separate application. Students who are considered for the Jefferson Fellowship must come to the school for an interview.
Special requirements: The only fellowship with a requirement is the Jefferson Fellowship, which requires students to do a research paper.
School: Yale
Name of full-tuition scholarship/fellowship: The Laura Cha (Shi Mei Lun) Scholarship; Gordon and Betty Moore Fellowship; Consortium Fellowship
Number of full-tuition scholarships awarded to 2008 entering class: 11
How to apply: All applicants considered for merit scholarships; Consortium application
Special requirements: Gordon and Betty Moore Fellowship: After graduation, grantees agree to work for at least three years in environmental or conservation organizations in the Andes-Amazon region.
