Year By Year Timeline

USC awards and external fellowships require significant time, energy, and support. Our office offers the suggested timeline to serve as a general guide throughout your first, second, third, and fourth years, and post-graduate. The earlier you begin the better but most external opportunities have application deadlines during junior and senior years.

Each year offers suggested steps to grow your portfolio of experience and reflect on right-fit opportunities as well as suggestions for awards to consider pursuing. Once you have explored our online resources, feel free to request an appointment with a fellowships advisor online to begin preparing for the application process.

First Year

Spend your first year creating a strong foundation in academics, extracurricular activities, and research.

Second Year

Consider short-term opportunities for internship, study abroad, language study, and more to prepare you for future applications to other fellowships, graduate school, and jobs.

Third Year

Many fellowship deadlines are within third and fourth year. Continue research, extracurricular activities, leadership roles, community engagement, relationships with faculty, and an excellent academic record.

Fourth Year

Many fellowship deadlines fall in third and fourth year. Skills developed through applying for fellowships will translate to graduate school and professional job applications as well as intentional self-reflection on long-term goals.

Alumni & Graduate Students

There are select opportunities under AHF applicable to current graduate students and/or recent alumni (in most cases, up to three years postgraduate). Alumni and graduate students are also encouraged to search for other fellowships using the USC Awards and Fellowships Database.

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