Rhodes scholarships

Rhodes Scholarships are for young leaders of outstanding intellect and character who are motivated to engage with global challenges, committed to the service of others and show promise of becoming value-driven, principled leaders for the world’s future.

Eligibility criteria

a. Nationality/citizenship: You must be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada. Applications from refugees/asylum seekers currently residing in Canada will also be considered in this constituency. Students attending a Canadian university on a student visa are not eligible to apply through the Canadian constituency; however, they may be eligible to apply through a different jurisdiction. Please consult the Rhodes Scholarship website for further details.

b. Residency: You must be domiciled in Canada.

c. Age: You must meet either of the below criteria:

i. You must be aged 18-23 on 1^st October 2026 (i.e. you must have been born after 1 October 2002 and before 2 October 2008).

OR (for older candidates who completed their first undergraduate degree later than usual)

ii. You must be under the age of 27 on 1^st October 2026 (i.e. have been born after 1 October 1999) AND you must also have completed your first undergraduate degree on or after 1 October 2025.

d. Academic achievement: You must have completed an undergraduate degree (usually a Bachelor’s) by July 2027, and you must have an academic background and grade that - at a minimum - meets or exceeds the specific entry requirements of your chosen course at the University of Oxford.

Candidates will have a higher chance of successful admission to Oxford if they have:

• A First Class Honours Degree or equivalent, or,
• A GPA of 3.70/4.0 or higher

e. English language proficiency: If English is not your first language, you must check that you meet Oxford University's English language requirements at the higher level.

Please see the Scholarships area of the Rhodes Trust website for full details at www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/scholarships/the-rhodes-scholarship.

Value

The Rhodes scholarship covers tuition and provides an annual stipend covering living expenses for study at the University of Oxford.

For more details, please consult Rhodes' website.

Timeline and selection process at the University of Ottawa – Important dates

Important notice: Late and/or incomplete applications will not be submitted to the Office of the President for a letter of nomination.

Rhodes Scholarship – uOttawa Internal Selection

The University of Ottawa conducts an internal selection process to identify candidates who will be nominated to the national Rhodes Scholarship competition.

Internal selection process

Candidates selected through the internal process will receive an official letter of nomination from the Office of the President of the University of Ottawa. This letter is required to proceed to the national competition.

Candidates must apply through Online Scholarships and Bursaries portal, which can be accessed through uoZone

Required documents for the uOttawa internal selection

The following documents are required for the uOttawa internal selection:

• An official transcript from the university at which you are studying, or have studied, showing grades achieved (to date). If your official transcript is not in English, you must submit both (i) the original official document issued by your institution and (ii) an official translation into English;
   
• A full curriculum vitae (CV) which should include specific details about academic qualifications, publications, prizes, scholarships, positions of leadership, employment positions, involvement in student activities, voluntary, community or political activities and any cultural, musical or sporting accomplishments. If you have an ORCID ID, you may wish to include this. Please do not include a photograph in your CV. Your CV should not exceed two letter size pages in length, with a minimum 12 pt font.
   
• You will need to provide a personal statement of no more than 1000 words. The personal statement is your chance to tell your story in your own voice: Who are you? Your academic transcript and academic statement of study, your CV, and your reference letters will provide the substantive detail of your commitments and accomplishments, whereas the personal statement gives you the opportunity to make an authentic statement of who you are.
  
  Guiding Questions:
  
  In your personal statement of up to 1000 words, we ask you to address each of the following guiding questions by weaving them into the narrative of your statement. Your statement should form one cohesive essay, rather than being split into sections to address each question:
  
  1. Which Rhodes Scholar quality do you display most strongly, and how are different contexts and people helping you to develop the other qualities?
  
  2. Drawing on your past experience of community engagement, how do you hope to contribute to and learn from communities at Oxford?
  
  3. From your place in the world, how will you use your energy and talents to address humanity’s pressing challenges?
  
  Every statement is individual; there is no single, “right” model. For over 120 years personal statements have been diverse and ever-changing. Selectors are looking for an original portrait of you as a candidate for the Rhodes Scholarship.
   

• Academic Statement of Study: You will need to write an academic statement (maximum 450 words) presenting a clear and coherent academic plan for the full two years of the Rhodes Scholarship. It should demonstrate to selectors your academic goals, the logic of your course choices, and your preparedness and competitiveness for graduate study at Oxford. Researching and writing this statement will also help you prepare for your application to Oxford, if you are selected.
  
  Your statement should address the following three areas:
  
  1. Academic direction, motivation, and long-term goals: Explain the academic direction you wish to pursue and how this connects to your long-term personal, professional, or research goals. What impact do you ultimately hope to achieve through further study? Why is graduate study at Oxford — and in your chosen field — essential to reaching your goals? This section should convey both your seriousness of intent and your motivation for undertaking this academic path.
  
  2. Course plan and academic trajectory: Discuss each course you have listed and explain:
  • Why each course is academically necessary for your goals
  • How the course(s) fit together as a coherent trajectory
  
  You should demonstrate that you have researched your chosen course(s) carefully and understand their academic focus and structure. Where relevant, you may refer to particular subject areas, options, or departmental strengths that align with your interests.

  For MPhil or DPhil candidates, briefly outline your proposed research area, the department in which you propose to work, and one or more Oxford academics you would like to work with.
  
  3. Preparation and readiness: Demonstrate that you are well prepared for the demands of your proposed course(s). You may want to think about:
  • Relevant academic background, training, or research experience
  • Skills, methods, or specific knowledge relevant to the course(s)
  • For some courses, professional or voluntary experience is expected (check the Entry Requirements tab of the course page for details).
  
  If one of your proposed courses differs significantly from your previous field of study, explain how you are fully prepared for this transition.
   

• Letters of recommendation: We require 3 letters for the uOttawa internal process; however, submitting all 6 letters (if available) will strengthen your application. If you submit only three letters, you must provide the contact information of the three other referees. Letters of recommendation must be sent directly by your referees to [email protected].
  
  You should choose reliable people who are likely to respond to your request for a detailed reference, as their responses will be crucial to your application. Contact and register your referees early, to allow them sufficient time for submission. Remember, a good referee is someone who knows you well, rather than a well-known person who only knows you superficially. Please note that Rhodes Scholarship referees should not normally be personal friends, peers or relatives, or have any other conflict of interest. If a referee fits into one of these categories, they should make the connection clear within the reference.
  
  Academic referees:
  
  • At least three of your referees should be academic referees. These should be academics who have formally taught and graded you in your undergraduate (or, if relevant, postgraduate) studies and who can comment in detail on your academic ability, motivation for your subject, and competitiveness for admission to Oxford University.
  • Note that academic referees are asked to provide an estimated class ranking.
  • Note that academic references can sometimes be re-used later as part of your application to study at the University of Oxford, so it is important that you and your referees bear this in mind.

  
  Character referees:
  
  • You should also nominate at least two character referee(s) who can write in detail about your character and involvement in extra-curricular, service or leadership activities. Character referees should be able to comment critically on whether you fulfil the non-academic selection criteria of the Scholarship.
  
  Submitting References:
  
  • Share the Guidance for Referees document, available on the Rhodes House website, with all referees to help them prepare a strong, tailored reference.
  • Referee should use their institutional/professional email address wherever possible and the letter on headed paper and signed by the referee.

Submitting your full application

Candidates nominated to the national competition must then submit their complete application, including all required documents, directly through the Rhodes Scholarship portal.

For information regarding the required elements of the application file, please visit the Rhodes Trust Website.

Note: Considering the limited number of Rhodes scholarships available in Canada and the required academic standing to be admitted into Oxford, only applications that are deemed to have a reasonable chance of being selected by the Rhodes Regional Selection Committees will be recommended, and the maximum number of recommended applications for the University of Ottawa will be limited to 2.

Additional information

Please visit, the Rhodes Scholarships for Canada Website for Information for Candidates (PDF) and guidance for referees (PDF).

uOttawa recent Rhodes recipients

2025 - Trinity Lowthian, Faculty of Health Sciences, Master of Human Kinetics
2023 - Rayene Bouzitoun, Faculty of Law, LLL
2022 - Ashley Jackson, Faculty of Medicine, Doctorate in Medicine

 * The information on this page is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment from the University of Ottawa.

The selection committee’s decisions are final. The dean (or delegate) of the faculty offering the program will hear appeals only on procedural grounds.