Dartmouth Stamps Scholars Program

The Dartmouth Stamps Scholars Program was established in 2014 in partnership with the national Stamps Scholars Program to recognize and reward students who demonstrate academic merit, strong leadership potential, and exceptional character. Dartmouth Stamps Scholars are part of a national network of Stamps Scholars located in 40 elite universities across the country. The goal is to enable exceptional students to become meaningful leaders throughout society.

Stamps Scholars is a two-year program that provides resources for students to fully engage in a series of active learning activities that contribute to and complement their coursework. Applicants to the program propose a two-year plan that either focuses on a single academic discipline or combines elements of more than one discipline. Students selected for the program will be those who are academically engaged, intellectually curious, and well prepared to pursue their academic passions. Scholars work closely with a faculty mentor in their major course of study.

Students apply during their sophomore year. Visit the Scholar Selection page to learn about the application process and find the submission details.

Students selected as Stamps Scholars are awarded up to $10,000 per year for two years to enable experiences that will enhance academic and professional development. Funding for the second year is contingent on progress in the first year and the plan for the second year.

Examples of funding categories include:

• Part-time research with your faculty mentor during "on" terms
• Leave term research, internship or other related opportunity during "off" terms
• Attendance at an academic conference or leadership training
• Travel for research or for other purposes related to academic field of study
• Supplies and equipment related to the funding categories above

Students selected as Stamps Scholars are expected to actively engage in their project and in the program for two years. This includes:

• Regular meetings with faculty mentor(s)
• Attendance at program meetings and events
• Submission of quarterly progress reports
• Presentation in spring term at the on-campus Scholar symposium
• Participation in the bi-annual national conference of Stamps Scholars
• Engagement and leadership in on or off campus groups or initiatives
• Continuation of academic engagement and achievement

A key element of a Stamps Scholarship is faculty mentoring. Before beginning the application process for the program, you will need to find a faculty mentor with expertise in your area of interest. Start this process early so that you have adequate time to work with your mentor on your application. Faculty mentors for Stamps Scholars are expected to be closely involved in the project from beginning to end so be sure that your faculty mentor understands and agrees to the two-year time commitment. 

Once you have a faculty mentor, you can proceed to the application process. You may opt to have an additional mentor or mentors, depending on the nature of your project, but only your primary mentor is required to submit a recommendation on your behalf. Be sure to let your faculty mentor know that s/he will be asked to complete a recommendation form that includes a series of prompts (rather than a standard letter of recommendation). In the recommendation form, your faculty mentor will be asked to comment specifically about your research plan, and it is strongly recommended that you share a final (or near final) draft of your proposal with your faculty mentor at least a week before the application deadline so that your mentor has adequate time to review it before the recommendation is due.

There are two other UGAR programs that are structured in a similar way to the Stamps Scholars program. In all three programs, students apply as sophomores and participate in the program for two years (starting in sophomore summer and continuing until graduation). Be sure to review the guidelines and eligibility criteria for each program as they are all different. Students may apply for more than one of these programs but may participate in only one.

• Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowships
• E.E. Just Undergraduate Fellowships

Students who are selected for any of these three programs ARE eligible to apply for the Senior Fellowship program.

If you have questions that aren't addressed on this website, email to set up an appointment: scholars.programs@dartmouth.edu