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What is the Watson?
Each year since 1968 the Thomas J. Watson Foundation has awarded fellowships--currently worth $22,000--to graduating seniors from approximately 50 small liberal arts colleges. The money funds travel outside North America in the year following graduation. The fellowships, in the words of the Foundation "provide Fellows an opportunity for a focused and disciplined Wanderjahr of their own devising-- time in which they might explore with thoroughness a particular interest, test their aspirations and abilities, view their lives and American society in greater perspective, and concomitantly, develop a more informed sense of international concern." | Back to the Top |
Applications are due early in the fall term of the Senior year, but this is the end of the process and not the beginning. In fact, you should begin thinking about a Watson Fellowship as early as possible, even as a Freshman. This may help you take appropriate courses, carry out conversations with faculty and peers, gain rapport with the faculty members that will submit letters of recommendation, and in general be better informed about your area of interest. Although the Watson Foundation does not define a special formula for success, some forethought will ease the application process and, thus, may enhance your chances.Regardless of when you begin the process, it would be helpful if you emailed the Chair of the Watson committee during the Spring Term of your Junior year as a reminder of your interest and so you can be included on updated distribution lists. In your email please include the following:
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- your major
- the names of two professors who best know you
- a sentence or two about your topic (or interest) in general
- possible countries or regions to be visited
- approximate GPA
Applications are due in early to mid-October each year. This particular application is intended only for the W&L Watson Committee and must not be sent directly to the Watson Foundation. If you are selected as a campus finalist, you will be given an official application and asked to revise your statements.Be sure and check out these other Important Dates.
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Any student who will receive an undergraduate degree from W&L during this academic year may apply. Submit a 10 page proposal, an application form, and a transcript. (For specific instructions regarding the personal and project statement see Proposal Instructions.) All materials should be delivered to the Chair of the Watson committee by the deadline. The selection committee will interview approximately ten applicants and then select four finalists from those interviewed. If you are selected as a finalist, you have several weeks to revise and polish your project and personal statement. Finalists are interviewed by a member of the Foundation, who will visit W&L sometime between November and mid-February. Winners are announced in mid-March. | Back to the Top |
The Wastson Fellowship Committee at W&L is responsible for nominating four candidates to the Foundation by early November each year. A total of about 200 candidates are nominated nationwide from the fifty participating institutions. Of the 200 finalists, 60 fellowships are awarded. Those are good odds! | Back to the Top |
Quoting the Foundation: "The project should involve investigation into an area of demonstrated concern and personal commitment. Furthermore, because the year's experience should not involve extended formal study at a foreign university, the project should be one which can be pursued with great independence and adaptability. In short, the project should be personally significant, imaginative, and feasible." It would help the selection committee if you could be as specific as possible, particularly with regard to the personal significance of your project, and its feasibility.The Watson folder on reserve in the Leyburn Library contains lists of past winning projects. You may also wish to examine the complete list of projects funded since 1969. As you will see from glancing at the lists of past winners, project topics come from every discipline. In particular, the project need not be in any way related to either your major or your career plans. | Back to the Top |
The Watson is one of the most flexible of all post-graduate fellowships. However, keep the following caveats in mind and talk to one of the committee members for further explanation / clarification.
(Note: There are other considerations, but these are the most typical problems that W&L students encounter. See the FAQs on the Foundation's page for more information.) | Back to the Top |
- "…Get out of town…'': You must begin your fellowship in the summer after you graduate. No deferrals.
- "…Stay out of town…:" You must spend 12 months abroad. No coming home for holidays, interviews, parties, homesickness, etc. Can you really put up with your topic for a full year?!
- "...Can't go home again...": The Watson isn't intended for you to rediscover your roots. Don't plan on going to Ireland just because you celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
- "…Wish I were back in …": You cannot go back to a place in which you have already spent a significant amount of time. That's right. If you have already spent a spring term in France, don't plan on going back. But how about another francophone country? The world's a big place and there's a lot to discover.
- "…You want to go where?!!!…": You cannot go to a country which currently has a U.S. State Department Travel Warning or under Treasury Department Embargo. No exceptions! A State Department "Public Announcement"does not automatically preclude you from going, but we're still concerned about your safety, and you should be able to address all safety concerns.
- "...Lighten up...": As a year of disciplined diversion, the project should be fun but not frivolous. It should be analytical but not academic. It should be substantive but not serious. The nobility of the topic and its intrinsic research value aren't the issue! Above all, you must remember that the Foundation looks for people who take joy in their project.
This depends entirely on the nature of your project. Some projects will be centered in one country, maybe in one place. Others may involve cross-cultural comparisons and even require travel to several continents. There is no pre-established "formula" for winning a Watson, so you must judge which and how many countries should be included in your project.As a special consideration, you should be aware that projects may not be carried out in countries in which the State Department has issued travel warnings nor in those under treasury embargoes (eg., Cuba). | Back to the Top |
This again depends on your project. If your project is language-dependent, and you are in a country in which English is not spoken, then you should know or plan to learn the language. If your project involves observing things rather than communicating with people, language is perhaps less important. You should address your language needs and abilities in your proposal. | Back to the Top |
This is the big question. There is no standard answer, but it is safe to say that winners are chosen on the basis of a combination of the person and the proposal. The person is important because the Foundation is looking for individuals who can demonstrate ability to carry off a successful project under sometimes trying conditions. The person must demonstrate a sincere interest and understanding in the project proposed, as well as the personal characteristics necessary to pull it off. The project must fit the person, but here, it is much more difficult to say what is best. Good projects not only capture the imagination of the proposer, but of the Committee also. While grades are not the primary basis for selecting finalists, they are considered by both the W&L selection committee and the Foundation. | Back to the Top |
Absolutely not. If you have a job offer, or have been accepted into a graduate school, the offer will almost certainly be held for the year you are away on the Watson. If you do not have a job lined up, or a graduate school acceptance, winning the Watson can only help your prospects. The prestige of winning a Watson, plus the experience which you will gain can only enhance your career. | Back to the Top |
"The Foundation will supply, as a supplement to the Fellow's stipend, an amount equal to twelve-months' payment of outstanding federally guaranteed student loans (based on 120 months of repayment). The purpose of the loan program is to ease the financial burden of Watson Fellows during their fellowship year, and to provide encouragement for all students, regardless of student loan debt, to apply for Watson Fellowships."
For more information, contact the Chair of the Watson committee. As stated earlier, it would be helpful if you emailed the Chair of the Watson committee with the following information in your initial contact:Other members of the Watson Fellowship Committee can also help in planning your project. This year the committee includes Profs. Cox, Goldsmith, Lambeth, and Vosbein. Previously Profs. Follo, Garvis, Woodzicka, Mayock, Warren, Blackmer, and Harbor have also served and are valuable resources.| Back to the Top |
- your major
- the names of two professors who best know you
- a sentence or two about your Topic in general
- possible countries or regions to be visited
- approximate GPA
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Special thanks to Prof. Klein of Union College for sharing his insightful answers to these questions.