Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program (seniors & graduates)
Direct Application Deadline: expected early in October, 2026 by 1:00 pm PT (Pacific Time)
The Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program is an exciting scholarship and leadership development program which seeks to develop a community of future global leaders to address complex challenges through collaboration and innovation. With applications launched for the very first time in 2017, each year the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program will identify a group of up to 100 high-achieving students from around the world to receive generous funding for any graduate or professional degree offered at Stanford. The Knight-Hennessy Scholars is the largest fully endowed scholars program in the world, and has no restrictions on citizenship or field of study.
For full details and application, please refer to the official website (knight-hennessy.stanford.edu). Although there is no campus application process for the Knight-Hennessy, any prospective Wellesley applicant is warmly encouraged to reach out to the Fellowships team at Wellesley for application advice, feedback on drafts, interview prep, etc.
*Did you know? Ally Kim '19 won the Knight-Hennessy in 2023 and Kavindya Thennakoon ’19 won the Knight-Hennessy in 2024!
Application Planning
Timeline overview for application process:
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April: (i.e. the spring before the fall application deadline):
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Consider postgraduate plans, explore graduate/professional school resources, and deadlines for the coming academic year, and book a Fellowships advising appointment.
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Learn about the Scholarship, attend an information session on campus or sign up for official online info sessions, scholar panels, and application workshops (see official website for dates)
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Thursday, May 21, 2026: Submit this worksheet by 12:00 PM (noon) EST to opt-in to our Postgrad Fellowships Summer Support Program, which gives you special access to appointments throughout the summer!
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June: Start to plan for your application, including talking with people you might ask to write letters of reference. (Pro-tip: folks travel over the summer, whether for work or vacation, and may be hard to reach, so don’t wait to reach out!)
- July 13, 2026: Optional Priority Draft deadline: submit your drafts (even if they’re still rough!) here by 12:00 pm EST (noon) to guarantee yourself one draft review appointment in advance of any fall fellowship deadline, even during our busiest season! (Submission instructions and link coming in early May!)
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early October by 1:00 pm PT (Pacific Time): Knight-Hennessy application deadline - and remember also to apply for the degree program of your choice at Stanford by that program’s deadline to be considered for the Knight-Hennessy (note that for some degrees, this is earlier than the deadline for the Knight-Hennessy)
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February: Finalists will have virtual interviews.
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March: Finalists attend immersion weekend at Stanford, and interview for the program (travel expenses covered by Knight-Hennessy). All finalists should hear results shortly thereafter.
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
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The competition has no citizenship restrictions.
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All candidates must meet eligibility requirements and be good candidates for their proposed Stanford degree program, including meeting any work requirements for that program. For more information, please see the official Knight Hennessy and Stanford websites.
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Applicants may be graduating seniors or graduates who have received their bachelor’s degrees within the last few years (see Knight-Hennesy website for details).
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See the Knight-Hennessy website for full eligibility details and for selection criteria.
Where can I learn more?
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There is a wealth of helpful information provided on the official website.
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Sign up for official online info sessions, scholar panels, and application workshops (see official website for dates)!
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Book a Fellowships advising appointment via Handshake, for application advice, feedback on essays, interview preparation, and more.
How do I apply?
Applications for the Knight-Hennessy should be submitted directly via the official website and all applicants must in addition apply for the graduate or professional degree of their choice at Stanford by the appropriate deadline to be eligible for the Knight-Hennessy; see official website for details.
