Requirements

College/School Eligibility:

  • Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Brooks School of Public Policy
  • Arts and Sciences
  • Human Ecology
  • Industrial and Labor Relations

Class Year Eligibility:

  • Third Year (undergrad)

Open to:

  • Cornell Undergraduate Students

GPA Requirements:

Minimum GPA: 3.50

Application Information:

Please note: The Truman Scholarship requires a Cornell endorsement to be nominated to the national competition. In order to be considered for an endorsement, a candidate must submit all application materials to the Office of Fellowships by 1pm ET on November 21, 2025.

 

The Truman Scholarship is open to juniors only. 'Junior' here means a student who plans to continue full-time undergraduate study and who expects to receive a baccalaureate degree between December 2026 and August 2027. 

Cornell is invited to nominate up to four Juniors to the national competition each year. The nomination process is coordinated through Office of Fellowships. Applicants are reviewed by the Truman Endorsement Committee.

 

Interested Cornell applicants should first carefully read all the information and excellent advice given on the official Truman website, as well as the Cornell application information here.

After doing so, applicants may refer questions to Krista Saleet, ks2334@cornell.edu (meetings by appointment). Krista Saleet will grant interested applicants access to the application portal to submit an endorsement application.

 

A complete application for Cornell's nomination for the Truman includes the following, which must be submitted in the Truman application portal before the campus application deadline of 1pm ET on November 21, 2025.

  1. A pdf of the completed sample application form. NOTE: for the competition for Cornell's nomination, the sample Truman application will be used.
  2. A policy proposal concerning a significant issue or problem confronting our society that is of particular interest to the applicant. The topic selected should be directly related to the applicant's career goals as outlined in question #9 in the sample application. In this outline the applicant should briefly describe the issue or problem, list one or more suggested actions for improving the situation, and identify major obstacles to the implementation of these suggestions. Main sources and references should be cited. Please see the tips on the Truman website.
  3. Three letters of recommendation. See the letter of recommendation forms on the Truman website.
  4. Transcripts: Unofficial Cornell transcripts are required for all applicants. Transcripts must also be requested from any other institution attended for post-secondary studies; only one copy of each transcript is required to be submitted to the Fellowships office at ccs-fellowships@cornell.edu.

One letter must be written by a faculty member who can assess the applicant's intellect and prospects for success in graduate school, one by an individual who can discuss the applicant's commitment to a career in public service, and the third by someone who can attest to the applicant's leadership abilities and potential. See the sample application for additional details. 

Letters may be submitted to ccs-fellowships@cornell.edu by the endorsement deadline. 

Candidates whose applications are nominated by Cornell to go forward to the national competition will have an opportunity to finalize their applications, with advice from the Cornell endorsement committee, in advance of the national deadline in early February.  Selected finalists are invited in late February to interview with Regional Review Panels in March and early April.  Selection and announcement of Truman Scholars occur in April. 

Special Eligibility Requirements:

Eligible candidates must be US citizens or nationals at the time of application, be planning to attend a graduate program leading to a career in public service and have a GPA appropriate to the relevant graduate program. A variety of disciplines can lead to public service careers: for example, engineering, mathematics, physical sciences, biology, and environmental studies, as well as traditional fields such as history, political science, government, public health, public administration, economics, and international relations.

 

The primary criteria for evaluating candidates and selecting Truman Scholars are demonstrated leadership abilities and potential, quality and extent of public and community service and government involvement, commitment to careers in government or the public sector, intellectual depth and breadth and academic performance, and analytic abilities and communication skills. Selectors also consider the suitability of the candidate's intended program of graduate study and its appropriateness for a leadership career in public service. Financial need is not a criterion for selection.


Contact Information:

For questions about this application, please contact Krista Saleet at ks2334@cornell.edu.