<p>I am in a fantastic but difficult situation: I have been offered a finalist interview for both the Mitchell and Rhodes scholarships.</p>
<p>The problem, however, is that the interviews are on the same weekend, and I can only attend one of them. (It's not just bad timing - they specifically do this so that you have to choose.)</p>
<p>With the Mitchell, I would spend a year studying for a master's in bioengineering at University College Dublin or Trinity College. For the Rhodes, I would do a 1 year master's in neuroscience and a 1 year master's in biomedical engineering.</p>
<p>Statistically, I have a better chance of getting the Mitchell, as there are 20 finalists for 12 scholarships. For the Rhodes, there will likely be 10-12 people competing for the 2 scholarships in my district (district 11). But the Rhodes is really a fantastic, unique opportunity and I wouldn't like to give that up that opportunity.</p>
<p>Ultimately, it's my decision to make, but I'm looking for advice, or what to consider in making this decision. Any tips?</p>
<p>How much do you like risk? The Rhodes interview is high risk, high reward. The Mitchell interview is lower risk, lower reward.</p>
<p>How would you feel if you went to the Rhodes interview, and didn’t get the scholarship? Are you the kind of person that would be wishing you’d gone for the Mitchell?</p>
<p>How would you feel if you went to the Mitchell interview and did get the scholarship? Would you be thinking you should have tried for the Rhodes?</p>
<p>@happy1 - they explicitly state on the website that if you are a finalist for the Mitchell and the Rhodes, you can’t interview for both.</p>
<p>@"Cardinal Fang" - If I went through the Rhodes and didn’t get it, of course I would wish that I had gone with the Mitchell. But if I opted for the Mitchell, I feel like I might regret it and spend forever wondering “what if” about the Rhodes.</p>
<p>@kgos16 - “nothing at all” would still probably mean heading off to a top PhD program in the US somewhere, so it’s not like I’d be left with no good options. I also didn’t really take any risks when apply to college: I applied to 3 schools, all of which I knew I would get into and get at least full tuition scholarships for. I would like to push myself and not always take the “safe” option.</p>
<p>Also, just got this from the Rhodes about the Mitchell insisting on the overlapping interviews: “This puts excellent candidates in an impossible position, and may in fact place an emphasis on odds of success rather than the comparative merit of one program or the other.” That’s exactly the problem I face!</p>
<p>There is an 80% chance you will not get the Rhodes. How do you feel about those odds? Do you have something that is over-the-top better than any other finalist? For Mitchell, where you have a still-tough 60% chance of award among those who are already pre-selected, are you willing to study in Ireland? Is it worth the 1-year detour?</p>
<p>If it were me I would go for the Marshall, BUT if I were you I would go for the Rhodes because you seem like you would have regrets if you didn’t try. And since the “consolation prize” of getting neither is still admission to a top grad program, you will be fine either way.</p>
<p>@green678, I think most of us here would jump at a Marshall’s with a 60% likelihood of acceptance. OPs choice is for a Mitchell, a 1-year award to a school in Ireland or Northern Ireland:</p>
<p>I wonder how many of the Mitchell competitors from your district are also invited for Rhodes interviews. If more go for the safer bet, then your chance for Rhodes improves, assuming candidates are equally qualified?</p>
<p>Suppose there was no fellowship etc. involved - which program would you prefer to be in: </p>
<p>a year studying for a master’s in bioengineering at University College Dublin or Trinity College or a 1 year master’s in neuroscience and a 1 year master’s in biomedical engineering</p>
<p>Congratulations! I think you are right to do the Marshall and Rhodes interviews and skip the Mitchell. Good luck to you! My PhD Advisor earned a DPhil at Oxford with his Rhodes. I was a state finalist myself. I did not really want it because you weren’t allowed to be married and I was planning to be. I didn’t expect to get it anyway and I was very glad it went to a friend of mine. I wonder if there is still a restriction on being married.</p>
<p>The answer to the OP’s question depends partly on what type of candidate they are. Are they more of an academic powerhouse with a few community service activities thrown in or more of a community service star who has an excellent academic record? </p>
<p>The criteria for both scholarships are similar except for the omission of athletic ability in the mitchell criteria. </p>
<p>What I am thinking is that if you are really an academic star who is well-rounded but not someone who looks like they are grooming themselves for political leadership, you may have better luck getting the less exclusive scholarship. In that case you would be a bit of a square peg into a circle hole for both scholarships, but it may be easier to squeeze into Mitchell scholarship.</p>
<p>But if you choose the Mitchell interview and it comes out that you turned down the Rhodes, be prepared to give a decent answer as to why you made that choice. I’m sure they don’t want to hear that you assumed it would be much easier to get it.</p>
<p>All those thoughts aside, I would take the prestige out of it and write down how each of the scholarships would suit you best–the universities, the country, and/or whatever experience. Think about what you would plan to do there and what would suit you best. Having an authentic answer to these questions might be a better test of which program will be easier to get accepted to than merely the prestige of the program.</p>
<p>Congrats sir! And hello future competition I’m also from District 11 (Wisconsin) and will be interviewing for the Rhodes and Marshall alongside you. The Mitchell is a great opportunity and safe, but I’d say go for the Rhodes 100%!</p>
I’m also from District 11 (Wisconsin) and will be interviewing for the Rhodes and Marshall alongside you. The Mitchell is a great opportunity and safe, but I’d say go for the Rhodes 100%!</p>