<p>
Just to set the record straight, the September “due date” is a local thing at Harvard. Other universities establish earlier dates. Also, Rhodes does not have a “National Division”. Rhodes has 16 districts, to which applications are due the beginning (1st?) of October. Districts notify finalists - those they invite for an interview, on their own schedule (each district may vary). Some of the districts did not notify finalists until early November last fall. </p>
<p>At most colleges, the process works like this:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>faculty and advisors attempt to notify and contact students they think might make good candidates during junior year. Some start earlier and try to identify an group to mentor during sophomore or even freshman year, since long term faculty relationships (leading to strong recs) are so important. But some schools do not mentor at all. U. Mich has an interesting article on this topic: [Michigan</a> Daily - The real reason you didn’t win a Rhodes scholarship](<a href=“http://www.michigandaily.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=78998cfa-3f9a-4dbb-925c-9a47a33e4c3f]Michigan”>http://www.michigandaily.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=78998cfa-3f9a-4dbb-925c-9a47a33e4c3f)</p></li>
<li><p>colleges hold open campuswide meetings for interested parties in the spring term junior year, explaining the process. This is important, because a student who waits until summer to gather faculty recs will probably not do well. They should do this in the spring.</p></li>
<li><p>most will require that all recs and essays be submitted during late August or early September. This is so they can be reviewed and ranked.</p></li>
<li><p>often a college will hold a mock interview with a faculty panel as part of the college’s selection/endorsement process.</p></li>
<li><p>Colleges are required to endorse each candidate. At least for the Rhodes, their endorsement also includes a ranking. The college uses the recs, essays, faculty interview feedback and whatever else they want to use in doing this.</p></li>
<li><p>By the end of September, the applicant submits the whole package to the district (s)he chooses to apply to, which must be either where the student goes to college or where home is. Then they wait…</p></li>
<li><p>By early November, the district notifies finalists (by email in recent years) that they are selected for interview, giving the time, place and date. Finalists pay their own way for the Rhodes interview. </p></li>
<li><p>you’ve read elsewhere what the interview/selection process is.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The Marshall follows a similar path, with lots of overlap. Even the essays are similar. The biggest differences are:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>The Marshall finalist interviews are before the Rhodes at least by one week.</p></li>
<li><p>The Marshall Scholarship program pays for travel costs of finalists.</p></li>
<li><p>The Marshall interviews often take place over two days. Winners are notified by phone normally the evening of the second day of interviews or the next day. Losers find out days later, although most figure it out pretty quickly by Saturday when they don’t get a call.</p></li>
<li><p>Because most Marshall winners will decline the Marshall for a Rhodes (in fact, never heard of it not happening), the Marshall selects alternates. They give winners until after the Rhodes interviews/winner selection to accept or reject their Marshall. This is why the Marshall winners are always announced days after the Rhodes winners. The Rhodes trust announces winners a few hours after selection, so they get their press release out Saturday evening.</p></li>
</ul>