Archives
All application materials submitted to the OCS Fellowships Office will be held on file at OCS for three calendar years after the date of submission. File materials for fellowship recipients will be held on file in perpetuity after three years through the Harvard University Archives. All materials for unsuccessful applicants will be destroyed after three years. We strongly encourage all applicants to retain photocopies of their application materials.
Eligibility
While OCS serves students and alumni/ae of Harvard College and Harvard's GSAS, the OCS Fellowships Office serves only students of Harvard College. There are rare exceptions in particular competitions; for questions about these, call (617) 495-2595. Students in GSAS should contact the GSAS Fellowships Office for all fellowships questions at (617) 495-1814.
Late Applications
Deadlines must be strictly heeded. Deadlines are published in the Fellowships Calendar each year and printed in bold type on each application form. Early submissions are encouraged. As a policy, the Fellowships Office will not accept late applications. Exceptions must be appealed in advance, and with a written explanation from the applicant's resident dean.
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation submitted for a particular competition are not considered transferrable to other competitions.The OCS Fellowships Office will not ordinarily release copies of recommendations to an applicant's House file without the express consent of the recommender.The OCS Fellowships Office furnishes waivers to rights of access for letters of recommendation in all competitions for which they are appropriate. Applicants and recommenders must know that, in the absence of such a form returned with a recommendation, the recommendation is considered accessible by the student who requested it.
Multiple Awards
For those competitions the OCS Fellowships Office administers for Harvard College, and in those competitions for nomination to external grants we administer for the College, it is our expectation that individual recipients of multiple awards notify us, and/or any relevant external organizations, of this fact so that we may suggest or reach a suitable resolution.
Public Access to Records
It is our policy to assume that all applications to the OCS Fellowships Office are submitted in confidence. We will not release applicant names to any source outside the office, nor will we furnish names of fellowship recipients without their consent. We will not assist recruiting firms who seek to target fellowship recipients without the express consent of recipients. At the same time, we consider names of recipients to be public knowledge, and will ordinarily share these names within the Harvard community on receipt of a legitimate request.
Transcripts
Every application requires submission of an official transcript, which provides course titles as well as indicating the student's academic and disciplinary standing. Unofficial transcripts (from the Registrar's web site or SRECs from a Resident Dean's office) are accepted only in rare cases such as the Rhodes and Marshall endorsement application and for prize nominations from the Houses.
University Applications
The Fellowships Office does not have copies of applications to other universities in the U.S. or overseas. When fellowships require students to apply for admission to university programs, students must obtain the admission applications directly from the intended institution. In most cases, this can now be done on-line.
Unsolicited Material
As a rule, the Fellowships Office will not accept unsolicited materials submitted by applicants.
