Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans

Celebrating immigrant excellence through graduate education

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans (PDSoros) honor the contributions of immigrants and the children of immigrants by funding up to 30 graduate students each year. Each fellow receives up to $90,000 over two years—$20,000 per year in tuition support and a $25,000 annual stipend—along with leadership development, cohort retreats, and lifelong community engagement. The fellowship recognizes outstanding academic promise and a deep commitment to the values of the United States. Competitiveness hinges on presenting a multifaceted narrative that integrates intellectual achievements, creativity, service, and the immigrant journey that shaped your aspirations.

Timeline and planning roadmap

Given the application’s depth, start at least five months ahead. Build a timeline that sequences essay drafting, document collection, and recommender coordination. Because the fellowship values reflection, allocate time for journaling about family history, cultural identity, and moments of civic engagement.

Eligibility nuances and documentation

PDSoros defines “New American” broadly but requires specific documentation. Applicants must be green card holders, naturalized citizens, DACA recipients, asylees, refugees, or children of two parents who are naturalized citizens. Collect relevant documents such as naturalization certificates, passports, or DACA approval notices early. If you are in a joint degree program, confirm that you will be within your first two years of graduate study during the fellowship period. Provide transcripts from all postsecondary institutions and ensure that international transcripts include certified translations. The application also asks for details about your parents’ immigration journeys; gather stories, dates, and contexts to ensure accuracy.

Crafting a multidimensional immigrant narrative

At its core, the PDSoros application is a storytelling exercise about the immigrant experience. Begin by mapping key moments: border crossings, asylum hearings, cultural celebrations, mentors who guided you, and the responsibilities you carried in your family. Identify how these experiences shaped your values and career goals. The fellowship wants to understand how you have contributed to your communities and how you will continue to do so. Write with specificity—describe the smell of your family’s restaurant kitchen, the community center where you translated legal documents, the research lab where you pursue cures for diseases that disproportionately affect immigrant populations. Connect personal anecdotes to systemic challenges and explain how your graduate study positions you to drive change.

Academic and creative excellence

PDSoros Fellows come from every discipline: astrophysics, dance, law, medicine, architecture, journalism, and more. Regardless of field, demonstrate excellence through publications, performances, patents, exhibitions, policy briefs, or entrepreneurial ventures. Curate a portfolio of achievements that shows depth and innovation. If your work spans multiple disciplines, highlight how you bridge them—for example, combining computational biology with community health, or blending documentary filmmaking with legal advocacy. Provide context for any academic disruptions, such as transfers or part-time enrollment, especially if they were related to immigration processes, financial constraints, or family responsibilities.

Essays: weaving past, present, and future

The application requires two primary essays: one personal essay (up to 1,000 words) about your New American experience and one proposal essay (up to 1,000 words) about your graduate program and future impact. Approach the personal essay as a memoir that reveals your family’s journey, cultural identity, and the resilience that defines you. Use vivid scenes to immerse readers in your world—midnight study sessions while helping parents with taxes, balancing caregiving with research, navigating language barriers. Show how you transformed obstacles into opportunity. The proposal essay should outline your academic plan, research agenda, and career trajectory. Explain why your chosen institution and mentors are the right fit, detail the societal problem you will tackle, and describe how the fellowship’s support will accelerate your timeline. Tie both essays together with a central theme, such as “building bridges,” “reclaiming narratives,” or “engineering justice.”

Recommendations that span contexts

Three letters are required: typically one academic, one professional, and one community or character reference. Select recommenders who can speak to different dimensions of your story. Provide each with a tailored packet that includes your resume, mission statement, essay outlines, and reminders of specific projects or collaborations. Encourage them to address your leadership, creativity, and contribution to immigrant communities. Ask them to share anecdotes that illustrate cultural fluency, empathy, and courage. Remind recommenders of the September deadline and follow up with gratitude notes. If you have mentors who are themselves PDSoros Fellows, ask them for guidance on framing letters that resonate with the selection committee.

Preparing for finalist interviews

Finalists participate in two back-to-back interviews with different panelists, often including past fellows. Prepare by crafting concise responses that highlight your narrative arc, academic vision, and community impact. Expect questions such as “How has your immigrant experience shaped your leadership?” or “What is the biggest risk you have taken in your work?” Practice articulating complex topics in accessible language, especially if you work in technical fields. Reflect on ethical dilemmas you have navigated and how you handled them. Interviewers may ask about your parents’ journeys or request more detail about cultural traditions; answer with respect and enthusiasm. After the interviews, send thank-you notes reiterating key points.

Tips and tricks for a competitive edge

1. Build a narrative inventory. List 10 pivotal moments in your immigrant story and map which essay or interview response will feature each.
2. Use sensory detail. Bring readers into your world with imagery—sounds of your native language, foods that symbolize resilience, or landscapes you left behind.
3. Highlight community impact. Document volunteer work, policy advocacy, artistic collaborations, or entrepreneurial ventures that uplift immigrant communities.
4. Show interdisciplinary fluency. Explain how you synthesize knowledge across fields to address complex problems.
5. Engage with fellows. Attend information sessions or reach out to alumni for insights; mentioning these conversations demonstrates initiative.
6. Quantify achievements. Provide metrics for research outcomes, funds raised, audience reach, or policy changes.
7. Address privilege thoughtfully. If your immigrant experience includes relative privilege, acknowledge it and explain how you leverage resources for equity.
8. Reflect on identity evolution. Discuss how you navigate multiple cultures, languages, and expectations.
9. Plan for fellowship stewardship. Outline how you will contribute to the PDSoros community through mentorship, storytelling, or collaboration.
10. Prioritize clarity. Have non-specialists review your essays to ensure accessibility.

Avoiding common pitfalls

Do not reduce your immigrant story to hardship alone; balance struggle with joy, creativity, and agency. Avoid jargon-heavy descriptions of research without explaining real-world impact. Ensure that your proposal essay goes beyond broad aspirations—detail specific steps, partners, and timelines. Double-check that your personal essay does not inadvertently center non-immigrant perspectives; keep the focus on your lived experience. Finally, do not underestimate the importance of recommendations; lukewarm letters can sink an otherwise strong application.

Maximizing fellowship benefits post-selection

PDSoros Fellows attend an annual Fall Conference, gain access to mentorship circles, and receive professional development grants. Develop a plan to engage deeply: identify peers whose work complements yours, propose collaborative projects, and volunteer for panels or workshops. Use the fellowship’s visibility to amplify immigrant voices—write op-eds, organize community events, or launch advocacy campaigns. The network includes leaders in academia, government, arts, and entrepreneurship; reach out for informational interviews and partnerships. Maintain a gratitude practice by updating the foundation on your milestones and offering support to future applicants.

Self-assessment rubric before submission

Create a scoring matrix with categories such as narrative coherence, immigrant community impact, academic excellence, innovation, and clarity of future plans. Rate each component from 1–5 and seek feedback from mentors. Verify that your resume highlights leadership roles, fellowships, publications, and language skills. Confirm that transcripts, test scores, and identification documents are legible. Review your essays for thematic consistency and emotional resonance. Check that all file names follow a professional convention (e.g., “Lastname_Firstname_PDSoros_PersonalEssay.pdf”). Conduct a final portal review 48 hours before the deadline to ensure every section is complete.

Final checklist

• Proofread essays aloud to capture rhythm and tone.
• Confirm submission of all three recommendation letters.
• Upload supplemental portfolio items (e.g., artistic reels, research posters) with context notes.
• Verify eligibility documentation and personal data accuracy.
• Save a PDF of the entire application for records.
• Celebrate your heritage and the journey that brought you to this moment.

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships honor immigrants who transform personal history into collective progress. By presenting a nuanced narrative, evidencing excellence, and articulating a bold vision for impact, you can demonstrate why you belong in this extraordinary community of New American leaders.