Understand
Programme details
Knight-Hennessy Scholars is Stanford University’s flagship graduate scholarship for ambitious people who want to combine advanced study with leadership, collaboration, and real-world impact. Scholars complete a full-time graduate degree at Stanford while joining a multidisciplinary community of students from different countries, professions, and academic backgrounds.
The programme is relevant for applicants who already have a strong academic foundation and want to grow beyond their degree. Alongside their studies, scholars take part in leadership workshops, projects, discussions, and experiences designed to strengthen how they think, communicate, work with others, and respond to complex challenges.
Knight-Hennessy is aimed at people who show independent thinking, purposeful leadership, and a commitment to contributing to their communities. Participants may come from any field, from technology and public policy to medicine, business, law, science, or the arts.
After the programme, scholars leave with a Stanford graduate degree, an international network, and stronger leadership experience that can support careers in research, entrepreneurship, public service, business, technology, social impact, and other fields where they want to create meaningful change.
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Eligibility requirements
- Have earned a first/bachelor's degree, or its equivalent, in January 2020 or later for entry to the 2027 cohort.
- Applicants who served in the military may qualify if their first/bachelor's degree was earned in January 2018 or later.
- Current undergraduate students may apply if they will complete their first degree by September 2027.
- Applicants educated outside the United States must hold the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree from a college or university of recognized standing and satisfy the admission requirements of their intended Stanford graduate programme.
- Applicants must submit a separate Stanford graduate degree application in addition to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars application, except in specified circumstances such as certain deferred admits and eligible first-year Stanford PhD students.
- Applicants must satisfy any academic, testing, English-language, or other admission requirements imposed by the specific Stanford graduate programme to which they apply.
- There is no KHS-specific minimum GPA or standardized-test score; any programme-specific minimums are determined by the relevant Stanford graduate programme
Evaluate
Benefits
- One-time relocation stipend for newly enrolling scholars, intended to help offset relocation and/or technology-related costs
- Stipend for living and academic expenses, including expenses such as room and board, books, academic supplies, instructional materials, local transportation and reasonable personal expenses.
- Scholars in their second and third years may apply for supplemental funding for academic-enrichment activities such as conference travel.
- Up to three years of financial support, depending on the length and funding structure of the scholar's Stanford degree programme.
- Participation in the King Global Leadership Program, including leadership workshops, lectures, projects and related learning experiences.
- Access to the multidisciplinary and multicultural Knight-Hennessy Scholars community and programming at Stanford.
Prepare
Important dates
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Applications open
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Deadline
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Finalists notified
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Immersion Weekend begins
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Immersion Weekend ends
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Scholars notified
Required documents
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Resume
A one-page resume covering key experiences, interests and academic record in reverse-chronological order. Professional and extracurricular experience should be included where applicable. Stanford requests one U.S. Letter-size page and says not to include photographs or hyperlinks.
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Academic transcript
Upload undergraduate transcripts and graduate transcripts, if applicable, for each institution attended for one academic year or longer. An unofficial transcript is acceptable. Transcripts should include the degree conferred and conferral date where applicable.
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Degree certificate or diploma Optional
Required when the transcript does not show the degree conferred and conferral date, if such documentation is available. Documents not in English must be accompanied by an official English translation.
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Recommendation letters
wo recommendation letters are required. Recommenders should know the applicant sufficiently well to provide specific evidence concerning their qualifications and the KHS selection criteria. Applicants register recommenders through the application system, which sends each recommender an individual submission link. Recommendations are due by the KHS application deadline.
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Standardized test scores
onditional requirement. KHS follows the requirements of the applicant's intended Stanford graduate programme. If that programme requires standardized or English-proficiency test scores, they must also be reported to KHS. If the graduate programme does not require them, KHS does not require them.
Essay questions
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Question 1
Describe your short-term and long-term academic and professional intentions.
Max 250 words
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Question 2
Please tell us when you: a) engaged with someone with a different perspective, b) acted with courage, and c) fell short of expectations.
Max 250 words
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Question 3
Please tell us eight improbable facts (things that are unlikely but true) about you.
Max 150 words
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Question 4
Connect the dots. How have the influences in your life shaped you?
Max 550 words