The Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program 2024 at Stanford University

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars application is now open. The deadline to apply for the 2024 cohort is October 11, 2023, 1:00pm Pacific Time. 

Eligibility

Are you a potential Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University? Below is a general listing of the eligibility factors.

All Citizens Welcome

We encourage applications to Knight-Hennessy Scholars from citizens of all countries. That’s natural since we expect Knight-Hennessy Scholars to have global impact.

We expect that over time about one-third of our scholars will be from the U.S., and about two thirds will be from countries outside the U.S. Those numbers will fluctuate from year to year, since our goal is to admit the world’s very best students, regardless of location.

Did you earn a degree at an institution outside the U.S.? To be eligible for graduate study, you must hold the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree from a college or university of recognized standing. See Stanford's guidelines for minimum level of study. (For questions on this policy, contact the Office of Graduate Admissions, not the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program.)

All Graduate Programs at Stanford; Only for Graduate Degrees

You are eligible to apply to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program if you are applying to enroll in any full-time graduate degree program at Stanford (for example, but not limited to, DFA, Eng, JD, MA, MBA, MD, MFA, MS, or PhD) or if you plan on pursuing one of Stanford’s many joint- and dual- graduate degree options (for example, but not limited to, MD+PhD, JD+MA, MBA+MS).

The Stanford education of Knight-Hennessy Scholars is fully funded. The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program funds up to the first three years of your graduate education, and if your degree program exceeds three years — such as an MD or PhD program, or a Stanford dual- or joint-degree program — then your Stanford home department will fund the remainder of your education to the extent consistent with its standard funding commitment for that program. (For example, some programs typically fund six years for PhDs, while others fund five years for PhDs.)

While we are excited to build a cohort that reflects the breadth of excellence at Stanford, there are no allocations or quotas by discipline or program. Please note, however, that we will give priority to applicants who will spend at least two years at Stanford: we do not believe one year is sufficient to form the community we envision and benefit from the leadership platform we are developing. 

Other Eligibility Requirements

Beyond the eligibility requirements listed above, you are eligible for Knight-Hennessy Scholars as long as you meet the requirements of the Stanford graduate program(s) that you wish to pursue. In most cases, you are eligible to apply to a graduate degree program even if you did not study that precise field as an undergraduate; please contact each graduate degree program for specific information about its requirements.

You must complete not only your Knight-Hennessy Scholars application, but also the entire application process for your graduate degree program — including any standardized test that your graduate degree program requires (GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, etc.) and, if needed, an English proficiency test.

Although we expect Knight-Hennessy Scholars to have performed well, there is no minimum requirement for your grades or scores. 

Criteria

There’s neither a typical Stanford student nor one ideal Knight-Hennessy Scholar. As Phil Knight would say, we’re seeking Scholars who can out-think, out-work, and out-care others.

What We're Seeking in a Scholar

If you remember only one thing from this admission section, please remember this: to be selected as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar, you must apply separately to the Stanford graduate degree program you wish to pursue in addition to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program. We can't select you as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar if the department doesn't admit you (though the department may admit you even if you're not selected as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar).

You should check each department's website for a sense of what it seeks in candidates. For Knight-Hennessy Scholars, we look primarily at three areas:

1. Independence of Thought

• First-step mental sharpness
• Seeks out knowledge and new experiences
• Full of original ideas
• Makes sense of ambiguous situations
• Can hold a contrarian or dissenting point of view

2. Purposeful Leadership

• Ambitious, in the best sense of the word
• Driven to improve self
• Willing to take risks
• Self-aware
• Persists and bounces back from adversity

3. Civic Mindset

• Personally humble and kind
• Inclusive
• Respects differences
• Concerned for and helpful to others
• Low ego

The Stanford education of Knight-Hennessy Scholars is fully funded. The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program funds up to three years of your graduate education. If your degree program exceeds three years - such as an MD or PhD program, or a Stanford dual- or joint-degree program - then your Stanford home department will fund the remainder of your education to the extent consistent with its standard funding commitment for that program. 

As a Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University, you receive:

• a fellowship applied directly to cover your tuition and associated fees, and
• a generous stipend comprising your on-campus room and board; books, supplies, and instructional materials; health insurance and associated fees; travel to and from Stanford; local transportation; and reasonable personal expenses

Additional Funding for Special Situations:

If you engage in optional research projects during the summer, the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program can provide summer funding. In addition, Knight-Hennessy Scholars pursuing positive impact through social entrepreneurship may be eligible to apply for seed funding.