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• Overview
• How to apply
• Application timetable
• Who is eligible
• The ideal candidate
• How competitive
• Value
• Interview process
• FAQs
• Apply now!

The Ideal Candidate

There is no one template for a Gates Scholar: each Scholar is different and brings something unique to the programme.

The Trust expects a good match to be made between the applicant's qualifications and aspirations and what Cambridge has to offer in its graduate programme. It is important that a convincing argument can be made for doing a particular degree at Cambridge.

Those invited to interview will be academically first rate, having been ranked by departments in Cambridge as the most academically outstanding applicants in a given year. As a broad illustration, the GPA range (or equivalent) of selected Scholars is 3.7 to 4.0, with the average being 3.92 (while the Trust does not set a minimum GPA for the Scholarships the University does for most courses; and the departmental ranking process means the Trust is only looking at applicants who are among the most academically outstanding). Successful applicants will also have the ability to make a significant contribution to their discipline while in Cambridge, with a strong aptitude for research, analysis and a creative approach to defining and solving problems.

As well as exceptional and sustained academic achievement, the Trust is looking for individuals who possess a capacity for leadership and a commitment to improving the lives of others. The Trust interprets both of these concepts broadly since there are a wide range of ways in which candidates can show evidence of them.

Candidates must also be aware of the responsibilities that being awarded a prestigious, full-cost scholarship at one of the world’s leading universities brings – there is an expectation that Gates Scholars will use the education they gain at Cambridge to become leaders in their field and give back to society in ways that they are best placed to do so.

To get a sense of the type of individuals selected as Gates Scholars please read the bios of new Scholars and Case Studies of current Scholars and alumni.