Letters of Recommendation and Essays for Study Abroad Applications

What these applications actually evaluate

Study abroad scholarship committees read hundreds of applications each cycle. They are not looking for the most exotic destination or the most polished travel story. They want proof that you have a clear plan, a specific reason for your destination and program, and a way to use the experience after you return. Your essays and recommendation letters exist to prove that.

Gilman Scholarship: essays carry the weight

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship funds US undergraduates with financial need who want to study or intern abroad. The US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs funds the program, and the Institute of International Education has run it since 2001. The Fall 2026 cycle opens mid-August 2026 and closes October 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM Pacific. Gilman Scholarship

The application requires four required 500-word essays: your motivations for studying or interning abroad, your preparation and skill development, your role as a citizen diplomat, and your Follow-on Service Project Proposal describing how you'll share what you learn with your home community. Two optional supplemental essays apply only if you're pursuing the Critical Need Language or STEM award. Name your specific program, courses, and host country context. Reviewers notice a generic essay written for any program instead of this one.

Boren Awards: essays plus letters

Boren Scholarships fund undergraduates and Boren Fellowships fund graduate students who want to study critical languages in world regions underrepresented in study abroad. In exchange, award recipients commit to a period of work in the federal government after graduation. National deadlines for the 2027 cycle are January 20, 2027 for Fellowships and January 27, 2027 for Scholarships. Awards range from $8,000-$25,000 depending on program length. Boren Awards

Boren essays ask you to address two themes: how your destination, region, and language connect to US national security, and your personal motivation and commitment to a federal public-service career. You also submit a separate Study Plan Summary and a list of past employment and activities, and you submit recommendation letters. Because Boren links language study to federal careers, choose recommenders who know your language progress, academic focus, or interest in public service.

Who to ask for a letter

• A professor in your target language or region who has taught you for at least a semester.

• Your study abroad advisor or international programs staff, especially if they have written for Gilman or Boren applicants before.

• A supervisor from research, work, or volunteering tied to your study plan.

Skip anyone who only knows your name from a large lecture hall. A short, specific letter from someone who knows your work beats a vague one from a well-known name.

How to request a strong letter

1. Ask at least four weeks before the deadline.

2. Ask in person or through a direct email, not a group message.

3. Send your resume, a draft of your essays, and the exact prompt or rubric.

4. Tell them what to highlight, such as language growth or independent research.

5. Send one reminder a week before the deadline, then a thank-you note after you submit.

Build in time before the deadline

Start your essays at least six weeks before the deadline. Recommenders need weeks, not days, to write a strong letter, and your first essay draft will need multiple revisions. Set your own deadline two weeks ahead of the real one so you have time to fix weak sections after a reader gives feedback.

Structure your Statement of Purpose around three questions

Strong Statement of Purpose essays answer three questions in order: why this specific program and location, why now, and what you plan to do with the experience afterward. Avoid starting with your childhood love of travel or a generic statement about global citizenship. Start with a concrete reason tied to your coursework, research, career goal, or language study.

Common mistakes that weaken an application

• Writing one essay and reusing it for every scholarship without adjusting it to the prompt.

• Naming a country or region without explaining why that specific place fits your goals.

• Leaving the Follow-on Service Project vague, such as saying you will tell people about your experience instead of describing a specific plan.

• Submitting a first draft without a second reader.

• Missing a required essay section or word limit listed in the application portal.

Writing essays that stand out

Open with a specific moment or fact instead of a broad claim about how travel changes you. Describe what you will do in the program, not only where you will go. Connect the experience to a clear next step, like your major, a career field, or a research question. Read your final draft out loud and cut any sentence that fits any other applicant's essay equally well.

Ask your study abroad office to read a draft before you submit. Advisors who have seen winning applications flag generic language and confirm you answered every part of each prompt.

Before you submit

Reread the prompt one final time and check that you answered every part of it. Confirm your essay stays within any listed word or character limit. Ask a second reader, ideally someone outside your major, whether your main point comes through in the first two sentences. Submit at least a day before the deadline so a technical problem with the portal does not cost you the scholarship.