Last cycle, more than 3,000 people applied for the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship. Thirty were selected. The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans funds up to $90,000 over two years of graduate study, in any field, at any accredited U.S. institution, specifically for immigrants and children of immigrants. The 2027 application is open right now and closes October 29, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern – stated with genuine finality on the Fellowship’s own site as “no exceptions.”
A 1% acceptance rate (30 out of 3,000-plus) sounds like the whole story, but it isn’t quite. The actual process runs in two distinct stages: from the full applicant pool, the top 77 candidates are designated finalists and invited to virtual interviews in late January and early February. From that group of 77, 30 are selected as Fellows.
Break that down properly and you get a very different picture than one flat percentage suggests. Reaching finalist status is the brutal cut – roughly 2.5% of the full pool gets that far. But once you’re a finalist, your actual odds of becoming a Fellow jump to nearly 39%. That reframes the real challenge: the application itself, not the interview, is where almost all of the selection pressure sits. If you make it to the interview stage, you’re already in genuinely strong company with real odds, not a formality before an inevitable rejection.
Who Actually Counts as a “New American”
This eligibility category is broader than a lot of applicants assume. You qualify if you’re a naturalized U.S. citizen, a green card holder, an asylee or refugee, or – and this is the detail people miss – someone who graduated from both high school and college in the United States, regardless of your specific immigration history. If you’re the child of immigrants, you qualify as well, with no requirement about your own birthplace or citizenship pathway. You also need to be 30 or younger as of the application deadline, with no minimum age.
No Institutional Endorsement Needed
Unlike Marshall or Fulbright, which route candidates through a university nomination process, Soros doesn’t require any institutional endorsement. You apply directly, and while working with your school’s fellowships office is encouraged, it is genuinely optional. Your application stands or falls on its own merits, not on how well-resourced your university’s advising office happens to be. That matters if you’re at a school without strong fellowship support, or if you’re applying independently of any institution’s help entirely.
Two essays carry real weight here: one on your experience as a New American and how it’s shaped your identity and accomplishments, and one on your career goals and why your specific graduate program fits them – each up to 1,000 words. Since the first essay in particular asks for genuine reflection rather than a résumé rehash, working through drafts over time in a dedicated writing journal tends to produce something more specific and considered than trying to write it in one sitting close to the deadline.
The Deadline Is Already on the Clock
October 29, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, with no extensions. If you’re selected as one of the 77 finalists, interviews happen virtually in late January and early February 2027, so it’s worth having a reliable setup ready well before then rather than scrambling once you’re notified – a decent webcam and lighting kit makes a real difference in how a virtual interview actually comes across, and it’s a one-time investment worth making early rather than during interview season itself.
Fellows are announced publicly in April 2027, with funding beginning that fall. One condition worth knowing upfront: Fellows can’t work full-time during the fellowship, since the funding is structured to let you focus on your studies rather than supplement outside income.
If you are weighing this against other graduate funding, our post on the Marshall Scholarship is worth comparing directly, particularly around how differently the two handle the endorsement question. For everything else currently open, check our Education section.
Ready to apply? Start your application at pdsoros.org before October 29, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does the Soros Fellowship pay?
Up to $90,000 over two years of graduate study, usable at any accredited U.S. institution in any field.
- What is the Soros Fellowship acceptance rate?
Roughly 1% overall (30 selected from over 3,000 applicants), though the process runs in two stages: about 2.5% of applicants reach finalist status, and nearly 39% of finalists go on to be selected as Fellows.
- Who qualifies as a “New American” for this fellowship?
Naturalized U.S. citizens, green card holders, asylees or refugees, individuals who completed both high school and college in the U.S., or children of immigrants, provided they’re 30 or younger as of the application deadline.
- Do I need my university to nominate me?
No. Applications are submitted directly with no institutional endorsement required, unlike scholarships such as Marshall or Fulbright.
- When is the 2027 application deadline?
October 29, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, with no exceptions.
- Can Fellows work while receiving funding?
No. Fellows are not permitted to work full-time during the fellowship, since the funding is intended to support full-time study.
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