Leadership
The Mary Gates Leadership Scholarship supports University of Washington undergraduates who are taking on a leadership project and want to grow as leaders through the work. It is not a reward for leadership already accomplished; it is support for a project you plan to carry out in the future and the learning you expect to do along the way, in community with mentors and peers.
What counts as leadership
Leadership takes many forms — but the Endowment funds a project you build, not just a title you hold.
Leadership takes many forms, and you will be asked to define it in your own words in your application essay, naming what you want to learn and how the activity you have chosen will support that growth. A project might grow out of your involvement in a Registered Student Organization (RSO) or campus group, a cause you care about, or volunteer work in your communities — in Seattle, across Washington, or anywhere else.
One distinction matters here: holding a role is not the same as having a project. If you are part of an organization or community, the Endowment asks you to identify something you can build within that role — an initiative the group needs, or a project that serves it while letting you grow as a leader. The strongest applications tend to name a real need in a group or community and address it directly, with clear leadership learning goals. Proposing to volunteer on a specific project that meets a community need, for instance, makes for a far stronger application than simply proposing to serve as an officer without describing what you hope to accomplish in that role. Because leadership rarely happens alone, you will also be asked to describe your collaborators and partners while making your own role and contributions clear.
Who can apply
Any matriculated UW undergraduate planning a leadership project, from any major and at any stage — no prior experience required.
Any matriculated undergraduate pursuing a bachelor's degree at one of the three UW campuses — Bothell, Seattle, or Tacoma — may apply, provided they are planning a leadership project. Applicants are welcome from any major and at any stage of their academic career. Prior leadership experience can be useful preparation, but it is not required. If you have already begun the work, your application should still center on the project or phase you plan to pursue during the quarters you would hold the scholarship.
Full-time enrollment is required only during the quarters in which you receive the award, not during the Autumn quarter when you apply. You can hold the financial award for only one Mary Gates scholarship at a time, though you may apply for more than one type in the same cycle. Previous Leadership Scholars may apply for a second award, which reviewers evaluate against some additional criteria; no one may receive a third award of the same type, and the combined maximum across Research and Leadership Scholarships is three.
Timeline
The application runs once a year, opening in Autumn; current dates live on the Dates and Deadlines page.
The Endowment runs a single application cycle per academic year, with the application opening in Autumn. For the exact opening date, application deadline, and recommendation-letter deadline, see the Dates and Deadlines page.
Questions are always welcome at mgates@uw.edu.