A Microsoft scholarship provides a leg up so you can pursue undergraduate studies in computer science and related technical disciplines. You’ll join a community of scholarship recipients from the United States, Canada and Mexico who share your passion for technology and academic excellence. It all adds up to achieving your primary goal—making a real difference in the software industry.
Microsoft is offering four different types of technical scholarships for the 2011-2012 academic year to current undergraduate students: General Scholarships, Women’s Scholarships, Minority Scholarships, and Scholarships for Students with Disabilities.
Requirements
Basics
If you’re interested in applying for the 2011-2012 academic year scholarships, make sure you postmark your application by February 1, 2011 in order for your application to be considered. Microsoft selects final candidates based on the following criteria:
- Eligibility
- Quality of application
- Displayed interest in the software industry
- Commitment to leadership
- Financial need
We will be notifying all rewarded scholarship recipients on March 18, 2011. We will strive to contact all applicants about their status, however please note that due to the high number of scholarship applicants, we may only be able to contact candidates who were awarded scholarships.
Diversity at Microsoft
We encourage student populations currently underrepresented in the field of computer science to pursue technical degrees. All candidates who meet the criteria for eligibility described below may certainly apply, while we do award a large majority of our student scholarships to women, minorities, and the disabled. Minority applicants must belong to one of the following groups underrepresented in the software field: African-American, Hispanic, or Native American.
Provisions
As a recipient of one of our scholarships, you’ll enjoy the benefits for one academic year. You may receive either a full or partial scholarship for the 2011-2012 academic year. Full tuition scholarships will cover tuition for the 2011-2012 academic year as posted by the financial aid office at your college or university. Microsoft will make payments to the designated school, and they’re not transferable to other academic institutions. You may use the funds for tuition only—not for other costs listed on your bursar bill, such as room and board.
You’ll also need to apply for a summer internship and if offered an internship, you must complete the salaried summer internship of 12 weeks or more at Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Washington. (Microsoft reserves the right not to offer an internship position to the scholarship winner if an appropriate match cannot be found.)
Eligibility
To be eligible, you must be enrolled full time in a Bachelor’s degree program at a 4-year college or university in the United States, Canada, or Mexico at the time you submit the application. Plus, we’ll need to see that you’re making satisfactory progress toward an undergraduate degree in computer science, computer engineering, or a related technical discipline such as electrical engineering, math, or physics—and that you demonstrate an interest in computer science. Because the scholarship is merit based, you must maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average out of a possible 4.0, or a 4.0 cumulative grade point average out of a possible 5.0. For more detailed information regarding eligibility, please read our FAQ.
How to Apply
You must include the following five items in your application:
- Resume
- Transcript
- Answers to essay questions
- Letter of referral
- Printed Confirmation Page from Online Application to the Microsoft Internship Program
Please send your completed application to:
Microsoft Scholarship Program
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-8303
Resume
Be sure your resume includes:
- Your e-mail address
- School address and phone number
- Student ID number
- Permanent address and phone number
- Academic major
- Expected graduation date
Use one page total (not one page per question) to answer all four of the following questions:
- Describe how you demonstrate your passion for technology outside the classroom.
- Describe the toughest technical problem you’ve worked on, how you addressed the problem, your role in reaching the outcome if it was team-based, and the final outcome.
- Describe a situation that demonstrates initiative and your willingness to go above and beyond.
- Describe how you are currently funding your college education.
Enclose a letter of referral from a faculty member (professor or teaching assistant) or an academic adviser.
Printed Confirmation Page
Must have applied to a Microsoft 2011 Summer Internship. Please attach a printed copy of the Application Confirmation page, which can be accessed during the online application process. If you have already applied for a Microsoft Internship, please indicate this below your essay answers so we can verify your application status.
For specific questions not answered on this page or in the FAQ section, please e-mail scholars@microsoft.com.
FAQ
The following are questions most often asked by our scholarship applicants. If you don’t find an answer to your question here or in the other Scholarships pages, please e-mail scholars@microsoft.com.
Where can I find an application?
A complete application includes five items: your resume, transcript, answers to essay questions, letter of referral, and a printed confirmation page from the online application to the Microsoft Internship program. If you have already applied for a Microsoft Internship, please indicate this below your essay answers so we can verify your application status. There is not a separate application form to submit in addition to the above materials. Your name should be included on each page of your application.
Can high school, community college or graduate students apply for these scholarships?
No. Scholarships are available for students who are currently enrolled in a four-year undergraduate degree program.
I am studying at a school outside of the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Am I eligible to apply?
No. You must be attending a school in North America in order to be eligible for our scholarship program.
Can international students apply for scholarships?
Yes. If you are currently studying in North America and meet our criteria for scholarship eligibility, you can apply regardless of your citizenship.
If I want to apply for a women’s or minority scholarship, where do I indicate that in my application?
Please indicate which scholarship you are applying for in either your cover letter or the page where you answer the essay questions.
Do I need to send an official transcript or is an unofficial transcript acceptable?
If you cannot obtain an official transcript from your school, you can send an unofficial transcript for now. However, we will ask for an official transcript if you are one of the finalists for the scholarship.
What should be included in the letter of recommendation?
We do not have a template for the letter of recommendation. Your professor should write a letter that endorses you as the best candidate to receive a scholarship. The letter should address why your professor has this opinion.
