Knight-Hennessy Scholars is an international graduate-level scholarship program for students to study at Stanford University. The program is considered one of the most prestigious and competitive scholarships in the world. In 2024, 90 scholars were selected from a pool of 8,272 applicants for a selection rate of 1.09%.[1]
| Knight-Hennessy Scholars | |
| Established: | 2016 |
| Students: | Up to 100 |
Established in 2016 by Phil Knight and John Hennessy, Knight-Hennessy Scholars is the largest fully endowed graduate fellowship in the world, with an endowment of about $750 million.[2] The program prepares students to take leadership roles in finding creative solutions to complex global issues. Knight-Hennessy Scholars is often perceived as the American analogue to other prestigious international scholarships such as the Rhodes Scholarship.
Scholars receive full funding to pursue any graduate degree at Stanford and participate in additional opportunities for leadership training, mentorship, and experiential learning across multiple disciplines.
The Knight-Hennessy Scholarship program enrolled its first cohort of 51 graduate students in 2018, with participating students hailing from 21 countries and pursuing 31 different degree programs.[3] A cohort of new Knight-Hennessy Scholars has been selected in each subsequent year. Notable alumni of the program include Alma Cooper, Andrew Leon Hanna, Aya Mouallem, and Maike van Niekerk.
The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program has a focus on attracting prospective graduate students with a wide range of backgrounds from around the world.[4] [5] [6] In addition to their graduate studies, scholars participate in leadership development through the King Global Leadership Program, study trips, and mentorship with thought leaders in business, government, and nonprofit fields.[7]
Knight-Hennessy Scholars supports scholars with coaching, funding and mentors, and provides workshops to help them develop their ideas to address important regional or global issues. The program's Global Impact Fund also offers one-time grants of up to $100,000 to scholars who have demonstrated a compelling commitment to the greater good by launching a nonprofit designed to improve lives and drive meaningful change.[8]
The program provides financial support comprising full tuition and fees, living and academic expenses (such as room and board, books, academic supplies, instructional materials, local transportation, and reasonable personal expenses), a travel stipend, a relocation stipend, and health insurance.[9]
Potential applicants are required to apply to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program and, separately, to a Stanford University graduate degree program.[7] From potential applicants, the scholarship program seeks out those who display independence of thought, purposeful leadership, and a civic mindset. The three criteria are defined as follows:[10]
Independence of Thought
Purposeful Leadership
Civic Mindset
Following the application deadline, approximately 500 applicants are selected to submit a video recording on a topic provided by the program.[11] A group of finalists are then invited to participate in a virtual interview as well as the Immersion Weekend.[12] For Immersion Weekend, Knight-Hennessy Scholars selects up to 180 finalists to visit Stanford University, where finalists participate in both evaluated and non-evaluated activities. Knight-Hennessy Scholars covers travel expenses, including lodging at Stanford, airfare, and meals on-campus for those invited to Immersion Weekend. Following Immersion Weekend, up to 100 scholars are then selected.
Denning House was built on the shore of Lake Lagunita on Stanford’s campus. The building serves as the center for the Knight-Hennessy scholars community.[7] Scholars gather at Denning House for presentations, workshops, and social events.
The New York architectural firm Ennead designed the two-story building, which has classrooms, a dining area, meeting and lecture rooms, as well as office space for a fellow-in-residence and for the program's administrative staff.[13] The building was a gift from Steven A. Denning and his wife, Roberta Bowman Denning.