Siebel Scholars Program: Application Requirements and Opportunities

The Siebel Scholars program is a prestigious initiative that recognizes exceptional graduate students from leading universities across the globe. This article delves into the application requirements, eligibility criteria, and benefits of the Siebel Scholars program. The program fosters an active, lifelong community among future leaders.

Overview of the Siebel Scholars Program

The Siebel Scholars program acknowledges the most talented students at the world’s leading graduate schools of business, computer science, bioengineering, and energy science. Siebel Scholars are selected by the Deans of each school based on outstanding academic performance and leadership qualities. Awardees receive a $35,000 award.

The Siebel Scholars program annually recognizes exceptional students from the world’s leading graduate schools of business, computer science, and bioengineering.

Eligibility and Application Requirements

Specific eligibility criteria and application requirements vary depending on the university and program. However, some general requirements and common themes emerge.

Academic Excellence and Leadership

The Siebel Scholars award is based solely upon academic achievement and excellence and is not need-based financial aid. Each year, outstanding graduate students from each institution are honored as Siebel Scholars based on academic excellence and leadership. Scholars-typically in the top 5 percent of their class.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)

At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), only students in the Chicago Booth School of Business and the Department of Computer Science are eligible to apply. Will you be registered for classes at UIUC in in both Fall 2023 and Spring 2024?Do you anticipate graduating in spring or summer 2024?

Applicants to the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science must have been awarded (or are about to be awarded) a 4-year bachelor’s degree equivalent to that granted by the University of Illinois to be eligible for the graduate programs at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Applicants whose undergraduate degree is a three-year program may not be eligible for graduate-level admissions consideration at the University of Illinois. Applicants who do not hold a bachelor’s degree in computer science must have sufficient background in computer programming, data structures and algorithms, computer architecture, and theory of computation.

Stanford University

The Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (ISCBRM) Siebel Scholar Program aims to support mentored fellows who are dedicated to pursuing academic careers. The goal of this program is to support senior trainees (postdoctoral fellows nearing exhaustion of eligibility and AS-R or Instructors within their first year) who aspire to transition into faculty positions. All projects must be significantly related to basic and/or translational research in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, and proposals should clearly articulate how the research will advance these disciplines. Proposals will be reviewed by the leadership team at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (ISCBRM) to ensure compliance with the RFP and alignment with the overall goals of the funding program. Recipients must submit an interim report due one month prior to the end of the first year. A final report is due within 2 months after project completion.

Application Materials

Applicants are typically required to submit a comprehensive application package, which may include the following:

CV/Resume: A detailed CV/resume outlining the applicant's education, job experience, research experience, and other relevant achievements. Make sure this includes your GPA, expected graduation date, citizenship status, employment, and lists of any research publications, leadership positions, and/or entrepreneurial activities.
Transcripts: Applicants must list in the online application each institution of post-secondary education from which they have earned credit. Scanned transcripts must include all grade records and the grading scale used by the institution. (If the grading scale is on the back of the transcript, a separate scanned page should be included.) If the original transcripts are not in English, native-language transcripts and an English translation must be uploaded. Do not upload password-protected transcripts. All credentials uploaded to the online application are considered unofficial. You will only be asked to submit official credentials (transcripts, academic records, diplomas, certificates of degrees, etc.) if you are admitted. Siebel School of Computing and Data Science does not require submission of official transcripts during the initial application review process. Applicants must submit official credentials (transcripts, academic records, diplomas, certificates of degrees, etc.) only if they are recommended for admission to the Graduate College at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Statement of Purpose: This statement should include your goals and background as it relates to the field of computer science. Your statement will be evaluated for your conciseness, reasons for pursuing a graduate degree, leadership skills, and eloquence.
Letters of Recommendation: It is recommended that professional letters of recommendation be from academics. They can either be your faculty, advisors, or supervisors. If you have been away from academics for a significant amount of time, you may substitute non-academic references of your choice (e.g. immediate supervisors, etc.). Personal letters of references (e.g. The letters should address your academic abilities and potential to succeed at graduate-level academic performance. If you apply to our M.S. or Ph.D. Individuals writing letters of recommendation on your behalf should submit their letters through the online application system.
Research Statement: Discuss past, current, and planned (likely your thesis) research. In addition, describe your motivation to do research. Where appropriate, please discuss the intellectual merit and the broader impacts of your research (that is, discuss the actual/likely/possible scientific and broader societal contributions/repercussions of your research).
Excellence/Leadership Statement: Discuss any notable achievements and/or activities that demonstrate your excellence, but especially those that show your qualities and contributions as a leader. For example, volunteer/community service contributions, student leadership contributions, artistic contributions, and/or involvement in business-related or entrepreneurial activities. (This discussion should include all such activities, not just activities at Illinois - i.e. undergraduate activities should be discussed.)
Short Biography Statement: Provide a short biography statement, 100-150 words in length, written in the third person, and at minimum, describing your research and employment history. (It may be best to think of the biography like a short abstract or executive summary of your case - it will duplicate information from the CV, research statement, and excellence/leadership statement.)

Additional Requirements

Application Fee: Effective Spring 2026 application cycle, all applicants (both domestic and international) are required to submit a $90.00 application fee.
English Proficiency: All international applicants should make every effort to meet English proficiency requirements for funding. Applicants who meet the proficiency requirements are given preference for admission. If admission is offered, international applicants to the on-campus programs must submit the Declaration & Certification of Finances Form. PhD applicants whose native language is not English (regardless of citizenship status) must review the information on "Financial Aid Considerations for On-campus Applicants" provided on the Additional Required Application Material page.
GRE Scores: The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general aptitude tests (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical) and subject test scores are recommended but not required. In some cases, the scores may provide helpful supporting information. If you would like to submit scores, we recommend that you scan your official score report as a PDF file and attach it to your application.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and broadening participation in computing (BPC) are an important part of the UIUC CS mission. Please write a brief paragraph telling us how DEI figures into your past and present teaching, research, community engagement, and your lived experience? How do you imagine incorporating attention to DEI into your future work?

Read also: Crafting Perfect Thank You Notes

Application Process

Visit the Application Deadlines page to review the deadlines for all Graduate Programs. All application materials, including the application fee, must be received by the posted deadline. Central Time Zone). Late applications will not be accepted.
Apply online. If you are applying to the MCS in Chicago Program, please note that the program name in the application drop-down menu is: “Computer Science (Site-Based Off Campus)-MCS”.Note: Please do not send additional materials (e.g. publications, photographs, videos, CDs, or portfolios).

Nomination Process

A committee comprised of the Dean and three (3) faculty members or senior staff shall nominate five outstanding students as nominees for this merit-based award.

Appeals

Applicants can appeal the admission decision by uploading the Appeal Form to their Graduate College application. Immediately after the appeal form is uploaded, please notify the school by following the instructions provided on the form.

Benefits of Being a Siebel Scholar

Financial Award

Each Siebel Scholar receives a merit-based award of $35,000 in the final year of his or her graduate studies. Five students from Chicago Booth’s Full-Time MBA Program were selected as 2024 Siebel Scholars. Scholars-typically in the top 5 percent of their class-will receive a $35,000 grant for their final year of studies from the Siebel Scholars Foundation.

Networking Opportunities

The Siebel Scholars program fosters an active, lifelong community among an ever-growing group of leaders. She’s excited that the Seibel Scholar network will help her exchange ideas with others in the healthcare innovation field.

Recognition

Cao is proud of all the work she put in to earn the Siebel Scholars award, and says the recognition reinforces that hard work pays off. Eron feels honored to be named a Siebel Scholar and to join a community of global innovators. Patel is proud to be a Siebel Scholar, especially after seeing how many smart, driven students attend Booth. “I feel very grateful to have the opportunity to join the global community of Siebel Scholars,” Reading says.

Read also: Foundation Scholarship Details

Siebel Scholars at Various Institutions

Carnegie Mellon University

Sanjiban Choudhury, Ph.D., Robotics InstituteRuta Desai, M.S., Robotics InstituteMin Kyung Lee,Ph.D., Human-Computer Interaction Institute Martina A. Ph.D., Computational Biology, Lane Center for Computational BiologyPreethi Raju, M.S., Human-Computer Interaction InstituteStephanie L. Rosenthal, Ph.D., Computer Science DepartmentRobert J. Robotics InstituteJonathan G. Ph.D., Computer Science DepartmentRyan D. Computer Science DepartmentMichael J. Advisor: Frank PfenningAshish R.

Johns Hopkins University

At Hopkins Engineering, every year, five single-year Siebel Scholarships are awarded to students in bioengineering fields who are at the top of their class, based on their academic results (including research), who have demonstrated excellence in terms of their leadership in the school community and in their experiences prior to their graduate program at JHU, and who have completed at least one year at the school and are reasonably expected to have only one year remaining. Candidates are identified by their home departments in the early summer; applicants need not nominate themselves.

University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Five students from Chicago Booth’s Full-Time MBA Program were selected as 2024 Siebel Scholars.

Cao: Prior to Booth, Cao worked as a management consultant with Deloitte’s healthcare analytics and A.I. practice in Chicago. She’s planning a career in healthcare investing and may even start her own venture one day. To help with these goals, Cao is pursuing concentrations in finance and entrepreneurship as well as completing UChicago’s Certificate Program in Health Administration and Policy.
Eron: Eron initially studied to be an engineer at Colorado School of Mines. At Booth, Eron is continuing his upward ascent through the school’s Entrepreneurship through Acquisition program, which provides students with the tools they need to acquire and grow small businesses. Thus far, Eron says that the Entrepreneurial Finance and Private Equity class with Steve Kaplan, the Neubauer Family Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance and the Kessenich E.P. The scholarship will help him with the next part of his career climb: fundraising for and launching his own search fund after graduation.
Hillel: While working as a life sciences consultant at Charles River Associates in her hometown of Boston, Hillel was moved by projects that felt like they could have a tangible social impact. Already, she’s interned at three healthcare VCs and has been building her network of peers, mentors, and alumni. Hillel has taken the VC labs course, become a VC career advisor, and won first place with her team at Booth’s Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) last year. She’s appreciated every moment of learning during her MBA experience.
Patel: After growing up in Dallas and studying chemical engineering, Patel began working as a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group. For a project at BCG, Patel helped one US state roll out COVID-19 vaccines in their early days. He hopes to use his time as a Siebel Scholar to build up his network of connections, become a better manager of people, and learn to grow mission-driven enterprises.
Reading: Born and raised in Hong Kong to Australian parents, Reading came to Booth with a lot of global life experience. After studying political science in college, Reading worked in economic consulting at Analysis Group’s Chicago office. Already, Reading has put her classroom lessons into action, including during her time as an associate for the Steven Tarrson Impact Investment Fund, one of the nation’s largest student-managed impact investment funds, housed at Booth’s Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation.

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