Clarendon Scholarship Timeline: Step-by-Step Guide to Oxford’s Prestigious Award

The Clarendon Scholarship is one of the most prestigious funding opportunities at the University of Oxford, offering over 200 fully funded scholarships every year to outstanding graduate students. Unlike many other awards, there is no separate application process for Clarendon. Instead, you are automatically considered once you apply for a graduate program at Oxford. However, the timeline for decisions is crucial to understand so you can manage expectations and track your progress.

Applying to Your Graduate Course

The journey begins when you submit your Oxford graduate course application. To be eligible for Clarendon, you must apply by the December or January deadline set for your chosen program. Missing these deadlines means automatic disqualification from scholarship consideration.

Departmental Reviews and Nominations

After your application is submitted, your academic department reviews your file. Faculty assess the academic excellence, potential, and fit of applicants. From here, they nominate their top candidates for Clarendon. This stage typically takes place in January and February, with departments forwarding their recommendations to the wider university.

Divisional Decisions

The next step occurs in February and March, when Oxford’s divisional selection committees (or the Department for Continuing Education for certain courses) review the departmental nominations. These committees then create a shortlist of the strongest applicants across all fields of study.

Scholarship Offers

Successful candidates begin receiving their Clarendon Scholarship offer letters—known as CB1 letters—by the end of April. These letters confirm the award, though they may not yet include the final funding details if your award is combined with a partnership scholarship.

Partnership Awards and Finalization

Between April and June, Oxford matches many Clarendon scholars with Partnership Awards, which are specific scholarships funded in collaboration with external organizations or colleges. During this period, you will also receive your Funding Breakdown Letter (CB2), which outlines the final details of your scholarship package. By this time, your college placement is also confirmed, finalizing your Oxford journey.

What If You Don’t Hear Back?

If you have not received an offer by mid-June, it is likely that your application has not been successful. However, it is worth noting that late nominations sometimes occur if a chosen scholar declines the offer. In these rare cases, offers may be extended later in the summer.

Conclusion

The Clarendon Scholarship timeline follows a clear structure: apply for your graduate program by December or January, await departmental nomination and divisional review in the early spring, and look for offers by April. By June, most candidates know their final status.

Understanding this process helps applicants stay informed and focused while waiting for results. For those fortunate enough to receive the Clarendon, the reward is life-changing: a fully funded opportunity to pursue graduate study at one of the world’s top universities.