Application and Selection Process

Application Deadlines

The SMSP staff must receive all nomination packets from the three universities by Sunday, March 28, 2021, at 10am. Each participating university may nominate up to twenty (20) students for SMSP.

Students must submit an application to their university requesting to become a nominee by the deadline for each university. The program does not accept individual applications.

Zayed University
Contact: Man Baker
Email: Man.Baker@zu.ac.ae
Deadline: Wednesday, March 10, 2021

United Arab Emirates University
Contact: Rana Al Katheeri
Email: SMSP@uaeu.ac.ae
Deadline: Thursday, March 18, 2021

Higher Colleges of Technology
Contact: Sabina Naik
Email: snaik1@hct.ac.ae
Deadline: Sunday, March 14, 2021

What Makes a Good Scholar?

SMSP does not have a minimum required GPA or IELTS/TOEFL exam score; candidates, however, are expected to:

Be top students with noted intellectual curiosity and a record of accomplishment;
Possess excellent English language competency;
Be self-aware;
Have outstanding interpersonal skills and be able to contribute to the class;
Be creative or have other special talents or gifts;
Demonstrate leadership potential;
Be enterprising and demonstrate a spirit of adventure and flexibility.

Eligibility

To apply to the program a student must meet the following criteria:

Be in his/her second or third year of a bachelor's program at the time of application;
In the Fall semester of the Program's academic year, be enrolled at one of the UAE's three federal universities: UAEU, ZU, or HCT;
Complete and submit a dossier to the designated administrator at his/her home university;
Be nominated by his/her university for the Program.

Application Process

Nomination Stage
Finalists Chosen
Selection Days
Program Starts

Students must submit an application to the designated administrator at his/her home university. Twenty students will be nominated to the program from each participating university for the second stage of the selection process. Nominations are submitted from university representatives to SMSP.
The SMSP Selection Committee reviews the submitted dossiers and narrows the 60 nominees to approximately 36 finalists. Finalists will be invited to attend Selection Days.
A two-day competition where finalists complete several interviews, a large group exercise, and a writing exercise. The new cohort is announced in the summer.
The new cohort will begin the program in September with classes being held approximately every other weekend throughout the academic year.

How to Complete Your Application

Students and school coordinators must ensure that the nominee applications are complete by the applicable deadlines. A nomination is not complete unless all documents are received by the deadline.

1. Completed Biographical Information Form
2. Signed Student/Parental Consent Form
3. Curriculum Vitae that follows the format indicated by SMSP
4. Color copy of a currently-valid passport photo page
5. Personal statement from the student (limit of 850 words)
6. Description of a project completed by the student
7. Video summary of the project completed by the student
8. Brief self-description (biography) of the nominee (limit of 120 words)
9. Color photo taken within the last year
10. Copy of an English Proficiency examination score from IELTS, TOEFL, or a similar test taken within the past two years, if available
1. University Nomination and English Language Certification Form
2. Two faculty letters of recommendation
3. Official academic transcript (unofficial school transcripts will not be accepted)

Please save your documents using exactly the following naming convention for each document, including the numbers:
Document #. Document Name— Your First Name(space)Your Family Name.

See examples below:

Document	Document Name Example
Biographical Information Form	A.1. Biographical Information Form— Amir Al Shamsi
Nominee and Parental Consent Form	A.2. Nominee and Parental Consent Form— Amir Al Shamsi
Curriculum Vitae	A.3. Curriculum Vitae— Amir Al Shamsi
Passport Copy	A.4. Passport Copy— Amir Al Shamsi
Personal Statement	A.5. Personal Statement— Amir Al Shamsi
Project Description	A.6. Project Description— Amir Al Shamsi
Project Video Summary	A.7. Project Video Summary— Amir Al Shamsi
Brief Self-Description	A.8. Brief Self-Description— Amir Al Shamsi
Color Photo	A.9. Color photo— Amir Al Shamsi
IELTS/TOFEL Score	A.10. IELTS/TOFEL— Amir Al Shamsi
University Nomination and English Language Certification	B.1. University Nomination and English Language Certification— Amir Al Shamsi
Faculty Letter 1	B.2.1. Faculty letter1— Amir Al Shamsi
Faculty Letter 2	B.2.2. Faculty letter2— Amir Al Shamsi
Official Academic Transcript	B.3. Official Academic Transcript— Amir Al Shamsi

Application and Selection Process

Application Deadlines

What Makes a Good Scholar?

Eligibility

Application Process

How to Complete Your Application

Apply Now

Information Sessions

Scholars General Agreement