• DOSFellows@state.gov
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Frequently Asked Questions

Questions frequently asked about the Pickering Graduate Fellowship Program.

2027 Award Elements
Eligibility requirements
application questions
graduate school
interview/selection process
early-career officer

New Elements of the 2027 Award

The Program will select 10 fellows per cohort with benefits including funding for tuition, mandatory fees, and stipends up to $88,000 per year (for two years). This includes up to $55,000 per year toward tuition and mandatory fees, and an annual living stipend of $33,000. Fellows also participate in orientation, summer internships (domestic and overseas), a two-week professional development seminar at the National Defense University, and receive mentoring from Foreign Service Officers. 

Applicants to the 2027 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship must have completed the revised edition of the Department of State’s Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT). The Department began offering the revised FSOT in October of 2025. Applicants for this fellowship cycle must have taken the revised FSOT at some point between October 2025 and October 2026. If you have not yet taken the FSOT, please consult the PearsonVUE website for more information on testing opportunities in October 2026. Registration and testing for the October 2026 FSOT run through October 31. Please be advised that the fellowship cannot accept results from versions of the FSOT offered prior to October 2025. 

NOTE:  For the 2027 cohort only, applicants who do not already have passing results from the FSOT and WE administered on/after October 2025 must take the FSOT in the October 2026 or January 2027 testing window.
Applicants who do not have both test results by the application deadline may still apply by submitting:
  1. Passing FSOT results and confirmation of either having scheduled or taken the WE but are awaiting results, or
  2. Confirmation of registration for the January 2027 FSOT with Pearson VUE.
Selected applicants who have yet to provide results for the FSOT and WE will receive a conditional offer, contingent on submitting passing FSOT and WE results before their academic program begins.  Fellows who have not passed both tests by then will not be accepted to the Fellowship program.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must: 

  • be U.S. citizens; 
  • be seeking admission to enter graduate school in fall 2027 for a two-year program at a Department-approved Washington, D.C., metropolitan area institution in an area of relevance to the Foreign Service; 
  • have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale at the time of application; and 
  • have taken and passed the multiple-choice and writing assessment components of the revised FSOT, taken between October 2025 and October 2026; results from versions offered prior to October 2025 cannot be accepted. Registration information is available here. *

*NOTE: For the 2027 cohort only, applicants who do not already have passing results from the FSOT and WE administered on/after October 2025 must take the FSOT in the October 2026 or January 2027 testing window.

Applicants who do not have both test results by the application deadline may still apply by submitting:
  1. Passing FSOT results and confirmation of either having scheduled or taken the WE but are awaiting results, or
  2. Confirmation of registration for the January 2027 FSOT with Pearson VUE.
Selected applicants who have yet to provide results for the FSOT and WE will receive a conditional offer, contingent on submitting passing FSOT and WE results before their academic program begins. Fellows who have not passed both tests by then will not be accepted to the Fellowship program.

No. The 3.2 GPA requirement is for a cumulative GPA, which includes all courses taken at institutions at a college/university level. The Program has no flexibility on the GPA requirement.

Applicants must meet the minimum cumulative GPA eligibility of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale. To determine cumulative GPA eligibility, the Program uses:

The undergraduate GPA issued by the institution which conferred or will confer the applicant’s degree at the time of application

OR

A combination of the GPA issued by the undergraduate degree-conferring institution and GPAs obtained at other institutions where the applicant was enrolled for a minimum of one full academic year as defined by the institution.

Applicants who attend schools that do not provide formal GPAs must provide, on official school letterhead, a signed statement from their university’s registrar, academic advisor or other similarly ranked university official. This letter should state that the school official has reviewed the applicants’ transcript/coursework/evaluations/etc. and has determined, to the best of their ability, the applicant’s equivalent GPA on a 4.0 scale. The letter must specify the GPA equivalent. In such circumstances, applications without this written record are ineligible. Such applicants will also be required to complete the Pickering Program’s Alternative Academic Record form, which can be found in the fellowship application portal.

Yes. For applicants who are US citizens attending foreign institutions, the Program will determine U.S. GPA equivalents based on published standards for determining equivalency between foreign and U.S. grades from a particular country or university. The applicant should submit information on grade equivalency and an official certification of their GPA equivalent on the 4.0-scale with their application, to be confirmed by the Program. Such applicants will also be required to complete the Pickering Program’s Alternative Academic Record form, which can be found in the fellowship application portal.

To determine cumulative GPA eligibility, the program uses: 1) the undergraduate GPA issued by the institution which conferred or will confer the applicant’s degree at the time of application or 2) a combination of the GPA issued by the undergraduate degree-conferring institution and GPAs obtained at other institutions where the applicant was enrolled for a minimum of one full academic year as defined by the institution.  If the master’s degree covered a period of more than one year, applicants should provide all transcripts and calculate a cumulative GPA to determine eligibility. 

Applicants must be U.S. citizens on the day of application.  If they have not yet received citizenship by that day, they can apply in a future year once they get citizenship.

No. The undergraduate component of the program was phased out starting with the 2018 cohort. The Pickering Program now offers the graduate fellowship exclusively. You may apply to the graduate fellowship during the senior year of your undergraduate program or any time after you graduate, as long as you plan to start graduate school in the fall of the year for which you are applying.

Applicants must be seeking to start a Department-approved graduate program in fall 2027.  Thus, an applicant could not use the fellowship to fund the remainder of an existing program.  If the individual is planning to start a new two-year program that is on the list of Department-approved graduate programs, he/she would be eligible. Applicants seeking admission to law school are not eligible.

 

Yes. Applicants seeking admission to enter a Department-approved graduate program in the fall of 2027 are eligible to apply.  The second master’s degree must be from the Department’s provided list of approved graduate programs.

The Pickering Program welcomes applications from individuals with any undergraduate major.

The fellowship has no specific age requirements. However, the State Department Foreign Service has an upper limit of 59 years old for entry, and the period between application to the fellowship and Foreign Service is normally around three years. 

No. A deferral will be granted only for participation in non-MA degree Fulbright programs that commenced prior to the candidate’s selection as a Pickering Fellow. 

Applicants must: 

  • be U.S. citizens; 
  • be seeking admission to enter graduate school in fall 2027 for a two-year program at a Department-approved Washington, D.C., metropolitan area institution in an area of relevance to the Foreign Service; 
  • have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale at the time of application; and 
  • have taken and passed the multiple-choice and writing assessment components of the revised FSOT, taken between October 2025 and October 2026; results from versions offered prior to October 2025 cannot be accepted. Registration information is available here. *

*NOTE: For the 2027 cohort only, applicants who do not already have passing results from the FSOT and WE administered on/after October 2025 must take the FSOT in the October 2026 or January 2027 testing window.

Applicants who do not have both test results by the application deadline may still apply by submitting:
  1. Passing FSOT results and confirmation of either having scheduled or taken the WE but are awaiting results, or
  2. Confirmation of registration for the January 2027 FSOT with Pearson VUE.
Selected applicants who have yet to provide results for the FSOT and WE will receive a conditional offer, contingent on submitting passing FSOT and WE results before their academic program begins. Fellows who have not passed both tests by then will not be accepted to the Fellowship program.

No. The 3.2 GPA requirement is for a cumulative GPA, which includes all courses taken at institutions at a college/university level. The Program has no flexibility on the GPA requirement.

Applicants must meet the minimum cumulative GPA eligibility of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale. To determine cumulative GPA eligibility, the Program uses:

The undergraduate GPA issued by the institution which conferred or will confer the applicant’s degree at the time of application

OR

A combination of the GPA issued by the undergraduate degree-conferring institution and GPAs obtained at other institutions where the applicant was enrolled for a minimum of one full academic year as defined by the institution.

Applicants who attend schools that do not provide formal GPAs must provide, on official school letterhead, a signed statement from their university’s registrar, academic advisor or other similarly ranked university official. This letter should state that the school official has reviewed the applicants’ transcript/coursework/evaluations/etc. and has determined, to the best of their ability, the applicant’s equivalent GPA on a 4.0 scale. The letter must specify the GPA equivalent. In such circumstances, applications without this written record are ineligible.

Yes. For applicants who are US citizens attending foreign institutions, the Program will determine U.S. GPA equivalents based on published standards for determining equivalency between foreign and U.S. grades from a particular country or university. The applicant should submit information on grade equivalency with their application, to be confirmed by the Program.

To determine cumulative GPA eligibility, the program uses: 1) the undergraduate GPA issued by the institution which conferred or will confer the applicant’s degree at the time of application or 2) a combination of the GPA issued by the undergraduate degree-conferring institution and GPAs obtained at other institutions where the applicant was enrolled for a minimum of one full academic year as defined by the institution.  If the Master’s degree covered a period of more than one year, applicants should provide all transcripts and calculate a cumulative GPA to determine eligibility. 

Applicants must be U.S. citizens on the day of application.  If they have not yet received citizenship by that day, they can apply in a future year once they get citizenship.

No. The undergraduate component of the program was phased out starting with the 2018 cohort. The Pickering Program now offers the graduate fellowship exclusively. You may apply to the graduate fellowship during the senior year of your undergraduate program or any time after you graduate, as long as you plan to start graduate school in the fall of the year for which you are applying.

Applicants must be seeking to start a two-year graduate program in fall 2025.  Thus, an applicant could not use the fellowship to fund the remainder of an existing program.  If the individual is planning to start a new two-year program in an area of relevance to the Foreign Service in fall 2025, he/she would be eligible.  Applicants seeking admission to law school are not eligible.

Yes. Applicants seeking admission to enter graduate school in the fall of 2025 for a two-year program are eligible to apply.  The second master’s degree must be in a field related to the Foreign Service.

The Pickering Program welcomes applications from individuals with any undergraduate major.

No. Students who meet the eligibility requirements can apply, no matter where they did their undergraduate studies. Pickering Fellows come from schools around the country.

The fellowship has no specific age requirements. However, the State Department Foreign Service has an upper limit of 59 years old for entry, and the period between application to the fellowship and Foreign Service is normally around three years. 

No. A deferral will be granted only for participation in non-MA degree Fulbright programs that commenced prior to the candidate’s selection as a Pickering Fellow. 

Applicants must: 

  • be U.S. citizens; 
  • be seeking admission to enter graduate school in fall 2027 for a two-year program at a Department-approved Washington, D.C., metropolitan area institution in an area of relevance to the Foreign Service; 
  • have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale at the time of application; and 
  • have taken and passed the multiple-choice and writing assessment components of the revised FSOT, taken between October 2025 and October 2026; results from versions offered prior to October 2025 cannot be accepted. Registration information is available here. *

*NOTE: For the 2027 cohort only, applicants who do not already have passing results from the FSOT and WE administered on/after October 2025 must take the FSOT in the October 2026 or January 2027 testing window.

Applicants who do not have both test results by the application deadline may still apply by submitting:
  1. Passing FSOT results and confirmation of either having scheduled or taken the WE but are awaiting results, or
  2. Confirmation of registration for the January 2027 FSOT with Pearson VUE.
Selected applicants who have yet to provide results for the FSOT and WE will receive a conditional offer, contingent on submitting passing FSOT and WE results before their academic program begins. Fellows who have not passed both tests by then will not be accepted to the Fellowship program.

Applicants to the 2027 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship must have completed the revised edition of the Department of State’s Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT). The Department began offering the revised FSOT in October of 2025. Applicants for this fellowship cycle must have taken the revised FSOT at some point between October 2025 and October 2026. If you have not yet taken the FSOT, please consult the PearsonVUE website for more information on testing opportunities in October 2026. Registration and testing for the October 2026 FSOT run through October 31. Please be advised that the fellowship cannot accept results from versions of the FSOT offered prior to October 2025. 

NOTE:  For the 2027 cohort only, applicants who do not already have passing results from the FSOT and WE administered on/after October 2025 must take the FSOT in the October 2026 or January 2027 testing window.
Applicants who do not have both test results by the application deadline may still apply by submitting:
  1. Passing FSOT results and confirmation of either having scheduled or taken the WE but are awaiting results, or
  2. Confirmation of registration for the January 2027 FSOT with Pearson VUE.
Selected applicants who have yet to provide results for the FSOT and WE will receive a conditional offer, contingent on submitting passing FSOT and WE results before their academic program begins.  Fellows who have not passed both tests by then will not be accepted to the Fellowship program.

No. The 3.2 GPA requirement is for a cumulative GPA, which includes all courses taken at institutions at a college/university level. The Program has no flexibility on the GPA requirement.

Applicants must meet the minimum cumulative GPA eligibility of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale. To determine cumulative GPA eligibility, the Program uses:

The undergraduate GPA issued by the institution which conferred or will confer the applicant’s degree at the time of application

OR

A combination of the GPA issued by the undergraduate degree-conferring institution and GPAs obtained at other institutions where the applicant was enrolled for a minimum of one full academic year as defined by the institution.

Applicants who attend schools that do not provide formal GPAs must provide, on official school letterhead, a signed statement from their university’s registrar, academic advisor or other similarly ranked university official. This letter should state that the school official has reviewed the applicants’ transcript/coursework/evaluations/etc. and has determined, to the best of their ability, the applicant’s equivalent GPA on a 4.0 scale. The letter must specify the GPA equivalent. In such circumstances, applications without this written record are ineligible.

Yes. For applicants who are US citizens attending foreign institutions, the Program will determine U.S. GPA equivalents based on published standards for determining equivalency between foreign and U.S. grades from a particular country or university. The applicant should submit information on grade equivalency with their application, to be confirmed by the Program.

To determine cumulative GPA eligibility, the program uses: 1) the undergraduate GPA issued by the institution which conferred or will confer the applicant’s degree at the time of application or 2) a combination of the GPA issued by the undergraduate degree-conferring institution and GPAs obtained at other institutions where the applicant was enrolled for a minimum of one full academic year as defined by the institution.  If the Master’s degree covered a period of more than one year, applicants should provide all transcripts and calculate a cumulative GPA to determine eligibility. 

Applicants must be U.S. citizens on the day of application.  If they have not yet received citizenship by that day, they can apply in a future year once they get citizenship.

No. The undergraduate component of the program was phased out starting with the 2018 cohort. The Pickering Program now offers the graduate fellowship exclusively. You may apply to the graduate fellowship during the senior year of your undergraduate program or any time after you graduate, as long as you plan to start graduate school in the fall of the year for which you are applying.

Applicants must be seeking to start a Department-approved graduate program in fall 2027.  Thus, an applicant could not use the fellowship to fund the remainder of an existing program.  If the individual is planning to start a new two-year program that is on the list of Department-approved graduate programs, he/she would be eligible.  Applicants seeking admission to law school are not eligible.

 

Yes. Applicants seeking admission to enter a Department-approved graduate program in the fall of 2027 are eligible to apply.  The second master’s degree must be from the Department’s provided list of approved graduate programs.

The Pickering Program welcomes applications from individuals with any undergraduate major.

The fellowship has no specific age requirements. However, the State Department Foreign Service has an upper limit of 59 years old for entry, and the period between application to the fellowship and Foreign Service is normally around three years. 

No. A deferral will be granted only for participation in non-MA degree Fulbright programs that commenced prior to the candidate’s selection as a Pickering Fellow. 

Application Questions

Applicants have the option to submit their GRE or GMAT scores to demonstrate their readiness for graduate school.  They are not required nor will applicants be disadvantaged by not providing them.  Applicants should upload a copy of the official score sheet they receive.  The GRE scores should not be sent directly to the Pickering Program by testing authorities.  Please note that graduate programs to which applicants are applying may require the GRE.  In those cases, applicants should consider how to meet the graduate school requirements independent of the Pickering Fellowship selection process.  Waiting to take the GRE until after they hear the results of the fellowship decision may affect applicants’ competitiveness for some graduate programs.

You can check the status of your application, including uploaded materials, in the online Pickering application portal. You will also be able to check whether we have received your letters of recommendation. You may contact DOSFellows@state.gov if you have any questions. 

The application will close on December 2, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET. You have the option to submit the application earlier and to edit the application before the deadline. Your application is not automatically submitted at the close of the deadline. Your application is submitted when the portal displays the status “FINAL.” Once the application closes, you will not be able to edit your application. Retain a copy of your submitted application. 

Since the Pickering Program takes into consideration an applicant’s financial need, we ask that candidates request an official financial aid statement from their undergraduate university/college.  If the university/college no longer has the applicant’s financial records, mailing in financial aid documentation from a student’s own records will suffice.  Also, applicants should be sure to discuss, in detail, their financial need in the required statement in the online application.

You must submit transcripts from all colleges and universities from which you obtained credits for more than two courses (usually 6 credits) with your application. At this juncture, unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but you will be asked to provide an official transcript if you are selected as a finalist. You do not need to send transcripts for courses taken in high school, including dual enrollment and AP classes, for which you received college credit.

Each transcript must clearly display your name, the institution’s name, coursework, grades, and most recent/final GPA. Upload documents in PDF format using the corresponding transcript fields in the application. 

If your transcript uses grades that are not on a 4.0 scale, you must complete and submit the Pickering Program Alternative Academic Record form with your application. You are personally responsible for providing a certified equivalency of your grades on the 4.0 scale. This equivalency can be provided by the appropriate department chair or the registrar at your university, or by an official equivalency service. The Program cannot accept transcripts without a grade equivalency provided by the applicant. 

It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide/arrange a translation, even if it is informal, and attach it to the transcript.  

Applicants should check their applications to make sure they added their recommenders’ correct email addresses. If they did, an email invitation should have been sent to the recommender. However, based on the security settings of the recommender’s email, automated notifications may get sent to “Junk” or “Spam” Folders. Your recommender should check these folders, too.  Because applicants will be copied on all email notifications sent to their recommenders, applicants should check their own emails and junk mailboxes to see if they can find a copy of the email notification that they can forward it again to their recommenders. If the applicant and recommender are both unable to find the notification, please contact the Program staff at DOSFellows@state.gov.

The Pickering Graduate Fellowship and the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship are both U.S. Department of State fellowship programs that support graduate study and preparation for careers in the Foreign Service. Their program structures and internship arrangements differ. See each program’s current website for its application requirements and internship structure. 

Applicants may apply to both programs if permitted under the current application rules. The Rangel and Pickering applications and selection processes are separate. Applicants should review the current application instructions for each program before applying. 

Our strong preference is that applicants provide a letter from an academic professional because this individual can provide insights into academic skills, performance and potential that is relevant both to success in graduate school and the Foreign Service.  If this is not possible, applicants can submit a letter from a non-academic source who is able to attest to academic-related skills such as analytical skills, writing skills, substantive knowledge, and organization.

Yes. All applicants must complete the latest FAFSA (2026-2027 academic year) and upload the FAFSA Submission Summary even if they are not currently enrolled in a college or university. Materials must be uploaded in advance of the fellowship deadline. The production of the Submission Summary often takes several days to process after the FAFSA request is submitted, so applicants should file the FAFSA at least a week before the application deadline for the Pickering Fellowship.

Applicants should review and follow guidance provided by FAFSA in filling out these forms.  Applicants will upload the Submission Summary generated by the FAFSA directly into their applications.  Do not ask FAFSA to send information directly to the Pickering Program.

As part of your application, you must submit your FAFSA Submission Summary. This is a new document that has replaced the Student Aid Report (SAR). You can find your FAFSA Submission Summary online after you complete your FAFSA. 

The Student Aid Index (SAI) is a number that is used to determine your eligibility for federal student aid. It has replaced the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC). You can find your SAI on your FAFSA Submission Summary. 

Please review your application and ensure that the information you have entered is accurate and corresponds correctly to the updated questions. If you need to make any changes, you can update your application online. 

For more information on these changes, please visit the following links: 

Both programs are U.S. Department of State programs that promote excellence in the Foreign Service.  The main difference between the two programs is the nature of the domestic internship.  Pickering Fellows do a domestic internship at the Department of State in Washington, DC, and the Rangel Fellows do a domestic internship on Capitol Hill that focuses on Congress’ role in foreign policy. 

Graduate School

Fellows must select a program from the Department-approved list of graduate programs located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area (including D.C. campus locations for participating universities). This geographic concentration allows fellows to participate in specialized interagency programming, direct engagement with Department leadership, and ongoing professional development throughout the academic year. You can find the list of Department-approved programs here.

No. Applicants are generally starting the application process for graduate school at the same time they are applying for the Pickering Fellowship.  So, applicants should list the Department-approved programs to which they have applied or plan to apply.  No acceptances are required.  If you have already been admitted to a Department-approved program that you plan to attend, you can upload your acceptance letter with your transcripts.

Interview Process/Selection of Fellows

The program will invite those selected as finalists to participate in a final round, which includes an interview with three selection panel members and a one-hour essay writing exercise.  Finalists will also participate in discussions with State Department and program alumni who will talk more about the Foreign Service, program benefits and obligations, and the Pickering Program experience. 

The program will select 50 finalists to participate in the final round of selections, which includes an interview and a writing exercise. The selection panel will choose 10 fellows based on the final round assessments. 

The Program will notify finalists between January and February 2027 and advise all applicants of the decisions by email. For those selected as finalists, the interviews/writing exercises will be held in February 2027, with final decisions and offers conveyed in March 2027. 

Early-Career Officer

Information about Foreign Service Officer salary and compensation can be found on the State Department Careers Website, including a detailed outline of how salary is calculated.