Each year a select group of graduating college seniors become Arkansas Fellows.The annual application period opens in early September and remains open through early November.
Get your applications submitted before the deadline – typically the first Friday in November.
Board members from the Arkansas Fellowship interview every applicant. We look for dynamic, self-motivated, entrepreneurial candidates, not just resume accomplishments. This first round of interviews plays a large role in who is selected to attend Finalist Day.
After interviews with the Board member have been completed, the Board selects and notifies a select group of “finalists” from the applicant pool. Finalists are invited to the next and final stage of the selection process - interviewing directly with our participating mentor companies at Finalist Day.
At Finalist Day, finalists interview directly with the mentor companies that are participating in that Fellowship class. Each mentor company has committed to hiring at least one finalist for employment after graduation. Companies make their own selection based on the interviews at Finalist Day. We are typically able to notify each finalist whether they have been selected for employment by a mentor company by the day after Finalist Day.
Each year the Fellows meet at a Winter Retreat (at a place of their choice) for strategic planning (for future professional development activities and service projects of their choice) and fun (also their choice).
Current and incoming Fellows meet with the Fellowship executive director and Board members for an orientation and planning meeting, and to talk with the incoming Fellows about their the soon-to-start employment. Incoming Fellows will have connected and met with existing Fellows in the months before.
The 2-year Fellowship term runs from the first business day of June. This allows incoming Fellows to finish their graduation and post-graduation obligations, and start on a uniform calendar. Employment with host companies can start earlier, subject to the company’s individual discretion.
After 2 years, the Fellowship term ends and exiting Fellows continue on their journey to become leaders of their industries and circles.
The Arkansas Fellowship offers a two-year fellowship program to a select group of graduating college seniors.
The Arkansas Fellowship empowers extraordinary college graduates with a set of unique skills and experiences not found elsewhere.
The Arkansas Fellowship mentor companies represent the most entrepreneurial, progressive, and successful high-growth companies in Arkansas. Mentor companies are committed to providing an environment where our state’s most promising graduates can be encouraged, challenged, and nurtured.
Learn More About What Mentor Companies Provide