Critical Language Scholarship
Overview
Description
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) is an opportunity for American college and university students to learn languages and cultures essential to America’s engagement with the world. Each summer, 500 students spend eight to ten weeks studying one of nine languages. The CLS Program promotes intercultural knowledge and rapid language acquisition through rigorous coursework and structured enrichment experiences. The scholarship covers the full cost of tuition, airfare, and room and board while abroad.
CLS also has a program for US undergraduate students with no formal classroom experience in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Russian to take eight weeks of virtual summer classes in their target language. Click on the link to find out more about CLS Spark.
Award
Participants in the CLS Program will receive:
- Language instruction and cultural programming and exposure
- Textbooks and language learning materials
- Language gains certified using the widely recognized ACTFL OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview) assessment
- Academic credit issued through Bryn Mawr College
Participants in the CLS Program's Overseas Institutes will receive:
- International and domestic travel between the student's home city in the U.S. and the CLS Program site abroad
- Visa application fees, where applicable
- Room, board, and program-sponsored travel within the host country or location
Participants in the CLS Program's Virtual Institutes will receive:
- A stipend towards supplemental equipment and connectivity costs (for example, a web camera or microphone).
The following expenses will not be covered by the CLS Program:
- US passport fees (except for students who are eligible and apply for CLS Passport Assistance).
- The cost of medical exams and any follow-up visits necessary to pass the medical review process, as determined by the CLS Program
- The cost of travel health clinical visits and required immunizations to enter host country
Eligibility
Studying a language in the CLS Program require no previous language experience, however beginners (less than one year of study or equivalent) in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Russian are not eligible for the CLS Program's Institutes Overseas. A full list of language levels and prerequisites can be found at this link. To be eligible for the CLS Program applicants must:
- Be a US citizen or national at the time of application.
- Be at least 18 years old by May 15, 2027.
- Be enrolled in an accredited US degree-granting program at the undergraduate (associate, bachelor's) or graduate (master's, doctoral, professional degree) level at the time of application (not at the time of the program; this means seniors are eligible to apply).
- Applicants in an undergraduate program (associate or bachelor's) must complete at least one full year of study (two semesters or three quarters) by the beginning of the CLS Program in summer (not at the time of application; first-years are eligible to apply).
- Applicants must be enrolled at this institution in the fall term during which they are applying. Limited exceptions to the enrollment requirement can be found at this link.
- Applicants must complete fall academic requirements and maintain good academic standing to remain eligible. Applicants who withdraw or fail to maintain good academic standing with their institution are ineligible to participate.
- Applicants must be enrolled for the spring term unless they graduate in December 2026.
- Applicants must meet the language requirements, if applicable, of the program to which they apply.
- Applicants may only apply for one language/level each year.
- Employees in several offices of the US Department of State and their immediate family members may be considered ineligible for CLS. Seek guidance if you think you might be in this situation.
Selection Criteria
Applicants are selected on the basis of merit with consideration of the following:
- Commitment to language learning – Can you demonstrate an interest in and awareness of the target language and culture? How will the program advance your proficiency? How will you continue when you get back from CLS?
- Connection between language and goals – How will this language play a role in your life and career? How will CLS make a difference for you?
- Contribution to citizen diplomacy - Are you willing to collaborate with a cohort of American peers and adapt to new cultural perspectives? Can you explain how your experiences and perspectives will help you represent the United States as a citizen diplomat? Do you have a plan to develop an understanding of the people, cultures, and communities connected to your language during CLS?
- Contribution to national impact - How will you apply your new linguistic and cultural proficiency to contribute to your career, community, or field of study? How will you use what you learned to benefit the U.S. in the future?
- Preparation for and alignment with CLS program expectations – Are you ready to participate in an intensive language program in an immersive learning environment?
All other factors being equal, the CLS Program awards preference to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, in recognition of their service. Applicants are not expected to have prior study abroad or international experience.
How to Apply
The CLS competition at Wesleyan is handled a little differently than other fellowships. There is no campus deadline, but you should still prepare to submit your application at least 24 hours in advance of the national deadline. Advising for CLS is done collaboratively between the Office of Study Abroad and Intercultural Learning at the Fries Center for Global Studies. Fill out this form to request assistance with your application.
- Start thinking about CLS in August or September of the year you intend to apply.
- Learn about the award: visit the program’s website, check your eligibility, including the language prerequisites, think about which language you would like to pursue and read about alumni from the program.
- When applications open, reach out to Emmanuel Paris-Bouvret at eparis@wesleyan.edu to shape your strategy for this application and your broader plans.
- Create an account and begin filling in the application. Be sure to click the "save changes" button at the bottom of the screen frequently, as they do not save automatically and the system will time out after 60 minutes of inactivity.
- Draft your short essay responses (300 words in the Summer 2026 cycle, to be updated) and craft your personal statement (500 words in Summer 2026 cycle, to be updated).
- Fill out this form to request support from Wesleyan campus advisors.
- Seek additional input. Reach out to people who know you: could a friend or family member read your essays and offer feedback? Consider bringing your essay to the Writing Workshop.
- Gather supporting document: unofficial transcript.
- Revise your application materials on your own before the national deadline in November.
- Semifinalist results are announced in January each year.
- Final CLS results should be expected in March; it is possible to be named a finalist or an alternate. Some alternates can become finalists, though this is relatively rare; these “promotions,” as CLS calls them, typically happen before mid-April.