Our Circle of Excellence initiative, started in 2008, aims to recognise those schools which have historically yielded the most number of successful candidates who went on to become Allan Gray Fellows.  In recognition of this, the Foundation has an Early Selection process which sees the top candidates from these schools vying for the honour of becoming an Allan Gray Fellow. 

The Foundation’s selection process is both intensive and exhaustive.  Learners are put through a rigorous process which comprises an in-depth application form and face-to-face interviews which then culminates in a Selection Camp. The Selection Camp is an intense three days which a number of previous candidates have remarked on as life-changing, whether an Allan Gray Fellowship was awarded or not. The Circle of Excellence candidates are put through exactly the same paces as those candidates who apply via our open recruitment process.

This year, the Circle of Excellence schools did not fail to disappoint as 24 individuals were offered an early fellowship award, subject to writing the National Benchmarking Test. This saw a significant increase of 40% on last year’s number of candidates selected at this stage of the Foundation’s calendar year. 

We wish all our fellowship candidates well during their Matric year and we look forward to welcoming them onboard for 2011.