The undergraduate program is open to Princeton University juniors studying any discipline. The graduate program is open to applicants to the Woodrow Wilson School's M.P.A. program. All applicants must be U.S. citizens.

Scholars in the Nation’s Service will be selected based on outstanding academic performance, a proven track record of accomplishment, and a demonstrated commitment to government service. The program particularly welcomes applications from students who combine knowledge of public policy and international affairs with high achievement in the sciences or engineering, and students with substantial knowledge of foreign languages. 

The U.S. government will soon face a serious human resource crisis. With much of the federal workforce becoming eligible for retirement and few talented young people stepping up to take their places, a major personnel shortage looms. At the same time, the growing complexity of challenges facing the United States demands new types of public servants, with knowledge and skills not only in policymaking, but also in a range of languages, the sciences, and regional and international studies. There are a few critical areas in which the federal government is facing particularly acute shortages of highly skilled officials. These areas include:  

Agencies such as the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the many arms of the intelligence community are seeking people with fluency in foreign languages, especially those critical to our national security.

The U.S. government employs over 118,000 engineers. The average salaries of government engineers in many fields (including aerospace, civil, and mechanical engineering) are often higher than those of their private sector counterparts.

The U.S. government employs well over 20,000 people in the physical sciences, classified as chemists, physicists, general physical scientists, and other positions.