University of Toronto St George campus quad in autumn with stone academic buildings.

Canada 2027 cohort applications open early June 2026 — close 17 September 2026

McCall MacBain Scholarship at McGill

The McCall MacBain Scholarship is Canada's first comprehensive leadership-focused scholarship for full-time graduate study — endowed at CAD 200 million in 2019, the largest gift in McGill's history. It funds tuition, fees, and a generous monthly living stipend (CAD 2,200 = LKR 517k/month) plus enrichment programming and travel support. Around 20-30 scholars are selected each year. Open to international applicants — Sri Lankans are eligible to apply alongside Canadian citizens. The programme strongly resembles Rhodes in structure: applicants must demonstrate purposeful leadership and a clear vision for using their graduate study to address societal challenges.

McGill University

External Organization-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

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Value

Full Tuition + CAD 2,200/mo Stipend

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Duration

1-2 Years (Master's / Professional)

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Cohort

~25 per Year (Global)

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Recent Graduate (within 5 Years)

You must have completed your Bachelor's between 2022 and 2027 (for 2027 entry) — within 5 years of programme start. Sri Lankan applicants 0-5 years post-Bachelor's are the typical profile.

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McGill Master's or Professional Admission

You must separately apply to and gain admission to one of McGill's eligible Master's or professional programmes (MBA, MD, LL.B, DCL, MPP, MA, MSc, MEng, MArch, etc.). PhD candidates apply via separate McGill funding.

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Open to All Nationalities

International applicants welcome. Sri Lankan citizens compete in the same global pool as Canadians, Americans, and other internationals. There is no country quota — purely merit-based selection.

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Demonstrated Leadership

Selection emphasises character, leadership, impact, and goals. The application includes 6 short-essay questions on values, leadership stories, and post-Master's plans. Pure academic profiles without service or impact stories are rarely successful.

account_tree Application Process

Submit McCall MacBain application by 17 September

Apply via the McCall MacBain online portal — 6 short essays (max 250 words each), CV, transcripts, and references. You do NOT need a McGill admission offer to apply — just intent to apply to an eligible programme.

Reference + video interview round

Shortlisted candidates are invited to a video interview with two scholarship reviewers in October-November. About 200 candidates are then invited to regional interviews.

Regional + final interviews

Regional interviews held in major cities (Toronto, Boston, London, Singapore, etc.) in February-March. Final ~40 candidates are flown to Montreal in April for a multi-day Final Selection Event.

Confirm McGill admission

Final scholars are notified by April. You must then complete your McGill programme admission — McGill's admissions team works with McCall MacBain to streamline the process. Programme starts in August/September.

Why McCall MacBain at McGill?

McCall MacBain was founded in 2019 with the explicit aim of becoming Canada's Rhodes Scholarship — a comprehensive merit-and-character-based award for graduate study. The cohort of ~25 scholars per year lives, studies, and travels together for enrichment programming over 2-4 weeks per year across destinations including Banff, Stratford, and Montreal. The McGill campus is in downtown Montreal, one of North America's most affordable and bilingual cities.