Joseph Rago Memorial Fellowship for Excellence 

in Journalism

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elm-pg-billboard-app Rago Fellowship Application Website Background
Vice President of The Wall Street Journal Editorial Pages Paul Gigot, TFAS President Roger Ream, and Paul and Nancy Rago met with current and former Rago Fellows: Elliot Kaufman, Matthew Taylor King, Faith Bottum and Carine Hajjar.

The Joseph Rago Memorial Fellowships for Excellence in Journalism provide a nine-month internship with The Wall Street Journal’s editorial team. These Fellowships are open annually to recent college and journalism school graduates and journalists with less than five years’ experience who are U.S. citizens.


Two Fellows are selected each year through an application process that is judged by senior editors at the Journal, senior leaders at The Fund for American Studies and the family of Joe Rago. 

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The Rago fellowship was life-changing. It allowed me to work for my longtime favorite newspaper, The Wall Street Journal. On the opinion team, I learned from some of the most thoughtful, skilled and principled reporters and editors in the world. And I got to read and talk about the biggest issues of the day, every day. I think the Rago Fellowship is the best opportunity there is for a young journalist.
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Sierra McClain
- Sierra McClain

2023-24 Rago Fellow

Illustration of Joe Rago. Courtesy of The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones

Joseph Rago was a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer for The Wall Street Journal who passed away in 2017 at the age of 34. Rago graduated from Dartmouth College in 2005 and joined The Wall Street Journal, beginning as an intern and rising through the ranks until he was a member of the editorial board. He quickly made a name for himself with in-depth interviews eliciting fresh insights from figures such as Tom Wolfe and William F. Buckley Jr. He began writing editorials in 2007 and in 2011 was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for “his well-crafted, against-the-grain editorials challenging the health care reform advocated by President Obama.”


The Joseph Rago Memorial Fellowship for Excellence in Journalism was established at The Fund for American Studies in partnership with Joe’s parents and The Wall Street Journal to help aspiring journalists achieve the level of excellence set by Joe. Please read excerpts from Joe’s 12-year Journal career on The Wall Street Journal’s memorial page and find tributes and highlights from his own writing in The Dartmouth Review’s Festschrift.

Smart Teaser

2018-19 Fellowship Recipient

Letters Editor, The Wall Street Journal

Smart Teaser

2019-20 Fellowship Recipient

Officer, US Navy

Smart Teaser

2020-21 Fellowship Recipient

Independent Writer

Smart Teaser

2021-22 Fellowship Recipient

Assistant Features Editor, 

The Wall Street Journal

Carine Hajjar

2022-23 Fellowship Recipient

Editorial Board Member,

The Boston Globe

Sierra McClain

2023-24 Fellowship Recipient

Assistant Features Editor, 

The Wall Street Journal

Smart Teaser

2024-25 Fellowship Recipient

Rago Fellow, The Wall Street Journal

Smart Teaser

2024-25 Fellowship Recipient

Rago Fellow, The Wall Street Journal

Rago Fellowships are awarded annually to two rising journalists of outstanding character and ability to complete a nine-month internship with The Wall Street Journal's editorial team. Recent college and journalism school graduates, and working journalists with less than five years of professional experience, who are U.S. citizens are welcome to apply. The Applicants should have a commitment to pursuing a career in journalism and should already have some experience with writing or editing in a serious journalistic context, either in school or professionally. A demonstrated ability to multitask and meet deadlines is critical for success. 


After applying, candidates will be notified whether they have been chosen as semifinalists in early February. Semifinalists will be asked to complete a brief interview and editing test. Finalists will be selected several days after completing the semifinalist round. Finalists will be interviewed by a panel of judges from The Wall Street Journal, the Rago Family, and The Fund for American Studies in mid-February. The fellowship begins in September.



To apply for the Rago Fellowship, you are required to submit:

  • Cover Letter
  • Resume or CV
  • Three Published Journalistic Writing Samples
  • Sample Editorial (500-600 words)
  • Personal Essay (1,000 words)
  • Letter of Reference