Torrid

CONGRATS TURKEY ETAS!!!!!

I think May Day is a holiday pretty much everywhere except the US

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO (And woooo to AzeriETA and CEUstudies too!!!!!)

Hey now! There is no shame in this. Being named an alternate is not a rejection -- they clearly thought you were good enough; the money just isn't there. No matter what happens you have a lot to be proud of, and if you ever apply for another Fulbright or similar grant, you're going to feel SO prepared.

Germany folks are lucky in this regard -- we don't have to apply for our visas until we arrive in Germany, so no stressing about that for a little bit.

You're one of the journo folks, yeah? ETAs have not yet received the grant authorization so we haven't received any formal information as far as monies we will be receiving -- we're hoping to get that in the next week or so.

I feel for you guys, I really do I feel like I check this board now almost as fervently as when I was waiting...

I think this varies a lot person to person. I'm sure for a lot of people who have applied for research grants, Fulbright gives them the chance to conduct research that will benefit their academic careers (especially with regards to masters and doctoral theses) as well as the chance to make a name for yourself in a specific field. For ETAs, it can be a chance to get experience in a field that they may want to pursue post-Fulbright (teaching English abroad) as well as the chance to get a foothold in a different country if you're interested in living, working or studying there post-Fulbright. I'm an ETA to Germany, and I think that last bit is the biggest benefit in my eyes -- I've long considered moving to Germany for work or study, and the chance to spend 10 months there getting a feel for what my options might be and what I'd actually like to do is a huge plus for me.

YAY YOU TOO! So happy to see all these alternates moving up. Same goes for you -- come join us at the Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/120601604797989/

yayayay! Did you move from Alternate to Accepted, or were you accepted all along and just slow to come to the board? Either way, come join us at our Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/120601604797989/

That's rough =/ Hang in there!!

It's really great to hear that you're already thinking about next year and new opportunities. You've got the right perspective, and I'm sure things will come together for you eventually. I know there have been so many times something I really wanted fell through, and then what I chose to do instead either ended up being the prefect thing for me or set me up for something even better. Good luck!!

A little research project on the side, eh?

It's funny, because I've been in a LDR the past two years, except Fulbright is actually helping us come closer together -- he's German, so this will actually be the longest amount of time we've ever gotten to be near each other.

That is WONDERFUL! I'm so happy for you Two quick things, if you hadn't already thought of these: If you have a second, update the spreadsheet! I'm sure it especially means a lot to other alternates to know that people really DO move from alternate to accepted. Plus, it just makes me happy to scan through and see those promotions. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmoTe-gJd4B9dFJ0aW1mYTVkYnhKcUEzR28yRTNwdlE#gid=1 EDIT: I see you actually already did that. yay! And, if you haven't already, join us on the Facebook group for ETAs and Full Grants to Germany! https://www.facebook.com/groups/120601604797989/

I hope he can someday, either through your Fulbright or through another opportunity (perhaps both!) It's a wonderful place with awesome people. I personally really want to visit Estonia! I had a professor who lived there for a few years who really loved it. My mom is down to visit the Baltics with me when she comes to visit, so perhaps I can finally make a trip there in the next year.

There will be opportunities for European Fulbrighters to come to the annual conference in Berlin in March and do some presenting on your work thus far. Just tossing that out there; then you all could come hang out all of the awesome German Fulbrighters! but I'm sorry this wait is still going on for you all... to think that my wait felt like a lifetime, and I found out more than two weeks ago...

sweet merciful heavens. And I'm guessing a lot of us started thinking about applying or preparing to apply around this time last year...What a journey it has been!

Yayayayayay Russia!

Hey there! Here is a spreadsheet we are using to track notifications: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmoTe-gJd4B9dFJ0aW1mYTVkYnhKcUEzR28yRTNwdlE#gid=1 Unfortunately, we don't seem to have anyone for Senegal yet. But you could add your info? Same for everyone else on the forum -- please update the spreadsheet if you haven't already!

I've been traveling a lot the last few days so I've been keeping up with the thread but haven't had a chance to post. I want to offer a HUGE congratulations to everyone who has received a Fulbright! Seriously, I've read every single post and every accepted made me so happy to read; I wish you all the best. For the alternates, please, please hang in there. You're not out of the fight yet. I wish you all the best. For those not selected, I'm so sorry I will say you should definitely think of applying again. This year was my first time applying, and while I was successful, I am convinced that if I had tried to apply last year (during my senior year of college), as was my original plan, there's no way I would have gotten it. The experiences I had in the following year helped me grow so much and made a huge difference in how I presented my application. The point I'm trying to make is, just because now wasn't the right time doesn't mean later won't be. Keep growing, and keep trying. Good luck!!!

Suddenly, nowhere is safe!

I think part of that concern stems from the idea that you're supposed to be representing the US abroad, so I think they don't want people whom they feel are fully assimilated into the country in question and have shed all vestiges of their American-ness, if that makes sense. This was something brought up in my campus interview -- I can't remember exactly how it was prompted, but I remember having to assert that my goal is not (and never was) to be mistaken for German or to disappear into the culture. A study abroad term doesn't put you at risk of being seen as too "ingrained" into the foreign culture, but I think if you had a strong family background in the country and made regular trips there, that might cause the committee to question if you're the right person to represent the states. For the record as of submitting the application, I had studied in Germany for 5 months and made one subsequent two-week visit; those were my only experiences in Germany.

yayayayay!

So you were already marked an alternate for the program, then they sent you this e-mail? The wording is extremely confusing, given that context. I might e-mail them for clarity, just so you can know for sure what it means. That's very shitty, however. I'm sorry