Horb

I just realized that I could find out my fate in 5 weeks if Germany does its normal third Wednesday of March. It seems so close and so far away...

You definitely can. My school didn't have FLAS, but someone won it for a school in California.

Yeah, I second this question. I know of people who won FLAS at other schools, but I have no idea how you find out which offer it to outside students and which don't short of having to look up each institution.

So, I'll play devil's advocate and say that I find it dishonest to keep going forward if, at the end of the day, you know you'd reject it 100%. If you might accept the Fulbright (which I'm not sure why you would...), then stay in. I know if you reject it, it'll just go to someone else, but I'm sure that person would rather think themselves the first choice rather than the second. That said...I'd probably stay in the running out of curiosity too, especially if you were hoping to do Fulbright later in your career, in which case, knowing how good of an application this one was may help.

I think if you were to word it as, when do you think you'll have submitted it so that I know when to request the transcript? That way it is less of a DO THIS NOW reminder.

I'm putting myself through independently, but I'm also on a full scholarship. I'd recommend only accepting an offer if they have significant aid available. Now, I know not all fields offer that (like law, for example), so you may want to look into a second job (which I also have). You're starting salary should, ideally, be more than your loans, so the goal would be to graduate, get a 100K job for that school, and live like you make $25,000 so pay off loans ASAP.

YOU ARE AMAZING.

They will only notify you if they are missing after the deadline listed in the email.

I'm also a grad applicant, but my FPA sat in on selection last year and he said that the affiliation strength was a big factor. For example, you might need, say, an affiliation with a university, but if you're also doing something his a hospital as part of your research, your app would be MUCH stronger to have an affiliation with them as well. So, tl;rd yeah, affiliation is a considerable factor.

For my program, I get 20k...in Boston...as a stipend. Is that tight? Yup. But I get full healthcare covered for 5 years and I pay no other fees (tuition/fees all covered). Other programs gave me more or equal money (when comparing cost of living) but I'd have to pay $1000-1500 per year for healthcare and other things. So sure, I could have gotten paid $18,000 to live in Storrs, CT, but after all the stuff taken out for healthcare and what not, I'd be left with equal or less money. Sure, I might have a 1 bedroom instead of sharing a 5 bedroom house, but still. I'd much rather be in a city and make more money.

Certain countries will state on the country page if medical conditions are an issue (for instance, Thailand's ETA description has a Health section). Usually, you would have had to disclose it by now.

Hopefully this makes you feel better, but I applied to 12 programs and was rejected by 9. It felt bad, but when I got to my program now, I was SO happy. I honestly can't fathom being anywhere else. Weird things happen, but for a reason (IMO).

I'm so sorry

Yeah, I've posted before about this. Some universities do not interview. Some do interview, but do not interview everyone (and this does not necessarily mean you are out of the running). I met one person who didn't get an interview, others for her uni did, and then she got the grant. So really, it is all a mystery. That said, usually if the uni does do interviews, everyone eventually gets one, but that is not ALWAYS the case.

I applied for Germany this go around! I thought about the DAAD, but I didn't think I was good fit and I found their application too confusing.

Remember, not everyone gets an interview and that doesn't mean that you won't be a finalist!!!

Right? I felt like when I first applied, I started in July because that is when I was told to start and I still felt rushed despite spending 3 months on it. Now, I spent from May to October working on it, but I've been ruminating on this project for a long time. I hope all universities get to the level where they can do intense outreach and have copious amounts of support. I know if can be hard for small colleges (or even larger ones but with strict budgets) to be able to do that. The Ivies definitely set a precedent for how to help students, which is nice, as you can figure out how to change your department, get more students applying, etc.

I mean, I'd kinda expect that from an Ivy. It is great they have figured out the best way to help students apply and present their applications.

CONGRATS!

You can find the dates from last year's cycle online (http://us.fulbrightonline.org/pre-departure-orientation-schedule-2016-2017). It seems like many are in mid-June. Hopefully, they'll stick to the same dates.

Good luck, y'all!

Well, Fulbright (at least the student program) is under the wing of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, as you pointed out, which does currently have an assistant secretary in charge (though maybe that changed and I didn't know that??). The Bureau's website also lists several filled leadership positions. My guess would be it will go as it normally goes and we might just have a delay in notification.

I see you're doing a PhD in English as well! Hello, comrade! Yeah, I always wondered how to justify my work, but I never thought it'd be this easy because I never thought we'd be in a position where we need to discuss violence on so many different registers.

Usually, you'll have an expected contribution and then they will offer some aid. However, most students have to take out loans to fund a master's, as many are not paid. It is highly recommended that you don't pay for a graduate degree. Usually, the career prospects do not outweigh the cost of attendance (usually $30,000-$50,000 per year, if not more, depending on the degree). There are scholarships available for funding an MA, but they had deadlines in the fall. You might look at deferring the MA and applying for external fellowships.

There's nothing more you need to do and there are no interviews for Germany (research, study, or ETA). My friend last year did the ETA and another friend did the research grant.