Horb

I was told they accept 1.5-2 times the number of grants for round one. Some countries definitely have more rejections post round 1 than others.

The Fulbright has really strict policies for travel,'just so you know. My friend was told no more than two weeks outside her country.

Wow. They really do enjoy fridays, huh?

Not quite. We learn if we made it to round 2, but only a handful of countries do interviews (Germany isn't one of them).

Yes.

Denmark is so amazing! I went there for a few days when visiting my partner's family. Are you applying for research or study?

FYI I had a letter from the professor I hoped to work with, not an acceptance letter because I submitted it in October which was before schools opened the application portal. It is my understanding that any documents submitted after the October deadline (save official transcripts) are not considered. I think the letters help get through the first round because it shows a seriousness on the applicants part.

It is very easy to miss as it is buried at the bottom!

Hi! I just wanted to point out this on the Fulbright website (under regional info for western hemisphere applicants): Selection for countries in Central America and the Caribbean will be made based on the quality of the applications, rather than per-country quotas. Distribution of awards to countries in the region will vary annually according to the caliber of the applicants. So, yes, Brazil's award numbers have gone down, but I know in past years the numbers altered. In particular, I remember someone who applied to Argentina, was an alternate, but then asked to revise their application (in that cycle) for Brazil and got the award. So I think this region in particular is a bit more open than others.

Thanks for listing this! I applied to the UK when I was a senior (was a finalist). I also had letters from my host institution and I think that definitely helped!

I'm a graduate student, actually, with a second job, so I make almost nothing And I have student loans too. It just takes budgeting skills, which took me a while to work on. But yeah, not everyone can afford the $13 a couple times a week or even once a week. I get that. Editing to add: They have free language partners, so they won't teach you, but you can chat with them for free!

I am also working adult (I work about 12 hours a day 6 days a week) and use italki because of the flexibility in scheduling and the low cost.

So, I'm a bit of snob when it comes to stuff like this. I don't understand how learning a language would be a waste of time, especially if you are interested in Czech culture. I also view an application to Fulbright, in which they highly recommend language prep, to be an agreement to learn the necessary language. So for me, you should be studying/start studying. It wouldn't be a waste and when you win the Fulbright (BECAUSE YOU WILL. FULBRIGHTS FOR ALL), you'll feel WAY better about going abroad. That said, I recognize that not everyone has the time or money or energy to invest into language learning when it isn't sure thing and as yours isn't required for the project, I am less of a snob. I would say wait until you hear about round 1. If you are a semi-finalist, then I would download something like Anki or another flashcard app and study basic vocab. I'd also pick up a grammar book and start studying grammar. As an ETA, I imagine your main use of the language is speaking/listening, with reading for things like contracts, signs, etc. So I would recommend doing something like italki, an online language learning platform. I use it for German practice, but they have teachers and language partners for Czech. (I'm happy to talk about italki more, but I don't want to seem like an ad for them). However, you might want to wait on italki or paying for prep until you're sure you got the Fulbright. If you devote 4 or months (May, June, July, August), you should be able to get to basic levels of comprehension (A1 or A2), depending on the effort you put in and your natural ability to learn a language. Hope this helps!

What do you mean by delayed? In 2014 they were released on 1/28, which is late, but the last two years it has been firmly mid-January.

The earliest it has been (with info from 2009) is January 15th. . . So yeah, I think the third week is most likely.

Welcome to the mayhem

It was by email. But again, I'm not a Fulbright employee, so idk if they do it in rounds or not.

You can use the results page (http://www.thegradcafe.com/survey/) and search KU and English to see when people normally hear back. I'm doing an English PhD. I heard between February and April. For the Top 10 programs, you generally hear in February.

Are you applying via your undergrad/grad institution or at large? If through an institution, I would ask your FPA. I had to do this before submitting and contacted embark, who changed it for me; however, I'm not sure if, since the deadline passed, that would work. My guess is you could contact the Embark support team and the person in charge of your country/region and ask them what is best. They are all really nice!

There's a guy in my year who applied to Switzerland. He received the request. I'm not sure if requests runs into January though. I know they meet in November/early December to select people, but idk how long it takes to sort out the selections on the admin front.

Yeah, it is the same with the Marshall, which offers three routes for their scholars to take. I've sat in on selection committees. It has never once been mentioned which track is someone on unless, you know, they aren't qualified for it.

Yup! The German website says the stipend is between 750 and 1000 Euros, which is quite a lot!

I'm a little lost. How does "to support the notion that they likely at least consider percentages for each program given the difference in the number of scholars they could have in the cohorts depending on the degrees scholars are pursuing" not imply they look at costs? The numbers they could have in different cohorts makes no sense. If 32 people are awarded the scholarship in 2016, it is a cohort of 32. People choosing an MPhil or a PhD wouldn't affect that. It is still a cohort of 32. Now, if you are implying that they would fund 28 instead of 32 (random numbers) because they they included a few more PhDs (which seemed to be what you were implying), then it would be based on cost, no? What other reason would they have?

This was only for round 1! Wouldn't dream of it in round 2 haha.

I'm surprising not consumed by it like I was the first time I applied. I did set my phone up, so I'll avoid seeing the preview. The first time I did this, the message began with "I am pleased to inform you" which was great to see, but if I don't get that (i.e. if I get rejected), I'd like to be able to cherish the possibility of being a Fulbrighter before I open the email.