JustChill

I also would take out a loan only if and when "something happens." I'm also on a full-funding package from my university, which doesn't provide much expendable income but covers all of my immediate costs. For now, I'm comfortable without a large savings account if that means avoiding debt. In fact, every day I thank my lucky starts that I have no debt from grad school.

Nah, I think we have at least another month to wait.

I hear Chapel Hill will be sending out decisions soon. Good luck to everyone.

Yep, I agree. Just have to be tactful and not come off as a sycophant.

Go with your advisor's experience-based suggestion. My two advisors also do not enjoy getting random emails from prospective students. This takes up time and, ultimately, has no bearing upon their decision whether or not to offer admission. The writing sample and overall application is what my advisors weigh heavily when making their decisions, not whether or not the applicant has already introduced him or herself to them via email.

I'm gearing up to apply this year. Good luck!

Oxford all the way. In the grand scheme of your entire life, it is more likely to have a lasting impact.

Last year the announcements went out on September 18. Good luck!

No, my background has nothing to do with my research, although the language knowledge has been handy. My personal statement made no effort to tie them together. Instead, it focused on how I, personally, would be a good representative of the US in that (this--I'm here now) country and how my multicultural background made me a better scholar. If I remember correctly, they explicitly say to avoid repeating the proposal or your CV in the personal statement, so I was careful to focus on my non-research related attributes. It's tempting to use the personal statement as an extension of the proposal, but that's exactly what they don't want. After all, this is the Fulbright IIE, not the Fulbright-Hays, which is exclusively research oriented.

I have a very similar background, and also applied--successfully--for the Fulbright last year. And I'm also a historian. I decided to go with option B, detailing my binational identity and its potential for "bringing together" two ostensibly disparate cultures. This worked out well for me.

That does sound like a bit of an odd request, but it also seems like your grade is dependent upon this and she's the only one with the power to change it. If you've been doing solid work in your other classes, this should be a good opportunity to salvage your semester's hard work in this class and not let a small mistake on the final sink your cumulative grade. I would agree to her request.

I definitely did, and do especially now during my year of research abroad. I make the best of Skyping with my loved ones and also try to enjoy what my current city has to offer in terms of entertainment and bars/dining, although going out alone isn't always fun. I was lucky to make several friends in my programs when I first started, which made the separation from my family and home more manageable, but now living abroad for a year is a different story. Hang in there. Remember that this is an investment in your future.

Yeah, I've stumbled into that too, and also I've had two instances where something that was available as recently as four to six months ago is now unavailable without an explanation.

Try to contact current grad students in the department. They often are the best source of reliable and frank info about the program and they will have a good sense of what recent graduates have found afterwards.

Thanks, folks. I'm focusing on nineteenth-century East European history, and so far I've seen just a couple of options, whether in my field or more broadly.