Mozartgirl53

Hi spainbound15, I don't have hard data for this, but based on people I have talked with, it seems there's sort of a "golden mean" of perfect time to have spent in proposed host country. How long were you in Spain, and how long ago? The sense I get is that Fulbright wants to target college students who have not had a ton of over seas experience, because that is part of their mission. On the other hand, it can be helpful to have some experience. I have been to Zambia twice, for about one month each time, for example. I used that in my proposal to show connections I have already set up and to demonstrate I have a working knowledge of navigating the public transit system, what water you can drink where, etc. My FPA warned me not to over-emphasize that, but she also said have connections there would actually help my application. So............ I don't feel that was a super helpful answer, but that has been my (limited) experience.

Thanks bella! Documentary film making-- WOW! What are you looking to document in Sweden?

LOL I think about all four of us who were on here at that time posted the almost exact same thing! LOL Great minds think alike. By the way, there's a p at the beginning of my quote...doesn't belong to me; must be a typo.

p I think that's exactly what GnosisExchange is saying... There is no recognizable pattern holding over from previous years...everything is off kilter this year. I also notice SSA still hasn't updated it's 2014 stats yet...the only region that hasn't done so. I'd like to see the whole picture! LOL I'm so neurotic! Hahaha!

I think with the spreadsheet, which I did find by the way, you have to assume that when a couple of people start to fill in their application status in one country, everyone for that country has been notified. There are just some people who started out with the spreadsheet, but don't return to fill it in later. Go Turkmenistan!!!

Hi Shogun 1 and Rachelrushing, that is pretty interesting intel, Shogun! It makes sense. Does your friend have the sense that the State Department is sitting on the fence as far as the Fulbrighters go? Rachelrushing, WOW! More grants than applicants? I sure do hope you both get to go!

Thanks, my friend! I feel the same way about you.

OK, I see I have bogarted the forum again, LOL. Sorry for the massive postings! You all are very patient with me. :-) I do want people to know I really, actually, inside feel the feelings as I write these posts. It's not just nice platitudes, I honestly rejoice with the (P)s, cry with the (NS)s, and feel mixed about the (A)s. This was a roller coaster today! Wow. A lot of joy, a lot of sorrow. Hard to read through. Hard to respond to. I had no idea when I started this process, around a year ago, that it would be so emotional. Again, I thank you all for being there. I had my major panic attack freak out last week, and you were the only ones who understood why I freaked out. It was awesome to come on here and read all your wonderfully supportive posts. I will endeavor, in the future, to log on a few times of day instead of massively reading everything at the end of the day and posting like a thousand times! LOL. By the way, I have lost track of the excel spreadsheet. Can someone post this link again? Thanks!

Hi Maliyazi, THANK YOU SO MUCH for your kind-hearted congratulations! That really means a lot to me. Really. Africa is a beautiful continent and I have fallen in love with Zambia and the people there. Sometimes I honestly think I was born on the wrong continent. I have loved Africa since I was a tiny little girl and some missionaries came to our church and showed slides from Africa (can't remember which country-- I was like four at the time.) I thought right then and there, I'm going to Africa some day! Today, fifty years later, I'm not going as a missionary and I don't think Africa needs me to "save" them in any sort of capacity. But I love Zambia so much, almost as much as I love the U.S., and I am so grateful to be a small part in remembering and preserving a beautiful, rich, storied, and diverse cultural history. I feel humbled and honored the people in Zambia are allowing me to be a part of this project. I will carry this out with the utmost respect for the people who are entrusting me with their cultural stories. And YES! THE "A TEAM" SSA is on my list of sending out positive energy into the universe! Maliyazi, I really, really hope you get to go! I will think of you every day and I will be right here as long as people keep posting, and that is a promise! Heads up: if you do get to go, the mandatory pre-departure orientation for SSA is June 16-18 in Washington D.C. Save the date, because I want to meet you there! :-)

Maginz, kmsy, CONGRATULATIONS on alternate status for Armenia and China! I'm guessing you have really mixed emotions at this point, plus the prospect of more, more, more waiting! Yikes! I hope against hope that you both make it to the (P) list! And I hope the wait isn't too long. People on this forum seem to think end of May is a good time... I hope you can both stick it out for another month! And, as others have pointed out, summer melt is a thing. People change plans all the time. Especially college students! I'm rooting you on! twlk417, BIG TIME WOW CONGRATULATIONS ON ETA MONGOLIA!!! You must be sooooooo thrilled right now! WOW! Mongolia! I bet you'll have just an amazing experience there! I'm so very excited for you! Don't be terrified.....this is REAL!!! Deal with it! HAHAHAHA! Like GnosisExchange said, when you get the actual paperwork, you'll know it's real. I'm doing the happy dance for you!

Oh Anahid! I can't believe it! I am so, so, sorry. I'm in shock. I read your project and thought, wow! This young woman is definitely getting her project green-lighted! Working with women's rights, both here at home but especially globally, is so vitally important to the entire well-being of the planet! And the refugee problem just multiplies daily, almost exponentially. And I thought being Armenian-American would really help you. I can't say how surprised and disappointed I am. I know you have a grieving process to go through and it's important that you do that. But when you're ready, please, please do not give up on this project! Women refugees need strong people like YOU to advocate for them! Remember, when you can, that this is not a rejection of YOU, or really even of your project! They just had too many good projects to fund and when the final decision was made, on that particular day, it didn't go your way. That's all. It is a good and very worthy project! And I know there is somehow, some way, that you will find to carry it out. It's not right now, not with a Fulbright at least right now, but it will happen. I BELIEVE in the good work you are doing and I BELIEVE in you as a PERSON! It's crushing right now; I get that. And it will be for a while. But NOT forever. I promise! We are here for you and we will listen.

Thanks SmartyMartey! I appreciate your generosity of spirit with everyone on this forum. You have been a constant cheerleader for all of us!

Thanks SonaTina and skosz, thank you! skosz, how really nice you are to stay on the forum to root others on! You must be a really good person. I have much appreciated your constant, unwavering support.

Hi hopefullywandering, THANK YOU for the really nice congrats! I truly appreciate it. I think everyone on this forum deserves it. We all have solid projects, and I wish our government could fund them all! I am pulling for South Korea for you!

Hey whodey1983 and darce, CONGRATULATIONS on Cambodia! Darce, I hope you turn that (A) into a (P)! Sharing projects is a great idea and hope you all get to do that!

SonaTina, wow! CONGRATULATIONS!!! I'm so happy for you!! (pump fist in air and whoo hoo!) You are funny; I'm the same way, like let's get this show on the road! I would love to visit Russia some day. I'll be excited to hear how your research goes!

Oceanblue, in case you do come back to read this at some point, I wanted to join GnosisExchange in saying how very sorry and sad we are. I agree 100% with GE in that the NS is NOT a reflection on you as a PERSON. It just means your project, which they loved because they recommended you, could not be funded at this time. My best friend and I were talking about this a few hours ago, how subjective picking the projects to fund is, and how it can depend on so very many factors we don't even know about. I felt I was weak going in with a history project and not with microfinancing, which is "hot" right now, or HIV/AIDS which has been perennially popular since the 80's, or sustainable agriculture, also "hot." And yet they picked my project-- I have no idea why. It wasn't ME, it was that someone in Zambia said, yeah, we're interested in this right now. To me, that is the ONLY difference between (P) and (NS): it could literally be one person on one particular day saying I'm tired of permaculture projects, lets go with the history one. Seriously. This is how decisions get made. And that sucks. Sucks big time. I really dislike that they even use the term "non-select." I think it should say "your project is being funded," or "we are sorry to be unable to fund your project at this time." Nobody rejected YOU! Going in as recommendees, we all know they recommend roughly twice as many projects as end up being funded. They are ALL solid, really great projects, every single one! I hope you DO get to go to Viet Nam and carry out your research. Please don't give up on your dream. If you read this, please know we care.

I can't imagine how very frustrating this must be for all the Ukraine folks! I am frankly surprised the State Department hasn't made a decision (apparently) and either said it's on or it's off. Maybe they're waiting to see what happens in the next couple of weeks? John Kerry is putting a lot of pressure on Putin so who knows? I have no idea what would happen if they scratch Ukraine. I would really, really hope they would either defer your award or give you the option of another country, but I honestly have no idea. This kinda reminds me of way back when Jimmy Carter cancelled the Olympics when we were pissed off at Russia. Many of our athletes never got a second shot at participating; but this is different in that you don't have to physically train for four more years...the scholarship will still be there in your brains. I truly, truly hope you all get to go!

GnosisExchange, I've been doing the same thing! Before I posted on here and on Facebook, I read that letter at least 15 times to make sure I had read it correctly and that it did indeed say (P)! I kept waiting for the email saying there had been an error....but so far, it seems to be true! Wow, you've already sent out your contract! I bet that really did make it feel real. I'm not dealing with anything until Monday. My semester ended tonight, so Monday begins the paperwork....ohhhhh the paperwork! LOL A lovely problem to have.

Hey monster.tigerbot, THANKS! I really appreciate you and knowing you were behind me really helped. Thanks!

Anahid, hahaha! LOL that is so totally what my mom would say if she were still here. It's sooooo frustrating that people don't get it, that this is the process. I, like I'm sure most of you, started seriously talking "Fulbright" last spring and spent the entire summer working on the application, project proposal, and personal statement; in addition, getting recommendation letters, starting the affiliation process, finding a supervisor, blah blah blah. Campus interview and then application sent in October. Then silence. Nothing. Three months of absolute nothing. Then the exciting news! We've been recommended! YAY! Then silence. Nothing. Three more months of staring into the abyss and no one staring back. For me, even though I told everyone, and repeated it numerous times, that we could find out as late as JUNE, people couldn't help asking. LOL I know everyone means well and is trying to be super supportive, but it definitely adds to the pressure! I do so hope everyone else finds out next week, preferably Monday!!!!!

olioliwoo, my sweet friend! You remind me a lot of my daughter, and that is a very high compliment, because she is the most awesome daughter any mom could ever hope to have! Your brightness of spirit, your passion for adventure, your rigorous scholarship, your outgoing, friendly style (and smile!) all add up to one amazing young woman. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for the happy dance and the smiles!!! I hope you know how much everyone on this forum cares about you and we are all sooooooo rooting for that (A) to go to (P)!! We are here for you either way it goes and I, for one, will be on here until everyone has found out. You are going to make important contributions to public health whether this particular year's Fulbright happens, or some other opportunity comes up, which I KNOW it will! I also think you are very wise to take a year or two (or three) "off" before starting your PhD. From my vantage point of being a "non-traditional" student (that's their word for "old," hahaha) I can see that you are young and have LOTS of time. Take that time to really think about where you want to go and what you want to accomplish and then write the best darn admissions essays you can. You can accomplish whatever you want and it makes sense to have a little time-out to ponder what that really is. Thanks again for the congratulations.... I can just picture you doing the epic happy dance! :-)

WOW YOU GUYS! WOW! WOW! WOW! Coopfing, miri1776, normando13, Anahid, jrk2115, raymondnorth, Hina, and Sine---- WOW! THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH for the gracious, warm-hearted, generous congratulations! You all have just made my weekend. Really. You know, being, ahem... of an, ahem.... older generation (I just turned 54, last of the Baby Boomers)... I don't participate in many online forums. It's just not something I think about during the course of my day. I stumbled upon thegradacafe.com really by chance, just doing a google search desperately trying to get info, much like yourselves. And wow, am I glad I did! I only lurked for a few days because I could just feel the love and harmony and COMMUNITY you guys had going on here, and I wanted to be a part of it. And I have to say, this forum is what kept me going. I started really, truly CARING for you all as PEOPLE, not just as sort of semi-disguised internet beings, and that caring and community has become an integral part of my day and life! I sure wish I could meet all of you, because you are an AMAZING group of talented AND caring people! I've been on here since a couple of days after the recommendees were announced around the very end of January or so, and the past three months I have enjoyed getting to know you all SO MUCH! Again, thank you thank you thank you for the warm congratulations! I must admit I really didn't sleep last night; I was just sooooo excited! I kept thinking of people to email and emailing them all during the middle of the night, haha! :-)

bella_mozzarella, CONGRATULATIONS!! Sweden was a tough one this year, and you did it! Are you ETA or research? You must be pretty excited!

GnosisExchange, thanks! I LOVE the gif! LOL. And yes, I will definitely keep a blog. Since my project is documenting and archiving a cultural history, I am going to set up an interactive web site as my archival system and there will definitely be a blog on it. When I get it all set up, I'll post it on this forum and if you're interested, I'd love to share and also get feedback on the site. Thanks for asking!