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Sally

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Everything posted by Sally

  1. I just noticed that I can't "edit" my old posts. What's with that? Edit: Seems like there's a time limitation, because I was able to edit this one!
  2. Spain update: 4/15 Hi, Just heard from Rachel-the letters will NOT be going out today. But she didn't mention when they would. Emailed her back asking for an estimate...I'll keep us updated. Emily That's from the spreadsheet: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Avu5CeaRG24EdGFXVzh4aUt2ZTFUbTZPdzZiSGRoWUE&hl=en Sally.
  3. There's one person on the spreadsheet who said she withdrew her ETA application to Turkey last week in order to accept a Teach for America position in California. She had said: 4/7- Officially withdrew my application from consideration. So excited to accept a teaching position through Teach for America with Rocketship charter school in San Jose, CA! Best of luck to all the applicants. Congratulations! -- Anon * Weren't you curious if you got it or not? I would have waited for the results and then withdrew. You are much more considerate than I am -- Sally Sally- Honestly, as anxious as I had been over this, the decision ended up being very easy. I got the TFA position in January and was planning to defer TFA for a year if I got the Turkey Fulbright. However, when I got the charter school offer through TFA in late March, I felt that I could not put off making change in San Jose. Fulbright will be there in the future, if my plans don't become increasingly domestic, which I have a feeling they will. Also, I started to feel that it was pretty presumptuous of Fulbright to keep us all hanging and to think that such a group of intelligent, talented individuals would not have other offers. All in all, I was glad to withdraw and make definite plans for a cause I completely care about. All the best to all the applicants- As B.I.G. says "Stay far from timid. Only make moves when your heart's in it. Live the phrase 'Sky's the Limit.'"
  4. Melina, I saw on the spreadsheet that there was another person who was notified about their Indonesia award by e-mail. Did you find out what was going on behind that strange request for personal information? I still would not provide that information by e-mail until talking to someone on the phone about it. Sally
  5. Hmmm I don't know why anyone would have the motive to provide such false information, and then provide commentary about alternate status and everything. It could be someone just being a jerk. Or, maybe it could be someone in a different Fulbright program (a scholar, or an Israeli student coming to the US). That said, we should all keep in mind that information on the spreadsheet is user-generated and is not always going to be accurate.
  6. Doh, yeah, I guess they don't really need to ship in English teachers to Isreal I wasn't thinking. Anyway, I would ask specifically what the deal is with someone already getting an acceptance letter.
  7. Are you an ETA? The person who received notice on 3/13 was a full grant applicant; so there could have been some hold up with the ETA awards (for example, determining the number of positions.) It seems like ETAs and Full grant apps have been notified seperately in many cases. Here's the link to the spreadsheet so you can track if anyone posts their status: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Avu5CeaRG24EdGFXVzh4aUt2ZTFUbTZPdzZiSGRoWUE&hl=en Bookmark it!
  8. The story changes for Spain Liz Reports on the spreadsheet... 4/13: From Rachel this morning- "I’m hoping we can issue these letters this Thursday or early next week." -------- I noticed that Andorra notifications are coming in. I thought I heard Andorra and Spain decisions were made together I guess they got the Andorra ones done first... ---- Another Spain update, made by M: 4/13-- called Rachel and she said that the decisions were actually due a month and a half ago, so Spain is really behind, and that now they have selected more than they can fund, so they are reviewing their funds right now to know what to do with the 3 extra candidates-- whether they will be able to actually fund them, put them on alternate status, or reject them. Ugggg.... --M
  9. Kevin, Similar concerns have crossed my mind about my Middle Eastern background, but I really think they are unfounded. If you look at the Fulbright blog you'll see there are plenty of Fulbright ETA winners with various cultural backgrounds. We have to believe the people making the Fulbright decisions understand that a Chinese American is just as capable of teaching English as any other American who group up speaking the language. I would absolutely give it another shot next year. I would just take this extra time to get more feedback on your application and do all you can do to make your essays compelling and make yourself stand out. I know oftentimes the difference maker can be your knowledge of the native language. So that might be one area where you could improve. Having formal classes in the language on your application can make a big difference I think. (Which you may already have, I don't know..) You might also look into other teach abroad programs. That way you'd have a fallback plan if you get turned down a second time from Fulbright, and could possibly still go to India! I don't know of any of programs in India off the top of my head (although they may exist). However, my friend had a great experience with the WorldTeach program in China. They also have a program in Bangladesh that you might consider: http://www.worldteach.org/ They have 15 yearlong programs in various countries/regions in Asia, South America and Africa, so others who don't get the Fulbright this year (or who are looking for another international experience the following year) might want to check it out. At any rate, good luck Kevin. And never say die! Sally Edit: It's actually not too late to apply for a WorldTeach position in Bangladesh for this year! The deadline is June 1, but they said they accept applicants on rolling basis, so if you're interested you should apply ASAP! Here are the deadlines and departure dates for all the WorldTeach programs: http://www.worldteac.../deadlines.html It sounds like the Bangladesh program is brand new: http://www.worldteac...angladesh_year/ You'd be helping with classes at a women's university. But it sounds like they accept both male and female volunteers for the position. Also, if you were wondering, I know that in China, my friend was given a free fully furnished apartment in addition to the $300 a month stipend. Seems like the details of each country program is different though so I would ask about that..
  10. Yes, that makes sense. I think they might also just need more ETA reserves, since some might turn down a Fulbright to teach if they have another opportunity. But few of us would turn down an opportunity to do our dream research! Edit: Actually, I just noticed that Kevin posted above that he was an ETA applicant for India and got a rejection So, there goes that theory. Still, there seem to be fewer ETAS getting flat out rejections, at least in Europe. We'll see. Here's some more prolificating on this topic, cut and pasted from the spreadsheet... I'm trying to clear out some old Spain convo so we have room for new updates: This is just completely random and perhaps slightly stupid--but, it seems to me that no ETA's have been rejected so far. Everyone listed on this spreadsheet has indicated that they were either accepted or declared an alternate. I guess that's good news for the rest of us that our waiting. Maybe. Lol. Again, completely random and perhaps slightly stupid. ~GauxGaux ----------------------- That's an interesting point, Gaux Gaux. Although it doesn't help me (as a full grant applicant ) Not a stupid observation at all! It could be that the ETAs are more likely to back out than a full grant applicant, so they need more reserves? Not sure. Just one hypothesis!- Sally ----------------------- I think the ETA thing might be because of the new ETA programs listed on the updated "Country Statistics" page on the Fulbright website. Several countries have ETA programs that are listed as "NA," meaning new for this year and will have alternates from ETA programs selected for it. --C
  11. GauxGaux made an interesting point on the spreadsheet: No ETA applicants have been rejected so far (of those who have posted.) All were either accepted or made alternates. Several full grant applicants were rejected though.
  12. KLK, I had the same issue. I told my grad program last week about my Fulbright situation and asked for a deadline extension on my decision. They extended it to April 30 for me. It's worth asking UCLA if they'd do the same for you. If you live on the East Coast, you might get your letter on the 15th... but it's cutting it close. If you live in California, I imagine it would take longer, though. Also, that's right about the snail mail. My understanding, from what Rachel has said, is that letters for Spain will be sent out by snail mail to our CURRENT address.. likely on Tuesday. No e-mails will be sent. Has anyone gotten an update on whether Tuesday, in fact, will be the day?
  13. I know this question was brought up in last years forum. I think the conclusion last year was that everyone had that same marker and that it was of no significance, unforunately. Although, it's curious that they are using the same coding two years in a row... But I guess "AL-1" just means alternate.
  14. I'm reading "The Space Between Us" by Thrity Umrigar and it's a pretty compelling read so far. I'd recommend it! It follows the lives of several women in India, and illustrates the divide in social class. The characters are really interesting. I would read some reviews as my description is not doing it justice! I should note that this book seems to be more popular among female readers But, I would recommend it to anyone, really.
  15. Thanks so much for sharing!! Now I'm really nervous!!!
  16. You can edit your posts by hitting "modify"!
  17. Matias, you can find a couple of your fellow Peru admits on the spreadsheet: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Avu5CeaRG24EdGFXVzh4aUt2ZTFUbTZPdzZiSGRoWUE&hl=en One of them provided her contact info.
  18. Yeah, that's about right. It seems like its the Spanish committee that really makes the selections. They decide to accept/reject/make alternates. The FSB just has to decide whether or not to give their stamp of approval to the finalist selections. Essentially, it sounds like they have veto power. But it's unclear how often they use it... The intial finalist selections are made by a Fulbright "screening committee." So, presumably those are people who work for Fulbright but are not on the FSB board. So essentially, the Spanish committee makes the final decisions. But those decisions are pending FSB approval, as well as availablity of funds. It sounds like the Fulbright office, where Rachel Holskin works, is what puts all the pieces together and sends out the notifications.
  19. More from my back and forth with Rachel H: Me: "This is actually very helpful! It sounds like the FSB has made decisions for Spain and you are only waiting on the Commission in Spain correct? If the FSB has decided, this is a development over what was last posted on the message board Also, I am sure lots of people on the message board will be interested in the April 15 estimate for Europe/Eurasia decisions being sent out. I will share that information with the group!" Rachel: "This is an expectation, not a promise, for everything to be mailed out by the 15th J But in any case, as for Spain, yes – the FSB approval arrived last week, so we are only awaiting the Commission’s selections. Glad to hear you’re encouraging your fellow applicants!"
  20. So Rachel Holskin says all decisions for the entire Europe/Eurasia region should all be sent out by April 15!! I had e-mailed her asking about Spain, but also said I was interested in any other updates she might be able to share for the message board. This is what she said: "Unfortunately, at this point, we have not yet received selections from the Commission in Spain, which means I have absolutely nothing to share. The only thing I can say is that as soon as I receive the selections, we'll be issuing the notification letters. As for the forum, we all know about it here - it's a great way for applicants to discuss amongst each other! As for my particular world region, we're largely ahead of the game, and I anticipate all notifications to be mailed out by April 15th. In the meantime, I'm happy to respond to any inquiries." It sounds like FSB decisions have been made for Spain, and she is just waiting on the commission's decision.
  21. Yeah, you know I think I've heard something like the foreign commission ranks its preferred candidates. It seems like those candidates are selected as long as they get FSB approval, which is a totally separate process.
  22. rad81 -- Look at the Fulbright competition statistics from 2009 for Europe: http://us.fulbrighto...ion_europe.html England has the most competition, period. It has less to do with the number of grants available, and more to do with the crazy number of applicants (more than 400 people for 13 spots) Sweden isn't too bad: 56 people applied for 10 spots last year. I'm surprised that Norway had more applicants than Sweden... A ratio between 1/4 and 1/8 seems pretty typical across the European countries (cept for the UK)
  23. Hey Pooja -- I'm still confused about who has the last word on who is selected -- is it the commission abroad, the FSB or the Program managers? Based on what you said, it sounds like FSB and the foreign commission each simultaneously make independent decisions. But what if they don't choose the same candidates? Am I reading something wrong?
  24. I would tell the person who offered you the job your situation. Or if you feel like you can't do that I would try to stall as long as you can. If it comes to the point where you can't stall anymore, I would accept the job, then quit if you end up getting the Fulbright (unless you think the job is the better opportunity.) Sure, they probably won't want to hire you when you get back. But hopefully there will be other employers out there who will appreciate your Fulbright experience. I have never heard of anyone successfully getting advance information from Fulbright about their award status. I probably wouldn't bother -- but you can try if you want!
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