awayfromhere

Thank you so much @mrs12 and @kbui, the support on this thread has been so great! The Rangel is starting to feel a little more real, mostly because they just sent me about a million things for me to sign and get notarized haha. 
Sending you prayers/thoughts/good vibes on your Payne interview @kbui, hope we meet in DC as State employees 

Apparently they worked ahead of schedule because...I just got word that I'm a Rangel Fellow. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 
I was at work and I sat and stared at my screen for a full minute before I reacted. It totally took me by surprise. I can't really talk too much because of the scary non-disclosure agreement we had to sign. All I can say is the written part wasn't as specific as I feared it would be, but it was still specific enough for it to be difficult to write. Rangel lets you defer if you get a Fulbright, probably because they're both State Department things. I'd be going to Austria!
I'm sending the rest of you all good vibes too! I believe in you all  

Apparently they worked ahead of schedule because...I just got word that I'm a Rangel Fellow. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 
I was at work and I sat and stared at my screen for a full minute before I reacted. It totally took me by surprise. I can't really talk too much because of the scary non-disclosure agreement we had to sign. All I can say is the written part wasn't as specific as I feared it would be, but it was still specific enough for it to be difficult to write. Rangel lets you defer if you get a Fulbright, probably because they're both State Department things. I'd be going to Austria!
I'm sending the rest of you all good vibes too! I believe in you all  

Thank you!
I was really taken aback by how accomplished they were! The majority had already graduated and had a some good related work experience. It was easy to feel small next to them but everyone was so kind and supportive of each other! 
I had my interview first thing in the morning. I didn't feel like I prepared well enough going into it, but I felt great coming out. The panelists were stony faced the whole time though, which was really intimidating. I'm sure they're told not to show any sort of emotion though. Then I had the agony of waiting in the holding room for 5hrs before being able to take the written. I felt pretty good about that as well. The whole thing felt better than I thought it would, but I didn't leave thinking I had completely rocked it. I guess I'll find out tomorrow 
How are you preparing for Payne? Have they told you when your interview day is yet?

So I had my Rangel interview yesterday. Everybody that I met was absolutely amazing. Seriously, I have no idea how the panelists are going to be making decisions this year. On related good news I found out that I was awarded a Fulbright. I had literally landed in DC when I saw the email. I kind of wished that it had come in the day after my interview because I think it threw me off my game a little. Oh well, I'm certainly not complaining!
Congrats @mrs12 and @ZebraFinch that's so exciting for the both of you!! You must be over the moon  
 

Thank you!
I was really taken aback by how accomplished they were! The majority had already graduated and had a some good related work experience. It was easy to feel small next to them but everyone was so kind and supportive of each other! 
I had my interview first thing in the morning. I didn't feel like I prepared well enough going into it, but I felt great coming out. The panelists were stony faced the whole time though, which was really intimidating. I'm sure they're told not to show any sort of emotion though. Then I had the agony of waiting in the holding room for 5hrs before being able to take the written. I felt pretty good about that as well. The whole thing felt better than I thought it would, but I didn't leave thinking I had completely rocked it. I guess I'll find out tomorrow 
How are you preparing for Payne? Have they told you when your interview day is yet?

So I had my Rangel interview yesterday. Everybody that I met was absolutely amazing. Seriously, I have no idea how the panelists are going to be making decisions this year. On related good news I found out that I was awarded a Fulbright. I had literally landed in DC when I saw the email. I kind of wished that it had come in the day after my interview because I think it threw me off my game a little. Oh well, I'm certainly not complaining!
Congrats @mrs12 and @ZebraFinch that's so exciting for the both of you!! You must be over the moon  
 

So I had my Rangel interview yesterday. Everybody that I met was absolutely amazing. Seriously, I have no idea how the panelists are going to be making decisions this year. On related good news I found out that I was awarded a Fulbright. I had literally landed in DC when I saw the email. I kind of wished that it had come in the day after my interview because I think it threw me off my game a little. Oh well, I'm certainly not complaining!
Congrats @mrs12 and @ZebraFinch that's so exciting for the both of you!! You must be over the moon  
 

For my accepted email the subject line was "Fulbright Application Status (P)". I think generally speaking 'accepts' have the (P) for principal and alternates have an (A) for alternate. I'm not sure about rejections though, seems a bit cruel to see an (R) in the subject line and already know what the email will say.

Was just awarded a Austria combined Fulbright. AHHHHH!! It was totally bizarre. I was getting onto a plane and I remembered reading about somebody else's Fulbright acceptance story of how she got on a plane and when she landed she had an email from Fulbright in her inbox. I thought to myself, "how weird would it be if the same thing happened to me". And then when I landed in DC I had an email from Fulbright telling me I got it! I whispered "oh my god oh my god" so loudly that the woman next to me asked if I was alright. Good luck to everyone else!!

Was just awarded a Austria combined Fulbright. AHHHHH!! It was totally bizarre. I was getting onto a plane and I remembered reading about somebody else's Fulbright acceptance story of how she got on a plane and when she landed she had an email from Fulbright in her inbox. I thought to myself, "how weird would it be if the same thing happened to me". And then when I landed in DC I had an email from Fulbright telling me I got it! I whispered "oh my god oh my god" so loudly that the woman next to me asked if I was alright. Good luck to everyone else!!

Was just awarded a Austria combined Fulbright. AHHHHH!! It was totally bizarre. I was getting onto a plane and I remembered reading about somebody else's Fulbright acceptance story of how she got on a plane and when she landed she had an email from Fulbright in her inbox. I thought to myself, "how weird would it be if the same thing happened to me". And then when I landed in DC I had an email from Fulbright telling me I got it! I whispered "oh my god oh my god" so loudly that the woman next to me asked if I was alright. Good luck to everyone else!!

Was just awarded a Austria combined Fulbright. AHHHHH!! It was totally bizarre. I was getting onto a plane and I remembered reading about somebody else's Fulbright acceptance story of how she got on a plane and when she landed she had an email from Fulbright in her inbox. I thought to myself, "how weird would it be if the same thing happened to me". And then when I landed in DC I had an email from Fulbright telling me I got it! I whispered "oh my god oh my god" so loudly that the woman next to me asked if I was alright. Good luck to everyone else!!

YAY!! Payne is SO competitive, you're obviously an amazing applicant. Now we can both freak out over our upcoming interviews!

@kbui
Just got the email telling me I wasn't chosen as a Payne finalist. I'm rooting for you!

Netflix, and lots of ice cream 

I'm really sorry to hear that @kbui I wouldn't give up on Payne and Pickering, though! They may all be similar programs, but they have different reviewers who are each looking for different things. Keep your faith! I wish you all the best. 

Hey! I totally went MIA on this forum, mostly because I completely convinced myself that I had absolutely no chance. I got the email almost an hour ago telling me I'm a finalist, my interview day is March 9th. I cried. Then looked at my email again. Then cried again.
I'm sending you so many good vibes/prayers. Hope we meet in DC  

Yes you're right, I applied last year for their undergraduate program and didn't get it. Thank you!!! 

Hey! I totally went MIA on this forum, mostly because I completely convinced myself that I had absolutely no chance. I got the email almost an hour ago telling me I'm a finalist, my interview day is March 9th. I cried. Then looked at my email again. Then cried again.
I'm sending you so many good vibes/prayers. Hope we meet in DC  

Welp, there go my productivity levels for tomorrow and Friday. I also was under the impression that only certain countries interviewed. Has that changed then, with the new semi-finalist/finalist distinction?
So much love and light to everyone on here, checking this thread was a godsend since all of my friends banned me from even saying the word "Fulbright". Good luck to everyone  

Welp, there go my productivity levels for tomorrow and Friday. I also was under the impression that only certain countries interviewed. Has that changed then, with the new semi-finalist/finalist distinction?
So much love and light to everyone on here, checking this thread was a godsend since all of my friends banned me from even saying the word "Fulbright". Good luck to everyone