aireater

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Is anyone else having difficulty using the Rearden travel site for booking travel to the pre-departure orientation. I'm trying to book train tickets, but I don't even see an option for this. The email from IIE said that Rearden could be used for plane and train accommodations, but I only see an option for plane travel.

I am starting to worry about finding housing, funding, etc. I haven't received my grant package yet, but I am wondering does the Fulbright determine the cost of living allowances by country-with or without consideration for specific cities. I.e., the cost of living in London is considerably higher compared to living in Liverpool, despite both being in the UK. (Perhaps we can create a new thread to discuss logistics)

i just my envelope also!!!! i was awarded a grant to nigeria!!!! easily one of the happiest day of my life. good luck to everyone else still waiting. i also live on the east coast, letter postmarked april 8th

apples, thanks for the update. now i'm overwhelmed with nervousness. good luck everyone and congrats to those already notified.

applesoranges22, i also applied to a country in sub-saharan africa, nigeria. to which country did you apply? also still awaiting notification.

congratulations to those who have been awarded full grants, or even alternate positions! has anyone heard anything about sub-Saharan Africa?

I have a friend who was recently notified about receiving a grant to Colombia. I am still waiting.

The in-country decisions vary by country. Larger countries participating in the Fulbright program - Germany, UK - have actual Fulbright Commissions that oversee the Fulbright program both US-Country and Country-US. However, smaller countries - like those in sub-Saharan African for example - leave the decisions to the US Embassy in their country. And for countries without an Embassy, I believe the decision is made by that country's office of cultural affairs or some equivalent. In all the countries, the supervising agency contacts your affiliation to ensure the feasibility of your project, logistics, etc. I believe I read somewhere that the host country ranks the apps also with the top being recommended to get the grant, and a few selected as alternates.

Your acceptance packages might not have info on orientations, because 1) they're waiting to hear back about your medical status to officially confirm that you're can receive the grant, hence the forms with the acceptance, and/or 2) IIE is waiting to confirm all the acceptances so that they can plan the orientations around regions, etc. There is no sense in booking hotels and giving out orientation information if there is a chance that you might not get final medical clearance. Can someone describe the medical forms? Is it like something that you take to your doctor for a physical checkup? Or is it something that you fill our yourself?

Summernights, I am not sure calling the people in Sri Lanka would help much. You have to keep in mind that even if the host company does accept your application, there is always a chance that the Fulbright's Commissioner Board might disagree with their decision and turn down your application. Though, I am not certain about the how much they agree with the hosting country in the their final decision. Does anyone else know about this? Is it commonplace or rare that the Fulbright Commission rejects the host country's decision?

Nigeria has made their final decisions, now just waiting for the President's Board to make their approvals. I am told that applicants can find out in as early as two weeks. I feel like i've been waiting for years

Thanks Maisie112, Will you be attending an orientation in DC in August? When do you plan on beginning your grant? I met in a guy in Prague last year who was on a Fulbright studying architecture.

Congrats to those who have been notified. It is so pleasing to have found this thread, as I feel the same way many of you do. I too have placed my eggs in the basket labeled "Fulbright." I am not going to grad school in the Fall; I am hoping that my Fulbright experiences will help me to develop a better focus for my graduate work when I do decide to apply. If I get the grant, I know that my experiences will set me on a new trajectory so I figure its better to have this under my belt before beginning graduate work. Best of Luck to everyone.