crimsonengineer87

Stalking is definitely the way to go. If you'd like to speed up the process, once you have some back and forth with a prospective affiliation, I'd suggest to draft a letter of support/affiliation to speed that part up, since they have to put it on letterhead, blah blah ... Then you're almost done!

hey mbv, Do you go to WSU? I read further up and it said you were a vet student, so I want to assume you're at our vet school. Yes, WSU isn't THE BEST. Where did you get your undergrad? For me, I've found the Fulbright advising pretty good. Sarah Ann Hones has good advice, but I've mostly been using my German professor who was also a Fulbrighter herself. So I may not be able to give the best advice. If you're willing to share where you got your undergrad, I might have a better opinion, albeit still biased. How was the communication been between the two different schools, since you stated you've been in contact with both? If you are at WSU, talking in-person with Sarah on campus would be much easier. And I find in-person talks really helpful at times, although receiving edits through email is also helpful as well. I hope that didn't further muddy the waters ...

Excellent!

Hey rachael, Do you have institutions/universities/organizations you've already been in touch with? Here's a brief run-down of my steps over the past month: 1. Ask around for possible connections in the country. Peruse the internet of those institutions and find faculty who have interesting/relevant research/goals/ 2. Email them with who you are, what you're doing, why you're doing it, and attach the SOP and a CV or something. 3. Wait for reply. Repeat if needed (I did this because I found better connections). 4. Decide on which location is a best fit for your Fulbright application. Look at pros/cons of the city, the research, the atmosphere, etc. 5. I drafted a letter of affiliation/ support, whatever you want to call it, detailing my research plan. I sent it to the guy (just today actually) so he could add/subtract. It definitely takes a big workload off them. And I think the next steps will be to make sure they are letterhead and his signature as a PDF. Voila! Hmm, do you have you been in contact with a few people and are deciding which one to go with?

Second that. Best to go to the people in charge of the program. Here is a link to CIES, who oversees most of the Fulbright programs (although for US students it's IIE): http://www.cies.org/ And I think there's a link for non US scholars. But just find a contact and email him/her. It never hurts to ask questions!

Ack! Sorry for so many replies. I guess I could have done multiquote, which I just saw. Anyways, I suggest y'all sign up for IIE's webinar on the application elements. I've listened to a few, however, this one is specific to the app elements, and might be very informative. In addition, they answer questions from the audience! http://us.fulbrightonline.org/news_events_story.php?id=943 It is most def worth 1.5 hrs for Fulbright!

Thanks for this! That's what I got out of looking at the different projects that were funded under this. But I think I'll still with regular Fulbright since I don't know if I want to get a PhD or not. Thanks, though!

Hi stgrl522, My field is civil engineering and a lot of our projects can really be done anywhere, so it's a matter of finding connections and as it seems to be a common thread in Fulbright "best fit" between my research and the institution. I obtained a minor in German and did a three month research internship in Germany, so that was my first choice. Then my adviser in CE wanted me to contact people in the Netherlands and Norway. It ended up that Germany was the "best fit" and that those profs who we contacted were all in Germany. Once I narrowed down my country, I started looking up universities with departments/faculty who do similar work to what I am doing (which is modeling the nitrogen cycle via a couple hydrologic-crop-biogeochemical model ... it sounds more complicated than it really is). Because I started so early and had my SOP lined up, I basically went shopping for possible affiliations. I have three possible affiliations in Germany and am basically just making up my mind based on the social scene, cost of living, etc. In terms of letters of rec, it seems I always go to the same three I also used for fellowships and graduate school. Mine are all from faculty, but I would check the website:http://us.fulbrightonline.org/preparing_completingreferences.html Quoting them: Three (3) references are required. Graduating seniors and recent graduates will not be expected to have all references from professors in their major field, but can have a mix of faculty or others who know them well and can refer to their abilities/skills relative to the proposed project.ETA applicants should request references from those who know them well. Referees may include academic instructors, academic advisers, or supervisors in teaching or tutoring situations.Advanced graduate students, should select referees from professors in their major field and/or fields directly related to the Fulbright project. References from recent undergraduate faculty may be requested, if you are only a year or so into graduate study. Additionally, references from professional or work contacts are appropriate if the referee can speak directly and with authority to your background/skills relative to your project.Applicants in creative and performing arts or professional fields may select referees who can address their skills/talents in the field, relative to the proposed project. However, it is also advisable to provide at least one or two academic references. So in my case, I am under the third category, but I have just begun my graduate studies. So my three recommenders will be: my advisor in CE (who has known me for two years in undergrad), my German/honors professors (who told me about the German internship), and a faculty member in the Honors College who has worked with me in extracurricular activities and knows me outside academics. So although they are not all "directly related to the Fulbright project" they can most certainly "speak directly and with authority" about me. The CE advisor can speak to my academic background and my potential for research, as well as help expand on what my research will be. The German professor can explain my research internship, German language skills, academic background (I had her in 5+ classes), as well as my ability to function in a global working environment. Finally, the Honors faculty member can explain how I have used my time in my undergraduate years to build a holistic and global portfolio that will basically enable me to conduct successful research with the Fulbright. Wow. That was a lot. And it actually sounded better than what I was thinking. So those are my thoughts. Advice: be very careful WHO you choose and make sure that it MAKES SENSE. Like we keep saying, it's all about FIT. Does this recommender mesh will with what you're trying to accomplish? See, I wouldn't choose another CE prof who I don't know as well, when I have someone who has known me 4 years and can articulate more about my personality and aptitude towards research and being an "ambassador" as Fulbright likes to say it. Hope that helps. OH, and welcome everyone to the Fulbright thread!

Tzar, I would email someone at IIE to confirm what you need to do if you have three institutions. I know I was in contact with someone to went to Brazil and had two affiliations. Just email them. At least if something happens, you have someone official from IIE stating blah blah. Most likely, you are correct though.

hey rachael, do you know what the difference between the Fulbright-Hays and the regular Fulbright is? Is it that the FH is more geared towards dissertation research and PhD students? And do you know if someone could apply for both if they were using their dissertation work as the basis for the full research grant? thanks!

You'll do fine! The process of revision is a daunting and long one, but it will be well worth it come March-April! Even though your personal statement is a half-page too long, I think that's good! It means that you have enough stuff to discuss for your ps. I think it's better than NOT having enough. Once you get corrections back, and revise, you can take out those that don't flow, do not contribute to the overall meaning of your PS, or you think can be left out. You might think that they are ALL good sentences, but you've gotta chop off some! I also suggest saving drafts as different files, rather than just saving your edits over your last one, in case you really liked a sentence from a previous draft like two days ago. But I think you're off to an excellent start! Let us know how the meetings/edits go! BTW, great link from the NIU!

Try this website: http://www.uic.edu/d...PT%203%2010.ppt It is a direct link to a power point with advice on the Fulbright program in general. Although it is mostly for the SRG, there is a slide about ETA with some good questions that should be answered. And if you need more advice, feel free to ask away here! Or you can private message me. It seems a little TOO gung-ho about Fulbright. Haha.

I personally don't know of any projects, but I'm glad you stuck with the Portuguese and are at least going to a country that speaks that language. It will most def make your app stronger! Hmm, it seems you are in the difficult stage of your app. You have these skills, but it is difficult to apply to it to a country trying to make that strong connection of why Fulbright should send you there. Even though I'm applying for a research grant (I don't know the acronym for this), I think it's similar with ETA. For example, I'm applying to Germany b/c I've studied German and have contacts there. I'm also trying to get affiliations at universities that have done research similar to what my dissertation work will be in order to solidify that connection. Yeah, my research can be done anywhere else, but saying that XYZ institution has done research in this field shows why this would be great for my work, but also cultural/intellectual collaboration etc. I don't have experience in apps for ETA, but I do know this: use what you've got. If you have experience with working with kids with autism (lots of with's), then try going with that and obtaining an affiliation (do you need to do this too?) with some place like that - OR - if you don't, find some statistics about it in Portugal, and then create a side project? I need to read up on the ETA to give better advice, but that's what came off the top of my mind ...

Congrats to everyone who received a Fulbright! So I'm currently in the process of applying for the 2011-12 Fulbright. Although there is a thread for that, I kind of need advice from those who have gone through the process. I'm currently securing my affiliation and my FPA and advisor suggested I draft a letter up. I'm not even sure where to begin in writing this type of letter. I was wondering if any of you guys had to draft a letter first for your affiliation? To keep this thread more 2010-11, you could answer the thread in 2011-12 to help others too or PM me. I'd really appreciate any insight and again, congratulations!

I need to third the webinars. They are just so helpful and I like how they answer a few of our questions throughout and at the end. Some of the webinars may be boring b/c they do an introduction to the program, or they may be about other "new" sources of funding for different countries, but they do provide excellent insight into the application process. There are a few webinars this week: Thursday, June 17 - for US Study and Research http://us.fulbrightonline.org/news_events_story.php?id=940 Monday, June 21 - for Creative and Performing Arts http://us.fulbrightonline.org/news_events_story.php?id=931 And here's the link to the Fulbright Multimedia page with past podcasts and webinars: http://us.fulbrightonline.org/podcast.html Happy Tuesday!

Speaking from a student's perspective and a westsider as well (I've been in Pullman for 4 years for undergrad and am starting my grad work here now), I think and have heard that Pullman is a great place to raise a family. Now, that doesn't mean you're gonna stay here forever (although some people really enjoy it), but we have a great school district, since profs want their students to be smart like them! Haha! But it's very quaint. Sure, some people think it's boring. No. Pullman grows on you, in a good way. There's so many outdoorsy things to do in both the summer and winter. Plus, in the winter, it's really cold and snowy, so staying in doors and studying is the way to go! But there's concerts on campus, and other fun events around the Palouse that are worth going to!

Welcome to our wonderful 2011-2012 thread! So, I've also been struggling with my SOP, but here's what I think, based on finishing up my SOP, the FPA, and a Fulbrighter who went to Germany: 1. For ETA, you should also include what makes you qualified to teach English in that country. So you can mention any TAing you've done, volunteer work with students, stuff like that. You are correct, just your overall desire to travel and teach is not enough. 2. Mention HOW going to Norway would benefit you. You could mention you want to investigate your family tree as a side project, but I think they'd want something more substantial. BUT I think you can swing your research in TB to your advantage. Why don't you somehow partner with another disease care organization? Since you have BACKGROUND in disease research (that's Epidemiology , right?) you can go ahead and do some community thing with that, since you want a career in public health. Hmm, I hope that makes sense. 3. Your degree in Spanish would help you tremendously, I think, in Brazil. And if you mention you've taken a semester in Portuguese and explain how you plan to continue that, then that would make you even better, since the country summary page for Brazil mentions that you should start taking Portuguese a little before your trip. Then you could even couple your research background with something in Brazil too. So in general, I think your research can be applied to almost anything in any country, but you have a stronger connection (it seems) with Brazil b/c you fit into the qualifications. I hope this helps ...

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Yeah, I saw this and was like WOW. This is really helpful for those über-planners like me. So if you're trying to plan your life, you can kind of estimate when you'll hear from them. For example, I think people found out about Germany in mid-March, while other countries were spread out. Thanks Mikey.

Hey guys! This is just a new thread for people applying for the Fulbright (ETA or research grant) for 2011-2012! I know it's a bit early, but it's never too early to just start thinking about these things! (But this was also created to not confuse the current Fulbrighters in the other thread.) Hopefully, this won't get lost during the summer/fall and we have one place we can chat and exchange ideas! Helpful links: US Fulbright Student Program http://us.fulbrighto...e.org/home.html Blog from a gal who got the Fulbright and advice for the application process http://usfulbrightst...-by-deanna.html

From the website, it says that the language is "commensurate" upon your stay in Germany and that they offer a special language program! http://us.fulbrightonline.org/program_country.html?id=41 But I bet you have enough German to conduct daily activities. My German is most def not up to par. And I think it's a case by case basis. When we were thinking the Netherlands, I was like, well I don't know Dutch. But the university I would work at conducts most of their research in English. So I guess in your application, a case could be made ... but I don't know. I'm also going through, what looks like, a long process.

I'm looking at Norway and also Germany. I'm kind of banking on Germany b/c I've taken some German, am familiar with the culture, and that's where I'm trying to get an affiliation. I'm not sure how the commissions look at the different fields applying. I've always thought that the Fulbright is quite heavy on the social sciences. But I'm a civil engineer looking at doing with hydrologic modeling. So I dunno. But one of my teachers said that the reason there aren't many scientists and engineers is b/c they don't usually apply. Is your field in the sciences/engineering?

That's what I'm thinking. Where are you thinking about applying, if you'd like to share; I know some people are really secretive about certain things on these forums. I ask because I've been looking at stats at different countries and what's the percentage likelihood of getting in ... but I bet there are more factors ... such as your field of study ... etc.

Anyone on this thread already applying/interested in Fulbright 2011-2012?!?! Being the engineer I am, I like planning things out and being very detail-oriented about things. I just wanted to say this thread has been amazing and that spreadsheet is also awesome. I'm planning on applying to so many things that I'm worried about scheduling the next couple years of my PhD (my advisor thinks I plan too far ahead ... 'tis true). What specific advice do you guys' have in terms of the application process? Any insights into what these people may be looking for? Hmm, I might just start the next Fulbright thread ... Thanks and good luck in your respective countries for the upcoming academic year!!

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