aheather

I was honest on mine about mental health issues and the grant was not revoked. I know other people who were similarly straightforward about anxiety and depression and were not discriminated against. I think they do want to see that you are addressing any issues you have, that you are in therapy (or physical therapy, or seeing a doc, etc), and that you haven't applied to put yourself in a situation where you won't have any access at all to things that make the world safer for you.

I posted about the Rhodes ages ago and didn't get any responses. Basically, I'm finding it hard to penetrate the mystique of the Rhodes and get real answers on application questions. I would welcome ANY information (or commiseration) from anyone, at this point. This is the last year I'm eligible (age-wise) for the Rhodes, so I'm going to apply. I have a pretty compelling through-line from my work in college, to my Fulbright post-college, to my professional career post-Fulbright. But I need more education in order to do work with a greater impact, hence, applying to Oxford. My college has already told me that they'll put me forward as a candidate. They haven't gotten a Rhodes since the 1970s, so... those are bad odds.... It's a state school, but the honors college of the state university system, and I don't know how that fares in the app process against prestigious institutions. I've noticed a whole lot of Harvard grads on lists of current scholars... I'm also floundering a bit on where to academically focus. Obviously there are a lot of fantastic options, and I've been lucky enough to be interested in and study a very wide variety of topics. It seems like most Rhodes folks are STEM or politics focused, and I'm decidedly more humanities. Is that going to drag down my chances? Is it bad to have a few years out of college (most current scholars seem to be right out of school) to have lived a bit of a life? Will the Fulbright be any real kind of boon, given that it was only an ETA grant and not a research one? AHhhhh????

Hey y'all, The GradCafe thread for my application year was incredibly helpful to me when I applied to Fulbright. Just on this thread briefly to offer myself as a resource to any potential Malaysia ETA applicants. I had an amazing, marvelous, wonderful time in Malaysia and I would be happy to talk about the program there to anyone curious. If you're not curious because you don't care about Malaysia, first: shame on you. Second: it's probably the best commission for ETAs out there, the level of support is unparalleled. They gave us a house AND a car AND a Fulbrighter as a roommate AND a former ETA as an RA-like figure to help us out! A CAR! Totally recommend checking it out, if you're looking for a place to ETA. ❤️ good luck to everyone!

Hey all, Haven't posted here in ages. This time two years ago, I was panicking about Fulbrights. Now I've finished up my grant (awww yissss), and I'm looking forward. Next year is the last year I'll be eligible to apply to the Rhodes, and I'm thinking of going for it. My university will support me, though they haven't had a Rhodes Scholar in forty years, so they don't have much information to give me. Basically, I'm wondering if my time as a Fulbright ETA will look to the selection committee like I'm unfocused. ETA grants are not as prestigious as research grants, which is fine because I applied for a lot of reasons outside of prestige, but I don't want to look like I'm fellowship-hopping to avoid real life. It seems like the Rhodes is mostly aimed at the crowd immediately coming out of college, and I'll be two years out (and literally three days younger than their age maximum), so I don't know if many people have bounced from Fulbright to Rhodes. How do I do that thing? Help, I have zero regrets about living in SE Asia, but I'm scared that it limited my options.

HOLY HECK GUYS I JUST GOT PROMOTED FROM ALTERNATE!!!!! I'M GOING TO MALAYSIA!!!!!

Feeling really down about this Alternate status. My professors and the Fulbright advisor at my school have been encouraging and just angels following this bad news, but it's still rough. I applied for 10 things this year (7 grad schools, Fulbright, Jet, and Tapif). I've been rejected from 8, alternate at 1, and waiting to hear back from the last (and I don't even WANT it at this point!). Life goes on, but man, this is a bitter pill to swallow! sending good luck vibes to other alternates, and hey, if you got a grant to Malaysia that you don't want, feel free to pass it this way lol

Got my email-- alternate darn it.

THIS IS SO RELATABLE I'm working at a summer camp, so I'm covered through the end of August. After that, which continent will I live on? We don't know!

We discussed this maybe a page before your comment, if you want to go back and see more answers. I, unlike @mckenna81, did disclose that I applied for Fulbright and am waiting to hear back. I only told jobs once I made it to the interview phase, and if I was specifically prompted with the question of what else I'm applying for. It has worked well for me, my top choice position has decided that they're not hiring anyone until I hear back from Malaysia (no pressure), which makes me think I'll have the job if I don't have the grant. If I was applying for places that I wouldn't go back to in the future after Fulbright is done, I wouldn't tell them, and I'd just decline the offer if it came once I got the Fulbright. However, because I know the organizations I'm applying to are places I want to be at some point, I'm trying to be fully open with them and it is going well. Just a second perspective, no clue if what I'm doing is /right/ or whatever! Congrats on being an Alternate! That's really stellar, and my fingers are crossed for you that you'll move right up, and into Japan

Fingers crossed!!!!

I applied for a job I really, really want and told them during the interview that I am also a semi-finalist got Fulbright. I told them that if I get the grant, I will take it, but if I am an alternate or do not get the grant, I would love to work for them. I assured them that, should I sign a contract with them, I will honor that contract (even if I am an alternate and later pulled up from the list, I would then turn down the grant). They were really happy with this, and I believe they're holding off on making a decision on the new hire until I hear from Fulbright and let them know.

For a specific country/region, or just in general? (fricken Malaysia notifying in mid-April, come onnnnn!!! Tell me where I'm living next year!!!!)

Maybe someone already asked this, but ETAs, what made you apply to your specific country? I assume research grants let the research lead the location in part, but if you didn't have that anchoring your application, why'd you chose to try to go live somewhere? I chose Malaysia after my research project for Nepal was not pulling together. My choice was very, very random, but the more I dug into what it'd be like to live there, the more I felt like it fit me. I was initially looking for ETA positions without a language requirement or that required French, and Malaysia fit the bill. Then I looked into KL's growing art scene, the structure of the program, and other things that took me from "well, it's not the grant I wanted to Nepal...." to "this is actually perfect for me and my life's ambition What's your story?

Woah, big day for notifications! Congrats to all who got that blessed P, congrats also to alternates (you still have a shot! and you made it so far!), and best wishes to those who didn't get it this year <333

!!!! I'm writing my thesis for college on the Jewish Museum Berlin and I'm looking at a lot at memorials in Germany and how they represent the Holocaust. A year to study that would be so cool! I hope it's fruitful for you!

Congrats to both of you!!!!!!

I haven't called them, but the sheer force of my will is going to result in Malaysia notifications one day soon

I haven't gotten that one yet!!! Is it actually any good? I was worried it was just gimmicky. I did get a skinfood mask that I adore Haven't tried the belif line, but I'm in the market for a toner and eye cream if theirs are any good!

Oh man, this also. Let's not talk about how much fried food I've ingested. Better than the wait for MFA rejections, though! Someone in the MFA applicants community got a rumor started that eating pizza would yield good juju and result in an acceptance phone call. I ate more pizza in a month than I had for the last 21 years lol. No luck, sadly.

Stiiiiiiiill waiting on Malaysia! What's been your coping mechanism? I've gotten SUPER into Korean skincare products in the past month (??? why? why can't I have normal hobbies???)

I'm out of upvotes to give, but major congrats to all of those who have gotten great news in the past day! Alternates, don't lose hope! People get bumped up all the time!

That's a great perspective on this. Just a little while longer to celebrate what was already a fairly sizable victory

A friend of mine was not interviewed and she's a research semi-finalist there, if that's any help!

Same here exactly! Mid-April is SO FAR AWAY. I'm not optimistic about us hearing this week, but it'd be a miracle and a half if we could hear by the end of next week! My fingers are crossed for us

My FPA and I talked about this a lot (during my days of optimism, before I was rejected from all the grad schools!). She said many programs will let you defer for a fellowship on the tier of Fulbright, and that if you can't defer, take the Fulbright and apply for grad school again in the following year. Her argument was that the grant's prestige opens up many, many, many doors and the amount of growth during a Fulbright will strengthen later applications. I'm applying for an ETA, not even a research, and not looking at anything related to teaching, and still she thinks the Fulbright will push me along in future career and academic endeavors.