tommec

Well, we survived another day of waiting. 

***sitting with my email open waiting for Bulgaria notifications to come through*** 
CONGRATS TO @blakec1988 and @Lab6214- seeing your good news gives me hope!!!

SPAİN CAME OUT AND I'M GOING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just received an email notification of my acceptance as a Fulbright research scholar to Panama! 

Hey everyone - sorry to those who are dying to hear back! As you know, I was given the dreaded "alternate" status for my ETA. In case anyone is curious, I'll post the email below for what they send to alternates (basically "hey not right now...but you should be honored...but no...maybe..."). I was wondering if you guys think I should reply to the email thanking them and reiterating my interest? I'm really just praying to the international gods that I get promoted in this next month! Or are things like that annoying to people on the receiving end? I never know with email etiquette in situations like these!
 
We wish to inform you that you have been designated as an Alternate for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Thus you would receive an award only in the event that someone withdraws or additional funding becomes available. While you have not currently been selected as a Principal candidate, your selection as an Alternate for a Fulbright award is, in itself, an achievement for which you can be justly proud.  Please know we have no way of predicting the chances of an Alternate’s promotion to Finalist, nor do we maintain ranked lists of Alternates. Promotions may depend on the profile of the Principal who declines a grant offer or other factors. The majority of finalists are given one month to make their decisions regarding acceptance or declination of an award. You can assume that the finalists for your country are being notified simultaneously with this notice to you. Therefore, you can estimate the time frame in which most students will accept or decline their award offers. The chance of promotion will be greatest during the spring months, and then steadily decline as time goes on. However, we maintain Alternate lists until it is no longer feasible to offer new grants for this academic year and will ONLY contact you if an opening occurs.
It is our hope that you would be available to accept a grant should it be offered. In the meantime, it is important that you advise us immediately if there is any factor that could preclude you from accepting an award. You will remain on the Alternate list unless you withdraw, in writing, from the competition.
No additional information should be sent to us in support of your application, as it will have no effect on your status. Also, please be advised that in the event that we can offer you a Fulbright award, we will try to contact you by telephone or email first. If you need to update any of your contact information, please email your IIE Program Manager. You will receive no further correspondence on your status unless potential funding becomes available.
I want to emphasize that your Alternate status in no way prejudices your chances for success in future Fulbright U.S. Student Program competitions. Each year's selection is separate.  If you are not promoted to a Principal candidate and you wish to apply again for a Fulbright Award, your application will be considered solely on the basis of eligibility requirements, merits, and the placement possibilities in the country of your choice.
We appreciate your interest in the Fulbright Program.

I highly doubt it @catsbloom... this is killing me too haha 

I highly doubt it @catsbloom... this is killing me too haha 

I am definitely going to the beach once I get the email. I am working on a set tomorrow in Oceanside, so I am hoping I can see the email while working... go down to the water... listen to the waves of the ocean and to the seagulls... and then open up the email. Regardless of the outcome, I will have the vast expanse of the ocean in front of me. The ocean helps to put things into perspective. 

I am definitely going to the beach once I get the email. I am working on a set tomorrow in Oceanside, so I am hoping I can see the email while working... go down to the water... listen to the waves of the ocean and to the seagulls... and then open up the email. Regardless of the outcome, I will have the vast expanse of the ocean in front of me. The ocean helps to put things into perspective. 

I am definitely going to the beach once I get the email. I am working on a set tomorrow in Oceanside, so I am hoping I can see the email while working... go down to the water... listen to the waves of the ocean and to the seagulls... and then open up the email. Regardless of the outcome, I will have the vast expanse of the ocean in front of me. The ocean helps to put things into perspective. 

I can already feel how amazing that is going to be like. That's a perfect analogy haha. Could you open my notification email for me and then let me know?

As we get ready for this upcoming week (hopefully it will be full of congratulations and very little to no need for condolences), I am interested to know what you guys are planning on doing once you get the notification email? Are you guys going to open it immediately, go home and lock yourself in your room before opening it, or hike up a mountain so you can open it at the top? I need some suggestions to reduce my built-up anxiety.  

Realistically speaking, how many more countries can they get through in one afternoon? THIS IS SO EXCITING 

So based on last year's data, it looks like Vietnam, Italy, Romania, Greece, Andorra, and Bulgaria applicants should all know very soon... AGHHHHHHHHHH I CANNOT WAIT! (Bulgaria applicant here)

To those of us still waiting- we can make it through the weekend!!! 

To those of us still waiting- we can make it through the weekend!!! 

To those of us still waiting- we can make it through the weekend!!! 

To those of us still waiting- we can make it through the weekend!!! 

Realistically speaking, how many more countries can they get through in one afternoon? THIS IS SO EXCITING 

So based on last year's data, it looks like Vietnam, Italy, Romania, Greece, Andorra, and Bulgaria applicants should all know very soon... AGHHHHHHHHHH I CANNOT WAIT! (Bulgaria applicant here)

My fellow Bulgaria Fulbright friends @Jess2323 @catsbloom @edon16... so I emailed the Bulgarian Fulbright program officer a few weeks ago and she told me:
"This year, we will not conduct interviews with the graduate study grant semi-finalists. We are currently in the selection process, and we will inform IIE of our decision by mid-March, so you should receive a notification from them by the end of March."
I am assuming that this notification timeline will be the same for both ETAs and graduate study awards. Either way I WANT TO KNOW ALREADY!!! I have to respond to MPH program decisions by mid-April. I am watching too much Netflix and just binged Sense8 season one in three days and but then found out season 2 does not come out until May! SO MUCH WAITING 

Well I currently am attending the MPH program at NYU (just entered my last semester before graduation) and I would say overall it is a fairly new program which has its pros and cons. Ultimately, it is what you make of it like most programs (I am fairly happy with it).

May I ask what it is specifically you are interested in as that would let met gauge what I should perhaps tell you?

How good is NYU for MPH programs? Does anyone know?