Gary Busey

Germany ETA over here feelin real desperate rn

This one hurt me! When I first applied I didn't even make semi-finalist status. I am not sure at what stage you are (in grad school, masters, etc), but I applied to the Mellin IDRF grant to see if I could complete my dissertation abroad when I took a year off from the Fulbright process. Also, it seems like you have no trouble getting past the US round but you're getting stuck in the country of your choice. Does your project have any part of it that might be controversial or might be hard/critical on the country you applied? Also, have there been any projects that are similar in line to yours that have been done in the past? That's something that I've learned from the webinars and my university's FPA. They mentioned for the research award that when people don't pass the US round it could be a combination of methodological concerns in the project, professional qualifications, and/or issues with the affiliation letter. However, when it's the in-country selection, US is kind of in the dark and can't really know why the projects would not go through but usually because there may be sensitive issues associated with the project or there are other type of needs the country wants to focus on. I am not sure if any of this is helpful but I just wanted to let you know that you totally passed the hardest clearance (US level) in the process. 

There are two things to know that maybe (hopefully?) will make you feel at least moderately better about letters of rec:
1. Professors do genuinely view this as part of their job. This is not a favor they are doing for you - this is part of what they are being paid for. I'm an instructor, not a tenure track professor, and even I view writing letters of rec as part of my job. It's never a burden. In fact, I had one student ask me for a letter with a one day turn-around because he just found out about a scholarship, and I got it done. It's karma for all the letters we've had written for us.
2. I assure you that your writers are not writing new letters every time. They are pulling up the file from the last time they wrote it, tinkering with it for a bit and then sending it on. Once you've requested a letter from them the first time, the subsequent requests are probably taking them 10 minutes, tops. Again, you're not a burden. 

Sending good vibes to everyone! 
Germany ETAs, hopefully today will be the day!!
 

I've started having dreams about it. I can't even escape in sleep. 

I am also an alternate. God damnit. 

Thanks to everyone who talked about their interview/hiring experiences! It's already 3:00 Eastern, so I don't think Germany ETA will notify today, so it's probably time to start sending in applications and resumes.
 
My phone pinged at 6 this morning and it woke me up and I couldn't fall back asleep after that because I was so convinced today would be the day, but I guess not -- better luck tomorrow, hopefully! I feel like that's what I've been saying every day since notifications started, lol. 

Thanks! It's also worth noting that I, exactly like aheather, didn't bring the Fulbright up until I was in the interview stage and they asked me directly about what else I was applying for- my original plan was to stay mum, but I'm glad I was honest when they asked. Either way, I would just like to hear back from anything at this point, including my summer internships that I've been interviewing for... my life after May is just a big mysterious black hole right now haha.
And I know!! I feel like the Germany ETA group has quite a presence on here and on the spreadsheet, which is immensely comforting. I've been a bundle of nerves for the past two weeks.

Yeah @cruxclaire, I'm in the same boat as aheather. I applied for a job and I told them that I was applying for the Fulbright  in the interview. It went pretty well, so they called me after and asked when I would hear from the Fulbright. I told them the time frame that I was expecting to hear back and they're currently waiting to hear my result before making a final hiring decision. They even told me that if I was accepted, they would be willing to offer me a position next year, upon the completion of the Fulbright. So my recommendation is to go ahead and apply anyway, and just be honest about your other possibilities!

I actually forgot I had applied for Fulbright and accepted a job back in November. Now I'm stuck waiting for Germany to find out where I will be going next year. 

Japan notified around 10am, which I was not expecting at all - Congratulations everyone! I am an Alternate, so the waiting continues! It feels like I'm still in a limbo state since the 6 finalists in the newly graduated research category could make any decisions that may or may not impact this. But it's still a blessing that I've made it this far, I'll just have to see how things turn out over the next month.

I must admit that the unexpected extended wait time is making my expectations plummet, which means less disappointment when notifications do come out.

Fulbright lives on to tease another day. 

Hello! I discovered this forum only a fortnight ago, have been lurking ever since, and wanted to pop-in to thank you all for sharing your experiences on your Fulbright journey. The kindness and consideration people have shown to each other, and to future Fulbright applicants, despite the potential for competitiveness is a great testament to the solidarity of this particular community. I am very grateful for people's generosity and openness, and for the work everyone has put into updating the Google Doc and keeping records. Thank you all.
As for myself, I am on the other side of the Fulbright equation, having applied to carry out research in the US next year. Last year's candidates found out before St Patrick's Day, so I am a little bit beside myself with nerves at this point.
Best of luck to all those who will be scattering to the four winds on Fulbright awards! And fingers crossed for those awaiting news still.

Im betting that we are going to get a lot of notifications today!

Hoping more notifications go out today!

I chose Indonesia because I got a CLS there last summer. There's no language requirement but I figured I would be more competitive already having a functional grasp of the language. I also didn't exactly fall in love with Indonesia when I went there. I had the worst culture shock of my life. But I also felt learning to navigate the pretty extreme cultural differences made me a better person. There's also very little opportunities to study Indonesian outside of an immersion environment. There aren't good books on it according to my teachers so I'd like to improve my Indonesian.
things I do love: the landscapes, how much people smile there, their sense of humor, their approach to story telling, how concerned they are for others, the juice
things that make it challenging: being treated like an object, photographs, lack of privacy (I have so many stories about that)
But that's not a pros/cons list, the challenges add to why I chose it
 

I chose an ETA to Germany
In high school, I took an exchange student. I was hoping to get one from France (as I was studying French at the time).  But guess where he was from? Germany! He lived with us for a whole year, and watching him assimilate into American culture was really a one of a kind experience. He made awkward cultural mistakes and talked a lot about crime fiction (Germans love their "Krimis"). When he left back home to Germany, I felt it was my turn to go see what it was like in his country. I saved my money and taught myself basic German for a few months. I stayed with his family in a small village where many people where a bit older than I was, and didn't speak much English. Oh man, I made so many mistakes! Just like my exchange student did. For me, it was the wonderfully abrupt culture change combined with the beautiful hearted people of that city, that made me decide..screw French (no offense to French learners. It's a beautiful language too!). I pursued German in college and studied it full heartedly, promising myself I would speak German "perfectly" when I went back. After 7 semesters of German, I felt pretty armed with extensive vocabulary, yet the moment I stepped off the bullet train, I got off on the wrong platform. The feeling of being able to communicate in a foreign language with the people of that culture is very fulfilling to me. I finished my undergrad 2 years ago and ended up in finance. I've been in a rut, jumping from job to job ever since, hoping that the right thing would come along. I decided to do the "follow your heart" thing and apply for an ETA in Germany. I'm not passionate about research as I am languages so I figured an ETA is more practical for me, personally. 
 
Thank you for sharing your story, what is it about the art scene there that appeals to you? I also love art!

I chose an ETA to Germany
In high school, I took an exchange student. I was hoping to get one from France (as I was studying French at the time).  But guess where he was from? Germany! He lived with us for a whole year, and watching him assimilate into American culture was really a one of a kind experience. He made awkward cultural mistakes and talked a lot about crime fiction (Germans love their "Krimis"). When he left back home to Germany, I felt it was my turn to go see what it was like in his country. I saved my money and taught myself basic German for a few months. I stayed with his family in a small village where many people where a bit older than I was, and didn't speak much English. Oh man, I made so many mistakes! Just like my exchange student did. For me, it was the wonderfully abrupt culture change combined with the beautiful hearted people of that city, that made me decide..screw French (no offense to French learners. It's a beautiful language too!). I pursued German in college and studied it full heartedly, promising myself I would speak German "perfectly" when I went back. After 7 semesters of German, I felt pretty armed with extensive vocabulary, yet the moment I stepped off the bullet train, I got off on the wrong platform. The feeling of being able to communicate in a foreign language with the people of that culture is very fulfilling to me. I finished my undergrad 2 years ago and ended up in finance. I've been in a rut, jumping from job to job ever since, hoping that the right thing would come along. I decided to do the "follow your heart" thing and apply for an ETA in Germany. I'm not passionate about research as I am languages so I figured an ETA is more practical for me, personally. 
 
Thank you for sharing your story, what is it about the art scene there that appeals to you? I also love art!

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? 

Hi everyone! So I've been lurking on this forum for a little while, thought I'd come out of the shadows.
I got the dreaded (A) for an ETA in Bulgaria, but I'm not giving up yet! I'm so sorry to everyone that didn't make it this round and CONGRATULATIONS to those accepted!! 
Thank you all for being so kind and supportive to each other. It's so refreshing to see so much positivity on the Internet, especially in a competitive setting like this. This forum got me through all this, for real.
You all are rock stars and I wish you the best of luck! 
@catsbloom @Tera @Jess2323 @lightaheadi and whoever I'm missing, you are all worthy and excellent in your own ways and I'm proud of us! 

Going to have a drink tonight for this forum. I have never been so engaged in a dialogue with as much momentum as i did this. Everyone here was so friendly and helpful, and reminded me of why i chose to pursue graduate school in the first place. To be surrounded by like-minded scholars such as you guys makes the world of a difference in me continuing to work hard and strive for higher education. Also, that google spreadsheet was impressive. Wow! The force is real. If the planets are aligned right, I hope to run into some of you in the future. 

Cheers. Don't stop reaching for those goals. If you have come this far, you have come a long way.
 

Alternate  this really hurts.  Congrats to everyone though who found out good news!

Holy shit! congratulations to all of the Germany research people!!!!!!! That's so so awesome. Fingers crossed that our ETA responses come ASAP ahhhhh

Congrats to all Germany Research!! 
Nun warten wir auf das ETA. Hoffentlich kommt auch heute!!