nescafe

I know (from prior experience) that one cannot request feedback regarding the acceptance process. Some grants allow you to request reviewer's comments or rankings (Fulbright Hays DDRA does this I believe), but the Fulbright IIE Program actually has a policy against such feedback. I asked one of the regional reps why this was, and he told me that it is simply the volume of applications that Fulbright IIE gets eack year. Providing details on acceptances/rejections would just add too much to the already cumbersome process, I guess.

Opps, I guess I hadn't read Laska's post as closely as I thought. Sorry for confusions.

See Laska, page one.

This is sort of a reiteration of what AnonHist said, but SSRC has spent the last few years stream-lining its application process. They only collect certain parts of the application for the initial review, and *then* solicit additional info from applicants they are taking a second look at. I've heard of people not getting the transcript email and then moving on to the final round, and also of people that send in their transcripts and are later rejected. Generally, a solicitation for transcripts is a good sign. That said, not getting a solicitation is not necessarily a bad sign. First round rejection emails have gone out this week--- so anyone who has not received such an email is still up for consideration. SSRC's process is more opague than any of the other major grants... but I like to think that every day I DON'T receive a rejection letter is a day headed in the right direction. Good luck to all of you!

I also received an email request for my transcripts this afternoon. woo hoo!

Alf Mabrook! I have not been in this situation but I know that with the Research Grant, spouses are eligible for a small (but very handy) dependency allotment if they come along with you. Not sure if this is the same for ETAs, though. It definitely will not have a negative impact on your application (as long as you are not getting married the same week as the Mandatory Orientation in DC), but you might want to email Jermain Jones (the MENA Coordinator) to see what sorts of additional paperwork you might need to get this extra money.

Hi... yes, there can be a number of reason that a recipient country declines all of its Grantees. Indeed, last year this was what happened to Egypt's ETAs... they were granted but then rerouted to other area countries. The reasons that a country might not actually receive any Fulbrighters could include: 1) The money dried up or was reallocated at the last minute. 2) The Fulbright Commission did not pass anyone on to final consideration (e.g. none of the applications they received were feasible). 3) If political relations are particularly tense with the recipient country, one or both sides will decline anyone who might rock the boat. 4) A Fulbright Fellow is approved by the IIE Commission in New York and the Binational Commission, but then the paperwork stalls at the recipient country's government. (Indeed, I know this pain all too well). 5) Security considerations lead the Fulbright Office to close a particular country's Grant Opportunity. (Lebanon is an example) 6) a small asteroid has fallen from Mars, obliterating the IIE Office, the Recipient Country, both, or maybe just an applicant's paperwork. (Sometimes crazy stuff happens.) I will say that last year there were also several applicants who received rejections, only to get an email 3 months later telling them more money had been found and that they could go on Fulbright after all! This was most notably the case with Turkey's ETA Program. The Fulbright IIE Office is VERY quiet about details regarding Finalist figures... and rightfully so. It's a question of privacy. I doubt that we'll know the discreet numbers, beyond the simple "1.5 to 2.0" ratio given in the advancement email. Best of luck to you all!

If you've advanced to Finalist status, then it is because you are a strong candidate for the Grant. I don't think there is a set list of criteria which make up a "good" application-- this goes for Research and ETA applications alike. Fulbright cares a LOT less about your GPA than they do about the following: 1) Whether you are likely to be able to stay for the entire Fulbright term. 2) How you plan to make the greatest "impact" on the place you've selected. This one is HUGE... applications that show a practical plan for local engagement are much more likely to get admitted.... remember that Fulbright is essentially designed to foster intercultural dialogue and soft diplomacy. If your application discusses how you will impact the community beyond the classroom, you're golden. 3) The extent to which you demonstrate a basic knowledge of the host culture, your role as a Fulbright Scholar, and have developed a "plan" for once you arrive. (Basically, they want to see that you have given this some thought, and that you are taking the lead in your own Fulbright period, how you will spend your time there, etc) 4) The extent to which the Fulbright Grant will serve a larger purpose beyond that single year of ETA/Research. So, if you describe how getting this funding will improve your professional goals or the goals of the institution you will work with.... this one is about "fit." Fulbright prefers to give grants to candidates who will be able to use the experience they gain even after the one year grant term. There are so many more of these, but I think this covers the major bases. It all boils down to one thing: Fulbright IIE is a granting organization; they give money out each year... their task is to select the best "investments" and thus get the most bang for their buck. I am a firm believer that IIE decisions have less to do with one's proposed topic (for us Research slouches) than with how we demonstrate our ability to reap the gains of this intellectual diplomacy. Sure, in competitions with more applicants (the UK, for example) or where political sensitivities could pose a problem (the Middle East, perhaps?) our research topics are more likely to be examined closely... but I think initial cuts are more about fitting in with the IIE mission--- to foster as much cultural exchange and international intellectual engagement as Fulbright's limited funding allows. Any other thoughts?

Finalist for Syria! Now the REAL waiting begins. Any other "retreads" here? This is my second time around (Finalist for Egypt last time, waited until end of June to get a rejection).

good luck to all!

just checking in... i submitted an application for this one. looking forward to a long waiting period.

Hi all, I submitted a Fulbright application for Syria a few weeks back. Looking forward to waiting out decisions with you all. If anyone else has applied for the MENA region, feel free to contact me. nescafe

As far as I know, you cannot do this. If you decline part of your award, that is it. You receive one offer per academic year (unless you borrow for the summer- but that's a whole other ball game). You will be offered the loan again the following Fall, but not before then. The up-side is that the amount of interest you would accrue during the span on a single semester is so little that, should you decide to return a portion of the award later, it will not hurt too much.

oh, good question, and one I've sort of tossed around myself. i have no sage advice.... just wanted to say that i would also like to hear other women's experience on this.

I could be wrong (e.g. I think you should also direct this question to the Financial Aid Office of the school in question), but I think that if you decline a portion of your aid in the Fall, you cannot go back in the Spring and reclaim it. Accruing interest is not fun, for sure, but your best bet is to take the money, and repay it on the principle if you do not wind up spending it. You can do this at the end of each calender year. Alternatively, if the interest issue concerns you- you can pay your annual interest off each January, even while you are in school. So my opinion is to take the money and hold onto it if you think you will need it. You can return it later if not. Think of the interest as your insurance against being broke later.

you're telling me! being "stuck" is no fun....

I emailed JJ about this, and he says that those who do not have formal acceptances will not be invited to the orientation. But I guess we can sit in the "pending" limbo until September, technically. I don't know what happens if we don't hear by then... and I'm scared to ask. If you talk to JJ and find anything out, let me know. I've emailed him twice this week and am sensing that i might be annoying him.... but I am really starting to wonder if there is something wrong with my app which has stalled it. Even if we'd been waitlisted you'd think we would have heard something by NOW.

yep. right here. and i thought i was going crazy back in May, lol!

still. waiting. .....Egypt still has not released all of their notifications.

....an interesting discussion, but, er... to get back to the question: (awkward glance) Depending on whether you need course credit for you Arabic study, there are numerous programs out there which can be very affordable and easy to access. First, Damascus is the best place to study Arabic, IMHO. You can coordinate a place to stay through Yalla House or other conduits, apartments and standard of living is very inexpensive, and you can't beat the food or the locals there. If affordable is what you want and you do not need academic credits, you can attend the rolling classes offered in monthly increments at Damascus University. These are very affordable, come with joint MSA and Levantine Colloquial courses, and you can join the course at really any time. The catch? You have to register in person, so you have to take a small leap of faith and literally show up in Damascus before enrolling. Is it worth it? yes. Furthermore, you have to bring certification of an AIDs test (which you can get in Syria) and, upon enrolling, you may need to file for residency status. Now, normally I am not all about simsar services, "placement" agencies or brokers... but Yalla House can basically walk you through all of the above mentioned steps for a reasonable fee.... if it is your first time and you have no local contacts, this is definite plus. Second, another affordable Arabic program with similar standing is the International Language Institute in Cairo. ILI also accepts students on a rolling basis, and while I am not positive about course credits (check this), I don't believe most American Schools would count them. But if you are going to pay your own way and want to progress in Arabic quickly, ILI is great, reasonably priced, and more flexible than its competitors at AUC (both CASA and ALI are worth noting for advanced seekers, but are very expensive and exclusive.... consider these programs after you have about 3 years of MSA under your belt.). I will echo someone else in this thread that Beirut is less than ideal for learning Arabic in that most of the locals speak French or English to foreigners. That said, theCAMES Summer Program at AUB is great if you stay motivated to learn MSA; the draw-back is that this program is very pricey. That's about all I got- hopefully a bit of this info helps.

1. This is very discipline specific; in the humanities you might expect the lower end of the spectrum; in hard sciences, the higher. 2. Echoing others here, the stipend counts as wage labor and is therefore taxed. However, many universities seperate stipends from other waivers like tuition or fees; and these are not subject to (income) taxes. 3. No, but many schools offer on-campus discounted deals on Graduate Level housing. This might be worth looking into. 4. Most universities in my field (humanities) make solid use of grad students as lecturers. This is how one earns one's stipend in my dept (first as a TA and then as a part time lecturer). I imagine this is not only discipline specific, but school specific as well. Being in the humanities, my stipend is (of course) very low; I subsidize my living situation with student loans. It is far from the ideal suituation, but it can be done if necessary.... esp. if you are eligible for the subsidized Stafford Loan. Good luck!

As another seasoned grad student, I have to go with consensus here and say that you cannot sacrifice your dream school because USC might "frown" on you. Chances are that they have a wait-list of their own and will fill your spot without any trouble- and while admins might "frown" on reversals like this, everyone understands that students have to guard their own best interests... schools do the same and don't apologize for it! As for the $1000, I would go either a private loan at your bank, or (shudders) a credit card loan if you need cash this quick. Bear in mind, though, that both options come with steep interest rates (usually about equivalent), and once the school year starts you will want to pay the loan back via either your Assistantship or Student Loans (which will carry a much lower rate) right away. I did this with some expenses incurred during the application process- and while it is less than ideal to shift money around like this, it will get the doposit paid. But it is also very worth the trouble to chek and see if the school will advance the fees... couldn't hurt to ask. And congrats!

...must be a standard email. I'm a finalist for Egypt (no selections yet) and I got almost precisely the same note (with "finalist" instead of "alternate" and "Middle East/ North Africa" instead of "Europe.") Anyway... I saw that the email was from Jermaine Jones (our Fulbright go-to guy) and had a mini panic attack, thinking it was a notification. This sort of thing is happening a lot recently- last week my school's FPA sent me an email with the word "fulbright" in the subject line and i lept from my chair. (the content of her email? To check the status of my app). hmph- all this waiting is like a roller coaster set to "speed-ball." I hope our notes come soon! ...and good luck to the alternates! limbo can be rough.

haha, oh well SCD... I guess it was wishful thinking, eh? Thanks for the clarification!

OMG- now I'm nervous! Thanks for update scd! And congrats!