MatthewJJ

I was only requesting funding for a full fall semester, which might be what ultimately made the difference. It seems silly now, but it didn't occur to me that a full academic year of study abroad - which I wasn't aiming for due to the fact that I'm a transfer with a shorter undergrad timeline - would be preferred. Does anyone know if Boren alternates are allowed to put that status on a resume? I've seen press releases from schools that announced students who were chosen as alternates, so it doesn't seem like an unreasonable thing to do.

Congratulations to our finalists! And for those of you who didn't get it, I hope you can still find the means to study abroad. Applying for the Boren and making it this far is an achievement in itself. I almost wish I wasn't an alternate, because the waiting and endless hoping that someone in an East Asian program will drop out between now and August is going to be more unbearable than the wait after submitting my application.

So it looks like I'm an alternate for China! Obviously not what I'd hoped for, but it's better than getting declined outright, at least. Does anyone know how frequently Boren finalists drop out? I know it depends on a number of factors that can't be predicted 100%, but I'm curious if any past alternates who became finalists or didn't could weigh in.