sowon

it said I have to accept by 3/10! but there are also medical things to fill out by 4/1 that could possibly be disqualifying if I accept but don't do them? and since you became an alternate, your application must already be really good... but if you decide to apply again, I would be more than willing to help you if you want to edit your application. I've applied every year and tutored writing for 3 years... I think I know what CLS is looking for quite well. But in some ways, it's also completely arbitrary and unfair. To anyone else reading this: my application last year was in some ways BETTER than my application this year, and was rejected in the first round. The only difference is that I studied abroad this time and incorporated that into my essays. But there was one really amazing part of my essays, on my planned senior thesis research on a colonial Korean poet, that I had to remove, because I would be doing that before CLS. And when I applied last year, I had never been abroad anywhere yet had reached an advanced level, which CLS is supposed to favor. Tbf, my essays did get even better from having been abroad. BUT there's supposed to be an advantage from not having been abroad... the spirit of giving opportunities to those who haven't had them...

oh I literally just got a placement letter

I'm really sorry @crackemon are you a senior? I GOT IN!!!!!! finally... after starting to learn Korean because I was motivated by the possibility of winning NSLI-Y, failing in the semifinalist round and crying more than I've ever cried in my life... applying to CLS three years in a row, getting my essays destroyed with feedback each time to improve, and failing in the first round every time... I'm fucking going to Korea this summer! and I didn't mention this before... but I met my boyfriend while studying abroad in Korea this fall. So CLS is the only way I'll be able to meet him for a year at least... that's another reason why it became so important to me. I'm legit sobbing right now from happiness... thanks for the good vibes ??

thanks everyone ? I'm going to go crazy if it doesn't come out today. This is already destroying my mental health. I'm also getting checked out for ADHD next week... so that would really explain why I keep checking my phone every 10 minutes and can't focus on anything. I even looked at the majors of every single finalist from last year to see how many there were with my major (3) and guess at my chances lol. come on, women in STEM... And @crackemon I would love to be finalists with you ?

so if anyone is checking this... decisions will probably come out today. The portal was updated last night. I feel so sick it's crazy. This is my fourth time applying for CLS and first time becoming a semifinalist (I'm a senior). And probably my last chance, since idk when/if I'll go to grad school. I have comments in past years' threads... this is my last chance but I can't stop feeling sick to my stomach about the thought of not winning. I want to go to Gwangju, Korea this summer... please send good vibes

I'll be applying for advanced Korean for the third time. But honestly, I wouldn't want to do CLS this year if it were online. I've already done the Middlebury program. It was good. But I've never been to Korea, and that's what I need in order to improve going forward....

They expect that most people who reach intermediate or advanced levels may have had study-abroad experience. On one hand, it shows that you have experience dealing with the stresses of being abroad and that you have a dedication to the language. I'm hoping that this will translate into a big advantage for me -- advanced Korean, never have been abroad (or to Korea). I think study-abroad experience would be a benefit in most cases, though. :)

Hi all! I'm applying for advanced Korean this year, after being rejected for CLS once and NSLI-Y once. Hoping this will be my year. I realize my essays last year were trash and I feel like I have some good stuff this time. I'm a sophomore CS/Korean major. Also, I would like to share resources collected from previous years' threads as we approach the application deadline. https://aisforms.s3.amazonaws.com/ais/CLS/2019/CLS_Evaluation_Rubric_2019.html#Rubric (2019 rubric for evaluation, which seems to be the same as the 2020 one-- change the year to see) another document that has numbers of participants by program (last year's cohort I think): https://eca.state.gov/files/bureau/fy_19_cls_pogi.pdf I also made a list of the previous years' notification dates for round 1 and round 2 -- thinking I'll wait until December for that.

I expect the decision tomorrow or on the 16th, based on the average release time of the past few years' first round results. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE! At least I won't be surprised by rejection if it happens, the way I was by NSLI-Y last year xP I'm steeling myself P.S. If anyone who applied for Korean wants to join a CLS Korea applicant KakaoTalk group, PM me your KKT username.

Happy new year everyone! Looks like we're just a bit over two weeks away... I'll be ok if I get rejected, because I got Middlebury Korean (incidentally, I'll hear about the financial aid for that this month, too), but I still can't help feeling antsy.

While perusing old gradcafe threads, I found a link to the rubric that the readers use to evaluate us... unfortunately, I found it a little too late for it to be helpful, but if anyone wants to see it I can link it! Or you can read the 2017 thread. Did anyone here apply for NSLI-Y previously?

Hi everyone! I’m an applicant for Intermediate Korean and a freshman CS major. I hope that this year’s CLS thread will become as active as previous years’ and I’m looking forward to stressing out with all of you!