strgrl522

I'd love to know as well -- I'd definitely want to read that novel!!

Congrats to all those who have been accepted! Congrats also to the alternates, as that too should be celebrated and it's definitely possible to still receive the grant -- many applicants from my alma mater were alternates, only to be informed later that they had been accepted! Looks like Germany and the UK are the only ones currently sending out notifications? Stomach is now flip-flopping constantly...ay!

Same here!

I second that -- biz, you're hilarious. I would love a post-it.

Just curious, does anyone know if receiving notification from Belgium at this time is on point or earlier than last year's grantees? I referenced last year's spreadsheet but didn't see any listings for Belgium... Trying to prevent premature hyperventilating lol... best of luck to all!

I thought the same thing, ACO -- hah. CONGRATS T Pain!!!! Rock on!

Hi all! I'm a little confused about these phone interviews people are referencing -- does every country conduct these language assessments of recommended candidates? I had a language eval with a faculty member and during my campus interview ... I'm out of the country now until end of Feb and would hate to miss something! Am a full grant app to Spain. Many thanks!!

Awesome! I would be based in Granada

Full grant, Spain, recommended; at-large applicant. Email received Jan 19 at 6:55 PM. Can't believe the first step has passed! Congrats to everyone who applied, what an intense app! Now, back to waiting ... lol

Hi all, Just curious if any 2011-2012 cycle applicants experienced last-minute mishaps with securing a letter of affiliation "on time." If so, what did you do?

Hah, so I didn't realize the extent of the interview... it hasn't come up in conversation until now as we near my campus deadline. Turns out the interviewers have to comment on 6 categories of your application, and rank the applicant on a scale of 1 to 4, with 1 being the best score. That feedback goes to the Fulbright Review Committee alongside your application, but you also receive feedback to fine-tune your application before official submission. I'm sure you did fine, they were probably trying to be standoffish and "professional" as they'll need to objectively rate your application. I feel that the National Committee does invest time in reading applicant materials, but given the thousands of applications they receive, I doubt they'd pore over it the way we do If they don't, it's ironic based on all the darn questions we have to answer! ha. I don't know what to expect for my interview next week. I am concerned for the Spanish component, as I have the awesome tendency of blanking/stumbling when I'm nervous. And I'm going to be hella nervous! It kinda blows my mind how involved this whole process is, with the essays, online form, and campus interview to boot. It's so hard to go through all these steps and obsess over every word, only to turn it over to chance and hope for the best.

I haven't had my campus interview yet, but judging from those of previous applicants from my school, I was under the impression that the interview was just a way for you to obtain feedback about your application as well as ensure that you know what you're talking about. They *may* write an an evaluation, but I don't think it affects what you submit to IIE. At least that's how I've always heard it explained...

Just out of curiosity, does anyone have back up plans in case the Fulbright doesn't come through? I know the odds are against us for some of the countries. Best of luck to everyone who has submitted/is about to submit!

Has anyone been attending the webinars? Do they teach you anything new that you can't find by obsessively reading the website? I work full-time so I'm unable to make them... I can't believe it's practically mid-September already!

Westcoasttoast, So sorry it's taken me this long -- I wanted to thank you for your thoughts. It was definitely helpful to hear about another's experience. Also glad that he was joking! I was thinking "wow, that's so mean!" haah

Hey guys, I'm applying for the next cycle and had a quick question for the full grant, at-large applicants -- did you have to do an interview/language assessment? From what I've read on the website it sounds like that's only required for those applying through their alma mater/still in college. Thanks a ton.

I really hope he was joking...

Thanks, Espanya2013! I think you and I have had similar experiences. I'll have to stay strong/committed to what is important to me about my app, but I think having my FPA's input would be more beneficial than not in the long run.

Is there an FPA you can contact (perhaps at your undergrad institution)? I recall discussing this last year when I was considering applying... I don't believe having a long term experience (i.e. Master's) "hurts" an application as long as it's time spent in a country other than the one you're applying to. They wouldn't want someone who spent 12 years in Germany applying to Germany. I'm not sure about the 2 months in France timeline... I think the cutoff was 6 months, but don't quote me on that. I would contact an FPA or poke around the Fulbright website FAQ, etc. I believe the issue may be addressed on there...

From my understanding, it depends upon the country. From http://us.fulbrightonline.org/preparing_studyresearch.html : ADVANCED DEGREES ABROAD: Candidates considering earning a graduate degree abroad should: Make sure that the country to which you are applying will accept such a project. Some countries do not recommend that applicants apply to do a degree program. For example, it is often not possible to complete a degree in one academic year and questions about the feasibility for completion of the degree could affect the selection decision. In addition, the tuition fees that a degree candidate would be charged would not be covered by the Fulbright grant, unless specifically stated in the country summary. Candidates should confirm their ability to cover these fees, if they are not provided by the Fulbright grant.Make sure that you apply for admission to the host university by their deadline. Do not wait for the Fulbright decision or you may be too late to gain admission to your preferred university.If possible, include a letter of admission with the application. Although, it is not required at the time of the Fulbright application, in all cases having this support will strengthen your case. You can submit the acceptance letter whenever you receive it. But if your proposal is based on admission to a university or graduate program, a Fulbright award offer would be contingent upon your receiving placement at a university. Applicants should review the country summaries to determine if there are any restrictions to applying to complete a degree program.

Hey Bkid-Sapps, awesome that you've already connected with some potential affiliations! Getting responses is often a difficult aspect of the application, and I'm steeling myself to potentially not hearing back! I'm sure the faculty will be impressed that you're pursuing a Fulbright. I agree with the poster who mentioned that having a relatively solid outline of your project to share if requested would make for a strong, focused first impression. Good luck!!

Hey all! I'm applying for a Full grant to Spain. I had started the process last year, but decided to put it on the back burner due to a job offer. I'm contemplating whether to apply through my alma mater and work with the FPA there, or just apply At Large. It seems that at-large applicants are exempt from interviewing with a university committee, which is tempting. Is anyone else applying a year out of undergrad? I know letters of rec should be coming from faculty, but am curious as to whether recs from work would be accepted for people who are out of schooling. Best of luck to everyone!

Just an FYI, off the wall of the Fulbright Facebook Page: One question: Will the IIE Offices in DC remain open during office hours if an agreement over the budget is not achieved? Thanks. The Fulbright Program Yes, IIE offices will remain open as IIE is a non-governmental organization. Hope that helps for those who are submitting paperwork! Also, kudos to CrimsonEngineer for all his hard work on the spreadsheet! We all appreciate your time making it, fixing it, fixing it again... Good luck to everyone!

Salt, That was a great help, thank you! I too prefer to work independently, and I was pretty set in my mind how I wanted to approach everything. It's funny, because the more eyes that look at your application, the more opinions you receive, and sometimes it confuses the process. Good to know that your FPA was there as a resource but you were able to navigate everything on your own. Thanks!

Hey everyone, I was active on the board earlier but unfortunately had to suspend my application due to a job offer. Congratulations to everyone who has made it to the next round! I was wondering if anyone on here is an At-Large applicant? If so, how was your application process? I'm thinking of applying next year (I've always wanted to participate in the Fulbright and had applying in the back of my mind throughout college), but since I graduated in May '10 I'm not sure if I would be too past my graduation date to work with my university's FPA. Quite honestly, I wonder if applying At-Large might even be better because those applicants do not undergo a campus interview. I know the merits of those interviews have been discussed previously, I'm just not sure if the stress I'm sure I'll feel prior to the hour of cross-examination is worth it ... Plus, perhaps an FPA at a more local school would have pity on me and glance over my materials to give suggestions. The FPA at my alma mater, while skilled, was quite stubborn and I often felt like our interaction wasn't much of a collaboration. Any thoughts at all are appreciated. : ) Thanks to everyone on the board for sharing their ideas and guidance thus far!!