SpearmintFeldmore

Welp, just got my rejection I'm pretty crushed; I thought I had a really strong app. BIG CONGRATS to those who made it through to the next round!

I don't think it's likely, since the CLS account posted this on Instagram:

Mumtaz! Bil tawfiq! I've spent a good amount of time in Morocco and absolutely loved it there (as I think most people who've visited do hahaha).

Oh boy, please don't get my hopes up like that haha! Do you have a preferred site placement?

Hey there! I'm also applying for Arabic. It's my first time around, so I'm trying to manage my expectations! I'm work with refugees, so I really hope to improve my listening/speaking skills. Since most of the Arabic-speaking refugees I work with come from Syria, I'd love the chance to study in Amman, but I would honestly be thrilled to accept any site placement!

Anyone else subtly freaking out that we may find out if we're semifinalists within 2 WEEKS?!

Yep! For Arabic. So excited I don't need to ask my poor, generous former prof for yet another rec haha

I aspire to use the Arabic knowledge to aid in Syrian refugee resettlement/English language acquisition in my community (a big resettlement hub). I spent two years as an AmeriCorps teaching English to refugees here. I may want to start my own ESOL nonprofit here as well. By the time I apply for CASA, I will have achieved the required Arabic proficiency (through 2 years of undergrad study, a summer intensive, and Natakallam tutoring through grad school) and earned an MA in Applied Linguistics/TESOL. None of my schools were prestigious (or CASA consortium schools), and I won’t have any big honors (except hopefully a summer FLAS from my school). Would it even be worth the application fees for me to apply? All of the fellow bios I’ve read were so impressive, with many prior awards/honors, Ivy League alma maters, international work experience, etc. I also don’t come from an underrepresented background. I’m just hoping my passion for the Arabic language/refugee resettlement will shine through. This would be an amazing opportunity to bolster my language skills (and super valuable, since I’ll never make a lot of money in my field haha). Thank you!

I really, really appreciate the thoughtful replies, @ohdunk, @nessaragu, and @socrytes! I will certainly apply next year. Thank you very much!

Do you all think I would be a competivie applicant for Arabic in 2023? After graduating from college and taking two years off to teach English to refugees, I'm about to start an MA in Applied Linguistics at a state school. I took 3 formal semesters of Arabic in college and 2 at a local Arab cultural center since then. I aspire to use my language skills to better communicate with my future Arabic-speaking students, as well as possibly start another refugee-serving nonprofit. I don't have any impressive fellowships/academic society leadership positions on my resume. Plus, I aspire to be an ESOL teacher/program leader/curriculum developer, not work for the state department. Will these factors preclude me from recieving the CLS for Arabic? I know how competitive it is, and when applying for Fulbright, I got the sense that these state dept programs may favor those with national honors and political ambitions. I do have extensive, relevant volunteer experience (with refugees and at the Arab cultural center), if that helps. Thanks!