meandering

Thanks, JelloMan. It's weird that those two people wouldn't reply. If Ford sent me anything that looked like an acceptance, I'd reply immediately. Well, I think the process for this year is over for me. But I will re-apply next year!

If they have rankings in each broad area, then that doesn't bode well for those of us in the humanities. There are only a couple of competing fellowships that are better than Ford. I'll probably call at the end of next week, but I'm less hopeful now. Thanks, JelloMan!

gracieh, Do you mean that alternates have been chosen and already notified? Or have alternates been chosen but not yet notified? I hope it's the latter. Do you know of any other alternates? Do you have any information on how many alternates there are this year? I can't find any information online. I imagine that Ford will have to notify alternates soon, but it can't be soon enough for me! I really would like to know.

If they are receiving declinations, then that means some alternates will be chosen, right? I mean, it may not be me, but it has to be somebody or would Ford just give out fewer awards this cycle? I wonder when these new decisions will be made. I'm guessing in a week or so. If you get notification, please post or email!

They are still processing awardees and declinees... More information should be available within the next two weeks so check your mailbox! If you haven't heard anything by the end of the month, then it's likely that you were not chosen as an alternate. From what I could gather (which means I have no real proof--just some analysis of the language that was used when I called Ford a few days ago) there are some declinees. So there's still hope!

Congrats monkeywrench! I wish I had been lucky this time around... But I guess it's still possible though unlikely that I could still receive an award. Anyway, thanks for the tips! You know, I do believe that this fellowship--like many fellowships--is political. Where you go to school, where you went to undergrad... All of that plays a role. As far as I can tell, if you go to Berkeley, your chances increase!

Gracieh, I'd also like to know the answer to that question. I called Ford and asked, but the person I spoke with said that information could not be disclosed. I asked about previous years, and was told that it varies. Sometimes alternates get the award; sometimes alternates don't get the award. So basically I have no idea how many alternates there are and if one or two or five end up getting the award... And considering that there were a few alternates last year who didn't get the award, I'm not going to get my hopes up this year. But I am going to remain positive. What I did find out is that there's an internal ranking list of alternates, but they won't tell you where you are on that list either. So it's possible that if you are at the top, you'll get an award. Try calling Ford if you want... You may get more information. I'm going to ask one of my recommenders who received the award, but he got the award over 10 years ago so procedures have probably changed. Gracieh, can you PM your email address? We should keep each other updated.

Every year seems to get more competitive. I think many of us are strong applicants. What I haven't figured out is how to get the award. I've come close, but I haven't put together that magical application, and I think my eligibility may be in question for next year so I may never find out. I don't think this fellowship is about numbers or activities, necessarily. I think these reviewers are looking for applicants who will bring diversity into the classroom, which means all of us have to explain how we will accomplish that. It's not easy to explain. Asking for reviewer comments is very helpful. I know I submitted a better application this year than I did last year. I completely re-wrote my research proposal because my reviewers last year liked that part of my application the least. They liked my personal statement so I kept that the same. We'll see if this year is the year of the alternate(s).

There are a couple of reasons why someone might decline the award... 1) They got offered a better award. (NFS v. Ford, for example) 2a) They no longer want to go to graduate school. 2b) They have other plans. (Fulbright v. Ford, for example) 3) They didn't get accepted into a PhD program. I wish I knew the odds of getting an award as an alternate. It seems like chances are rather low, but it really depends on this particular awardee pool. How many alternates are there? Maybe 6? Maybe 10?

I received the letter today, April 11. I live in MA. I'm an alternate. Does anyone have any information about the alternate/wait list process? Last year I received Honorable Mention. This year, I had five professors writing letters for me--two from my current program, two from my undergrad institution, and one from my part-time teaching job. I think the last letter helped because it offered a perspective on my teaching. Unfortunately, though, I'm in limbo right now hoping that someone declines the award. Good luck!

Postmark: 04/12/07 Honorable Mention. 60 Awards / 1080 Applications I also requested to receive my results via email so I got notification via email on Friday. If you call today, you can ask for your status to be emailed to you, especially if notification for this award may change your particular academic situation. Good luck to everyone else and better luck next year to those of us who weren't successful this year!