lkjl2007

There is nowhere in your application (as far as I remember...it's been a year and a half...) that requires you to submit information about your physical or mental health. If you feel that your OCD is well-managed and wouldn't interfere with a successful experience as a TA (keeping in mind that for a lot of people, the stress of moving to a new country and starting a new job could make symptoms more intense), then you should definitely apply! If you make it to the final round and are accepted, you will have to get a physical and your doctor will have to fill out some forms. If you're under the care of a psychiatrist (presumably, since someone prescribes your medication), then that person will also have to fill out some forms, basically verifying that you can handle this experience in terms of your mental health. I have a mild-to-moderate anxiety disorder (controlled by medication) and my Dr. simply wrote a note on the form that I was well-adjusted and in control of my disorder and would have no problems completing my assistantship--and he was right! My anxiety has actually gotten better since being here Good luck with your application!

I feel similarly, but hey, practice/drilling can't hurt. I would definitely appreciate more advanced content.

So it starts out on a very "baby" (aka basic) level but Duolingo is AMAZING for practice and review--kind of fun and you can test out of the different little "units" plus it's free, online, and you go at your own pace.

I don't think that there is any official cooperation or communication between the two programs (and I know people last year who were accepted to both, myself included...) as regards "who gets who" or anything like that. However it wouldn't surprise me if one (or both) countries pass on their alternates/rejected list (of those applicants who applied to both) to the other for consideration. Chances are that someone accepted for both will choose Germany based on the prestige factor etc. and Austria wouldn't want to accept someone who's going to turn them down in favor of Germany, you know?

That's so bizarre! They can do that??

Congratulations! I'm sure Germany will be a great experience. Two friends of mine also found out today that they are alternates for the USTA.

They gave us acceptance data at our orientation in September, and for 2012-2013 there were over 300 applications for 90 new TA positions which is approximately a 30% acceptance rate (and as I'm sure you know, Austria has no finalist process--you submit your application and sit in limbo forever). Germany had 140 applicants for 411 positions for 2012-2013 (this is prior to anyone being recommended as a finalist, even), which is 34% so technically slightly less competitive than Austria. Since you've already been chosen as a finalist, your odds are even better--probably about 50% based on the assumption that twice as many are recommended as there are slots. So don't assume that a rejection from Austria = rejection from Germany. Hopefully you will get both--having a choice is nice! Previous years (last year and presumably before that) we had an online portion of the application, but in addition had to submit hard copy of that and hard copy of resume, letter, transcript, recommendations, etc. by mail as well. Regarding some people hearing "yes" and some people hearing nothing on the USTA, I know they were having delays with some of the schools (you receive your school assignment in your acceptance) and that may be why some have heard and some have not. Among those of us currently here who applied for a second year, some heard right away and some were a few days delayed--yours may simply be further delayed. There's a lot of bureaucracy for the AAEC (Fulbright Commission) to coordinate with the Ministry of Education, the provincial schools boards, and the individual schools. Regarding Austria USTA notification dates in general, last year they mostly came at the end of spring break (after Easter) with some people getting bumped up from alternate in the weeks following. Good luck to all of you! Hopefully one of you will be taking my spot in a beautiful southern city

My blog (Austria): http://livainaustria.blogspot.com (Lots more Austria TA blogs in the blogroll, as well as other countries, not all TAs). I used to write a lot more about the teaching/bureaucracy/etc. in the beginning and now it's other things too.

My Austrian students are all obsessed with Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, and Two and a Half Men. They are all dubbed/subtitled here. I think it's hilarious, also because I've never really watched any of those shows They do know Jersey Shore but not Real Housewives (which is the reality show, and I'm guessing what you meant) so I'm thankful for that since it's terrible. Sharing different shows is a fantastic idea--I've used video clips in quite a few of my lessons and a couple of times have had students start watching the show because they thought the clip I shared was so interesting!

Not to be a downer but Germany ETAs don't go to the DC orientation Just an in-country one.

Congrats to both of you--because I think I saw that you both got the Fulbright for Austria Just so you know, while technically the teaching assistantship is part time for everyone, combined Full/USTA grantees (aka both of you) work the same number of hours/are doing the same teaching as us lowly USTA-only people. That is, assuming they haven't changed the program for next year, but that seems unlikely. One of my good friends here is a combined grantee and there are all kinds of extra perks (trips! balls!) especially if you're in Vienna. Get ready for an amazing year!

there'sanappforthat is actually a finalist for the ETA Germany I'm currently a TA in Austria, and you are right on about the lack of direction and few resources. I work at two grammar schools teaching upper secondary (basically high school) and between the two have over 300 students Kind of a nightmare, I know the names of less than 1/3 of them. However there's really no need to panic regarding starting to plan lessons. Obviously I only speak for Austria, but as I understand it, the format of the programs in Austria and Germany are almost the same. Teachers here (mostly) understand that we are not in any way trained teachers. Lessons are mainly conversational (the contract for us in Austria actually does not allow/make us teach grammar, and I believe that's the same in Germany) or informational about US-related topics, though there's always the teacher who wants you to do a lesson on something totally obscure that requires a lot of research. No need to worry until you're actually selected...and even then, you will have time and probably outgoing TAs as good resources, so don't worry.

You can't, but that doesn't mean people don't do it

Once you're in Germany, you will have plenty of free time and can sign up to take a German class (or another language) at your local Volkshochschule. You will have to pay--but it's still a German class!

If I recall correctly, you're a Germany ETA applicant, right? Most of the TAs here in Austria pick up some extra income by tutoring (their students, random adults, etc.), doing English conversation (usually with businesspeople), and sometimes babysitting. What you can get will really depend on the size of your city, but I'm sure it's possible in Germany too

Last year, we were sent on 26. January an email from Cara Doble requesting that we fill out a supplemental application (ranking our Bundesländer, filling out a form), which included rewriting the essays into German. It was due by 27. February via mail in Germany. If you've already had to rank the Bundesländer but didn't have to rewrite your essays, you may not have to--it's possible that they changed the requirements. In my application, I also mentioned a similar situation. I was planning to take a Teaching ESOL class, but ended up dropping the class. I was recommended, designated as an alternate, and then ultimately promoted to selected, so I honestly don't think it had any bearing on my application. You will be fine. Rank them. Like others have said, I doubt Fulbright would intentionally mislead you. If it's possible (maybe you have already said this in your application) make note somewhere that while you are MOST interested in the Bundesländer you list, you would be happy placed anywhere. What I did last year was rank my top two (Berlin and Bayern) and enter XX for the third one, and also expressed that I was flexible regarding location. Best of luck to all of you!

Sorry if someone already answered this (takes forever to scroll down and see) but yes, it means you weren't recommended for further consideration of the actual Fulbright. But don't get too down on yourself--there are only a couple of "actual Fulbright ETAs" in France, and TONS of TAPIF grants (what you were recommended for). The program is essentially the same, it's just that the funding comes from a different source. Best of luck for selection!

edited because it was irrelevant

Karahead (and anyone else applying for the Germany ETA), if you're recommended for further consideration, you'll fill out this form (they send you a link to instructions, too, I believe) as well as either writing entirely new "Letter of Interest" and "Statement of Purpose" auf Deutsch, or--as many people last year did, which worked out fine--translating your PS with some edits and addressing it as a letter, and translating your SGP, and sending all of that in with the form. Along with an official transcript and maybe some other stuff, that's what gets sent off to the PAD for more decision-making. Best of luck to all of you waiting, and hoping you hear good results. I was looking back at my tweets from 2012, and during this time all I was doing was complaining about the waiting...I actually completed an entire scrapbook trying to distract myself

Some countries have an upper age-limit--with some digging, you may be able to find out if that is the case with Turkey. I only have direct experience with Germany and Austria, and both have limits (29 at time of application for Austria, something similar for Germany). While I obviously don't know the exact reason, I'm guessing that it has a lot to do with wanting to bring in American youth/young people to share things that are fresh (not saying that you aren't--just trying to get in the head of the rule-makers) as well as people who are able to relate to students (which is easier to do when you are closer to them in age). I'm a TA in Austria now, and as TAs we are in a very odd position of being in between students and teachers: addressed by our first name rather than Frau Professorin, encouraged to socialize with students outside of class, etc. but are still expected to maintain classroom control and teach useful lessons. Most of us here in AT are early/mid-20s, and I have noticed that the older TAs (28, 29, etc.) have a more difficult time relating to their students and also struggle with their co/supervising teachers... So those are just my musings...

There is a wide range of possibility as to whether or not you receive the grant after being selected as a finalist. It is entirely dependent on the number of grants offered in the country and the in-country review process for your application (which you have no way of knowing). For example, with the Germany ETA, about 1/3 of total applicants are selected as finalists, and about 1/2 of those are actually awarded the grant.

Here we go--had to Google in order to find this...pathetic. http://us.fulbrightonline.org/statistics

On the old website, # of applicants was listed next to # of available grants, but the website update (which happened over the summer) seems to have traded functionality and helpfulness for useless smooth graphics. It's impossible to find anything!

Here at the Fulbright Student Program's website (a better resource than CIES) you can find application statistics for 2012-2013 ETA grants. Around there somewhere they must also have Full grant statistics as well.

That seems really, really intense. Just so you know, for the German ETA, once we are selected as finalists we have to resubmit our SOP and SGP in German, along with a bunch of German paperwork. Other countries might require this too, I'm not sure.