Fulbright 2011-2012

[crimandgreyalltheway]

Submitted my Colombia ETA application!! HURRAY!!!

Edited October 17, 2010 by crimandgreyalltheway

[Albanski]

What to expect next!

On January 30th, your Fulbright advisor at your school will have a list of finalist. However, in the AM on January 31st you will be emailed a letter notifying you if you are a finalist or not. This is how the letter looks like.

DEAR ________________,

I am pleased to inform you that the National Screening Committee of the Institute of International Education (IIE) has recommended you for a grant under the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for the academic year 2011-12. Your application has been forwarded to the supervising agency abroad for final review. In addition, your application will be forwarded to the program sponsor, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State, for transmittal to the presidentially appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB). The FSB makes final decisions on Fulbright awards.

[Albanski]

If you guys have any questions PM me, because I have been through this before

[gchandra]

When does the application officially close? I've read midnight last night (Sunday), which now I know is not true, as well as 5pm EST today and midnight tonight.

I've submitted my application but still waiting on a recommendation from a prof!

[gchandra]

YAAAAY! Done finally, got my last rec in today. Like 10 minutes ago.

Wow that feels good. I'll miss doing work though...I still have to actually apply to the schools, so that'll keep me busy,

Good luck to everyone!

[iopsycho]

Hi!

First post. I finished submitting my application for an ETA in Ecuador about a week ago. I have a weak undergrad GPA, but am hoping that my graduate grades (4.0 with only 2 courses remaining) will help buffer that out. Aside from the personal statement and grant purpose, I don't see any other criteria that is weighted so heavily. Any ideas on how low too low is? Any other graduates applying for ETAs?

[vegbee]

Hi! This is my first post as well. joeyzed, I applied for an ETA to a Central American country. From the "research" I have done, some colleges have a cut-off GPA of around 3.2 for undergrads applying for the ETA, but the actual Fulbright program has no GPA cut-off. Because you are so close to receiving your graduate degree with a stellar GPA, I would think that your undergrad GPA will not matter as much as it would for a graduating senior. Just curious, what is your degree in?

[Antonio]

Hey All,

My name is Antonio Mendez and I am a current Fulbrighter in Andorra. If you have any questions regarding the process please feel free to contact me at antonioamable.mendez@gmail.com

Best,

Antonio

[gchandra]

About GPA-- I effectively asked this question in a webinar, as I was concerned about my undergrad GPA as well (I, however, am a recent grad and have not been enrolled in a grad program). They said there's no cutoff, as was said above, and furthermore, they take other things into consideration: if you went to a really rigorous/prestigious school, GPA matters a wee bit less as they figure it was harder to pull a 4.0 there. Also, your extracurriculars may balance out a weak GPA if you were really involved in the community-- obviously a priority for the Fulbright. I'm hoping these two factors will work in my favor!

Right now I'm trying to figure out what master's/ph.d programs to apply to if I do/don't get my fulbright. aaaaah!!!!

[crimsonengineer87]

About GPA-- I effectively asked this question in a webinar, as I was concerned about my undergrad GPA as well (I, however, am a recent grad and have not been enrolled in a grad program). They said there's no cutoff, as was said above, and furthermore, they take other things into consideration: if you went to a really rigorous/prestigious school, GPA matters a wee bit less as they figure it was harder to pull a 4.0 there. Also, your extracurriculars may balance out a weak GPA if you were really involved in the community-- obviously a priority for the Fulbright. I'm hoping these two factors will work in my favor!

Right now I'm trying to figure out what master's/ph.d programs to apply to if I do/don't get my fulbright. aaaaah!!!!

I also agree. If anything, it is how you portray yourself in your personal statement. Sure you may have a low GPA, but if your PS shows a rigorous coursework in the sciences or engineering, commitment to coursework outside your major field of study, tons of extracurricular activities, research experience, jobs/internships, and whatever else, a low GPA will be shadowed by these other much more relevant experiences, especially if your research project/ETA relates to whatever you have done during your undergrad. In essence, I think the Fulbright commission will look at your application holistically and determine who you are as a whole, and not just based on a few numbers, albeit the higher the GPA, the less they will wonder, why?

[Melchior]

I've got all my grad apps in as well as Fulbright... the wait is terribly stressful! I hate to say it but I've been watching an inordinate amount of King of the Hill to take my mind off of it all!

[jkeenan]

Hi everyone!

I'm one of the 2010-2011 Singapore Fulbrighters. Any of you applying to Singapore for 2011-2012?

Jillian

http://jillsinlioncity.wordpress.com

[nescafe]

Hi all,

I submitted a Fulbright application for Syria a few weeks back. Looking forward to waiting out decisions with you all.

If anyone else has applied for the MENA region, feel free to contact me.

nescafe

[hopes_]

Changing project and degree program if accepted?

This is what I'd like to do-- I'm applying for a Master's in the UK (not one of the fee-waivered schools), and due to research I've been doing about career track, I'd like to change the degree that I'm applying for (from sociology to IR/Public Policy). The problem is, this would change my project totally-- for several reasons, it simply would not be feasible to do it in another department.

Any experience or advice on this? I'm grateful to the overseas professor who has helped me, and I don't want to let her down. Also, my project as it stands would be interesting, no doubt, but it wouldn't flow as smoothly into my future degree.

Any help appreciated! : )

[rachaelski]

I am now waking up in cold sweat with ideas and way of improving my application....is it January 31st yet?

[Melchior]

Is that the day we find out about finalist status? gahhhhhh!

[rachaelski]

Is that the day we find out about finalist status? gahhhhhh!

Yeah, late January. Can you believe we have to wait that long?????

My husband is considering applying for the MTVu Fulbright. Has anyone every heard of it or had anyone they know apply for it? It focuses on the role of music in contemporary society. My husband is a cinematographer and editor (with a MFA), but music and the impact of music is an interest of his.

[LOfi]

Hello all,

I submitted a proposal for a Fulbright to Germany , I've heard and read selection for the German Fulbright can run into JUNE. I hope final notice is sooner than June..............

[geilezeit]

Hello all,

I submitted a proposal for a Fulbright to Germany , I've heard and read selection for the German Fulbright can run into JUNE. I hope final notice is sooner than June..............

If it makes you feel better, Germany was one of the first countries to notify last year. I think all of the researchers and ETAs heard back in mid-to-late March.

[crimsonengineer87]

If it makes you feel better, Germany was one of the first countries to notify last year. I think all of the researchers and ETAs heard back in mid-to-late March.

Yeah, if you look at last year's thread and the spreadsheet with who applied where and when they received notice (I think a previous post of mine has the link) Germany was pretty much one of the first countries to notify whether you made IT in mid-March or so. Some people didn't hear anything UNTIL June or later. So it really depends. But Germany is pretty much on top of it. I also applied for Germany for a research project and am banking on that early notification so I can plan my life out!

This wait is sooooo difficult!

Good luck everyone!

[bandersnatch]

Anyone else have an application in to sub-Saharan Africa?

[LOfi]

If it makes you feel better, Germany was one of the first countries to notify last year. I think all of the researchers and ETAs heard back in mid-to-late March.

Yeah, if you look at last year's thread and the spreadsheet with who applied where and when they received notice (I think a previous post of mine has the link) Germany was pretty much one of the first countries to notify whether you made IT in mid-March or so. Some people didn't hear anything UNTIL June or later. So it really depends. But Germany is pretty much on top of it. I also applied for Germany for a research project and am banking on that early notification so I can plan my life out!

This wait is sooooo difficult!

Good luck everyone!

Thanks for the info, if selected there will be ALOT of planning to do! I had heard from a student not selected for Germany 2 yrs ago that notification was really slow, but last years info puts me at ease.

I second the "This wait is sooooo difficult!"

[matilda]

I don't get the part about finalists? Then what? We are like IN...but not IN yet....what happens after we make it to the finals?

[crimsonengineer87]

I don't get the part about finalists? Then what? We are like IN...but not IN yet....what happens after we make it to the finals?

http://us.fulbrightonline.org/overview_timeline.html?page=us/overview_timeline

The Fulbright website has a good timeline of exactly what happens. But I'll summarize (hopefully to the best of my knowledge).

There are two rounds: one in January and then the next one is March - June-ish. In the first round, the US Fulbright commission looks at our apps during November and December and then makes recommendations for applicants to send to the host country. They send about twice as many available grants. This means that if you make it past the first round, you have around a 50% shot at getting the Fulbright. The second round is based on each country's Fulbright commission looking at our apps. So you can hear if you are actually a Fulbright recipient as early as March, or as late as June or even later. It just depends on that country. In addition, there are some people to don't take the offer and it goes to people on a waiting list of some sort ... but I don't know how that works. They talked about this in the Fulbright thread last year.

[spelmanite]

Hello All,

I actually try to frequent the site but this is my first post so here goes nothing. I was actually interested to know if anyone applied for the March 2011 ETA Special Opportunity to Brazil and if anyone has heard anything thus far? For those of you who don't know, which I'm sure most of you do, Fulbright made available 20 additional ETA awards for travel to Brazil in March 2011 instead of waiting until March 2012. And if there are others on here that have been awarded a Fulbright Special Opportunity Fellowship in the past that can make any comments or suggestions that would be GRAND!!!! I'm also trying to think of other reasons to bug the Fulbright office, so they will at least know my name....that would be GREAT as well.

Thanks A Bunch!!!!!