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International Fulbrighters Fall2011


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I am wondering if you got any response as to admission. As I know the choice of the school is not totally up to you, but also to IIE and Fulbright, so they have to determine the cost and suggest the best options. It's my interpretation. It's good that you have any information. I am just waiting and still heard nothing :)

Yes, I also understood that they are doing the bargains and discounts now. Does that mean that I basically got in? It is just which faculty will take me?

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Yes, I also understood that they are doing the bargains and discounts now. Does that mean that I basically got in? It is just which faculty will take me?

For me this isn't clear either. Maybe you should just ask them :) I would ask them right away if I were you.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey, I am also a Fulbright Student applying for a PhD in the fall. Exept from one email from a professor (which actually got sent to me via the IIE) I have not heard anything as of yet. When we had a meeting with the local commission they told us that we typically get informed around the end of march.

I hate the wait, since the whole process with the IIE is rather lacking transparency. But what can you do...

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I hate the wait, since the whole process with the IIE is rather lacking transparency. But what can you do...

I think Fulbright is SUCH a great opportunity and I'm so thankful for all the doors it opened for me. I'm also thankful for all the help by the IIE, because it facilitated the whole application process so much for me. That's why I feel bad saying I totally agree with you. It took from 2/16 (date on acceptance letter) until 3/2 to be notified by Fulbright that I got an acceptance. I know I'm being impatient, but it's just really stressful to me to have to wait that long. Although - after my first acceptance - I'm gettin a lot more relaxed. I now know: I can go to IUB and be happy there and attend a wonderful program that is a perfect fit with a POI who is a genius. But still: I'd like to hear from my other schools sooner rather than later, even if it's only rejections.

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Is it strange that I have not heard any official rejects/acceptance?

I just got that email I posted couple of posts behind.

When do non-US get the "acceptance" or "rejection" letters?

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I think Fulbright is SUCH a great opportunity and I'm so thankful for all the doors it opened for me. I'm also thankful for all the help by the IIE, because it facilitated the whole application process so much for me. That's why I feel bad saying I totally agree with you. It took from 2/16 (date on acceptance letter) until 3/2 to be notified by Fulbright that I got an acceptance. I know I'm being impatient, but it's just really stressful to me to have to wait that long. Although - after my first acceptance - I'm gettin a lot more relaxed. I now know: I can go to IUB and be happy there and attend a wonderful program that is a perfect fit with a POI who is a genius. But still: I'd like to hear from my other schools sooner rather than later, even if it's only rejections.

I have been lurking around for a while but now would like to add a few comments. I am also a fulbright Masters fellow and going through the same process of waiting to hear from universities. Overall seems like the fulbright program isn't much different country-wise except may be a few details. In my case too, once i was declared as winner of this scholarship I was asked to give out names of preferred universities to the IIE. I gave 6 names, three of my choices were accepted, and one they added on my behalf. Luckily got acceptance from one university, IU-Bloomington, though a reject from another.

So now waiting to hear from rest of the universities. There is, however ,one thing that I have to agree with most fulbrighters on. IIE is really slow to notify you the acceptance but real fast at notifying rejection (I got news of rejection from one University within 3 days and the acceptance news reached me after a month!).

Anyways I believe that Fulbright is really a great opportunity, and keeping in view the exposure that we gonna get with this opportunity, the small beaurocratic hassles shouldnt bother us much. Just my opinion. and Best of luck to all.

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Anyways I believe that Fulbright is really a great opportunity, and keeping in view the exposure that we gonna get with this opportunity, the small beaurocratic hassles shouldnt bother us much. Just my opinion. and Best of luck to all.<br />
<br /><br /><br />

Thats what I am thinking too, it is just a little frustrating when i can see at the gradcafe results blog, that all of my selected schools have already accepted (and rejected) a lot of people. It would just be a relief to hear something, since you are going to loose the scholarship if none of the universities accepts you.

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Does the two-year rule apply to all countries? Will you all have to go back home for 2 years after completing a Ph.D.?

Sadly, I totally forgot about Fulbright grants when I applied. Well... the application deadline was so well in advance that I wouldn't have made it anyway.

It is a great opportunity though! Good luck to you all: getting in and making the best choice!

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Yes I think so, as far as i know this comes with the J-1 exchange visa. You could however continue your education after the Phd (e.g. postdoc) and the two year rule would then apply after you have finished your education (it is not directly connected to finishing the PhD).

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Does the two-year rule apply to all countries? Will you all have to go back home for 2 years after completing a Ph.D.?

Sadly, I totally forgot about Fulbright grants when I applied. Well... the application deadline was so well in advance that I wouldn't have made it anyway.

It is a great opportunity though! Good luck to you all: getting in and making the best choice!

I think the grantees have to spend time back in their home countries equivalent to the tenure of the scholarship. For instance, 4 or 5 years PhD would entail the same number of years back at home country. thats what my letter said

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<br /><br /><br />

Thats what I am thinking too, it is just a little frustrating when i can see at the gradcafe results blog, that all of my selected schools have already accepted (and rejected) a lot of people. It would just be a relief to hear something, since you are going to loose the scholarship if none of the universities accepts you.

I agree. It is really frustrating. I can feel it too since m in the same boat

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Hey all,

I'm a Fulbright finalist in my country and in a way I'm in an even more frustrating situation than you, because I don't even know whether IIE applied to any of the universities I wanted them to. I've known about my status in the program since October and I submitted a list of my preffered insititutions, but it's entirely up to IIE from there and we are not allowed to contact them directly. The only thing I know is that they applied to UMass at Amhearst, because it contacted one of my referees for recommendation letter. My dream school is Columbia, but I've read somewhere that it rarely provides financial aid to first-year graduate students and IIE may not even apply there on my behalf.

The waiting is killing me!

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I wanted to add something about the slow notification of acceptances and the quick notification of rejections: This may be due to the fact that the IIE tries to get the best possible financial aid for Fulbrighters. So the school sends an acceptance + funding and then the IIE tries to bargain this offer and get more money for us.

BUT: My acceptance letter from IUB (no word on funding - will be decided later this month) was dated 2/16 and still it took the IIE two weeks to notify Fulbright in my country. I don't kow the reasons why.

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I wanted to add something about the slow notification of acceptances and the quick notification of rejections: This may be due to the fact that the IIE tries to get the best possible financial aid for Fulbrighters. So the school sends an acceptance + funding and then the IIE tries to bargain this offer and get more money for us.

BUT: My acceptance letter from IUB (no word on funding - will be decided later this month) was dated 2/16 and still it took the IIE two weeks to notify Fulbright in my country. I don't kow the reasons why.

I wish they bargained fasterwink.gif

Just...you guys all got "acceptance". I don't have ANY news at all. I know that I am in that short list of candidates that have their papers sent to IIE, but not a word on "yes, you basically got the Fulbright, and now we'll see who wants you". Nothing. Nada. Zero.

Is that weird?

How did you get your acceptances, like, a letter, or e-mail, or...?

Please, fill me in, since I am getting lonely in this situationsad.gif

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In my country, Fulbright works differently. I applied for it a year ago. I got selected in June 2010. And then I figured out the whole application process together with Fulbright. So they already selected me for the grant and I applied to the schools as a Fulbright grantee with them writing a cover letter for me etc.

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I wish they bargained fasterwink.gif

Just...you guys all got "acceptance". I don't have ANY news at all. I know that I am in that short list of candidates that have their papers sent to IIE, but not a word on "yes, you basically got the Fulbright, and now we'll see who wants you". Nothing. Nada. Zero.

Is that weird?

How did you get your acceptances, like, a letter, or e-mail, or...?

Please, fill me in, since I am getting lonely in this situationsad.gif

You should search on this forum about the Universities to which your application has been sent by the IIE and see whether decisions for your intended department/program have been sent out. Because there many univerisites which havent yet finalized their admit decisions. However if you find out that decisions have been sent out but you havent heard anything about your decision then you better write to your fulbright office and ask their permission for writing directly to your contact at IIE. Hopefully it would solve your problem.

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You should search on this forum about the Universities to which your application has been sent by the IIE and see whether decisions for your intended department/program have been sent out. Because there many univerisites which havent yet finalized their admit decisions. However if you find out that decisions have been sent out but you havent heard anything about your decision then you better write to your fulbright office and ask their permission for writing directly to your contact at IIE. Hopefully it would solve your problem.

I did exactly like you said, abaabeel, but this doesn't help. Some universities process international applications more slowly than national ones. And sometimes there is just no reason why one application decision is delayed. Mizzou sent out decisions two weeks ago. I asked my Fulbright office if there is a decision for me or if I could write to the school. They said the decision is still pending and that writing to the school wouldn't make a difference - since they are obviously still processing my application. So just be patient. I know it's hard (I freaked out several times on this forum because it took so long until I got my first notification) - but hang in there!

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Hey, in Estonia the scheme is more or less the same as many described before: application in August, interview and results in September. They sent me a plan of which schools they will apply me to in October and that was pretty much the last thing I heard from them.

The waiting is killing me!!! I just want to see an email where it says that I have been accepted somewhere.

But as for the funding: There are so called prime candidates and there's a waiting list. When the prime candidates get into a University, their scholarship is certain. But if some of them don't or the three of them don't spend all the money, someone from the waiting list will also have a shot.

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Were you happy with the list of schools that they picked for you?

I know I'm not the person asked, but I just wanted to say: They've been doing this for many decades. They are the real experts when it comes to schools. They know where you have realistic chances and where you can get the best funding etc. I was extremely happy with the schools they picked for me. And if people weren't, it's just because they probably were looking more for the "big names" than for academic fit. I'd just say: Trust them. They know what they're doing and they're doing it well. If you're not happy with your schools, do some research, read faculty profiles, read curriculums etc and I'm sure you will understand why they chose these schools for you.

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I know I'm not the person asked, but I just wanted to say: They've been doing this for many decades. They are the real experts when it comes to schools. They know where you have realistic chances and where you can get the best funding etc. I was extremely happy with the schools they picked for me. And if people weren't, it's just because they probably were looking more for the "big names" than for academic fit. I'd just say: Trust them. They know what they're doing and they're doing it well. If you're not happy with your schools, do some research, read faculty profiles, read curriculums etc and I'm sure you will understand why they chose these schools for you.

Well at first I was a bit disappointed, but like Kathiza said, when I did my research on the schools I was happy (Purdue, Georgia Tech are extremely good schools and Buffalo is sort of okay) although one choice was Notre Dame (that's a very religious catholic school) and as an Atheist I would definitely not fit in.

Reality is that if you want to go to Stanford, MIT or sth like that you need to absolutely perfect (GRE 700+, 800, 5+) with years of bleeding edge research.

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I just wanted to share the info: I got my first rejection today, but the email from the IIE says that the other 4 applications are still pending. So hang in there everyone!

Then there are 4 good news to wait. I am down to 3 but still :)

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