Rangel and/or Pickering

[Turian27]

Congratulations druthers!

Just got an email, a no-go for me. Congratulations to all the others who were selected as finalists!

Edited April 4, 2011 by Turian27

[mmclean0260]

Congratulations druthers!

Anyone else had any word on if they're a finalist or not?

Just got a rather blunt email from Pickering.... usually I hate those long "you're great and there was a lot of competition this year" emails, but they do dull the blow of rejection. Pickering's email seemed pretty cold.

[D-Lux]

Just got a rather blunt email from Pickering.... usually I hate those long "you're great and there was a lot of competition this year" emails, but they do dull the blow of rejection. Pickering's email seemed pretty cold.

Yeah, no kidding. Oh well, on to crushing student loan debt....

[LadyinWaiting]

Just got a rather blunt email from Pickering.... usually I hate those long "you're great and there was a lot of competition this year" emails, but they do dull the blow of rejection. Pickering's email seemed pretty cold.

Yeah, really! Rangel's was a lot more gracious, with info on applying to the foreign service and other stuff. Not that it matters since in the end I'm still not a finalist for either...

[Damis]

I received the Rangel Fellowship! Yayyyyy so happy!

CONGRATULATIONS!

I know a few folks that received the Fellowship, and am so happy for you!

I'll be applying next year. Any tips? Mind if I eventually pick your brain?

[LadyinWaiting]

I received the Rangel Fellowship! Yayyyyy so happy!

YAY!! Way to go!!

[legallyproper]

Hey,

Just wondering if anybody else is applying to the Rangel or the Pickering? I am applying to both and was just curious if anybody else on here was as well. Also, I have been having problems with the recommenders section of the Pickering application (my recommenders have not received anything and I have fully submitted the application) anyone else have this problem.

I applied last year as well and didn't even get an interview for either. I was straight out of undergrad and have relatively low GREs (v520 q530). Since last year I have been accepted into Syracuse's duel-degree MAIR and MS in Public Relations program (Public Diplomacy). I deferred my matriculation until fall 2011 because I won a Boren Graduate Fellowship and am currently in Brazil enhancing my Portuguese at a local university and volunteering with a NGO in the favelas. This time around I highlighted my learning disability in language arts and being dyslexic in order to align with the Rangel and Pickering's mission to "incorporate less commonly represented minorities into the Foreign Service" .

As a white male from a low income background, does anybody have any insights into my chances at either fellowship?

GRE- v520 q530 w3.5

Undergrad GPA- 3.8

Internships- Summer internship with the State Dept at the consulate in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and a semester internship with the OAS in DC

I am also a current David L. Boren (NSEP) Graduate Fellow in Rio de Janeiro and was a 2009/2010 Fulbright ETA finalist for Macau

Last question..... Do you think Pickering and Rangel require the reporting of GRE scores because they want to make sure their applicants are competitive for grad programs? seeing that most applicants apply to grad school and these fellowships at the same time. Do you think my low GREs will not be looked at as closely because Im already in a program?

Thanks and good luck!

Greetings! I just wanted to share some of my advice as I was a 2011 Rangel Scholar (undergraduate program for Rangel) and also applied to both Pickering (undergrad/grad) and Rangel grad fellowships! First, I hope you definitely put that you Syracuse Maxwell School down in your application because that really boosts your chances. The fact that I met all of the 2011 Rangel Fellows (as we stayed together and had site visits together) I would say a lot of them had similar experiences that you are currently pursuing like Boren, Fulbright, Teach for America, etc. I would say that if you have adequately made your Personal Statement and Financial Statement (Rangel) well then you have a great shot. Honestly, do not harp too much on woes of low GPA, GRE scores, etc. Not every person selected for an interview or the fellowship have 99th percentile GRE scores or 4.0 undergrad GPAs and not everyone of them have immaculate professional experience. They have to honestly see you within those statements and that is why they are the most crucial portion of your application. I can tell you the advice given to me by Mrs. Patricia Scroggs (Director of Rangel Int'l Affairs Program) "Students do not take the time, effort and dedication in editing and revising their statements or they simply use anecdotal statements that are generic copies from their graduate school applications. These fellowship programs wants unique and PERSONAL statements! Another key determination of acceptance for Rangel is the most pertinent portion of the application that makes/breaks candidates and that is the Financial Statement. The financial statement is a tricky thing because students think it's their time to gain the committee's emotional side due to the lack of funding for graduate education. However, it's your time to display figures from your undergraduate education debt, scholarships you had received, and figures from graduate programs that you have applied, and you should have your FASFA 2012-13 information within the statement to show that you have proactively handled your business and that you are serious about funding your graduate education. Honestly, applications with great personal statements but 'cry me a river' financial statements get rejected a lot. Best advice I was given is to keep it facts/figures and NOT a sob story!

I hope this information was helpful but honestly I think that since you have the graduate school acceptance under your belt and two immaculate experiences that Rangel specifically encourages to Rangel Scholars (Boren/Fulbright) underway then you have a really great shot at hearing good news about a interview. I'm biased a bit because of my Rangel Scholar '11 experience but feel free to let me know if you have further questions at all!