Boren 2012-2013

[fadedsunrise]

Alternates typically get the budget email too :/

See, exactly why there is no hope left

[ryuugakusei]

Received budget update email from Boren last week.

Language: Japanese

Location: Osaka, Japan

Program: Kansai Gaidai University

[peridot]

I can't believe we have to wait ANOTHER month for results. I was so stressed out the other week I dreamt that all my teeth were falling out. It was frightening... O_O

Ever since my panel interview I've had recurring dreams about Boren! I actually had one dream that I found out I got a scholarship, immediately collapsed onto the floor, curled up in a fetal position, and sobbed uncontrollably. It was bizarre.

[fso2k11]

Hey all, here is the 2012-2013 Boren Fellowship/Scholarship spreadsheet. I made a form for you to fill out, which I believe can be accessed even if you're not a gradcafe user. Please fill out the form completely. When results-date nears, you will be asked to fill it out again with your results update, so come up with a "username" that is both anonymous and memorable.

I am selfishly interested in seeing whether any Fellowship applicants for Persian or for Tajikistan received the budget update email...

Here is the link to the form:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDU0Y2R1Z191S2NKQ1JEV2kwQk5OS2c6MA#gid=0

And here is the link to view the sheet AFTER you have filled out the form:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Asi20Z5Kk3M8dDU0Y2R1Z191S2NKQ1JEV2kwQk5OS2c#gid=0

Thanks, and good luck!

[ryuugakusei]

Boren applicants please fill out the form above so we can get an accurate count.

Good luck to all applicants

[kbui]

I want to receive this scholarship so badly, not just for myself, but for my university. We haven't had a winner since 2002, and the number of students who apply have gotten lower and lower every year. I want to show them that there's still hope for a small liberal college to get the Boren, and that you don't have to be a poly-sci major to get it. As a biology major student there's a huge disparity in opportunities to study abroad, so I hope to be an advocate for future generations.

I wish everyone luck, and I've been looking at last year's forum and they received their notices on May 4th. That's so far away!

[StephanieM]

Kbui, I think you have a good shot. I also came from a small school, fact don't think anyone had ever even won it for my school, and I got it. Being a STEM major and from a small college I think you're going to stand out.

[peridot]

I wish everyone luck, and I've been looking at last year's forum and they received their notices on May 4th. That's so far away!

So far, but so close... I started working on my Boren application in August of 2011, and now that we're about a month away from knowing the results, I can't believe it. Time flew by.

[fso2k11]

It's pretty interesting that no other Fellowship applicants for the Persian lang. have filled out the form. Last year there were 5 fellowships awarded for Persian, which I believe puts it in the top 5 languages...any Fellowship Persian applicants out there?

[kbui]

Kbui, I think you have a good shot. I also came from a small school, fact don't think anyone had ever even won it for my school, and I got it. Being a STEM major and from a small college I think you're going to stand out.

Thanks Steph. I feel like I'm in the same shoes you were in last year. I just looked over my Gilman and found a portion where I was supposed to write down how long I was abroad in Thailand, but I wrote a paragraph about my experiences instead--and the last sentence was cut off! I don't know if the Gilman will look lightly on this mix-up, but I'm still positive and hope that they'll forgive that part of my application.

I'm so excited about the Boren! You've been so kind and supportive, I hope I can join you as a Boren Scholar!

Edited April 5, 2012 by kbui

[wannabeanexpat]

Hello all. So, I let go of Boren for a little while, but now that we have this new, handy-dandy spreadsheet my worry-mode is kicking in again. I noticed that the other Russia applicants (the 1 fellowship and 1 scholarship) have not received budget emails. We did have an individual a few weeks ago get a budget update request for Eastern Europe/Eurasia, but there are about 25 other countries and the person wasn't specific. So, we don't yet have a representative sample - 2 out of the 30ish fellowship applicants have responded... so if anyone who can add any information about Russia budget updates would PLEASE fill out the spreadsheet form, it would be *most* appreciated. Maybe then I can sleep at night and know whether to give up or embrace the tiny glimmer of hope that still remains! спаси́бо!

Edited April 5, 2012 by wannabeanexpat

[snowblossom2]

wannaabeanexpat - are you a fellowship or scholarship applicant? If fellowship, I think all of them were sent out...and since there's maybe a month until the notifications I'm not sure if they're still sending out scholarship emails...

[fso2k11]

This is definitely not close to a representative sample. But who knows. I'm def. surprised there aren't more applicants for Persian language on here, or for African Language Initiative, etc.

[faxekondi]

Yes, our sample definitely does not seem representitive. Also, such a high percentage of people receiving the budget update worries me that they choose a large number of applicants to be alternates. Even though I should not be getting my hopes up, I would be pretty crushed if I do not win.

Anyway, for the sake of adding some balance to the survey, I know three other scholarship applicants (2 for Asia, 1 for ALI) who did not receive the update.

Edited April 6, 2012 by faxekondi

[snowblossom2]

anyone else receive any f/u emails?

[fso2k11]

It's also possible they didn't do it for everyone - it seems like just about everyone last year who got a full-year fellowship got $18k for overseas study regardless of their budget. My budget was over the $24k max overseas award by about $6k...but it included about $4k to stay enrolled at my home institution. Did anyone else have a budget that was way over? Did you receive a budget update?

[fadedsunrise]

It's also possible they didn't do it for everyone - it seems like just about everyone last year who got a full-year fellowship got $18k for overseas study regardless of their budget. My budget was over the $24k max overseas award by about $6k...but it included about $4k to stay enrolled at my home institution. Did anyone else have a budget that was way over? Did you receive a budget update?

Really? If so that WOULD explain why I got an email which said questions are on case by case basis only, and why someone else on the facebook page also got the same answer to the same question.

[fso2k11]

Yep, look at last year's thread. $18k seems like a common amount. Another theory that fits my situation: entire regions/countries/languages did not ask for updated budgets.

On a separate note, since they're shutting down some of the graduate flagships, I wonder if that created an influx in fellowship apps for certain languages from folks whose degree program just got de-funded after their first year and who now need somewhere to turn?

Edited April 7, 2012 by blingem

[palazzomedici]

Hello, first time poster. I don't want to give that much information or go into specifics so I won't be filling out the survey, but I am an ALI applicant for an African country and I got the budget email update. Anyone else ALI and get the update?

[fso2k11]

I just saw this comment on the Boren Awards facebook page: "There were 575 applicants for the Boren Fellowship and 1014 applications for the Boren Scholarship. We hope to give out approximately the same number of awards as last year (117 and 151, respectively)."

So that's 20% of the applicants for fellowships. If we assume, based on past years, that there are another 50-60 alternates for fellowships, we're looking at 167 to 177 (~30%) getting award or alternate status. Of the 16 fellowship applicants who submitted info to the spreadsheet, 10 received the budget update email, so either a) we have a lot of selection bias, or receiving the budget email does indicate any pre-determination of awardee/alternate status. It's not a random sample, so good luck untangling that one.

[snowblossom2]

I tend to think that the budget email does indicate awardee/alternate status because I just don't see them putting the time and effort into getting budget updates from people who won't receive the award, especially considering the large number of people who do receive awards. And I think a selection bias for an online, grad, anonymous board could easily be explained

I'm just nervous bc I've been receiving a bunch of f/u emails after the budget email which my SO tells me is a good sign. I think so to but don't want to get my hopes up bc nothings definite (and they couch the emails saying "if you were to receive a Boren")

[Water28]

Has anyone else been getting additional emails? I just got the one asking about budget/schedule updates...

[snowblossom2]

I'd edit my post but I don't know how. I think my project may be an exception because it wasn't for a straight time through. Pay no attention to my previous posting

[hoosierKnight85]

I got one budget update e-mail when everyone else did. But I have a friend/colleague who got an additional couple of emails afterwards asking for updates. The first additional email was apparently sent to many applicants with domestic language study prior to overseas work to make sure the program costs would be the same as stated in the budget (which are usually based on the previous year). The second was sent because Boren could not fund a portion of the proposed project due to travel restrictions and were inquiring about whether there was a Plan B for that portion or if it would just be cut short. I've heard of this happening in the past as well.

All in all, it means the good people at Boren are processing applications and making decisions. Based on previous years, it looks like the decisions will come during the first week of May. I'm guessing there will be little or no new info before that.

Hope that helps inquiring minds.

[Breebeer]

Hey guys I've been following this forum and finally decided to step in to give info to be a part of the waiting process.

Type: scholarship

Language: Russian

Country: Russia

And nope...haven't heard anything yet besides the email for the survey....