Fulbright 2009-2010

[Dreydenn]

China notifications should be going out today.

*Edit: I heard this in regard to research grants. I apologize if that was ambiguous.

[jacksondietrich]

I just got off the phone with Jonathan Akeley. HK ETA notifications have NOT been sent out yet - they're still with the FSB. He's hoping they'll be out by early next week.

Geez, I don't know how much longer I can put my back-up program on the back burner. This wait is unbelievable, though I guess it's unfair to point the finger at any one organization in particular 'cause so many are involved.

[jadoreviie]

I just got off the phone with Jonathan Akeley. HK ETA notifications have NOT been sent out yet - they're still with the FSB. He's hoping they'll be out by early next week.

Geez, I don't know how much longer I can put my back-up program on the back burner. This wait is unbelievable, though I guess it's unfair to point the finger at any one organization in particular 'cause so many are involved.

I read this and almost broke my phone in half. They should send people an email as well as the formal snail mail since its so late. Thankfully my masters program in China gives me some leniency as far as a response. This is insane.

[Albanski]

could somebody find out how many alternatives are usually awarded.

[sunbean8]

Just wanted to sympathize with everyone waiting. I am waiting to hear on the IIE from India -- I know that the program states upfront that they notify usually by the end of April, and sometimes much later, but I'm with everyone here on just wanting to know. Especially as they ideally want us in-country by August, you'd think they could give us more notice.

That being said, does anyone know how long one can delay a Fulbright? I bring this up because many people on here, myself included, have other offers for employment/scholarship on hold while we wait to hear about this. I have friends who have had Fulbrights in the past (to Peru and Brazil), and I know that they delayed their start-dates until January-February for these reasons. Anyone know if you can stretch it further? Because in that case one could accept a year-long academic appointment and then leave in May, unless that's pushing it too far...

Good luck to everyone else on here. And if someone gets an India letter, PLEASE post about it. As much as I want the Fulbright, as this point I'd just like to know what's going on.

[sunbean8]

could somebody find out how many alternatives are usually awarded.

Depends on the country. NY sends on 1.5-2 times the number of grants available for the country to that country for consideration. So if the IIE website indicates that their are 30 grants for one country, they would have sent on 45-60 proposals, meaning that there could be 15-30 alternates, unless the country rejects your proposal outright for some reason.

[urbanite]

I read this and almost broke my phone in half. They should send people an email as well as the formal snail mail since its so late. Thankfully my masters program in China gives me some leniency as far as a response. This is insane.

Yes, I think we should request for an e-mail to go out at the same time as the hard copy. Since the program starts in early August, that means the chosen ETAs would have only 3.5 months to make a pretty big decision to move to the other side of the world, defer from other programs and commitments, pack up and move the apartment to storage, get medical tests, etc. Anyone else willing to e-mail or call Jonathan on this matter?

[Scottco1986]

China notifications should be going out today.

*Edit: I heard this in regard to research grants. I apologize if that was ambiguous.

Dreydenn, is that info from Jonathan or Janet? (or somewhere else?). I'm just wondering.

Also, I expecting that the mail should take 4-5 days. Anyone know if that sounds about right?

[Dreydenn]

Dreydenn, is that info from Jonathan or Janet? (or somewhere else?). I'm just wondering.

Also, I expecting that the mail should take 4-5 days. Anyone know if that sounds about right?

A friend of mine who is also applying for China called Jonathan yesterday. He told me that Jonathan said that they will be sent by the end of this week. Not the previous "we're hoping..." I'm hoping that means something.

From what I've heard from friends who have received notification, it's taken 2-3 business days (East Coast). 4-5 days might be right if you factor in the Sunday delay.

[summernights77kt]

Yes, I think we should request for an e-mail to go out at the same time as the hard copy. Since the program starts in early August, that means the chosen ETAs would have only 3.5 months to make a pretty big decision to move to the other side of the world, defer from other programs and commitments, pack up and move the apartment to storage, get medical tests, etc. Anyone else willing to e-mail or call Jonathan on this matter?

I think we should put together an email about the issue- kinda like a petition- and have all the Fulbright finalists add their names to it and send it to as many high-up employees as possible who are working on the Fulbright at IIE. We would have to put our heads together to make it very compelling.

[Albanski]

that is definately not a bad idea, i remeber suggesting the same thing, but we need like 20 signatures, because 4 or 5 would not suffice. I say we write the letter and mail it to each program officer, and then find the director.

We have to get a tally on who is in and who is not. I say we say in or not and include the country

I'm IN- Albania

[summernights77kt]

I'm IN- Albania

I'm IN- Sri Lanka

[Dreydenn]

Misread the above as indicating you'd received the grants.

[qes]

that is definately not a bad idea, i remeber suggesting the same thing, but we need like 20 signatures, because 4 or 5 would not suffice. I say we write the letter and mail it to each program officer, and then find the director.

We have to get a tally on who is in and who is not. I say we say in or not and include the country

I'm IN- Albania

Do you mean "in" as in willing to sign a petition? Or "in" as in received an award?

Whichever one you mean, I'm IN (Sweden, research)

[jtb01]

qes,

congrats on your grant. what is your project focused on? my proposal surrounded developing diagnostic applications toward personalized medicine at lund university.

i applied to sweden but i have not received anything yet. i live in california, but i am betting i would have gotten something by now based on the dates you and mackithattie received your sacred envelopes.

have you gotten any further information?

rest of the board,

i plan on speaking to my campus fulbright head about being an alternate (presuming i am an alternate) as soon as i possess an actual document and i will keep the forum posted.

[qes]

qes,

congrats on your grant. what is your project focused on? my proposal surrounded developing diagnostic applications toward personalized medicine at lund university.

i applied to sweden but i have not received anything yet. i live in california, but i am betting i would have gotten something by now based on the dates you and mackithattie received your sacred envelopes.

have you gotten any further information?

rest of the board,

i plan on speaking to my campus fulbright head about being an alternate (presuming i am an alternate) as soon as i possess an actual document and i will keep the forum posted.

My proposal is for my dissertation. It is about the relationship between changing conceptions of the Swedish nation/national identity and support for the welfare state over the course of the 20th century. I'll be affiliated with the Dept of History at Stockholm University (although I'm actually a sociologist by training).

I spent a summer in Lund -- its a nice little college town (although I imagine its very different when classes are in session, its a bit empty in the summer!). I hope something comes through for you!

[Snowy Owl]

Nope...I was hoping it would come today. Mail should arrive in a couple of hours.

I am in New York and no news came today from the Netherlands. I called Rachel Haskins and explained my situation about handing in a valedictorian essay. I could hear her turning pages about 10-15 (I wish I counted!) and she asked the name of my project and confirmed my address. She told me that my letter should arrive tomorrow but did not give me an answer. I'm so frustrated- This wait is horrible. I cannot concentrate on anything!

[westvirginiatulsan]

I am definitely down for any petition for them to email us... I need to know about whether I get the Hong Kong ETA as soon as possible because if I don't I am moving to China with several friends and have to try to get them set up with jobs etcetera. Before it was just me waiting for the news, but now it is I and a small army.

[Albanski]

I think that a petition should be written and we should all sign it.

Here is what I had in mind:

If you guys want to revise it feel free. We'll designate someone to send it and we will PM our names

Dear Fulbright Committee,

We are grateful for being chosen as Fulbright Finalists to our respective countries. Today, we join together to write a letter of petition in hope that our letters of acceptance or rejection be mailed out shortly. The lengthy process has given us much anxiety over our future prospects whether it is as a Fulbright Scholar, Master's student, Doctoral student or an employee. Many of us have received acceptances to Master's and Doctoral programs as well as jobs; therefore we cannot continue to defer these offers. Some of us have also lost job opportunities because we have deferred these offers in hope of being accepted as a Fulbright Scholar. We respectfully ask that the Fulbright Scholarship Board (FSB) promptly answer our petition.

Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to hearing from you.

Respectfully

Respectfully,

NAME- Finalist to India

Name- Finalist to Albania

Name- Finalist to ------

[Albanski]

THIS LETTER IS ONLY FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVEN"T HEARD..we need like 15-20 signatures...then they may actually respond!

[nemolover]

I think that a petition should be written and we should all sign it.

do you guys really think this is a good idea? this is not the first year they've done this. every single year it takes until May for everyone to receive an answer. as inconsiderate and obnoxious as it is, IIE must be fully aware of the issues associated with the long wait. look, i'm as pissed off as you. sure i heard already--but i only heard this week, and i gave up two incredible job opportunities that couldn't wait for me any longer, and now i'm stuck with nothing. so yeah, i'm damn pissed too. i just think it's not worth bothering them with a petition, especially when you haven't heard yet. you don't want to jeopardize your chances. what if they see the petition and think "oh god these people are going to be impossible to deal with next year. maybe we should reconsider giving them a grant"? i just think you are stepping into dangerous territory, and it's not worth it. you will hear (hopefully good news) soon enough. just be comforted in knowing that you're not alone, that most Fulbright applicants, perhaps with the tiny exception of those who heard in early/mid March, are in the same boat as you.

[jadoreviie]

do you guys really think this is a good idea? this is not the first year they've done this. every single year it takes until May for everyone to receive an answer. as inconsiderate and obnoxious as it is, IIE must be fully aware of the issues associated with the long wait. look, i'm as pissed off as you. sure i heard already--but i only heard this week, and i gave up two incredible job opportunities that couldn't wait for me any longer, and now i'm stuck with nothing. so yeah, i'm damn pissed too. i just think it's not worth bothering them with a petition, especially when you haven't heard yet. you don't want to jeopardize your chances. what if they see the petition and think "oh god these people are going to be impossible to deal with next year. maybe we should reconsider giving them a grant"? i just think you are stepping into dangerous territory, and it's not worth it. you will hear (hopefully good news) soon enough. just be comforted in knowing that you're not alone, that most Fulbright applicants, perhaps with the tiny exception of those who heard in early/mid March, are in the same boat as you.

Yea I agree. I am not going to bite the hand that may feed me. I am frustrated but I am not going to let my emotions overshadow my judgment. Don't risk it; it's not worth it.

[summernights77kt]

Yea I agree. I am not going to bite the hand that may feed me. I am frustrated but I am not going to let my emotions overshadow my judgment. Don't risk it; it's not worth it.

100% agreed. My idea for a petition was not to petition to hear about OUR results. That is way too risky. I absolutely would not want them getting pissed off at me before they send out their results. My idea for a petition was for ALL of the finalists to come together and petition that in the future, IIE and the Fulbright committee notify grantees sooner so that they don't have to lose other opportunities like many people have. It was meant to be as a favor for future applicants, not ourselves...unless one of us applies in the future.

[waitingtohear]

do you guys really think this is a good idea? this is not the first year they've done this. every single year it takes until May for everyone to receive an answer. as inconsiderate and obnoxious as it is, IIE must be fully aware of the issues associated with the long wait. look, i'm as pissed off as you. sure i heard already--but i only heard this week, and i gave up two incredible job opportunities that couldn't wait for me any longer, and now i'm stuck with nothing. so yeah, i'm damn pissed too. i just think it's not worth bothering them with a petition, especially when you haven't heard yet. you don't want to jeopardize your chances. what if they see the petition and think "oh god these people are going to be impossible to deal with next year. maybe we should reconsider giving them a grant"? i just think you are stepping into dangerous territory, and it's not worth it. you will hear (hopefully good news) soon enough. just be comforted in knowing that you're not alone, that most Fulbright applicants, perhaps with the tiny exception of those who heard in early/mid March, are in the same boat as you.

I completely agree with nemolover. I know my opinion doesn't really matter because I found out about my award in late March, but in the emails we got as finalists it is clearly stated that, "Since selection is a lengthy process, the final decision may not be made before the end of June." They gave you that warning, and that's the risk one takes in applying for a Fulbright and being a finalist. They are dealing with hundreds of applications from many different countries, so it IS a lengthy process, especially since they are getting information from the Fulbright Commissions from all over. This has always been the process and from everyone I have talked to from past years, it's always been a lengthy process for some countries and shorter for others... it sucks because I know many of us put all our eggs in one basket with the Fulbright, but that's the nature of the process and a petition isn't going to change that. They aren't new to this process, or to applicants' anxieties...

[Dreydenn]

I think that it's perfectly natural for all of us to get frustrated, especially when timing forces hard choices on us. But quite frankly, everything else aside, I doubt our hypothetical petition would be effective. The people who we deal with directly in the Fulbright process, the program officers and managers, do not have the authority to substantially alter policy. Their hands are as tied as ours. Any major reforms to the process would probably have to come up with a more efficient way to carry out FSB approval, such as expanding the board or something, as this seems to be the major bottleneck. Except for those countries which are just known to be slow due to domestic bureaucratic and/or political reasons (India?).

However, it's interesting to note that President Obama and Secretary Clinton have repeatedly mentioned a drastic expansion of the Fulbright program as a major component of their revamp of U.S. global engagement. If we were to write a letter, which I'm not necessarily in favor of, perhaps we could frame it in terms of suggestions for greater efficiency, especially in light of a possible large expansion of the Fulbright program. A drastic increase in Fulbright slots would probably force at least minor, if not major changes in policy and/or staffing up anyway. If this were to be sent, I think it would be important to send it to the high-ups at the State Department and possibly appropriate Committees in the Senate and House in addition to the Fulbright staff.

For what it's worth, I think that the best bet for anyone here who genuinely wants to have input into Fulbright policy would be to demonstrate to IIE, State, and pertinent Legislators that current and former Fulbright recipients and applicants can serve as a resource.