Fulbright 2009-2010

[boethian]

now i found out that my alternate position is "either #1 or #2."

How did you find that out?? (My advisor doesn't seem to know anything...)

There cannot be as many alternates as principal grants, because there are only 1.5-2 times the amount of grants recommended to the country. If there were as many alternates as grantees, then no one would be rejected.

Great point. Now I wonder how many alternates vs. rejected applicants make up non-grantees.

[suenteus]

now i found out that my alternate position is "either #1 or #2." but i'm scared to give up this job, because what if the second round of funding in May never happens and no Nepal principal grantees turn it down... but then again, #1 or #2 are the best possible alternate positions... if i apply again next year, i should have a pretty good shot, right?? i'm just nervous that the number of applicants to Nepal will continue to increase (there was a 65.5% jump in applications this year; i assume this is because of the (rocky, somewhat abrupt) transition from monarchy to 'democracy' in March - May 2008 that has led to the perception that Nepal is now safer), and then maybe my chances really aren't so great next year. should i still take the job if i know i have a good alternate position? i'm leaning towards yes...

My advice would be not to give up your life for the Fulbright. If it happens it happens, but you can't put off other great opportunities.

I encountered a similar problem. I was offered a great job here in Florida back in March, but was hesitant about taking it because of the impending Fulbright final decision. I basically told my would-be boss, "Look, I really want to work here, but you need to know that I'm in the running for a very prestigious grant and if I get it, I'm going to take it". And he hired me anyway! ... saying, "I still think you can offer a lot to us even if you're only here through the summer."

Now of course, your mileage may vary. I'm not sure the specifics of your job and how binding the contract is.. but keep in mind that in the end, you have the final say in what you do with your life, not your employer. I would say take the job.. there are three things that could happen:

1) You get on the Fulbright primary list, leave your job and go do research in Nepal.

2) You get on the Fulbright primary list, but love your new awesome job so much that you stay and some other deserving person gets the grant.

3) You don't get on the Fulbright primary list, but you still get an awesome job working in India!

None of those sound like a bad choice to me.

[Dreydenn]

Just found out that I've been selected as a Principal for the Critical Languages Enhancement Award. Any other China scholars plan on attending the summer CET Harbin program?

[urbanite]

^ Yeah, they said I wasn't awarded the Fulbright in the letter. I asked my sister if she saw anything in the letter about me being waitlisted, and she said she didn't. That's why I'm gonna go home tonight and see for myself.

The most difficult part is that I've got less than a month now to quit my current job, pack up, and move to a new state for the program that I had been putting on the back burner all along to wait around for this.

I'm sorry to hear that... but at least you know that you can move on with your life, right? And sounds like you have a back-up plan (grad school?) so you're already in a pretty good position. I wouldn't extrapolate getting the Fulbright to your entire existence. It's a great opportunity, yes, but sometimes my feeling is that acceptance is more about fit than it is about the actual person. You can always re-apply too!

[water_rabbit]

Hi All,

I have a visa question. I was accepted for an ETA to India, and the research visa processing time is a minimum of 6 weeks. Research visa processing cannot begin until letters of affiliation are sent out (they have not yet). I am visiting India this summer from mid May until the third week of June. My passport will be with me during this time, and, as we cannot apply for research visas in-country, I will not be able to start the research visa application process until I return to the States, roughly four weeks prior to the date I must leave again for Fulbright orientation.

The four week window I will be back in the States does not seem wide enough to allow time for the minimum research visa processing time. Does anyone know of any options I have at this moment to ensure I can obtain a visa by the orientation date?

I appreciate any help offered, thank you.

[suenteus]

Also, for those applying to the Netherlands who are on the science side of things.. the NWO is a funding organization I was looking in to in case the Fulbright or my own plans to get over to NL didn't go through. They give all kinds of research and study grants to talented people involved in hard science fields.

NWO website - http://www.nwo.nl/nwohome.nsf/pages/SPPD_7AJKYJ_Eng

[zacharylamel]

Hi All,

I have a visa question. I was accepted for an ETA to India, and the research visa processing time is a minimum of 6 weeks. Research visa processing cannot begin until letters of affiliation are sent out (they have not yet). I am visiting India this summer from mid May until the third week of June. My passport will be with me during this time, and, as we cannot apply for research visas in-country, I will not be able to start the research visa application process until I return to the States, roughly four weeks prior to the date I must leave again for Fulbright orientation.

The four week window I will be back in the States does not seem wide enough to allow time for the minimum research visa processing time. Does anyone know of any options I have at this moment to ensure I can obtain a visa by the orientation date?

I appreciate any help offered, thank you.

I went to India back in Fall of 2005 and my visa was processed and back to me within three weeks. I remember sending the papers in just around my birthday (August 6th) and it was back to me by the time I went on a family vacation late-August (I'd say around August 24th). If you send it there overnight and give them an overnight envelope (about $20) to send it back to you, you should have it quickly. They say it takes forever, I think, for formality's sake and in case there is something wrong with your application.

The other option is flying to the nearest consulate, applying in person, and having your visa within a few hours. I'm in a similar situation. I am going to Egypt for two months this summer and will have roughly 6 weeks to get my visa for Belgium. I called and they suggested I fly down to LA and process it all in person as you can have the visa right away.

Hope this helps.

[Rainer]

Hey all. I have a question: I sent in my medical evaluation about a week ago, and was wondering how long it takes for the clearance to come through. Thanks!

[jacksondietrich]

I'm sorry to hear that... but at least you know that you can move on with your life, right? And sounds like you have a back-up plan (grad school?) so you're already in a pretty good position. I wouldn't extrapolate getting the Fulbright to your entire existence. It's a great opportunity, yes, but sometimes my feeling is that acceptance is more about fit than it is about the actual person. You can always re-apply too!

Yeah, I guess I'm glad that I have a back-up (TFA) at the very least, but like most of you, I had my heart set on getting the Fulbright. And I don't think I'll be reapplying because I've been out of college for a couple of years now (c/o 2006) - I'll probably be too old after I finish TFA in two years to be a competitive candidate.

Here's my question to everyone who got into their respective programs: How many of you applied through your university? From what I understand, each school has a preliminary selection process to determine which applicants will be forwarded to Fulbright as their recommended candidates. By the time I applied in Fall 2008, more than two academic years had passed since I graduated, so I was ineligible to apply through my university and had to apply at-large. Could at-large applicants be less competitive because they aren't "university-sponsored" candidates (and don't go through a preliminary selection process)? Just trying to justify my rejection, lol.

[maisie112]

Hey jacksondietrich,

Just wanted to respond to something you said:

"I don't think I'll be reapplying because I've been out of college for a couple of years now (c/o 2006) - I'll probably be too old after I finish TFA in two years to be a competitive candidate."

Just to let you know, I'm 40, finished grad school (at Brown) in '06, and was just awarded a research grant (creative writing) to the Czech Republic. I know that a few countries do have age limits, but I wouldn't worry about it. You shouldn't let that stop you from reapplying!

[nemolover]

I went to India back in Fall of 2005 and my visa was processed and back to me within three weeks. I remember sending the papers in just around my birthday (August 6th) and it was back to me by the time I went on a family vacation late-August (I'd say around August 24th). If you send it there overnight and give them an overnight envelope (about $20) to send it back to you, you should have it quickly. They say it takes forever, I think, for formality's sake and in case there is something wrong with your application.

The other option is flying to the nearest consulate, applying in person, and having your visa within a few hours. I'm in a similar situation. I am going to Egypt for two months this summer and will have roughly 6 weeks to get my visa for Belgium. I called and they suggested I fly down to LA and process it all in person as you can have the visa right away.

Hope this helps.

zach, did you have a research visa back then? there are different rules for each kind of visa. also, that was 4 years ago and i think the rules may have changed a little bit. and i'm pretty sure the only visa you can get in one day for India is a 6-month tourist visa.

sitara, are you sure you need a research visa if you're teaching English? my impression is that research visas take so long for India because they need to clear the research for sensitive political and security reasons (for example, you can't do your research in any border areas with China, like Arunachal Pradesh or northern Sikkim), and unless i'm totally unaware of what you do in the ETA program, i don't think you're doing any research that would need clearance. also, it's possible to rush visas. when i studied abroad in India (Fall 2007), i was able to rush my student visa by paying an additional fee. the rushed visa took one week instead of 2-3 weeks. i imagine a rushed research visa would take longer than a rushed student visa, but it shouldn't take 6 weeks. it sucks to have to pay more, but it may be your only option.

all this being said, India now outsources its visa processing to Travisa, and when I got my visa, the consulates were processing the visas themselves, so some of what I said may no longer be true. You should check out their website for more information: https://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/

[oman-app]

Has anyone heard anything from North Africa/Near East recently? Anything at all?

pace,

I haven't gotten a decision yet (for Oman). Were you asked to fill out additional paperwork for the CLEA grant?

[Scottco1986]

Just found out that I've been selected as a Principal for the Critical Languages Enhancement Award. Any other China scholars plan on attending the summer CET Harbin program?

Hey Dreydenn, I've also been selected for the CLEA, and plan to attend the CET Harbin Summer Program. I can't wait!

[water_rabbit]

zach, did you have a research visa back then? there are different rules for each kind of visa. also, that was 4 years ago and i think the rules may have changed a little bit. and i'm pretty sure the only visa you can get in one day for India is a 6-month tourist visa.

sitara, are you sure you need a research visa if you're teaching English? my impression is that research visas take so long for India because they need to clear the research for sensitive political and security reasons (for example, you can't do your research in any border areas with China, like Arunachal Pradesh or northern Sikkim), and unless i'm totally unaware of what you do in the ETA program, i don't think you're doing any research that would need clearance. also, it's possible to rush visas. when i studied abroad in India (Fall 2007), i was able to rush my student visa by paying an additional fee. the rushed visa took one week instead of 2-3 weeks. i imagine a rushed research visa would take longer than a rushed student visa, but it shouldn't take 6 weeks. it sucks to have to pay more, but it may be your only option.

all this being said, India now outsources its visa processing to Travisa, and when I got my visa, the consulates were processing the visas themselves, so some of what I said may no longer be true. You should check out their website for more information: https://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/

I made an error in reading. The visa type is "Entry" with the affiliate being faculty at the school the ETA is assisting at.

It seems both Research and Entry types both require 6 weeks. According to the outsourcing site: "Applications sent by mail take about 3 to 5 working/business days to process from the date of receipt. This time schedule does not apply to services where prior approval is required from authorities in India or other Indian embassies or for Non-US citizens."

Does anyone here have experience with "Entry" visas? In your experience, do they typically take 6 weeks to process or is it feasible to expediate the process (for extra $$)?

[Dreydenn]

I went to India on a travel visa back in 2005, and I believe I got my visa in a week, expedited. It was good for six months.

Also, I've never done an extended program in India, but I know for similar programs that I've done in Taiwan, Mainland China, and Jordan, you can often enter on a tourist visa in a pinch and then (with the help of program officers on the ground) get it switched. Usually it costs extra money. However, I can't advise you on whether or not India presents special difficulties for that kind of gambit.

Best of luck!

I made an error in reading. The visa type is "Entry" with the affiliate being faculty at the school the ETA is assisting at.

It seems both Research and Entry types both require 6 weeks. According to the outsourcing site: "Applications sent by mail take about 3 to 5 working/business days to process from the date of receipt. This time schedule does not apply to services where prior approval is required from authorities in India or other Indian embassies or for Non-US citizens."

Does anyone here have experience with "Entry" visas? In your experience, do they typically take 6 weeks to process or is it feasible to expediate the process (for extra $$)?

[Dreydenn]

Yeah, I guess I'm glad that I have a back-up (TFA) at the very least, but like most of you, I had my heart set on getting the Fulbright. And I don't think I'll be reapplying because I've been out of college for a couple of years now (c/o 2006) - I'll probably be too old after I finish TFA in two years to be a competitive candidate.

Here's my question to everyone who got into their respective programs: How many of you applied through your university? From what I understand, each school has a preliminary selection process to determine which applicants will be forwarded to Fulbright as their recommended candidates. By the time I applied in Fall 2008, more than two academic years had passed since I graduated, so I was ineligible to apply through my university and had to apply at-large. Could at-large applicants be less competitive because they aren't "university-sponsored" candidates (and don't go through a preliminary selection process)? Just trying to justify my rejection, lol.

You're not off the mark. A friend of mine who is the Fulbright Advisor at a major DC university told me that last year, about 1/5 of at large applicants went through, while roughly 1/3 of applicants who applied through schools received funding. If it makes you feel better, I think that a lot of it, as someone previously said, comes down to fit and similar factors, such as perceived strength of one's local affiliation, etc.

[rinairy]

Here's my question to everyone who got into their respective programs: How many of you applied through your university? From what I understand, each school has a preliminary selection process to determine which applicants will be forwarded to Fulbright as their recommended candidates. By the time I applied in Fall 2008, more than two academic years had passed since I graduated, so I was ineligible to apply through my university and had to apply at-large. Could at-large applicants be less competitive because they aren't "university-sponsored" candidates (and don't go through a preliminary selection process)? Just trying to justify my rejection, lol.

My university had ~80 applicants, and I've been told that every applicant was passed on to the national round. Each of us was interviewed by a committee consisting of faculty members familiar with the topic / region of the proposal, and was ranked on a scale from 1-5 (with .5 increments) before being passed on. Additionally, the interview committee provided a write-up explaining an applicant's strengths and weaknesses as gleaned from the interview. I don't know if other schools reject applicants before the national round, but mine does not.

Hope this helps.

[jacksondietrich]

Just to let you know, I'm 40, finished grad school (at Brown) in '06, and was just awarded a research grant (creative writing) to the Czech Republic. I know that a few countries do have age limits, but I wouldn't worry about it. You shouldn't let that stop you from reapplying!

Congratulations, that's awesome! I was speaking more about the ETA program, though, as that was what I applied for. I just don't know if it would make sense two years down the road to reapply for a teaching assistantship program when I'll be an experienced teacher pushing 30. But I'll definitely think about it.

You're not off the mark. A friend of mine who is the Fulbright Advisor at a major DC university told me that last year, about 1/5 of at large applicants went through, while roughly 1/3 of applicants who applied through schools received funding. If it makes you feel better, I think that a lot of it, as someone previously said, comes down to fit and similar factors, such as perceived strength of one's local affiliation, etc.

Yeah, I kinda figured that being an at-large applicant would put me at a slight disadvantage compared to a university-sponsored applicant (not that I'm saying that's the only reason I was rejected). Host institutions can probably benefit from hosting Fulbright scholars with different university affiliations, and that's not something an at-large candidate can offer.

My university had ~80 applicants, and I've been told that every applicant was passed on to the national round. Each of us was interviewed by a committee consisting of faculty members familiar with the topic / region of the proposal, and was ranked on a scale from 1-5 (with .5 increments) before being passed on. Additionally, the interview committee provided a write-up explaining an applicant's strengths and weaknesses as gleaned from the interview. I don't know if other schools reject applicants before the national round, but mine does not.

Wow, I totally wish I had been interviewed. I've always been the type of person who comes across stronger in person than on paper. And each and every one of your school's applicants was interviewed, scored, and written up about by a committee of faculty members? That's exactly the type of "university endorsement" that I missed out on as an at-large candidate. Bummer.

[qes]

My university had ~80 applicants, and I've been told that every applicant was passed on to the national round. Each of us was interviewed by a committee consisting of faculty members familiar with the topic / region of the proposal, and was ranked on a scale from 1-5 (with .5 increments) before being passed on. Additionally, the interview committee provided a write-up explaining an applicant's strengths and weaknesses as gleaned from the interview. I don't know if other schools reject applicants before the national round, but mine does not.

Hope this helps.

It worked the same way at our school. We also got tips on improving our apps before they got sent on to New York. I'm sure it helps a lot, as our school has lots of Fulbrights every year.

[boethian]

Wow, I totally wish I had been interviewed. I've always been the type of person who comes across stronger in person than on paper. And each and every one of your school's applicants was interviewed, scored, and written up about by a committee of faculty members? That's exactly the type of "university endorsement" that I missed out on as an at-large candidate. Bummer.

They aren't all endorsements. At my school, after the interview some students aren't even recommended to the national round. That's one reason that the 1/3 figure for university applicants is higher than the 1/5 figure.

There may be other reasons, though. First, the pool is probably a lot different. If you are a superstar applicant, you may be more likely to apply earlier rather than later. Those superstar seniors are ready to go. University students might have better recommendations on average as well. But basically, you cannot compare two different groups of people using the same standard.

Second, it is true that the committee at my university provided helpful comments, but someone else could have easily provided them. You might even have gotten the advisor at your alma mater to give you comments if you really wanted them and explained your situation.

Third, the so-called endorsements by the schools are sometimes completely ignored. My advisor said I was within the top 20 going out of the US to Germany (i.e. at the national level, above the university level) and was also ranked high by my school, and now I'm an alternate. Another person on this board was the highest ranked in their university and got a flat rejection. The overall lesson is that the 1/5 being lower does not imply a disadvantage, and you personally being at-large might have some influence on your result, but from what I know, it's the essays themselves that make up the lion's share (for research grant, the project proposal). I don't think that the interview would have changed much, comments maybe but you can get those.

[dianuccia]

Did anyone get Italy notification yet? I do not live far from NYC and haven't gotten anything. Emails would have been much cheaper and just as effective.

[somehipcat]

Did anyone get Italy notification yet? I do not live far from NYC and haven't gotten anything. Emails would have been much cheaper and just as effective.

No Italy notification here, and I'm in Iowa. Maybe Monday?

[nemolover]

i've decided to take the job in India. i'm really excited!! oddly, i may be more excited than i was about the Fulbright. this is the PERFECT job for me (energy research!). plus i've been studying Hindi for 2 years, so it probably makes more sense to go to Delhi than Kathmandu Valley anyway. but i do want to reapply for the Fulbright next year or the following year (the extra year might be worthwhile if i can make good connections through the institute i'm working at in Delhi). does anyone know how the process is different applying from abroad? and if living abroad for a year (or two) crosses the line into "extensive travel experience" that will count against me? i'm hoping that if i was the #1 or 2 alternate this year that i will have pretty good chances at actually winning a grant next year...

thanks!

[theone83]

inshallah -- still waiting to hear back.

Good luck

your Arabic is very good. If you need any help regarding Jordan don't hesitate to ask

[Albanski]

Im so pissed of...I got a letter to be an alternate..are they serious..I mean I have 2 recommendation from top professors from two universities in albani and I speak fluent..matter of fact my father wrote a highly publicized book on albanian grammar...I ripped the letter...im not second best...EVER...ugh

Sorry im really mad, because this is BS