blrb234 Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 Hey thanks so much! I'm really sorry that you didn't get this but don't let it get you down. This is just the beginning for you and I'm sure that you've got so much ahead of you. Being recommended is an incredible feat in itself! I applied for a secondary school position! Thanks for the encouraging words!!! I will apply again this year. I am going to start rewriting the essay on Monday. This time I will have two of my friends who have gotten a Fulbright and a grant writer review my essay. I did not do this for the previous Fulbright ( which I regret). I thought that maybe I would be able to do it on my own, but now I think that the more help you can get the better. It's true being recommended in itself demonstrates that I have many of the qualifications that they are looking for an ETA. I will NOT give up!! Do you think that it would help to volunteer/tutor English while I wait until the notification for next year??? I am also from a different major, Psychology. Thank You!! I wish you the best! Have lots of fun, enjoy the culture, the language, and people! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmshrader Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 Thanks for the encouraging words!!! I will apply again this year. I am going to start rewriting the essay on Monday. This time I will have two of my friends who have gotten a Fulbright and a grant writer review my essay. I did not do this for the previous Fulbright ( which I regret). I thought that maybe I would be able to do it on my own, but now I think that the more help you can get the better. It's true being recommended in itself demonstrates that I have many of the qualifications that they are looking for an ETA. I will NOT give up!! Do you think that it would help to volunteer/tutor English while I wait until the notification for next year??? I am also from a different major, Psychology. Thank You!! I wish you the best! Have lots of fun, enjoy the culture, the language, and people! I definitely think tutoring English is good to have on an ETA application. I got selected as a Germany ETA and although there are lots of other factors (funding as the biggest one, of course), I feel like my experiences tutoring German and English made a big difference on my application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blrb234 Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 I definitely think tutoring English is good to have on an ETA application. I got selected as a Germany ETA and although there are lots of other factors (funding as the biggest one, of course), I feel like my experiences tutoring German and English made a big difference on my application. Hello, Kmshrader. Congratulations! Thank you for your input. I will definitely begin to tutor as soon as possible. However, do you think that they would think that I have to much experience?? I will also have as many people review my essay. This forum has been amazing and motivating. I sincerely wish that we could ALL get Fulbright's! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynti Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 (edited) Hello! First time poster here, but as many others, I too have been closely following the happenings of other Fulbright applicants on this forum- it's been a great source of comfort in this excruciating wait! I'm a recommended candidate to Colombia for an ETA position, and I emailed Susan Muendl yesterday inquiring about when we should expect to hear final notifications and she replied, "within the next few weeks." Any other Colombia applicants out there? I'm still crossing my fingers that we will receive word this upcoming week! Congratulations to everyone who was been awarded a Fulbright grant! And here's to hoping that the rest of us will join you all soon Hi Bruin, I'm waiting for Colombia as well, I was recommended for an ETA position. Someone emailed Monday and received the same response. A few other Colombia applicants are connected to the forum as well. It's been a long wait. I'm excited for it to be over. Muy buenas suerte!!!!! Hang in there Edited April 19, 2014 by Cynti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnosisExchange Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Thanks for the encouraging words!!! I will apply again this year. I am going to start rewriting the essay on Monday. This time I will have two of my friends who have gotten a Fulbright and a grant writer review my essay. I did not do this for the previous Fulbright ( which I regret). I thought that maybe I would be able to do it on my own, but now I think that the more help you can get the better. It's true being recommended in itself demonstrates that I have many of the qualifications that they are looking for an ETA. I will NOT give up!! Do you think that it would help to volunteer/tutor English while I wait until the notification for next year??? I am also from a different major, Psychology. Thank You!! I wish you the best! Have lots of fun, enjoy the culture, the language, and people! Yes! My FPA told us that the most important thing we had to emphasize was out teaching/tutoring experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kafcat Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 (edited) Hello, Kmshrader. Congratulations! Thank you for your input. I will definitely begin to tutor as soon as possible. However, do you think that they would think that I have to much experience?? I will also have as many people review my essay. This forum has been amazing and motivating. I sincerely wish that we could ALL get Fulbright's! My FPA told me to focus on my project. I think it really depends on the region you are going to, but in general you want to say why you will stand out from all the applicants out there. The top 4 would be your background/teaching experience/ project/ and why the specific country. In my case I emphasized the Model United Nations project in Spain because I participated in the MUN back home, had teaching experience, and wrote a lot about my proposed project. To tell you the truth, some countries require more experience than others. For example my friend who just got extended a 2nd year as a Fullbright ETA in Colombia said that they really wants their fulbrighters to have some teaching experience. My friend actually applied while getting a certificate as an ESL teacher so that helped her a lot because if I'm not mistaken Colombia puts their ETAs in universities...so they definitely prefer people with teaching experience/ESL certificates. Don't quote me on this because there's some people who have gotten in w/o an ESL certificate, but either do some volunteering or get a teaching job because that will help you a lot in the fulbright application. Also, get as many professors as you can to read your essay. I had about 4 of them, one being the chair of the writing department. And it would be helpful if one person who writes your letter of rec knows about your teaching abilities. Again, it really depends on the country and not EVERY fulbrighter has teaching experience...it's just helpful IMO. Use this summer to do some teaching ! Good luck! Edited April 20, 2014 by japaniia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmarteyMartey Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Hope everyone is hanging in there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meupatdoes Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 To those that celebrate Easter, Happy Easter everyone! You are all wonderful people, and I am very grateful to have your company during this anxiety-ridden period. Here's to hoping that we have a fruitful next week with tons of good news for everyone! Take care everyone! sirmixalot and miri1776 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnosisExchange Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 To those that celebrate Easter, Happy Easter everyone! You are all wonderful people, and I am very grateful to have your company during this anxiety-ridden period. Here's to hoping that we have a fruitful next week with tons of good news for everyone! Take care everyone! Agreed! Also, here's hoping that tomorrow is nothing but very many notifications of good news! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffee_craver Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 (edited) Hello everyone. I was notified that I was accepted for the ETA Brazil award. I'm really excited! Anyway, I'm wondering: Does Fulbright pay for your flight or do you have to pay out of pocket? EDIT: I read through my email and it said that they do cover round trip airfare. However, are there certain stipulations to this? For example, do you have to leave/arrive during certain dates? If I wanted to extend my stay would I forfeit having my airfare covered? Edited April 20, 2014 by coffee_craver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FingersCrossed_118 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Hello everyone. I was notified that I was accepted for the ETA Brazil award. I'm really excited! Anyway, I'm wondering: Does Fulbright pay for your flight or do you have to pay out of pocket? EDIT: I read through my email and it said that they do cover round trip airfare. However, are there certain stipulations to this? For example, do you have to leave/arrive during certain dates? If I wanted to extend my stay would I forfeit having my airfare covered? Hey coffee_craver! First off, congratulations on the Brazil ETA! I will be joining you. Can't wait!! As for airfare, we pay for it out of pocket but we have to buy an economy ticket or use our own money for an upgrade. They then reimburse us. As for arrival/departure dates, the orientation handbook says it has to "more or less" correspond around the beginning and end of the country's school year, whatever that means. So excited to meet you! And we have a Facebook group - Fulbright ETA Brazil Grantees 2015. Parabéns! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffee_craver Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Hey coffee_craver! First off, congratulations on the Brazil ETA! I will be joining you. Can't wait!! As for airfare, we pay for it out of pocket but we have to buy an economy ticket or use our own money for an upgrade. They then reimburse us. As for arrival/departure dates, the orientation handbook says it has to "more or less" correspond around the beginning and end of the country's school year, whatever that means. So excited to meet you! And we have a Facebook group - Fulbright ETA Brazil Grantees 2015. Parabéns! Thanks! I will check out the Facebook page! So you decided on going with the Fulbright then? I remember reading that you were debating between two offers. It's good that they'll pay for the flight...now to learn Portuguese! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nella Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Long-time lurker, finally posting to say, first, that I got an ETA to Taiwan! I am super excited but feeling a little paranoid tonight about having gotten several communications last week but nothing since. I know it is the weekend but I just realized that I never got a confirmation about submitting the placement survey; also, I emailed Kelly a reply to her email (as she requested), and then I sent my passport to Charlie, but I have not heard anything else from either of them . . . just slightly worried that all of my responses are lost somewhere n cyber space. SO I know there are some other Taiwan people here - can you let me know, have you gotten additional emails? And did you get a confirmation that your placement survey was received? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrid Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 My FPA told me to focus on my project. I think it really depends on the region you are going to, but in general you want to say why you will stand out from all the applicants out there. The top 4 would be your background/teaching experience/ project/ and why the specific country. In my case I emphasized the Model United Nations project in Spain because I participated in the MUN back home, had teaching experience, and wrote a lot about my proposed project. To tell you the truth, some countries require more experience than others. For example my friend who just got extended a 2nd year as a Fullbright ETA in Colombia said that they really wants their fulbrighters to have some teaching experience. My friend actually applied while getting a certificate as an ESL teacher so that helped her a lot because if I'm not mistaken Colombia puts their ETAs in universities...so they definitely prefer people with teaching experience/ESL certificates. Don't quote me on this because there's some people who have gotten in w/o an ESL certificate, but either do some volunteering or get a teaching job because that will help you a lot in the fulbright application. Also, get as many professors as you can to read your essay. I had about 4 of them, one being the chair of the writing department. And it would be helpful if one person who writes your letter of rec knows about your teaching abilities. Again, it really depends on the country and not EVERY fulbrighter has teaching experience...it's just helpful IMO. Use this summer to do some teaching ! Good luck! To chime in on this discussion, I would say that the importance of teaching experience definitely depends on the country in question; some programs I think are more explicit about preferring candidates with strong teaching backgrounds; others, like Germany, don't necessarily require it. I'm an ETA in Germany with no real background in teaching. In my application, I just related experiences I had working for my university's newspaper, helping international students, etc. to situations I might encounter as a teacher, but I didn't have any actual tutoring or teaching experience to speak of. I am definitely not alone among Germany ETAs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skosz Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Since I'm so sick of waiting I just emailed Alyssa Yeng and asked about Azerbaijan. I will let you know as soon as I hear back from her. I want to be notified! Anahid and normando13 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maliyazi Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 (edited) Is today the day? Yes, it is! I hope it is. No, I think it is. The cycle continues. Edited April 21, 2014 by Maliyazi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anahid Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Since I'm so sick of waiting I just emailed Alyssa Yeng and asked about Azerbaijan. I will let you know as soon as I hear back from her. I want to be notified! Thanks for asking, skosz! Hopefully we'll get good news soon. Or any news. I'm currently in limbo between interviewing for a new job/finding a long-term apartment, or getting a temporary job and apartment to stay in DC. It's fun, but I have to keep reminding myself there are so many others in this world who go through so much worse than we do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirtless Putin's Horse Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Since I'm so sick of waiting I just emailed Alyssa Yeng and asked about Azerbaijan. I will let you know as soon as I hear back from her. I want to be notified! I'm with you - the wait is starting to become a boorish bore, but poor, poor Alyssa Yeng. She seemed beleaguered by requests for information when I spoke with her two weeks ago, and my bet would be that, if anything, the requests have only increased in frequency. I understand that providing information and answering questions is all part of the job for Program Managers, but I'm sure they must get a little overwhelmed by our (quite understandable) neuroticism, especially when they themselves are waiting for various pieces outside of their control to come together . I feel like they (the Program Managers) probably go on long, well-deserved, Pina-Colada-fueled vacations in the tropics after the last notification from their region is finally sent. Anyway, the sooner we know, the better for all parties involved. I'll be curious to hear what Alyssa has to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirmixalot Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 I feel a little bit bad for all of the Program Managers. April must be the worst month of the year for them. At least by May, the urgency may have increased, but the volume is a lot less. If I knew these people in real life, I'd buy them a drink after the notification period was over. Anahid and meupatdoes 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolk Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Sending all good vibes to those still waiting!! The wait is agonizing, and I'm so sorry to those still constantly refreshing their emails in hopes of any news at all. Hopefully today is the day! I have a question specific to those who have received the Fulbright. I'm currently attempting to fill out the Medical History and Immunization forms, and I'm on Part III: Vaccination History. The top of the instructions state, "Below are the generally recommended vaccinations for foreign participants traveling to the United States only." But, at the top, it says, "IT IS THE PARTICIPANT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DETERMINE ANY TEST SPECIFICALLY REQUIRED BY THE HOST COUNTRY." Essentially, I'm wondering if we have to fill out the immunization history section in Part III, since it seems to state that it is only for foreign participants traveling to the U.S. Or, do we complete the section, plus adding proof of additional vaccinations for our specific countries? Would appreciate if anyone can help out! I called IIE today, but the woman I spoke to didn't seem to know, either. She said at the end of our phone call that it looked like I didn't need to fill out Part III at all, but she didn't know for sure. I don't want to risk not receiving the Fulbright! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Secret_Ninja Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Sending all good vibes to those still waiting!! The wait is agonizing, and I'm so sorry to those still constantly refreshing their emails in hopes of any news at all. Hopefully today is the day! I have a question specific to those who have received the Fulbright. I'm currently attempting to fill out the Medical History and Immunization forms, and I'm on Part III: Vaccination History. The top of the instructions state, "Below are the generally recommended vaccinations for foreign participants traveling to the United States only." But, at the top, it says, "IT IS THE PARTICIPANT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DETERMINE ANY TEST SPECIFICALLY REQUIRED BY THE HOST COUNTRY." Essentially, I'm wondering if we have to fill out the immunization history section in Part III, since it seems to state that it is only for foreign participants traveling to the U.S. Or, do we complete the section, plus adding proof of additional vaccinations for our specific countries? Would appreciate if anyone can help out! I called IIE today, but the woman I spoke to didn't seem to know, either. She said at the end of our phone call that it looked like I didn't need to fill out Part III at all, but she didn't know for sure. I don't want to risk not receiving the Fulbright! I can answer this! You need to do two things. First, contact the US consulate for your country of interest and ask them what vaccines they require proof of in order to obtain a research visa (or whatever visa you need). Make sure you ask about ALL tests. For example, many countries require the G6PD test. They should be able to give you a list. I just got off the phone with the Indonesian Consulate and they were very helpful. Second, contact a travel physician. Our university has one on call so maybe most others do? There are also "travel physician offices" that you can get in touch with. They will use the CDC website to determine what vaccines you should have. Since I have had all my vaccines for Indonesia already, I went ahead and submitted proof of all of these. Now - these are "suggested" as opposed to required. But each country is different and you need to contact yours specifically. In addition, they may require some crazy genetic testing. The big question to ask is: Once you find out from your consulate what is required, do you have to wait to turn in the form until all these tests are completed? My thought would be yes. Side Note - Indonesia does NOT require the G6PD. But take this advice at your own peril - you should call yourself and make sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skosz Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Thanks for asking, skosz! Hopefully we'll get good news soon. Or any news. I'm currently in limbo between interviewing for a new job/finding a long-term apartment, or getting a temporary job and apartment to stay in DC. It's fun, but I have to keep reminding myself there are so many others in this world who go through so much worse than we do No problem! But seems that we still have to wait as Alyssa said that: "We are hopeful to be able to send notifications for Azerbaijan by the end of this week." I have to make some decision soon too but I know that we are quite privileged to have the sort of problems we are dealing with here. Good luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skosz Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 I'm with you - the wait is starting to become a boorish bore, but poor, poor Alyssa Yeng. She seemed beleaguered by requests for information when I spoke with her two weeks ago, and my bet would be that, if anything, the requests have only increased in frequency. I understand that providing information and answering questions is all part of the job for Program Managers, but I'm sure they must get a little overwhelmed by our (quite understandable) neuroticism, especially when they themselves are waiting for various pieces outside of their control to come together . I feel like they (the Program Managers) probably go on long, well-deserved, Pina-Colada-fueled vacations in the tropics after the last notification from their region is finally sent. Anyway, the sooner we know, the better for all parties involved. I'll be curious to hear what Alyssa has to say. Yes, I totally agree - these people have a tough job. I just couldn't wait any longer without any news haha. It's good to have this forum though as we can rotate in asking and share the info so that it is more efficient for us and for them! Everyone should join this forum! Anyway, Alyssa said we should hear by the end of this week - at least that's what she hopes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anahid Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 No problem! But seems that we still have to wait as Alyssa said that: "We are hopeful to be able to send notifications for Azerbaijan by the end of this week." I have to make some decision soon too but I know that we are quite privileged to have the sort of problems we are dealing with here. Good luck to you! Thank you very much! I applied for Armenia, not Azerbaijan, fyi, but I would assume both countries would somewhat be on the same schedule Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maliyazi Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Hello Sub-Saharan applicants!! I just called IIE and decisions are in! He is putting in the database now, and will try to send it out by the end of the day or early in the morning! Best of luck everyone! I hope we all get it!! meupatdoes, Meshia and sirmixalot 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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