Fulbright 2014-2015

[kp_jabalí]

japaniia, kp_jabalí, and yeloquehay--congrats to all of you for putting yourselves out there in this difficult process!! to japaniia and kp, how exciting to have been awarded a grant, and yeloquehay--it is an honor to be recommended to the final selection

 

what will you guys be doing as your side projects??? 

 

Thanks! To be honest, I didn't really even suggest a supplementary project. I did mention offering English/Spanish/German translation assistance at public institutions like hospitals etc. where needed, and I mentioned additional tutoring for students. But that's about it. I'm still not sure how important the proposed projects really are for ETA applications.

Edited April 5, 2014 by kp_jabalí

[kbui]

 

Thanks! To be honest, I didn't really even suggest a supplementary project. I did mention offering English/Spanish/German translation assistance at public institutions like hospitals etc. where needed, and I mentioned additional tutoring for students. But that's about it. I'm still not sure how important the proposed projects really are for ETA applications.

 

I said, "In addition to my classroom duties, I would like to teach music theory and piano. Research has continuously shown that students who receive music training will have better cognitive and language acquisition skills, so as part of an independent community project, I want to hold basic music lessons at the school with my digital piano. Piano and the heptatonic scale are essential precursors for learning Western music, and this unique musical exchange will engage students in a unique facet of American culture outside the classroom."

[kbui]

But who knows what they want?! T_T

[theunnamable88]

Have any of the applicants for Switzerland received a response? According to the spreadsheet, an applicant was rejected on 4/2, but I didn't receive any email from Fulbright that day.

[monster.tigerbot]

I was hoping to do elicitation and linguistic analysis of stories from the local Roma population in Serbia as well as help out at a support agency. I am dying to get involved with language revitalization efforts among the Roma, but I dunno if Serbia feels the same ((( 

[oceanblue]

Does anyone else find themselves surrounded by people who are getting into amazing programs and fellowships and you just sit there waiting? I know a ton of people who are going for peace corps, Marshall, Boren, med school, etc. It's making me feel like a failure!

Edited April 5, 2014 by oceanblue

[ginagoestokorea]

Does anyone else find themselves surrounded by people who are getting into amazing programs and fellowships and you just sit there waiting? I know a ton of people who are going for peace corps, Marshall, Boren, med school, etc. It's making me feel like a failure!

 

You are not alone in that feeling. My friends are all getting jobs at Google (and other fortune 500 companies), becoming doctors, therapists, creating amazing business and  GETTING ACCEPTED TO KOREAN GRAD SCHOOLS and I'm just sitting here like...."hmmmmmm let me check my Gmail again for my (current) one shot at doing something AWESOME" LOL! It's so sad that it's funny XD I mean, my life and job doesn't completely suck. I'm sure a lot of people in the world would love to be in my shoes right now. but I feel like I was meant to do something waaaaaaaaaaaay bigger in life ya know? 

 

I really can't wait to find out about Fulbright so I can at least try and put some other plans into action to carry out my project.

Edited April 5, 2014 by ginagoestokorea

[Horb]

You are not alone in that feeling. My friends are all getting jobs at Google (and other fortune 500 companies), becoming doctors, therapists, creating amazing business and  GETTING ACCEPTED TO KOREAN GRAD SCHOOLS and I'm just sitting here like...."hmmmmmm let me check my Gmail again for my (current) one shot at doing something AWESOME" LOL! It's so sad that it's funny XD I mean, my life and job doesn't completely suck. I'm sure a lot of people in the world would love to be in my shoes right now. but I feel like I was meant to do something waaaaaaaaaaaay bigger in life ya know? 

 

I really can't wait to find out about Fulbright so I can at least try and put some other plans into action to carry out my project.

 

I had a really weird year. Last year, my friend applied to the FB and only that. No grad schools. No jobs. Nothing. She just kept saying: I'm going to get it. And she did.

 

This year I applied to grad school, the Rhodes, the Marshall, and the FB. I only got into graduate school, which felt at the time like a failure. But then I realized that this prepares me for even better chances at the M and the FB when I need to research later in my PhD. The moral of my story is that it is torture waiting for these amazing opportunities and the fear that dwells within each of us during the wait is terrible. But if you get it or don't get, there are things beyond it to look forward to. And in the mean time, while you're waiting, just try to take in how amazing it feels to have gotten this far and don't compare yourself to others -- not saying anyone is doing that but I sure was. 

 

I wish to luck to those who are still waiting. Sorries for those who didn't get it. Bittersweet congrats to those alternates still waiting. And congrats to those who have gotten it. It was awesome being in the community and I'm sure I'll be back (though in the new thread, I imagine).

[kbui]

You are not alone in that feeling. My friends are all getting jobs at Google (and other fortune 500 companies), becoming doctors, therapists, creating amazing business and  GETTING ACCEPTED TO KOREAN GRAD SCHOOLS and I'm just sitting here like...."hmmmmmm let me check my Gmail again for my (current) one shot at doing something AWESOME" LOL! It's so sad that it's funny XD I mean, my life and job doesn't completely suck. I'm sure a lot of people in the world would love to be in my shoes right now. but I feel like I was meant to do something waaaaaaaaaaaay bigger in life ya know? 

 

I really can't wait to find out about Fulbright so I can at least try and put some other plans into action to carry out my project.

 

I used to feel this during my fourth year in university where my friends were getting accepted into Johns Hopkins, Mayo Medical School, dentistry school, Oxford, going to London, and I was sitting there waiting for responses for the Fulbright and Boren. Now, I'm actually working and the feeling's very different. I work with five people, and they are pretty settled into their roles with a couple already having Masters (but one of them left because of conflicts), and now I feel like I'm the only only within my immediate group of people I interact with to apply for anything.

 

It took me a while to understand that this feeling of "being left behind" is so, so relative. Lol.

 

But I hope you get it!!! The good mojo from your friends might rub off on you!

[kbui]

I'm going to be like this when/if I get an acceptance letter next week:

 

[ginagoestokorea]

I had a really weird year. Last year, my friend applied to the FB and only that. No grad schools. No jobs. Nothing. She just kept saying: I'm going to get it. And she did.

 

This year I applied to grad school, the Rhodes, the Marshall, and the FB. I only got into graduate school, which felt at the time like a failure. But then I realized that this prepares me for even better chances at the M and the FB when I need to research later in my PhD. The moral of my story is that it is torture waiting for these amazing opportunities and the fear that dwells within each of us during the wait is terrible. But if you get it or don't get, there are things beyond it to look forward to. And in the mean time, while you're waiting, just try to take in how amazing it feels to have gotten this far and don't compare yourself to others -- not saying anyone is doing that but I sure was. 

 

I wish to luck to those who are still waiting. Sorries for those who didn't get it. Bittersweet congrats to those alternates still waiting. And congrats to those who have gotten it. It was awesome being in the community and I'm sure I'll be back (though in the new thread, I imagine).

 

 

I used to feel this during my fourth year in university where my friends were getting accepted into Johns Hopkins, Mayo Medical School, dentistry school, Oxford, going to London, and I was sitting there waiting for responses for the Fulbright and Boren. Now, I'm actually working and the feeling's very different. I work with five people, and they are pretty settled into their roles with a couple already having Masters (but one of them left because of conflicts), and now I feel like I'm the only only within my immediate group of people I interact with to apply for anything.

 

It took me a while to understand that this feeling of "being left behind" is so, so relative. Lol.

 

But I hope you get it!!! The good mojo from your friends might rub off on you!

 

Oh my goodness, This is starting to feel like one of those AA meetings but instead it's FAA ( Fulbright Applicants Anonymous) lol Sorry to sound like a Debbie Downer in my previous comments. 

 

But thanks for your words of encouragement guys! :-) I'm sure a lot of us on here needed to read this. Horb, I did the exact same thing as your friend but with the Gilman Scholarship for Korea. I had absolutely no other way to get there besides that option. And magically, though I thought I had no chance of getting it, I was awarded one lol I guess the risky side of me decided to take another gamble with Fulbright. This is a really tough, daunting process and I really admire your ambition and optimism for applying again next year. I sincerely hope you receive one the next time around :-) 

 

Kbui, good to know I'm not alone. But you got a Boren! That's AMAZING in itself! I should have applied for that haha Thanks for the positive thoughts! I hope we both get good news!!!  I swear if I get it I would totally inhale a celebration cake hahaha     

 

P.S., I don't think I've ever prayed this much in my life haha

[kafcat]

japaniia, kp_jabalí, and yeloquehay--congrats to all of you for putting yourselves out there in this difficult process!! to japaniia and kp, how exciting to have been awarded a grant, and yeloquehay--it is an honor to be recommended to the final selection

 

what will you guys be doing as your side projects??? 

 

Sorry I had limited internet access and didn't have time to respond. My original project was to have an afterschool "blogging" sort of activity where I would teach students how globalization affects their community and have them blog about different aspects of their culture whether its music, politics, or society, and then pair them up with American students so that they can both learn about each other's cultures. At the end, they could have some sort of newspaper/article summing up what they learned. However, since I'm interested in border studies and migration, I'm thinking of adding something about migration in this club. 

[kafcat]

PS what the heck happened to the google sheet? It's like...not in order. :/

[SmarteyMartey]

PS what the heck happened to the google sheet? It's like...not in order. :/

Not only that...but there are only 3 cells filled in... 

[MeMyself]

Remember folks that the spreadsheet is shared so refrain from filtering it unless you reset it when you finish.  ANY change you make is reflected to everyone including sorting and filtering.

[FingersCrossed_118]

Hey everyone!

I want to sincerely thank all of you for your ideas and support with my fellowship dilemma - I honestly don't know what I would do without this forum! It's kind of amazing that we have such a great Fulbright support system going on here. Everyone's ideas for what to do were very helpful and I'm taking everything into consideration before I make my big decision by tomorrow at noon. I also consulted with my FPA and he said it wouldn't be ethical to accept the fellowship I received and then withdraw for the Fulbright if I am accepted. So I am going to sleep on it tonight, take everything into consideration and ultimately go with my gut feeling tomorrow. Thanks again, you guys are all awesome and deserve Fulbrights! And even if you didn't/don't receive a Fulbright, there are certainly incredible things to come for all of you!

[Secret_Ninja]

Hey everyone!

I want to sincerely thank all of you for your ideas and support with my fellowship dilemma - I honestly don't know what I would do without this forum! It's kind of amazing that we have such a great Fulbright support system going on here. Everyone's ideas for what to do were very helpful and I'm taking everything into consideration before I make my big decision by tomorrow at noon. I also consulted with my FPA and he said it wouldn't be ethical to accept the fellowship I received and then withdraw for the Fulbright if I am accepted. So I am going to sleep on it tonight, take everything into consideration and ultimately go with my gut feeling tomorrow. Thanks again, you guys are all awesome and deserve Fulbrights! And even if you didn't/don't receive a Fulbright, there are certainly incredible things to come for all of you!

I have to put my 2cents in. I completely disagree with your FPA. I am a bit older and have had a bit of experience with situations like this. These fellowships are jobs. You accept or decline them based on the information that you have available to you. Right now you may as well assume that you will not be getting the Fulbright. (I am not saying as a statement of your chances or abilities, I am saying because until you KNOW you might as well assume it is a no.) This allows you to make informed decisions. ALSO - winning the Fulbright does not mean you will absolutely go to your country of interest. Your visa still has to be approved. I have a peer in my cohort who was awarded a Fulbright, but her visa was declined because they didn't feel comfortable with her research idea. There are tons of ways for a visa to be declined and it may not happen until the summer.

 

Accept this other fellowship - it is ABSOLUTELY ethical because nothing will be certain for Fulbright for months to come. 

[padthai234]

I 100% agree with secret ninja

[FingersCrossed_118]

I have to put my 2cents in. I completely disagree with your FPA. I am a bit older and have had a bit of experience with situations like this. These fellowships are jobs. You accept or decline them based on the information that you have available to you. Right now you may as well assume that you will not be getting the Fulbright. (I am not saying as a statement of your chances or abilities, I am saying because until you KNOW you might as well assume it is a no.) This allows you to make informed decisions. ALSO - winning the Fulbright does not mean you will absolutely go to your country of interest. Your visa still has to be approved. I have a peer in my cohort who was awarded a Fulbright, but her visa was declined because they didn't feel comfortable with her research idea. There are tons of ways for a visa to be declined and it may not happen until the summer.

 

Accept this other fellowship - it is ABSOLUTELY ethical because nothing will be certain for Fulbright for months to come. 

Thanks, Secret_Ninja. This is really helpful. What I was most strongly leaning toward was accepting the fellowship and then backing out if I get the Fulbright. I already have my student visa to Brazil from living there before, and I would be an ETA if I got the Fulbright. I also think my FPA might be biased in what he said because backing out of a promise to a fellowship would make him and my university look bad. Do you think there are legal consequences for doing so, should I be awarded the Fulbright? 

[Secret_Ninja]

Thanks, Secret_Ninja. This is really helpful. What I was most strongly leaning toward was accepting the fellowship and then backing out if I get the Fulbright. I already have my student visa to Brazil from living there before, and I would be an ETA if I got the Fulbright. I also think my FPA might be biased in what he said because backing out of a promise to a fellowship would make him and my university look bad. Do you think there are legal consequences for doing so, should I be awarded the Fulbright? 

Very good plan!  As far as the legal consequences go - it depends on the contract you sign. However, I seriously cannot imagine that there are any as long as you don't accept any money. The likely worst outcome is that your FPA will be irritated at you, and honestly, that will pass. Are you sure the fellowship cannot defer for a year? If you don't know, it is pointless now to ask them, but it would not hurt to contact them if you are awarded a Fulbright and ask. Often fellowships are happy to accommodate when you have something as high ranking as "Fulbright Scholar" on your CV. 

[jrk2115]

Hurray! Now there are four of us! I know there are more who have filled out the excel sheet, but you guys are the first ones who have posted since I've been following this topic. Meupatdoes, yes I have been to Zambia twice, for about a month each time. It is a lovely country with amazing people, especially the women. What is your proposed project in Ghana?

 

Mine is to write the cultural & intellectual history of the Chewa in Zambia. I'm very excited about it and really really really hope I get the FB so I can carry out my project!

 

jrk2115, what is your proposed project in South Africa? And Maliyazi, where do you hope to teach, and what age group?

 

It's great to see the SSA folks coming out of the woodwork!  My proposed project is to conduct research on substance use and HIV risk among black South African MSM. I emailed the SSA program officer at Fulbright on Thursday to ask him when he thought notifications might go out this year.  He said that his sense is that we will know by the end of the month.  When I emailed him last year on April 10th (I was a finalist but ultimately not selected), he said that he was expecting them by the middle of next week. We then found out on the 15th.  Based on that, my guess is that we are still a couple weeks away.  It probably wouldn't hurt if one of us reached out to him again near the end of next week to see if he has more information at that point.  I am sure we are all dying to find out!

[meupatdoes]

Hurray! Now there are four of us! I know there are more who have filled out the excel sheet, but you guys are the first ones who have posted since I've been following this topic. Meupatdoes, yes I have been to Zambia twice, for about a month each time. It is a lovely country with amazing people, especially the women. What is your proposed project in Ghana?

 

Mine is to write the cultural & intellectual history of the Chewa in Zambia. I'm very excited about it and really really really hope I get the FB so I can carry out my project!

 

jrk2115, what is your proposed project in South Africa? And Maliyazi, where do you hope to teach, and what age group?

 

My project is to examine at the effect of soil-transmitted helminths on the cognitive ability of school-aged children (mostly lab-based) and work with stakeholders in the community on trying to reduce the prevalence in the community.  It would hopefully also work to inform policies on nutritional aid/deworming programs.  My side project is to work with a HIV organization.

[Mozartgirl53]

It's great to see the SSA folks coming out of the woodwork!  My proposed project is to conduct research on substance use and HIV risk among black South African MSM. I emailed the SSA program officer at Fulbright on Thursday to ask him when he thought notifications might go out this year.  He said that his sense is that we will know by the end of the month.  When I emailed him last year on April 10th (I was a finalist but ultimately not selected), he said that he was expecting them by the middle of next week. We then found out on the 15th.  Based on that, my guess is that we are still a couple weeks away.  It probably wouldn't hurt if one of us reached out to him again near the end of next week to see if he has more information at that point.  I am sure we are all dying to find out!

 

My project is to examine at the effect of soil-transmitted helminths on the cognitive ability of school-aged children (mostly lab-based) and work with stakeholders in the community on trying to reduce the prevalence in the community.  It would hopefully also work to inform policies on nutritional aid/deworming programs.  My side project is to work with a HIV organization.

Wow, those both sound like great projects! Historically speaking, proposals or projects around the subject of HIV/AIDS seem to fare well with the Fulbright folks, so I think you both have an excellent chance! Community health projects are also popular. I do worry that my project, under the heading of Cultural and Intellectual History, might not seem exciting enough or important enough to fund. Also, I'm concerned that my age (I'll be 54 in April) might be a negative. jrk2115, thanks for emailing the SSA officer and sharing the results. From the excel speadsheet, it does indeed look like results generally go out between the 15th and 30th of April, so I'm not too anxious at this point...I mean, yes I'm anxious!... but not freaking out that we haven't heard yet. I'll start getting really anxious the closer we get to the 15th.

[Mozartgirl53]

Very good plan!  As far as the legal consequences go - it depends on the contract you sign. However, I seriously cannot imagine that there are any as long as you don't accept any money. The likely worst outcome is that your FPA will be irritated at you, and honestly, that will pass. Are you sure the fellowship cannot defer for a year? If you don't know, it is pointless now to ask them, but it would not hurt to contact them if you are awarded a Fulbright and ask. Often fellowships are happy to accommodate when you have something as high ranking as "Fulbright Scholar" on your CV. 

 

Hey everyone!

I want to sincerely thank all of you for your ideas and support with my fellowship dilemma - I honestly don't know what I would do without this forum! It's kind of amazing that we have such a great Fulbright support system going on here. Everyone's ideas for what to do were very helpful and I'm taking everything into consideration before I make my big decision by tomorrow at noon. I also consulted with my FPA and he said it wouldn't be ethical to accept the fellowship I received and then withdraw for the Fulbright if I am accepted. So I am going to sleep on it tonight, take everything into consideration and ultimately go with my gut feeling tomorrow. Thanks again, you guys are all awesome and deserve Fulbrights! And even if you didn't/don't receive a Fulbright, there are certainly incredible things to come for all of you!

Hi Fingers Crossed, I completely agree with Secret Ninja 100%. Your advisor might not like it if you back out of the other fellowship to take the Fulbright, but that does not mean it's unethical. It is like getting a really really good job and a month later being offered your dream job, the one you've waited for all your life. Are you going to turn it down because it will piss off the really really good job people if you quit? Of course not! Same thing here. As someone said, people do this all the time. That's why alternates are even a thing. Life happens. While the decision is completely yours, don't let your advisor get to you and sway your opinion by claiming "ethical issues." If you want and get the Fulbright, go for it!

[misterpleasant]

Well applied for Research Award under the professional grant. Notified in second week on February I was an alternate as i was number two and they funded one, not two. At that time they stated no funding for two.. Well something fell through the cracks as funding came through and I am now selected for UK. So I was an alternate for almost two months.. See it can happen.. Next time i should of gone for grants where there are 5 or 6 selected.  Trying for one or two is hard..

congrats bluefit! what is your research on? i'm alternate for uk right now...not feeling hopefully...but who knows....