sheeshee Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 (edited) Yay!!! Congratulations to all the newly accepted South Korea teachers and researchers! I also applied for an ETA to South Korea, but I haven't received any notification of acceptance or rejection. I'm shakin in my britches! If I receive any notifications, I will update so anyone who is as nervous as me can get some info. Does anyone know if Fulbright staggers notifications? Hi all-- Congrats to Korea ETA recipients! I applied for a Research Grant to Korea and haven't heard anything yet… will update when I find out one way or another! other korea research applicants -- i hope we find out soon! also -- it looks like in the past, ETA and research grants were all notified on the same day… so it's weird that we weren't notified yet. maybe today?? Edited April 1, 2015 by sheeshee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyAnne Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 (edited) Hi all, I am a (potential) 2016-17 applicant and I thought while you all experienced applicants are hanging out here I would see if you could give me some advice. I am trying to decide if I should apply for an ETA grant, and if so, for which country. To be totally honest, I am mostly interested in the cultural exchange aspect of the Fulbright--I can't honestly say that I want to be a teacher as a long-term career goal. I am a PoliSci major and Psych minor and am interested in the changing dynamics of global politics as a result of the increasing economic (and political) influence of the East. So, basically I want to go live in an Eastern country for a year. Of course I am willing to work hard and be a dedicated teacher for a year -- I don't want to just hang out. So my first question for you all is, can I apply for an ETA position and be honest that my interest is motivated by a desire to immerse myself in another culture (and to share US culture)? Or should I equally (or moreso) emphasize the teaching aspect? Okay, so the other thing is I know no foreign languages, so I am looking at countries that do not have a language requirement. Fortunately that is a lot of Eastern countries. It seems like there are some countries that have a lot of positions, which means better odds. Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan all are 80+. Turkey is 90 -- and the placements are teaching university students, which seems slightly more of a fit for me than teaching primary or secondary students. (I have been a TA for two college classes.) What do you all think? For those who didn't have a strong attachment to one particular country, how did you decide where to apply? Edited April 1, 2015 by AmyAnne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meowsica Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Hi all-- Congrats to Korea ETA recipients! I applied for a Research Grant to Korea and haven't heard anything yet… will update when I find out one way or another! other korea research applicants -- i hope we find out soon! also -- it looks like in the past, ETA and research grants were all notified on the same day… so it's weird that we weren't notified yet. maybe today?? i talked to my fulbright advisor this morning and he said it's fairly common for notifications to come out separately, but that hopefully research/grant decisions would be sent down soon! ack! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachlovemusic Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Hi all, I am a (potential) 2016-17 applicant and I thought while you all experienced applicants are hanging out here I would see if you could give me some advice. I am trying to decide if I should apply for an ETA grant, and if so, for which country. To be totally honest, I am mostly interested in the cultural exchange aspect of the Fulbright--I can't honestly say that I want to be a teacher as a long-term career goal. I am a PoliSci major and Psych minor and am interested in the changing dynamics of global politics as a result of the increasing economic (and political) influence of the East. So, basically I want to go live in an Eastern country for a year. Of course I am willing to work hard and be a dedicated teacher for a year -- I don't want to just hang out. So my first question for you all is, can I apply for an ETA position and be honest that my interest is motivated by a desire to immerse myself in another culture (and to share US culture)? Or should I equally (or moreso) emphasize the teaching aspect? Okay, so the other thing is I know no foreign languages, so I am looking at countries that do not have a language requirement. Fortunately that is a lot of Eastern countries. It seems like there are some countries that have a lot of positions, which means better odds. Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan all are 80+. Turkey is 90 -- and the placements are teaching university students, which seems slightly more of a fit for me than teaching primary or secondary students. (I have been a TA for two college classes.) What do you all think? For those who didn't have a strong attachment to one particular country, how did you decide where to apply? Hi! From my understanding, the foundation of the Fulbright program, particularly the ETA program, is promoting cultural understanding between the US and other countries, so I'd say that you are spot on in your motivations to apply. As for choosing a country, I personally had a strong attachment to a particular country, so I can't speak from experience, only what I have gleaned from others. The countries that accept a large amount of candidates also have massive amounts of applicants, so the odds may or may not be better. You should look and consider the ratios of applicants to positions as far as odds go. Here is the link: http://us.fulbrightonline.org/eta-grant-application-statistics I would also strongly suggest finding the Fulbright Program Advisor at your school or alma mater and consulting them about deciding which program is right for you. They have been doing this more than we have, and can offer a lot of insight into choosing a program with good odds that fits your goals. Good luck! Photogeographic 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeP3121 Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Congrats to all those who have been accepted! I'm a current ETA in Bulgaria, and would love it if you could take 3 minutes to watch a video my students created. We're trying to accomplish something BIG with the Pencils of Promise organization and would love your help spreading the word: https://fundraise.pencilsofpromise.org/buildthemaschool Let me know if you have any questions about our quest to build a school! Prospective Bulgaria ETAs (or anyone for that matter) - don't hesitate to reach out with questions about the ETA experience. You can reach me at michael.j.pelehach@gmail.com. Launch Day blog update Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irisiy17 Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Welcome! And I completely agree with you that the past few weeks have been the most painful! The waiting isn't getting any easier. To which country did you apply? I applied to Jordan for research. Hoping to hear by the end of this week! Fingers crossed! Congrats to everyone for Korea! I'm only slightly jealous your wait is over ... like 90% happy for you, 10% jealous. taiwantroubadour 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irisiy17 Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 By the way, it appears as though someone has changed all of the status's to Accepted on the spreadsheet. This is a pretty awful thing to do, thanks alot. Does anyone know if it can be reverted to a previous version? I hope we didn't just lose all of that information. Photogeographic and hobakpie 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosyPosy68 Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 (edited) By the way, it appears as though someone has changed all of the status's to Accepted on the spreadsheet. This is a pretty awful thing to do, thanks alot. Does anyone know if it can be reverted to a previous version? I hope we didn't just lose all of that information. If that was intentional, that was very unkind. I got a pit in my stomach just looking at that. This is has been such a great resource over the years...Let's hope it was an accident or a fluke and that nobody would feel the need to destroy something we've all been working on for months. Fortunately, there are a lot of very smart people on here, and I bet somebody knows how to fix it... or at least I hope so! Meanwhile, this completely IT-Clueless person will sit back with her fingers crossed. Anyway, originally I wanted to comment to congratulate the next batch of people who received their notifications! Best of luck to everyone still waiting, and I'm sorry that you don't have the spreadsheet available as a resource right now. :C It's fixed it's fixed!!!!!! I just noticed.. Thank you, whoever took care of that maybe we should all download the current version just in case it happens again Edited April 1, 2015 by RosyPosy68 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachlovemusic Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 (edited) My district is on spring break, so I have nothing to do but sit here and refresh... Edited April 1, 2015 by teachlovemusic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosyPosy68 Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Hey! UK Fulbrighters, I created a Facebook group! Message me your email address and I'll invite you! miracle18 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kconhead Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 still waiting on USTA Austria and going crazy trying to figure out if i want that or the fulbright to germany more. if only Austria would send out their notifications so i can start to focus in class again... bailey24 and SMartin11879 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skwaitinggame Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 SK ETA's I'd say until you get a rejection letter, maintain hope! I looked at past South Korea notification data and it appears that notifications of acceptance are staggered (possibly elementary vs. middle/high?). Rejection notices have always been sent with the first round of acceptances according to past data, except in the case of alternates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skwaitinggame Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 I've just been informed at I am an alternate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloudysky16 Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Well, Stopthat, I'm now in the same boat you were in: That moment when they announce all the UK Grants except two. And you happened to apply to one of those too. It's actually becoming quite amusing at this point! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meowsica Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 just received the dreaded (NS). pretty devastated, especially since i also got word i wasn't offered another job 24 hours ago. waiting for two months and so much rejection in two days! congratulations to everyone with better news and i hope your fulbright experiences are incredibly fulfilling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsushi Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Hi all, I am a (potential) 2016-17 applicant and I thought while you all experienced applicants are hanging out here I would see if you could give me some advice. I am trying to decide if I should apply for an ETA grant, and if so, for which country. To be totally honest, I am mostly interested in the cultural exchange aspect of the Fulbright--I can't honestly say that I want to be a teacher as a long-term career goal. I am a PoliSci major and Psych minor and am interested in the changing dynamics of global politics as a result of the increasing economic (and political) influence of the East. So, basically I want to go live in an Eastern country for a year. Of course I am willing to work hard and be a dedicated teacher for a year -- I don't want to just hang out. So my first question for you all is, can I apply for an ETA position and be honest that my interest is motivated by a desire to immerse myself in another culture (and to share US culture)? Or should I equally (or moreso) emphasize the teaching aspect? Okay, so the other thing is I know no foreign languages, so I am looking at countries that do not have a language requirement. Fortunately that is a lot of Eastern countries. It seems like there are some countries that have a lot of positions, which means better odds. Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan all are 80+. Turkey is 90 -- and the placements are teaching university students, which seems slightly more of a fit for me than teaching primary or secondary students. (I have been a TA for two college classes.) What do you all think? For those who didn't have a strong attachment to one particular country, how did you decide where to apply? Hi AmyAnne, If you don't know any foreign languages, I would maybe advise you to apply this strategy: 1) identify which countries do not have a language requirement and then 2) out of those countries, which countries are less competitive (http://us.fulbrightonline.org/studyresearch-grant-application-statistics) that you could apply to. South Korea, for example, I would think gets plenty of applicants who have studied or know Korean, and there seem to be a lot of applicants for that country in general. I would encourage you to think of a research project, if possible. Is there some kind of academic mentor you could reach out to? Think of it as though you are planning/pitching a "thesis"--what topic really interests you? Maybe browse through the Fulbright website and see what projects have been done that are related to poli sci. My strategy involved knowing that I wanted to do a public health-related project, specifically in mental health. I then looked into the countries where my language skills are relevant, and narrowed down the countries even further by seeing where that health issue is most relevant out of those countries (by searching for research articles and etc). For me, it's a great chance to learn about a new country while exercising my skills in public health. As an above poster said, however, I really don't think you need to want to be an English teacher to want to do ETA in a country. If you do consider ETA, I would think you would focus on how you can be a great "ambassador" for that country (how you would help build relations between the US and that country). Still waiting on a final decision, so I'm happy you asked a Q that allows us to take our minds off the wait a little bit! Good luck! nsnotable 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbui Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 just received the dreaded (NS). pretty devastated, especially since i also got word i wasn't offered another job 24 hours ago. waiting for two months and so much rejection in two days! congratulations to everyone with better news and i hope your fulbright experiences are incredibly fulfilling Oh no, I'm so sorry Meowsica. Devastation was what I felt back when I got rejected form Fulbright (three times) and it was very, very painful. However, what helped me was to realize that this is just one of the many, many hurdles that I will have to go through in life. And there's no good time for rejection, but it's so necessary to build up our resilience and determination. If it made you feel any better, when I was rejected my first time I actually got a Boren scholarship to go to Taiwan, which was one of the best experiences of my life. Then when I got rejected a second time, I got a job away from my home state (MN) and moved to California. When I was rejected a third time, I got a position teaching English in Korea (but then miraculously I got a phone call from Jonathan that made my Fulbright dream come true). Life is beautiful, and life is full of opportunities for those who are brave enough to risk their time and feelings to get it. Keep up your spirits! If you were truly meant for it, it will come. Trust me. kyl19, lakjks, meowsica and 9 others 11 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skwaitinggame Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 No! Mocha I'm on my phone and I meant to up that comment but I downed it by accident I love it. Stopthat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skwaitinggame Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 I wish I had data for alternates ._. Stopthat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stopthat Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Well, Stopthat, I'm now in the same boat you were in: That moment when they announce all the UK Grants except two. And you happened to apply to one of those too. It's actually becoming quite amusing at this point! Yes, cloudysky16! I was losing my mind for the last two weeks, pondering and worrying about 29834792835 different possibilities that could have caused my delay. It turned out to be the simplest reason: Arts candidates for Germany were decided separately this year. I was just told yesterday that I am an alternate... More ambiguity, hurray. (Actually, I think this is best for me at the moment, because I spent a whole month biting my nails about the Fulbright when I should have been finishing my dissertation. If I was selected, I'd probably be so ecstatic and spend all the time searching for housing and attempt all 7868576923874 things to do to prepare for the move, thus effectively avoiding my real work to do. On the other hand, if I received NS, I would be miserable and sleep all day. Yes, I know I have problems; I am working on that...) just received the dreaded (NS). pretty devastated, especially since i also got word i wasn't offered another job 24 hours ago. waiting for two months and so much rejection in two days! congratulations to everyone with better news and i hope your fulbright experiences are incredibly fulfilling aww, meowsica... Pusheen would like to give you a big kitty hug. *pat pat meowsica and cloudysky16 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stopthat Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 I wish I had data for alternates ._. NZPLZ!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stopthat Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Why is it that I can stay up all night surfing the web, watching videos, or read comic books, but can't seem to spend beyond a few minutes for my writing? And yet, I writing for this forum is a breeze... *sigh cml471 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobakpie Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Hi all, I am a (potential) 2016-17 applicant and I thought while you all experienced applicants are hanging out here I would see if you could give me some advice. I am trying to decide if I should apply for an ETA grant, and if so, for which country. To be totally honest, I am mostly interested in the cultural exchange aspect of the Fulbright--I can't honestly say that I want to be a teacher as a long-term career goal. I am a PoliSci major and Psych minor and am interested in the changing dynamics of global politics as a result of the increasing economic (and political) influence of the East. So, basically I want to go live in an Eastern country for a year. Of course I am willing to work hard and be a dedicated teacher for a year -- I don't want to just hang out. So my first question for you all is, can I apply for an ETA position and be honest that my interest is motivated by a desire to immerse myself in another culture (and to share US culture)? Or should I equally (or moreso) emphasize the teaching aspect? Okay, so the other thing is I know no foreign languages, so I am looking at countries that do not have a language requirement. Fortunately that is a lot of Eastern countries. It seems like there are some countries that have a lot of positions, which means better odds. Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan all are 80+. Turkey is 90 -- and the placements are teaching university students, which seems slightly more of a fit for me than teaching primary or secondary students. (I have been a TA for two college classes.) What do you all think? For those who didn't have a strong attachment to one particular country, how did you decide where to apply? Hi! I would suggest you don't apply for S.Korea unless you can think of a compelling reason for choosing that country, because it is the only ETA program that is full teaching and although teaching experience is not mandatory, it is preferred. So if you can't come up with a compelling reason AND you don't particularly have teaching experience, I would choose one of the other countries! Just a thought. Personally, I didn't have a super strong reason to pick Korea but felt I could make the best argument for it, and I have educational experience. Hope that helps! hobakpie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photogeographic Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 just received the dreaded (NS). pretty devastated, especially since i also got word i wasn't offered another job 24 hours ago. waiting for two months and so much rejection in two days! congratulations to everyone with better news and i hope your fulbright experiences are incredibly fulfilling Awww I'm so sorry. Stopthat.. took my pusheen idea meowsica 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photogeographic Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Yes, cloudysky16! I was losing my mind for the last two weeks, pondering and worrying about 29834792835 different possibilities that could have caused my delay. It turned out to be the simplest reason: Arts candidates for Germany were decided separately this year. I was just told yesterday that I am an alternate... More ambiguity, hurray. (Actually, I think this is best for me at the moment, because I spent a whole month biting my nails about the Fulbright when I should have been finishing my dissertation. If I was selected, I'd probably be so ecstatic and spend all the time searching for housing and attempt all 7868576923874 things to do to prepare for the move, thus effectively avoiding my real work to do. On the other hand, if I received NS, I would be miserable and sleep all day. Yes, I know I have problems; I am working on that...) aww, meowsica... Pusheen would like to give you a big kitty hug. *pat pat Also sorry to hear that you have to keep waiting ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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