Boren 2015 - 2016

[shoft_el_ayam]

Ah, I see.  That makes sense.  Thankfully the selection process is more straightforward for the fellowship, as far as I know it's not related to Flagship

saw these two documents, I think the second one is about the flagship. my head hurts, I should stop this madness   

https://www.borenawards.org/document/download/language_proficiency_testing_form_144.pdf

http://www.borenawards.org/document/download/language_proficiency_testing_form_flaghip_158.pdf

[pomegranate24]

Wow, that's really great!  I remember my first OPI for Arabic last year- I was so nervous!  I hope your French OPI went well  I didn't know they did initial OPIs for scholarship applicants.  Sounds like an extra layer of pressure, but also a good way to find out about where you stand in the process.  Good luck!

 

Thanks for the words of encouragement! I feel pretty confident that it went well, but I keep replaying it in my head and cringing at the mistakes.

 

Sorry to spark confusion about OPIs. I believe that the French Senegal flagship program is the only one that tests before the award decisions are made. Since it is such a common Romance language, you have to demonstrate that you are already at the Intermediate High level. 

[zephyri]

Glad the OPI went well  I replayed my first OPI in my head for WEEKS afterwards, and they didn't even tell us the results until after the CLS program. I remember going in thinking it'd be ok (I'd had 1 year of Arabic), and then after 5 minutes of talking about my family and the weather, the examiner asked me to do a scenario- 'at a restaurant.'  We reached the limits of my abilities pretty quickly!  It seems like a useful test, but it can be stressful.

[Chiri12]

Welcome to April. Shouldn't be long now. Good luck to us all!! May the odds be ever in our favor!

[Chiri12]

Also, Mr. Saffle or Boren Committee friends (I hope you look at this board), if you sent us just a hint or sign, I would greatly appreciate it (maybe even send a fruit basket lol)

[Frodo_Swaggins]

Boren emailed me and said notifications are coming out this week.

[shoft_el_ayam]

Boren emailed me and said notifications are coming out this week.

did u email to ask them? why so early and what notification ? lol sorry for the attack of questions

[shoft_el_ayam]

just received an email from Boren requesting a new program , since no awards will be funded to Egypt. basically states IF I have an alternate program, to propose it to them, if not I have until late May IF I am chosen as a recipent.

[cml471]

Frodo_Swaggins (great name, btw), are you trolling? Is your info for real? I would lovvvvvve to find out this week, but I had prepared myself for another few weeks wait.

[Frodo_Swaggins]

April fools haha the waiting game continues!

But I did receive an email saying that those who applied to Russia (and other countries who were cancelled I assume) should begin to update their alternate program in the same language but another country. I know that Egypt was cancelled or you, did you receive this email?

[cml471]

Cruel.

 

 

 

They did the same thing last year with the Russian applicants though, I think most of them went to Kazakhstan.

[shoft_el_ayam]

cruel indeed. forgot about that stupid holiday, yeah I got the email just about 30 minutes ago, going to have to do some heavy research on my new program, I'm thinking jordan. still have a lot of things to do though

[Chiri12]

**IF** there is going to be some sort of notification before we hear, I would think that we will hear by tomorrow (possibly Monday). Friday is a holiday for many people, correct? That would leave a week to make any budget updates or date updates by the following Friday. Then that next week I bet we will hear!! Freak out moment!!

 

That is just my deductive reasoning lol. 

 

Does anyone see signs from their country everywhere? Atleast one a day... Dear Lord Jesus, please help me lol!! Just gotta keep the faith, right?

 

Another question- what is everyones reasoning behind applying for the scholarship/fellowship? I am sure everyone has their own reasoning. Mine is I see it as a foot in the door to the Foreign Service and will make me more marketable.

[zephyri]

Boren emailed me and said notifications are coming out this week.

 

Haha good one, if only!

 

I'm still sticking to my prediction of hearing on April 24.  I hope I'm wrong and it's sooner, but that seems like the likely date in the "late April," the notification period.

[Frodo_Swaggins]

cruel indeed. forgot about that stupid holiday, yeah I got the email just about 30 minutes ago, going to have to do some heavy research on my new program, I'm thinking jordan. still have a lot of things to do though

I didnt submit another program. I just let them know that I identified one but I still havent finalized the budget. They seemed cool with this and said that it wont affect decision for awards.

[Frodo_Swaggins]

**IF** there is going to be some sort of notification before we hear, I would think that we will hear by tomorrow (possibly Monday). Friday is a holiday for many people, correct? That would leave a week to make any budget updates or date updates by the following Friday. Then that next week I bet we will hear!! Freak out moment!!

 

That is just my deductive reasoning lol. 

 

Does anyone see signs from their country everywhere? Atleast one a day... Dear Lord Jesus, please help me lol!! Just gotta keep the faith, right?

 

Another question- what is everyones reasoning behind applying for the scholarship/fellowship? I am sure everyone has their own reasoning. Mine is I see it as a foot in the door to the Foreign Service and will make me more marketabl

FSO too! I think the Boren would be the perfect compliment to my degree and it would give me a leg up for the post-graduate fellowships in order to avoid the dreaded FSO TEST. 

 

EHHHRMAAGERRD I see signs everyday. I think sometimes I make them up. :,(

[triscuit]

Like I said before, the office told me that we would hear the 3rd week in April. That means it will be anywhere from April 12 - April 18.

8-14 more days of nerve-wracking wait!

[zephyri]

Oh they said third week?  Awesome.  I didn't know they would be so specific.  Was this for everyone, or just scholarships or fellowships?

[Chiri12]

We are approaching our final date. Any word, any movement? Smoke signals possibly?

[cml471]

My guess is for April 17. I think they like to notify on Fridays. Last year it was a friday.

[Chiri12]

The 17th sounds good to me. Imagine if it was this Friday... errrmergerd. I just would like to know, as if it does not work out, I will have to look for a real grown up job.

 

So does this mean that there officially has not been a budget update or date update letter as we are too close to the date?

 

(PS this is the first message board that I have ever been on, AND I LOVE IT lol)

[zephyri]

I was also wondering about the budget email- wondered if fellowship applicants would get a second one ,or if the one we got in February was it.  Getting close to the end here, guys!  My university's fellowship advisor said (last Wednesday, April 1) that she hadn't heard anything through the grapevine about Boren updates (fellowship advisors have a listserv where they give each other updates on notifications).  

[pomegranate24]

Ahhhh really hoping for decisions on the 17th! For scholarships, I know the notification day was Friday the 18th last year (and we got budget emails a week earlier this year).  

 

To continue the "why Boren?" conversation, I applied because I really want to pursue a career in international development, based on my academics/internships in the US, but have ZERO experience abroad thus far. So this is the perfect opportunity, plus it's a leg up for USAID! 

[abcdefghi123]

Hello,

 

This information may not be relevant anymore, but I received a budget update on March 11. I applied to the scholarship. It was the same one sent previous years:

 

Thank you for submitting your National Security Education Program David L. Boren Scholarship application. Your application is being considered and final award decisions will be announced at the end of April 2015. If your study abroad program has an earlier deposit deadline, you may want to let them know that you are awaiting a decision from the Boren Scholarship.

 

If you are awarded a Boren Scholarship, you will be required to attend the Orientation and Convocation in Washington, DC on June 8^th and 9^th. If you are awarded, certain materials will need to be submitted before your first award disbursement would be issued.  In addition, you would need to purchase your airline tickets before receiving your first disbursement. Funding would then be distributed over the duration of the program and not in a single installment. Please plan accordingly.

 

As your application is being considered, we request that you provide IIE with additional information about your study abroad program costs and financial aid status.  The Boren Scholarship online system (https://nsep.iieweb.net/nsep/nseplogin.asp) allows you to submit the requested information electronically.  Applicants should use their original user name and password to log onto the system.  Please be sure to hit the “UPDATE” button in order to save the requested information online.

 

** PLEASE PROVIDE IIE WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION USING THE ONLINE SYSTEM BY 5:00PM EDT WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2015! **

 

A.      Cost of attendance at home institution – Please state your total cost to attend your current U.S. institution for one academic year.  Include tuition, room and board, books, etc. as appropriate. Do not subtract financial aid or scholarships/grants.

B.      Updated Financial Aid Information – If you receive financial aid, identify the total amount of financial aid that you receive for an academic year.  Include scholarships, grants, AND loans.

C.      Study Abroad Dates and Cost –The table lists your study abroad dates and costs as stated in your application.  You must contact your study abroad program to determine if anything has changed.  If so, enter the new dates or amounts in the space provided.  The program costs MUST be broken down into the following categories: 

• Cost of tuition and fees – If your home institution requires you to pay its tuition rather than the study abroad program costs, please include your home institution tuition costs in this field.
• Cost of room and board – This is housing and food. This should include costs incurred during program breaks if you are to remain in your host country.
• Cost of round-trip international airfare – Please remember that you must travel on a U.S. Airline as far as possible.
• Cost of books, insurance and local transportation.

 

Please be as accurate as possible in estimating these costs, keeping in mind that Boren does not select recipients based on their budgets.  If there is no change to the information listed, you will need to reenter the same dates/figures on the second column. If you budget was not previously broken down, please contact your study abroad provider to get the costs broken down into our categories.

 

D.      Study Abroad Financial Aid - identify the amount of financial aid that at this time you are certain you will receive for your proposed study abroad.  Do not include loans or tentative scholarships/grants.

 

Do not hesitate to call our office at 1-800-618-NSEP or email boren@iie.org if you have any questions.  We look forward to receiving your updated information by 5:00PM EDT Wednesday, March 18. 

 

Boren Award Staff
Institute of International Education (IIE)

1400 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005

Phone +1.800.618.NSEP | Fax +1.202.326.7672 | boren@iie.org

 

 

If anything, I think Boren will send out letters by April 30. 

[shoft_el_ayam]

Hello,

 

This information may not be relevant anymore, but I received a budget update on March 11. I applied to the scholarship. It was the same one sent previous years:

 

Thank you for submitting your National Security Education Program David L. Boren Scholarship application. Your application is being considered and final award decisions will be announced at the end of April 2015. If your study abroad program has an earlier deposit deadline, you may want to let them know that you are awaiting a decision from the Boren Scholarship.

 

If you are awarded a Boren Scholarship, you will be required to attend the Orientation and Convocation in Washington, DC on June 8^th and 9^th. If you are awarded, certain materials will need to be submitted before your first award disbursement would be issued.  In addition, you would need to purchase your airline tickets before receiving your first disbursement. Funding would then be distributed over the duration of the program and not in a single installment. Please plan accordingly.

 

As your application is being considered, we request that you provide IIE with additional information about your study abroad program costs and financial aid status.  The Boren Scholarship online system (https://nsep.iieweb.net/nsep/nseplogin.asp) allows you to submit the requested information electronically.  Applicants should use their original user name and password to log onto the system.  Please be sure to hit the “UPDATE” button in order to save the requested information online.

 

** PLEASE PROVIDE IIE WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION USING THE ONLINE SYSTEM BY 5:00PM EDT WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2015! **

 

A.      Cost of attendance at home institution – Please state your total cost to attend your current U.S. institution for one academic year.  Include tuition, room and board, books, etc. as appropriate. Do not subtract financial aid or scholarships/grants.

B.      Updated Financial Aid Information – If you receive financial aid, identify the total amount of financial aid that you receive for an academic year.  Include scholarships, grants, AND loans.

C.      Study Abroad Dates and Cost –The table lists your study abroad dates and costs as stated in your application.  You must contact your study abroad program to determine if anything has changed.  If so, enter the new dates or amounts in the space provided.  The program costs MUST be broken down into the following categories: 

• Cost of tuition and fees – If your home institution requires you to pay its tuition rather than the study abroad program costs, please include your home institution tuition costs in this field.
• Cost of room and board – This is housing and food. This should include costs incurred during program breaks if you are to remain in your host country.
• Cost of round-trip international airfare – Please remember that you must travel on a U.S. Airline as far as possible.
• Cost of books, insurance and local transportation.

 

Please be as accurate as possible in estimating these costs, keeping in mind that Boren does not select recipients based on their budgets.  If there is no change to the information listed, you will need to reenter the same dates/figures on the second column. If you budget was not previously broken down, please contact your study abroad provider to get the costs broken down into our categories.

 

D.      Study Abroad Financial Aid - identify the amount of financial aid that at this time you are certain you will receive for your proposed study abroad.  Do not include loans or tentative scholarships/grants.

 

Do not hesitate to call our office at 1-800-618-NSEP or email boren@iie.org if you have any questions.  We look forward to receiving your updated information by 5:00PM EDT Wednesday, March 18. 

 

Boren Award Staff

Institute of International Education (IIE)

1400 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005

Phone +1.800.618.NSEP | Fax +1.202.326.7672 | boren@iie.org

 

 

If anything, I think Boren will send out letters by April 30. 

welcome , some of us received that letter. we are all waiting for a response and its torturous, I'm pretty much over it hehe

we have a spreadsheet in which we record any notifications just for records....yeah we are a bit obsessed lol