Fulbright 2010-2011

[Sally]

No, I'm not applying for an ETA, I'm applying for the full grant. I'll still call him tomorrow to verify and try to get him to be more specific.

Doh, yeah, I guess they don't really need to ship in English teachers to Isreal I wasn't thinking. Anyway, I would ask specifically what the deal is with someone already getting an acceptance letter.

[rach2010]

so no word on india full grants

I'm becoming less and less hopeful that we'll receive our letters around the same time they did last year (April 20). And it's a shame they don't just send out emails. Why all this snail mail business?

[pittsburgh]

Ok, so I just got off the phone with Jermaine Jones who said that it is IMPOSSIBLE that ANYONE who applied to Israel has been notified of the final selection process yet. He said that the Israel board abroad has made their decision, however, he is waiting on the FSB to make their final approvals. Until this happens he said that no one will know their status. He hopes it will be in the month of April but said that beyond that he cannot really make an assessment as to when. So I don't know why the person entered into the spreadsheet that they have been accepted since Jermaine assured me that all the notifications will go out at the same time and the FSB hasn't even given their final stamp of approval. I find this kind of odd to say the least.

[holahnyoung]

How long do you usually wait before you get a response from the respective program managers?

[pittsburgh]

How long do I wait? I mean, I usually just call the phone number and get immediately transferred by his secretary. Can anyone help me figure out why the person would incorrectly fill out the spreadsheet when none of the announcements have gone out yet?

[melina]

i'm confuse... last week I got a very short email saying I got the Fulbright for Indonesia... with no more information... other than I've been selected and will get information soon. I am still waiting on the package with the rest of the info. to arrive

today i get another email asking me for all this personal information, including "A complete bank account information: Name of beneficiary; a complete bank address; bank account number; bank routing number"

they also asked me for flight infor and visa stuff... but I still dont know what days am i suppose to leave the US, nor where I am going, and haven't even accepted!

has everyone else been asked for this info at this stage?

why do they need my bank information?

Has anyone else received an email so short with no letter?

ANYONE ELSE GOT ACCEPTED TO INDONESIA??

-melina

[empyrean0001]

i'm confuse... last week I got a very short email saying I got the Fulbright for Indonesia... with no more information... other than I've been selected and will get information soon. I am still waiting on the package with the rest of the info. to arrive

today i get another email asking me for all this personal information, including "A complete bank account information: Name of beneficiary; a complete bank address; bank account number; bank routing number"

they also asked me for flight infor and visa stuff... but I still dont know what days am i suppose to leave the US, nor where I am going, and haven't even accepted!

has everyone else been asked for this info at this stage?

why do they need my bank information?

Has anyone else received an email so short with no letter?

ANYONE ELSE GOT ACCEPTED TO INDONESIA??

-melina

Hi Melina,

I would suggest NOT filling out any of that information and sending it back. It does not sound legitimate for them to ask you your bank info. I would get on the phone/email your region's program manager ASAP.

[Resham]

Melina, that sounds very suspicious. I would call your Fulbright program coodinator and let them know about the situation and get their opinion on it firsthand. Definitely don't volunteer that information over email.

[jtb01]

How long do I wait? I mean, I usually just call the phone number and get immediately transferred by his secretary. Can anyone help me figure out why the person would incorrectly fill out the spreadsheet when none of the announcements have gone out yet?

Hi Pitt,

Maybe it was an Israeli Fulbrighter that made the post? Maybe it was a troll?

Also, has anyone decided to turn down their Fulbright award yet (yes, I realize how crazy that sounds)? If so, how did you come to that decision?

[Sally]

How long do I wait? I mean, I usually just call the phone number and get immediately transferred by his secretary. Can anyone help me figure out why the person would incorrectly fill out the spreadsheet when none of the announcements have gone out yet?

Hmmm I don't know why anyone would have the motive to provide such false information, and then provide commentary about alternate status and everything. It could be someone just being a jerk. Or, maybe it could be someone in a different Fulbright program (a scholar, or an Israeli student coming to the US).

That said, we should all keep in mind that information on the spreadsheet is user-generated and is not always going to be accurate.

Edited April 14, 2010 by Sally

[cLeveLand88]

My advisor told me that some countries give out results in a staggered fashion, and each has their own idiosyncratic schedule. That's what I thought might have happened at first, but then I read your comments from Jermaine, so I guess this is not the case.

[sulz]

For anyone else out there waiting to hear about water management fellowships to the Netherlands. I spoke with Rachel Holskin, fellowship decisions have been made, but funding is still not confirmed. So, the wait continues! I am posting because I was quite concerned when I saw the other country notifications and had not yet heard. Good luck!

[Resham]

I just got my letter informing me that I was awarded an ETA for India!!!

[Kar]

I just got my letter informing me that I was awarded an ETA for India!!!

Thats awesome! Congrats!

Kartik

Edited April 14, 2010 by Kar

[Resham]

Thats awesome! Congrats!

Kartik

Thank you! The wait was excruciating, but I'm so excited!

[Sally]

i'm confuse... last week I got a very short email saying I got the Fulbright for Indonesia... with no more information... other than I've been selected and will get information soon. I am still waiting on the package with the rest of the info. to arrive

today i get another email asking me for all this personal information, including "A complete bank account information: Name of beneficiary; a complete bank address; bank account number; bank routing number"

they also asked me for flight infor and visa stuff... but I still dont know what days am i suppose to leave the US, nor where I am going, and haven't even accepted!

has everyone else been asked for this info at this stage?

why do they need my bank information?

Has anyone else received an email so short with no letter?

ANYONE ELSE GOT ACCEPTED TO INDONESIA??

-melina

Melina,

I saw on the spreadsheet that there was another person who was notified about their Indonesia award by e-mail. Did you find out what was going on behind that strange request for personal information? I still would not provide that information by e-mail until talking to someone on the phone about it.

Sally

[pomchem]

I saw someone asking about whether we knew anyone who had rejected or decided against a Fulbright....I know one person who considered turning it down because they were worried about one of their current job offers. Personally, I think I'd choose Fulbright, because I feel your chances of a job after returning would be quite high. But I know that sometimes that risk combined with the schedules of some grants is quite complicated. Also the field you are going into may have something to do with it.

[Certain_Entropy]

I just got my letter informing me that I was awarded an ETA for India!!!

Also want to extend my congratulations! Any idea where you'll be teaching?

@Indonesia grant winner. A friend of mine got a grant to Indonesia about last week by email as well and no mailing. But I don't think she got an email asking her for her bank routing number and other personal stuff. I'd contact your regional coordinator and straighten that out.

BTW to other india full grant finalist, feel free to drop me a pm. i'm curious as to the research projects other people proposed and their affiliations. plus i can use whatever distraction I can get from my thesis

[Sally]

I saw someone asking about whether we knew anyone who had rejected or decided against a Fulbright....I know one person who considered turning it down because they were worried about one of their current job offers. Personally, I think I'd choose Fulbright, because I feel your chances of a job after returning would be quite high. But I know that sometimes that risk combined with the schedules of some grants is quite complicated. Also the field you are going into may have something to do with it.

There's one person on the spreadsheet who said she withdrew her ETA application to Turkey last week in order to accept a Teach for America position in California.

She had said:

4/7- Officially withdrew my application from consideration. So excited to accept a teaching position through Teach for America with Rocketship charter school in San Jose, CA! Best of luck to all the applicants.

Congratulations! -- Anon * Weren't you curious if you got it or not? I would have waited for the results and then withdrew. You are much more considerate than I am -- Sally

Sally- Honestly, as anxious as I had been over this, the decision ended up being very easy. I got the TFA position in January and was planning to defer TFA for a year if I got the Turkey Fulbright. However, when I got the charter school offer through TFA in late March, I felt that I could not put off making change in San Jose. Fulbright will be there in the future, if my plans don't become increasingly domestic, which I have a feeling they will. Also, I started to feel that it was pretty presumptuous of Fulbright to keep us all hanging and to think that such a group of intelligent, talented individuals would not have other offers. All in all, I was glad to withdraw and make definite plans for a cause I completely care about. All the best to all the applicants- As B.I.G. says "Stay far from timid. Only make moves when your heart's in it. Live the phrase 'Sky's the Limit.'"

[kbt]

hey all- i've been holding off on joining the forum, but i am "kbt" on the spreadsheet. i withdrew my app (turkey eta) last week, which is something i never dreamed i would do. i'll be glad to comment further on my decision, although it's summarized in sally's post above.

consider carefully how fulbright fits into your future career plans and what's in your heart. prestige is not everything (although i certainly believe TFA is prestigious), and if an offer comes along that makes your heart race, don't hold onto fulbright just to add it to your resume. with that said, i think if i were applying to grad schools right now, i would have been more likely to defer grad school for a year to take the fulbright. in my case, i feel a genuine sense of urgency in getting to san jose to teach.

be well,

bailey

kbaileythomson@gmail.com

p.s. i also mentioned that i thought fulbright's process was too long. i got a boren scholarship (also IIE) to morocco my freshman year, and the process was much smoother and had a deadline. i appreciated that. i am still not sure why fulbright, which must know that the people who apply for it are sweating over grad and scholarship apps + job offers, is not more forthcoming about when the decisions will be made. having many international parties involved is not really an excuse. fulbright has existed for a long time- they have had lots of practice and should move the application timeline up if they genuinely need this much time to release decisions.

[BMCGirl10]

So Baltics who wants to call/email Rachel *today* to see if the budget went through? Plus the all important question of if she's mailing our letters off today as hoped?

[Intaglio6]

So Baltics who wants to call/email Rachel *today* to see if the budget went through? Plus the all important question of if she's mailing our letters off today as hoped?

I might do it. I really need to know; I've got two other things on the line and they both need to hear back by Friday. I'll report back with an update.

[Wagwan]

I might do it. I really need to know; I've got two other things on the line and they both need to hear back by Friday. I'll report back with an update.

Could you also ask if Turkey ETA decisions were sent today as well? Thanks!!

[Intaglio6]

I might do it. I really need to know; I've got two other things on the line and they both need to hear back by Friday. I'll report back with an update.

Just called Rachel; she said the letters were being printed and that they'd probably go out today or tomorrow. She also said there's no way to get word over the phone or email. So hopefully we'll all know by Tuesday / Wednesday.

[eejjh]

Hi everyone.

I couldn't hold off any longer, I had to join GradCafe for the perks of watching this topic and replying! My fiancee applied for a full scholarship to India, and like everybody else, we're anxiously waiting. At this point, we've agreed that we don't care whether the answer is a yes or a no--we just want to know. Honeymoon plans are in lingo here!

Anyway, so that's my introduction for the both of us.