Rangel & Pickering Fellowship

[kbui]

I'll be trying my luck this year with these two fellowships (along with MPP programs). Anybody else in the same boat?

[Dreams]

Not in the same boat but I say good luck.  I work with several fellows and they are doing amazing things.

[mrs12]

On 11/2/2015, 11:11:58, kbui said:

I'll be trying my luck this year with these two fellowships (along with MPP programs). Anybody else in the same boat?

I'm applying for the Pickering! I don't have much hope, but I heard that they look favorably on people who have applied several times so this is my trial run for next year. I'm an undergrad so I don't have to cross my fingers for this application process.

That doesn't mean that this isn't incredibly nervewracking! Have you noticed that the Pickering is on a new website this year? The whole application seems to revolve around the statement of purpose, but they only give you two lines as a prompt! I looked up the information from last year and the statement of purpose was very different. They asked for a lot more and gave you two pages. I wonder if it's advisable to follow the older prompt because the current one is just so vague!

Can I ask what your experience with this is? It sounds like you're applying for grad schools, right? What's your major?

I go to an untraditional school so we don't have major's precisely, but I'm studying Turkish Studies and Geography. 

I feel pretty unprepared for something like this. It seems that all the people who've won before were so amazing. And the numbers are so small. But I think it's always great to reach as high as you can because you never know! 

[StyLeD]

@mrs12 I think the Pickering site is new this year because the State Department rotates the NPO that administers the Fellowships. Unfortunately this probably means that you're out of luck asking former fellows for concrete advice. Even if they could advise you on the selection process it would be slightly out of date. Your personal statement should exhibit the 12 dimensions identified by the Department of State. Also keep in mind that they cater to underrepresented minorities, women, and low-income applicants...so write your personal statement according to their selection criteria. Best of luck. 

Edited November 14, 2015 by StyLeD

[Yanders]

I agree with StyLeD! I'm a Fellow, but the program management has shifted from the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Foundation to another one, so I don't know if any of my advice would be helpful

[mrs12]

7 hours ago, Yanders said:

I agree with StyLeD! I'm a Fellow, but the program management has shifted from the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Foundation to another one, so I don't know if any of my advice would be helpful

 

I'd still love to hear any advice you have, Yanders! Even just general information, do you enjoy the program? Are you getting lots of experience? Did you pick a cone yet? 

Thank you, StyLeD, sometimes you just need to hear the obvious for it to sink in. :D

[kbui]

That's great that you're applying so early in the game! I wish I knew about the program when I was in college so that I can get the benefit of looking persistent in the case that I didn't get it back then. But no worries, I do feel like I am in somewhat of a good position because of my experiences, but still very, very competitive.

And yes. I was researching the Pickering and they changed administrators for the fellowship from the Woodrow Wilson School to the Washington Center. It looks like they've been doing work in D.C. with internships for a while, so it seems like a good fit for them to administer it. I just hope that I can think of and craft a personal statement that ties together the 13 dimensions that they're looking for--since you're right, the application does seem like they revolve mostly around the essay.

Let's help each other out if we find out any new information.

As for my own experiences, this is my second time applying for graduate school (I applied for an MPH and got accepted into a program last time, but this time I'm applying for MPP programs because it aligns more with my career goals in public service.). And then I studied biology & Mandarin Chinese. They're a bit disconnected, but I'm hoping to connect them together to make a cohesive argument.

[kbui]

On 11/14/2015, 9:11:06, Yanders said:

I agree with StyLeD! I'm a Fellow, but the program management has shifted from the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Foundation to another one, so I don't know if any of my advice would be helpful

Yes! I would love to get your advice.

1. What made you want to work for the Foreign Service?
2. What do you think made your application stand out among the hundreds/thousands of others?
3. What are some "do nots" that you recommend we avoid on the application and interview?
4. Other advice that you would recommend for prospective applicants.

[mrs12]

@kbui I would imagine with professional experience that you'll be able to write a compelling SOP and do well in the interview process! 

I've got some international experience. I also spent a semester as an intern at an embassy in Turkey. But I don't have a big background in international studies beyond my focus on Turkey. I do fit the criteria of underrepresented people in the foreign service, but I assume everyone applying will as well. So I'm going to put everything I have into my SOP. It's a bit difficult because my university has never heard of the Pickering and doesn't particularly like sending students off to government jobs so there's little to no advice or help here on any part of this process. 

Still, here goes nothing, right? 

Are you hedging your bets on this application? Do you have other sources of funding if you don't get it? 

I agree, we should team up! I found an older pdf that explains the SOP from the previous version of the application. It seems like it has just a bit more information on what they were looking for, but some of it would be outdated. Still, if you want to see it let me know. I also have been looking at the recommendations for writing the Rangel SOP which is pretty much the same prompt, so I think that's valid advice.

[Yanders]

On 11/14/2015, 5:26:36, mrs12 said:

I'd still love to hear any advice you have, Yanders! Even just general information, do you enjoy the program? Are you getting lots of experience? Did you pick a cone yet? 

Thank you, StyLeD, sometimes you just need to hear the obvious for it to sink in. :D

I'm a Pickering specifically, and I LOVE the program actually. Less because the fellowship lets you schmooze with the fancies (which it totally does) but more because the people in the fellowship are the most brilliant and accomplished yet down to earth people you'll ever meet. They're all great and I love each of them haha. The fellowship itself is pretty cool, and the internship experience is invaluable. It's also nice not to have to worry about funding. I'm getting tons of experience for sure haha. The internship I did at the state department totally solidified my interest in the field and everything. Yup! I'm totally team Econ. It's not nearly as popular as Pol or PD, but it's super important. 

 

17 hours ago, kbui said:

Yes! I would love to get your advice.

1. What made you want to work for the Foreign Service?
2. What do you think made your application stand out among the hundreds/thousands of others?
3. What are some "do nots" that you recommend we avoid on the application and interview?
4. Other advice that you would recommend for prospective applicants.

1. I've always wanted to try diplomacy! Embassy life has always seemed interesting, and it's really cool to be on the frontlines of foreign policy

2. I actually don't know! I think it's because my essay was a cohesive timeline of events that made it seem as if the foreign service was a natural next step, rather than trying to list all of the 13 dimensions by name etc.

3. I would personally avoid listing all the 13 dimensions and how you embody each one etc. because that seems pretty stock to me. You're better of subtly weaving them into your story. Also avoid the "I looooove to travel so I would be a great foreign service officer! I love the glamour of embassy life!" because everyone will roll their eyes at you. This being said, I'm not a grader, and I'm also not sure how the new program managers will be evaluating applications, so if your essay has any of the "don'ts" I mentioned and you think it rocks, go ahead and do your thing. The interview is an entire other process, so just let me know when you get there and we can talk about it.

4. Make sure you can clearly explain WHY you want to go into the foreign service, and make sure your story is cohesive

[kbui]

@mrs12 Haha. I have that exact form! I think they're very glad that they made everything electronic now so that they don't have to sift through a ton of handwritten applications.

I am applying to the Rangel and Pickering, and possibly the Point Foundation Scholarship. The Point is hyper-competitive, but it also has a lot of benefits. I'll probably end up applying, but at the moment I'm still a bit overwhelmed with the job search and graduate school applications to focus on it.

Have you written a draft yet? Or have an idea of what you want to write?

[kbui]

@Yanders Thanks for your answers. I'll have to keep that in mind to not just list and explain each quality. If you think of any specific tips later, we would really appreciate it also. :)

[mrs12]

@Yanders Do you get any fellows who want to go CON? I know it's kind of unusual, but that's where I really want to go! I did my internship in ECON and I certainly learned a lot there, I really appreciated getting that exposure early to what an embassy did. I felt like ECON and POL were really popular when I talked to people at the embassy, everyone felt that ECON was pretty fancy and prestigious.  (And you certainly get to schmooze a lot.) Thanks for the input! Knowing that some people got in helps me stay positive! Haha.

@kbui I have a rough draft! I kind of went at it from the perspective of why I want to be in the Foreign Service and then jumped back in time and talked about choosing my school and a few key things I did and what I learned at my internship and how all of those together helped reaffirm why I wanted to work in the Foreign Service. (And while I was talking about the past I tried to weave in several of the 13 dimensions.)

Do you have a draft yet? Gosh, you're applying to so much! I'm already stressed about grad school and I have another semester to start deciding where I want to apply.

[Yanders]

kbui, sorry I couldn't give you any more specific advice! There's no right or wrong way to apply, so I don't want to make you think a successful application looks a certain way. It really doesn't-- it depends fully on your experiences and how you frame them. There are people in my cohort who are coming from completely non-policy related fields, and I didn't even know what the 13 dimensions were until AFTER I got the fellowship. The actual FSOA is really similar.

mrs12, I do have friends who want to go into consular! Management too, actually haha. Play that up! Not many people want to go into those cones, so that will certainly help your case, I think. LOL people really only think it's prestigious because they imagine that you'll be dealing with a lot of charts and numbers, which is totally not the case. I'll take the fake prestige though haha. I think PDs get to have all the fun! They get to go to all the cool and fun events and stuff and meet all the famous people. Haha no probs! It's a totally attainable fellowship, I promise lol.

[mrs12]

@Yanders I think it's funny because it's really to each their own when it comes to picking a cone, despite how some people rank them in a hierarchy. ECON was a lot of reporting when I was there, which is what POL does too, and I like the more hands-on style of CON and the fact that you work more individually with people. But you're right, PD has all of the real fun without having to go to boring events they may or may not care about. Everything they do is fascinating! I see why it's so popular! (I only had to use charts once in my two months in ECON, and it was a chart that no one else understood either and was given to me because no one wanted to do the task, so I think you're completely right!)

Edited November 17, 2015 by mrs12

[Yanders]

@mrs12 So true! One man's nightmare really is another man's dream. When my friend tells me about how much she wants to be in management, I'm like "wow, none of that sounds like fun at all. I'll totally pass." while she gives me the same look when I talk about development and market access. But PD is universally envied lol

[kbui]

I found this Decision Criteria file from the Foreign Service that explains the 13 Dimensions in detail. I'm currently applying my stories to fit into these dimensions to give it a more relevance and structure. It might be useful!

 

[mrs12]

Oh, wow, thanks! 

I ended up emailing the new program administrators and they had this to say::

"Thank you for your interest in the Pickering Fellowship. The good news is that, yes, much of advice that you would have received earlier about the Fellowship still applies! The Fellowship itself and what would make a good candidate has not changed; just the administration of the Fellowship has. 

We're still looking for applicants who want to be a member of the Foreign Service and can demonstrate that they would be a good fit, based on the 13 Dimensions of being a Foreign Service Officer. Hearing about your motivation for and what skills you would bring to such a career is paramount."

Hope that helps you, @kbui !

[mrs12]

Hey, @kbui, I just finished talking with someone who got into the Rangel and they gave me some advice that you might find useful. The interesting thing was they thought that making the essay more personal, instead of professional, was a big help for them. So focusing on what you've overcome and how you got to where you are and why you want to work for the FS.

Edited November 20, 2015 by mrs12

[kbui]

@mrs12 Thanks! I was debating between making my essay more personal or professional. I was leaning towards professional because my personal background is too dramatic and I don't know if they want that. It would be great to get a sense of what types of essays they want, but all I've been going off of have been successful essays for undergraduate institutions, and most of the high-school applicants are more like telling a story about one insightful moment instead of making a persuasive argument. Maybe the admissions' readers do want me to summon up some drama. Lol.

[mrs12]

Hey, @kbui, how's your application going so far?

I've been thinking about submitting mine early because my school breaks for most of December and January so the last time I can get official writing help on my essay will be the next two weeks. 

[kbui]

@mrs12 I'm working on the essays now. I thought I was almost done with the extracurriculars and things on the rest of the application, but Patricia on one of the webinars said we should write EVERYTHING, so I'm going to fill it in a little bit more.

But I want to send it in early too. I hope to send it in on December 15th. Should we read each others essays?

Edited December 6, 2015 by kbui

[mrs12]

Would you mind doing that, @kbui? I'd love the feedback! 

And wow, that's important advice! I am never sure in those sorts of boxes if they want just titles and basic timelines or actual details!

Edited December 6, 2015 by mrs12

[awayfromhere]

I'm applying for both as well! Last year I applied to the Rangel Summer Enrichment Program which I was sure I'd get, but was rejected. Now I feel like my confidence is kind of gone for the Rangel Fellowship, but I'm hanging in there. I wish my essay could just be "I REALLY want to be a FSO,  and I promise I won't leave after 5 years". Haha, apparently that's frowned upon. My major didn't require any Econ so I never took any, but someone told me that not having Econ on your transcript is bad? Too late for that at this point anyway. Good luck everyone!

[kbui]

@awayfromhere Haha, I feel you on the "I really want to be a Foreign Service Officer. So, can I get in?" But I'm glad we can tell our stories and have a chance to make our case.

I actually didn't take any economics courses either. Though I think a main part of it is to see if you can handle upper level math. So if you've done other quantitative coursework then it should tell them that you're capable of succeeding in graduate school. Also, an FSO has many other qualities besides Information Integration & Analysis. Just show them that you have a lot of the other qualities also.

I see that you're a Fulbrighter to Austria? That's awesome! Did you just graduate?