Rangel & Pickering Fellowship

[mrs12]

@ZebraFinch, oh my goshhh! How late is this in the game though? That's kind of an amazing story... A year later and you're in.

CONGRATULATIONS! Will you get to go to school in the Fall then and start the whole Pickering process then?

I'm so happy for you! Perseverance really does pay off. 

Yay! You're amazing.

[ZebraFinch]

Thank you! Yep, I was selected as alternate in May 2015, started my clearance process then... the clearance process ended on February 20 of this year or so (note I have a spouse from an unfriendly country and some other "issues"). I really thought I didn't get it since my clearance took so long and had prepared to go through the interview for the award this year.

Yep, I'll start at (likely unless something major changes) Georgetown this fall as a Pickering fellow

I'm not amazing, I just, like you said, persevered! You gotta keep trying and trying if the Foreign Service is what you really want.

[kbui]

@ZebraFinch Wow!!! This is amazing. You are so blessed and I am incredibly happy to see a fellow GradCafer to get such an amazing fellowship! Please update us on the process as you know it (and if it doesn't breach anything)--we may be going through it soon! Or... again!

Congratulations again!!!

[ZebraFinch]

Well one update is that the contract is quite detailed.... honestly if you have any doubts about being in the Foreign Service, don't go for these fellowships because it is sort of a "debt" you have to the Department of State.

If you guys are/have been abroad, try to make note of any US citizen friend/family/etc who has visited you or whatever while abroad. They'll want to talk to those people and one thing that was problematic in my process was that my American contacts while I was in Russia had never actually stepped foot in my apartment so they couldn't verify where I lived.

As I said earlier, interview day (I'm thinking for Payne it might be easier since it's less people they interview?) is very long and exhausting. Mine lasted from 6 am till 6 pm, and most of that is "empty" time sitting around waiting for your turn to take the written exam or have the interview. Some people were saying their interviewers seemed uninterested if not flat out  bored, but those people ended up winning the fellowship so I'm guessing it's more of a tactic to throw you off a bit. My interviewers were pretty great. Prepare a smart question to ask at the end of your interviewers... people focus on their speech or answers, but I knew by their reactions that my question shocked them in a good way.

Some people are very cocky come interview day. I had a guy, also from my state, flat out not look at me even when I spoke to him. It's hard to let this sort of thing slide but just remember everyone is nervous and everyone reacts differently to such an important day, especially considering you've woken up at the crack of dawn. Don't judge others or yourself... I stuttered and messed up during my little presentation and my interviewers were really great about it.

DRESS SMART. Interview day is not the time for short skirts or real flashy jewelry. Wear something you're: a. confident in and b. comfortable in. I saw a lot of people who were very uncomfortable at the end of the day. Seems logical but it's worth mentioning.

Think of little experiences or stories that highlight what makes you especially well suited for the FS. Doesn't have to be experiences abroad or doing anything particularly impressive; maybe you managed a group activity at school very well or you helped a professor in a research project. Maybe you had an embarassing situation that you overcame with your great sense of humor. Etc. But have those examples at hand to show leadership, resilience, cultural adaptability, basically the 13 dimensions.

You'll interview with people who have amazing backgrounds, you know, the type who opened up a homeless shelter in a developing country, speaks four critical languages, has a a fully funded offer at An Amazing Program, and survived a natural catastrophe while battling ebola. Don't compare yourself to this person. The people who interview you are the people who selected your application to become a finalist; they WANT you to win. They WANT you to be an FSO. You're essentially proving that you're as great as they think you are.

[mrs12]

@ZebraFinch I'm not sure, I think you are pretty amazing no matter what you say... XP

Seriously though, take some time to be absurdly proud of yourself and your accomplishments! Go brag if you want to! You've achieved a dream! You deserve some time in the limelight after all of your hard work.

Thank you for the tips on the interview process. I'm so nervous I won't be invited to the interview, because I think that's my strongest suit, just being authentic in an interview process. The wait is so hard, but it's great to get to hear about all of your journeys and ups and downs. 

<3

[ZebraFinch]

Oh I'm thinking of making a poster and just hanging it on my door "IMMA BE A DIPLOMAT".

Please feel free to ask questions on the interview/clearance/etc or send me a private message.

I think authenticity reads through your essays so you have  a good chance

[mrs12]

Hehehe, make a map of all the cool places you want to go and rub it in everyone's face.

"See this, yeah, I'MMA GO THERE AS A DIPLOMAT!" 

:333

It's more that I feel like I'm on sort of a timeline. I applied for the undergraduate Pickering, so they only choose 20 people to interview and 10 recipients. And this was my first year applying, obviously, but I had an amazing letter of recommendation from the embassy that I interned at and yet I am afraid that next year everyone in the office I was with will be at another post so I'm not sure I could ask them for another letter if I didn't pass this time around and had to apply again. 

I'm probably just coming up with things to worry about, but there's a lot hinging on these results. 

Still, I feel really proud to have gotten this far. To have cemented my hopes and dreams for the future and to have made a strong application and to continue to prepare for this sort of career. Life always works out, as your story attests to, one way or another.

[kbui]

I have so many questions for you @ZebraFinch! Can you, me, and @mrs12 (if you'd like) have a Google Hangout session this weekend?

Edited March 9, 2016 by kbui

[ZebraFinch]

Sure

[mrs12]

That would be great, actually! It would be nice just to freak out together too. :333

[kbui]

Congratulations on the CLS @mrs12! You must be over the moon!

[mrs12]

I'm so happy! I'll be spending 8 weeks in Turkey this summer! Hopefully, I'll be able to move from my Intermediate-High plateau to an Advanced speaker. I'm really so excited! :3

[kbui]

Congratulations again! That's going to be amazing! By the way, I got acceptances to both of the schools I applied to this year!  I'm so excited!!!

I also just got done with the interview informational webinar with Payne today. I think the process is very similar to Rangel because in one of the slides they forgot to delete the word "Rangel" on it.

[mrs12]

Haha, that's a great warning, though! You will know what to expect.

And yay! So what schools are you considering then? Do you have a clear favorite?

You're on a roll so far!

[kbui]

It's still up in the air for now, but I'm leaning towards HKS since they give an extra $5,000 stipend on top of the $15,000 that Payne provides. But I would love to live in NYC. I'm conflicted. What would you choose if you were in my position?

[mrs12]

It's between Harvard and Columbia? For what specific degree?

[kbui]

Columbia SIPA would be for an MIA, and HKS would be for an MPP.

[ZebraFinch]

9 hours ago, kbui said:

It's still up in the air for now, but I'm leaning towards HKS since they give an extra $5,000 stipend on top of the $15,000 that Payne provides. But I would love to live in NYC. I'm conflicted. What would you choose if you were in my position?

I'd say go for the money. It's not like you'd be choosing a lesser school anyway. Have you checked the curriculum for each program? Maybe one has more classes that interest you.

[mrs12]

Hmmmm... 

That's a hard question. They're both great, clearly. I agree with ZebraFinch, a lot of times a program sounds awesome but the class offerings are what are really important. 

[awayfromhere]

So I had my Rangel interview yesterday. Everybody that I met was absolutely amazing. Seriously, I have no idea how the panelists are going to be making decisions this year. On related good news I found out that I was awarded a Fulbright. I had literally landed in DC when I saw the email. I kind of wished that it had come in the day after my interview because I think it threw me off my game a little. Oh well, I'm certainly not complaining!

Congrats @mrs12 and @ZebraFinch that's so exciting for the both of you!! You must be over the moon  

 

[kbui]

@awayfromhere That is so cool! You are a superstar!!!

What really surprised you about the fellow finalists? And could you tell us more about the process?

[awayfromhere]

1 hour ago, kbui said:

@awayfromhere That is so cool! You are a superstar!!!

What really surprised you about the fellow finalists? And could you tell us more about the process?

Thank you!

I was really taken aback by how accomplished they were! The majority had already graduated and had a some good related work experience. It was easy to feel small next to them but everyone was so kind and supportive of each other! 

I had my interview first thing in the morning. I didn't feel like I prepared well enough going into it, but I felt great coming out. The panelists were stony faced the whole time though, which was really intimidating. I'm sure they're told not to show any sort of emotion though. Then I had the agony of waiting in the holding room for 5hrs before being able to take the written. I felt pretty good about that as well. The whole thing felt better than I thought it would, but I didn't leave thinking I had completely rocked it. I guess I'll find out tomorrow 

How are you preparing for Payne? Have they told you when your interview day is yet?

[mrs12]

@awayfromhere, you find out tomorrow? That's so quickly! Ahhh, I have my fingers crossed for you and I'm sending all my positive thoughts your way. <3

It's so nice to hear that the finalists were supportive and kind, you get worried that it will be an intensely competitive atmosphere. But judging by this thread I think most people who are selected are of a similar caliber when it comes to being supportive. 

The whole interview with blank-faced panelists is kind of freaky, but it's just a chance to share your story, I'm sure you did great! Are you allowed to say anything about the written test? Was it very policy-based? Were the questions super specific? 

And congratulations on the Fulbright! Where would you be going? Could you defer the Rangel to do the Fulbright if that were to happen?

[chethedoctor]

On 3/8/2016 at 5:50 PM, ZebraFinch said:

I've no idea on much of the details. I went through the clearance process myself (which, brace yourself if you get any of these fellowships, it's loooooooooong and grueling) and was told that if a fellow didn't pass the clearance (including suitability clearance, which based on what I know, is where a lot of people have issues) I'd get the spot but that was IF and only if I passed it as well. So, I could've passed it and not gotten a spot anyway; someone must've failed, which is not the way I wanted to become a fellow because I loved everyone I met on interview day but I guess it means they weren't a good fit.

Sort of bad news is I'll get less funding for my first year, but frankly I just wanted to be in the Foreign Service so I don't really care. I got some funding from Georgetown anyway and am going to see if they can match some of the Pickering funds to make up for it.

But between this and being accepted into Georgetown, I've had a very different application year this time around (even if I kept my horrendous GRE scores), so I really encourage anyone who isn't successful this year to try again. Sometimes things just need to happen at the right time.

Dear @ZebraFinch @kbui @mrs12

First, congratulations to all of you for your successes this year. You folks are amazing! So I need your advice. I am considering the Payne for next year or the year after. I am a  current UK Fulbrighter, speak two of the so-called critical languages and have 5 years of experience working in the developing world. So as far as 'qualifications' go, I like to think I am relatively competitive. However, I am hesitant because I am concerned about the security clearance. I have lived outside the country for a significant amount of time. Given how much work goes into these applications, your experiences with the clearance system, and the threat of debt, would you advise me to give it a shot? 

Good luck to all of you! 

[mrs12]

@chethedoctor, welcome! So I haven't received any of these big fellowships yet, but I did do an internship with the state department where I needed a security clearance. And I've travelled a lot, both as a child and as a university student. Lots of travel will certainly lengthen the time it takes to get your clearance, but it's not an automatic denial of any sorts. I think the big questions are more: During your travels did you work with or associate with questionable people? (Questionable can be vague, I'd imagine). Are you married to or in a relationship with a foreign national? Do your family have ties overseas? These sorts of things make the process more difficult, but, for instance, my family has a lot of ties overseas, two of my cousins even have dual citizenship with another country, but I explained clearly my relationship to them and what that all meant and was eventually granted clearance. 

No one can say for sure, but if it's just that you've travelled a lot, I wouldn't think that would be a big deal. Though it will be tedious to write it all down because they ask for EVERYTHING. 

Let me know if that helps or not.