Fulbright 2017-2018

[Horb]

1 hour ago, Okonkwo said:

Specifically for Morocco there is a requirement of teaching experience and I have some language exposure to Arabic, approximately 3 months but by no means equivalent to 2 years. Is it worth the risk of reaching out to the program advisors and double check in an attempt to feel it out?

I'm not sure why you would reach out. The deadline passed. Your application will be considered. What matters is how you framed learning language. For example, will you take Arabic before the Fulbright (i.e. now or in the Spring)? I imagine there may be people applying with both language and teaching experience, but not everyone with that puts together a compelling application. There are just so many variables!

[iDance]

Added my info to the sheet! 

How is everyone else not going stir crazy, or is anyone else going stir crazy, after so much work going into the application and then just... It's all over? Is it bad that I actually feel like my doctoral work isn't enough after all the hectic prep of the research and everything? How are you all handling it? Any advice from those who have been there before? 

[Horb]

15 minutes ago, iDance said:

Added my info to the sheet! 

How is everyone else not going stir crazy, or is anyone else going stir crazy, after so much work going into the application and then just... It's all over? Is it bad that I actually feel like my doctoral work isn't enough after all the hectic prep of the research and everything? How are you all handling it? Any advice from those who have been there before? 

So, I think because I've been through it before I'm not stir crazy. I'm also still in coursework, so I have a ton to do. Come January break, I will go CRAZY. I'm only hoping we hear mid-January like it says.

[iDance]

1 minute ago, Horb said:

So, I think because I've been through it before I'm not stir crazy. I'm also still in coursework, so I have a ton to do. Come January break, I will go CRAZY. I'm only hoping we hear mid-January like it says.

Do you remember how it went the first time around? I'm still in the first year of my doctorate, so there isn't enough going in my classes to fill the time. It's a clinical doctorate, so we do not even start "official" research for another year and a half. My university is not big enough and my program is not old enough to have other outside research going. My attempts to get potential ones started seem to be met with general disinterest because the program is still new and the professors are very busy. I never thought I'd be so grateful because my school has a very short winter break, though! 

[Horb]

2 hours ago, iDance said:

Do you remember how it went the first time around? I'm still in the first year of my doctorate, so there isn't enough going in my classes to fill the time. It's a clinical doctorate, so we do not even start "official" research for another year and a half. My university is not big enough and my program is not old enough to have other outside research going. My attempts to get potential ones started seem to be met with general disinterest because the program is still new and the professors are very busy. I never thought I'd be so grateful because my school has a very short winter break, though! 

What do you mean by how it went? We received an email in December (a survey about using Embark) and then late January (literally last days of the month) we got the email. We all received them at the same time (i.e. not by country or by acceptance/rejection). I was applying for the UK, so I had an interview in February. Final results came in March. 

[Photogeographic]

9 hours ago, iDance said:

Added my info to the sheet! 

How is everyone else not going stir crazy, or is anyone else going stir crazy, after so much work going into the application and then just... It's all over? Is it bad that I actually feel like my doctoral work isn't enough after all the hectic prep of the research and everything? How are you all handling it? Any advice from those who have been there before? 

 

1

I feel crazy waiting around as well and I have applied too many times to even feel like I can consider myself sane. I don't really have any real hope of getting the grant this year because I am doubting myself on the conclusion of my proposal :(.  But the only advice I have is to really value your proposal and seek out other ways to apply that same proposal for different funding if for some reason you don't get the Fulbright. Not getting the Fulbright doesn't mean that your hard work should just go to waste. I was a semi-finalist didn't get the grant but was fortunate enough to still get funding and do the project anyway. I'm currently trying to find new things to apply for just to keep myself busy. Cast wide nets as they say. Good luck !  

Edited October 31, 2016 by Photogeographic

[iDance]

19 hours ago, Horb said:

What do you mean by how it went? We received an email in December (a survey about using Embark) and then late January (literally last days of the month) we got the email. We all received them at the same time (i.e. not by country or by acceptance/rejection). I was applying for the UK, so I had an interview in February. Final results came in March. 

Nah, I meant more the waiting. I've accepted that the news won't come for awhile, but I'm just trying to figure out what to do in the meantime to keep my mind off it, if that makes sense. I was hoping for advice on that front, but that's really detailed about the rest, thank you! That's more info than I had. (Sorry I think I'm going to do two responses in a row because I can't figure out if I can quote 2 different people in one response).

[iDance]

13 hours ago, Photogeographic said:

I feel crazy waiting around as well and I have applied too many times to even feel like I can consider myself sane. I don't really have any real hope of getting the grant this year because I am doubting myself on the conclusion of my proposal :(.  But the only advice I have is to really value your proposal and seek out other ways to apply that same proposal for different funding if for some reason you don't get the Fulbright. Not getting the Fulbright doesn't mean that your hard work should just go to waste. I was a semi-finalist didn't get the grant but was fortunate enough to still get funding and do the project anyway. I'm currently trying to find new things to apply for just to keep myself busy. Cast wide nets as they say. Good luck !  

That makes me feel slightly better, thanks! I hope you get it--I decided that now that everything's in, I'm not looking at my stuff again until I hear something. I've started looking at other ways to do the proposal; unfortunately, I'm on that line between medicine, hard science, and social science, so I'm trying to figure out who to apply to where I have the best chance. I really hope you get it! Thank you and good luck to you too!

[AnnMarie]

So how does it work if you make it past the 1st round? I've heard some people say they had a second interview and some say they did not.

[Horb]

49 minutes ago, AnnMarie said:

So how does it work if you make it past the 1st round? I've heard some people say they had a second interview and some say they did not.

It all depends on country and even type of program. For example, in the UK, most schools, but not all, do interviews. And some schools only do some interviews (the reason for the interview remains a mystery: some people weren't interviewed and got the award, some were and got it, some were and didn't get it). It usually states on the country page if an interview is part of your process.

[Horb]

4 hours ago, iDance said:

Nah, I meant more the waiting. I've accepted that the news won't come for awhile, but I'm just trying to figure out what to do in the meantime to keep my mind off it, if that makes sense. I was hoping for advice on that front, but that's really detailed about the rest, thank you! That's more info than I had. (Sorry I think I'm going to do two responses in a row because I can't figure out if I can quote 2 different people in one response).

Oh! I was applying the last time for grad school (I did the Fulbright, Rhodes, and Marshall apps, followed by 12 grad school apps) so that took up a lot of time. I was also working 25 hours a week and taking 7 classes and volunteering, so I had a lot going on to keep me occupied. Not the case come spring time. That was a nightmare. And I found out I was rejected over Spring Break, so it was not as restful as I thought my break would be.

 

This year, my realistic hope is to get to round 2. Then I can be proud. If I won it, I'd be shocked (I feel like I had a strong proposal, but with a 20% acceptance rate or less, I'm not banking on anything). 

[ibette]

This is my second time applying to Fulbright. The first time I was in my first year of grad school so I was busy with coursework. The following year I took a grant writing course that helped me a bit, and the year after that (last year) I applied for the International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF). This year is my last shot at a grant and decided to pursue Fulbright again with a stronger proposal (and research affiliations). I will be traveling from mid-December to early January and also moving, so I am hoping that will occupy my mind. 

The 2014-2015 cycle we heard pretty late in the game if we were in or not (the generic e-mail was sent towards the end of January, I believe). I did a 6 month lease in my new apartment just in case. 

[Horb]

Anyone else freak out unnecessarily when they got the survey?

[Vegan Burrito]

Hey all!  I'm an applicant to the Spain ETA program this year.  Does anyone know by any chance what percentage of applicants get through round 1, meaning New York, but then get rejected by the host country?  I think I saw somewhere that the first cut is the most rigorous.  Can anyone confirm this? Thanks!

[Horb]

2 hours ago, Vegan Burrito said:

Hey all!  I'm an applicant to the Spain ETA program this year.  Does anyone know by any chance what percentage of applicants get through round 1, meaning New York, but then get rejected by the host country?  I think I saw somewhere that the first cut is the most rigorous.  Can anyone confirm this? Thanks!

My FPA told me that the second round generally consists of 1.5-2 applicants per grant available and that you generally have a 50% success rate at that level. Now, I've heard the 1.5-2 per award from Fulbright, but not the 50%, so take that for what it is worth.

 

[AnnMarie]

17 hours ago, Horb said:

My FPA told me that the second round generally consists of 1.5-2 applicants per grant available and that you generally have a 50% success rate at that level. Now, I've heard the 1.5-2 per award from Fulbright, but not the 50%, so take that for what it is worth.

 

So from the sounds of it, the hardest part to get through is the first round then?

[kfm]

20 hours ago, Vegan Burrito said:

Hey all!  I'm an applicant to the Spain ETA program this year.  Does anyone know by any chance what percentage of applicants get through round 1, meaning New York, but then get rejected by the host country?  I think I saw somewhere that the first cut is the most rigorous.  Can anyone confirm this? Thanks!

I can only speak from personal experience, but I applied last year as well — made it through round 1, but then wasn't selected as grantee or alternate (this was a study/research grant with only one spot, like many of them). I think this implies that (at least in some cases) the US sends on several people and the host country determines finalist and alternate. Again, just my experience.

[Horb]

1 minute ago, kfm said:

I can only speak from personal experience, but I applied last year as well — made it through round 1, but then wasn't selected as grantee or alternate (this was a study/research grant with only one spot, like many of them). I think this implies that (at least in some cases) the US sends on several people and the host country determines finalist and alternate. Again, just my experience.

This is absolutely true. Take, for example, Germany. They have 75 slots. Which means that, of all the people who are selected, about 110-150 people are selected for round two (but really, this could fluctuate. They aren't going to send 150 applications along if only 100 are actually worthy of being funded).

So now you are down to 110-150, but they won't make everyone who isn't given the award an alternate and they won't have an alternate per every slot. So they may only take 85 candidates total, which means that, potentially, 65 people are flat out rejected for round two. Now, sure, if 400 people apply and you get to round two you've beaten out more people. But now you are also going up against people who are highly qualified and had applications just as, if not more, competitive as your own. At this stage, you have to hope you ranked high among the applicants who moved on.

Source: FPA, my own experience applying for a UK grant (was a NS finalist).

[sat0ri]

On 11/13/2016 at 0:07 PM, Horb said:

Anyone else freak out unnecessarily when they got the survey?

Yeah, I was an interviewed alternate candidate for the UK open award last year. I remember not receiving a notification until mid-January last year and so I definitely had a momentary "I got rejected very early this year"-thought.

[Horb]

13 minutes ago, sat0ri said:

Yeah, I was an interviewed alternate candidate for the UK open award last year. I remember not receiving a notification until mid-January last year and so I definitely had a momentary "I got rejected very early this year"-thought.

oh wow, alt for the open award? Congrats! Those odds are the worst for the Fulbright (study) grants.

[sat0ri]

On 11/14/2016 at 3:47 PM, Horb said:

oh wow, alt for the open award? Congrats! Those odds are the worst for the Fulbright (study) grants.

Thank you! Being that close just made it so much more painful to ultimately be rejected though, haha. This time around I'm a bit more guarded, a bit less optimistic.

[Horb]

2 hours ago, sat0ri said:

Thank you! Being that close just made it so much more painful to ultimately be rejected though, haha. This time around I'm a bit more guarded, a bit less optimistic.

That is my view as well (I was rejected in the final round for a UK grant, again, not as bad odds as you, but still awful). This time, I'll just be happy if I make it to round 2. If I then lose, I'll be ok, but I'm happy with the accomplishment of being a (now) semi-finalist. 

[Horb]

Hi all! Can anyone believe we are about a month and a half away from results?? I can't believe how quickly October and November have passed.

[Dilemma1]

On 11/27/2016 at 1:23 PM, Horb said:

Hi all! Can anyone believe we are about a month and a half away from results?? I can't believe how quickly October and November have passed.

November just flew by! My time was mostly occupied by waiting for any updates on my Marshall application. They have a much more timely review process (they also get fewer applications).

December is hopefully going to go quickly as well!  I'm mostly feeling really excited to find out if I've moved on to the next round...my fingers are crossed!

[Horb]

34 minutes ago, Dilemma1 said:

November just flew by! My time was mostly occupied by waiting for any updates on my Marshall application. They have a much more timely review process (they also get fewer applications).

December is hopefully going to go quickly as well!  I'm mostly feeling really excited to find out if I've moved on to the next round...my fingers are crossed!

Yeah, I really like that their process is over in November (or earlier, if you're like me and got rejected before the interview). I will say though, that the Marshall is much harder to get.