Fulbright 2017-2018

[Dilemma1]

1 hour ago, minswho said:

It went okay!  Thanks for asking.

There were few questions I wish I answered better but I'm hoping they understand since it was a 6 am interview and I was quite nervous.

This wait is agonizing though. I was at least able to distract myself by prepping for the interview before. But now that it's completely out of my hands, I don't know.. I guess I feel more uncertainish? How are you guys feeling about the whole process?

 

Oh wow! That's so early! I'm sure you did great Yeah, it's gonna be a long wait until late March...fingers crossed that notification time stays true.

[jakem1023]

So I am a current Peace Corps volunteer in Benin (let me just say applying from a rural village in West Africa was a giant headache of a challenge!), and I have been selected as a semi-finalist for research in Cambodia. My Peace Corps service technically ends September 17th and if selected as a finalist, I would be entering Cambodia in September. I have some leeway with finishing Peace Corps a month or two in advance, but I have no idea which date to expect to leave for Cambodia since I will likely need to fly to the US since I'm not sure Fulbright and Peace Corps would be able to work out flights smoothly (I'm confident one will pick up the tab of my airfare, but I'm not confident in interagency communication at this point). 

Also I'm technically not allowed to travel for the orientation in June if selected and would need to seek special permission to leave for the US. I was wondering if serving in the Peace Corps would somehow be considered a circumstance that Fulbright would allow for me to miss the orientation (though I would first wait for the potential final offer before emailing the appropriate figure). I would very much like to go to the orientation, however I don't want to be forced to resign the Peace Corps for a 3 day orientation. 

Basically I'm dealing with a lot of uncertainty this point and it's driving me crazy! Just trying to have my Peace Corps service and potential Fulbright line up perfectly! For now I would really like to know approximately which date I would be expected to leave for Cambodia if I'm a finalist and how mandatory the orientation in DC truly is. There is absolutely no information online that I can find regarding Cambodia since they only select 4 Fulbrighters a year. 

Anybody else a semi-finalist in SE Asia??

[indexes]

5 hours ago, jakem1023 said:

So I am a current Peace Corps volunteer in Benin (let me just say applying from a rural village in West Africa was a giant headache of a challenge!), and I have been selected as a semi-finalist for research in Cambodia. My Peace Corps service technically ends September 17th and if selected as a finalist, I would be entering Cambodia in September. I have some leeway with finishing Peace Corps a month or two in advance, but I have no idea which date to expect to leave for Cambodia since I will likely need to fly to the US since I'm not sure Fulbright and Peace Corps would be able to work out flights smoothly (I'm confident one will pick up the tab of my airfare, but I'm not confident in interagency communication at this point). 

Also I'm technically not allowed to travel for the orientation in June if selected and would need to seek special permission to leave for the US. I was wondering if serving in the Peace Corps would somehow be considered a circumstance that Fulbright would allow for me to miss the orientation (though I would first wait for the potential final offer before emailing the appropriate figure). I would very much like to go to the orientation, however I don't want to be forced to resign the Peace Corps for a 3 day orientation. 

Basically I'm dealing with a lot of uncertainty this point and it's driving me crazy! Just trying to have my Peace Corps service and potential Fulbright line up perfectly! For now I would really like to know approximately which date I would be expected to leave for Cambodia if I'm a finalist and how mandatory the orientation in DC truly is. There is absolutely no information online that I can find regarding Cambodia since they only select 4 Fulbrighters a year. 

Anybody else a semi-finalist in SE Asia??

"Attendance at Pre-Departure Orientations is mandatory. Exemptions will only be considered for extenuating circumstances by the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State. Information on filing an exemption will be made available to grantees invited to the Pre-Departure Orientations in early April." (source) 

It's mandatory but 1) I think someone who has been in the Peace Corps would the proper orientation since looking at their list, the orientations are for countries in precarious geopolitical situations (historically and currently) and/or significant socio-cultural / political considerations that they really want fellows there to be aware of and 2) Your situation sounds like an extenuating circumstance, especially being in a rural African village (my family is from one on the other side of the continent and it's excruciating to travel to the main city or get a good phone connection) and you're already in a commitment that would be terminated if you had to leave to the U.S. for three days. There are a lot of Peace Corp --> Fulbright people that I have read about so I think it's something they have surely encountered. File an exemption in April or, if the dates and timings are sensitive, email when [not if! :^) Positive thinking!] you receive a grant. I would look into the process of applying for that three days leave from Peace Corps though, just to have it on the back-burner. It would suck to leave Benin two months early for those three days but it would suck to lose a nine-month Fulbright grant for two months also!

I would hold off on when to end the Peace Corp thing until the exemption (in case you would need to leave in June) and departure dates come out. How much time do you have to give Peace Corps before you leave? (i.e. could you tell them in April/May that you are leaving, say, September 1st?)

[jakem1023]

9 hours ago, indexes said:

"Attendance at Pre-Departure Orientations is mandatory. Exemptions will only be considered for extenuating circumstances by the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State. Information on filing an exemption will be made available to grantees invited to the Pre-Departure Orientations in early April." (source) 

It's mandatory but 1) I think someone who has been in the Peace Corps would the proper orientation since looking at their list, the orientations are for countries in precarious geopolitical situations (historically and currently) and/or significant socio-cultural / political considerations that they really want fellows there to be aware of and 2) Your situation sounds like an extenuating circumstance, especially being in a rural African village (my family is from one on the other side of the continent and it's excruciating to travel to the main city or get a good phone connection) and you're already in a commitment that would be terminated if you had to leave to the U.S. for three days. There are a lot of Peace Corp --> Fulbright people that I have read about so I think it's something they have surely encountered. File an exemption in April or, if the dates and timings are sensitive, email when [not if! :^) Positive thinking!] you receive a grant. I would look into the process of applying for that three days leave from Peace Corps though, just to have it on the back-burner. It would suck to leave Benin two months early for those three days but it would suck to lose a nine-month Fulbright grant for two months also!

I would hold off on when to end the Peace Corp thing until the exemption (in case you would need to leave in June) and departure dates come out. How much time do you have to give Peace Corps before you leave? (i.e. could you tell them in April/May that you are leaving, say, September 1st?)

During my orientation for Peace Corps, it was all about making sure we were mentally ready to live oversees in a very different lifestyle (in addition to a mix of cultural/safety & security trainings). I would imagine a lot of the information covered is along the same lines, so perhaps you are right in assuming this type of orientation wouldn't benefit me as much as others. However, I believe Fulbright will pay up to $1000 to get me to DC, so if that means I can squeeze out a very cheap trip back to the states I might push for it. I'd imagine Fulbright would want to avoid paying for people like me but I'll just have to wait it out I suppose for better answers. 

I was actually torn between applying for Fulbright or Peace Corps right out of undergrad. I recognized Fulbright is of course more prestigious so I chose Peace Corps first as a way to make myself a better candidate (also its something I'm passionate about anyways). So ya I will choose whichever option ensures I can pursue my dream of becoming a Fulbrighter, I just hope I don't have to forfeit some of benefits in the process. 
 

What is nice is that Obama released an executive order last year giving NCE to Fulbrighters (I believe this is true correct me if I am mistaken), which is one of the largest benefits of Peace Corps so that is something to get excited about for this cohort of Fulbright!

And to me Peace Corps and Fulbright are sister organizations since they share many of the same objectives. I'm hoping my director and others can recognize this and things continue to unfold! What is tricky is that I have my close of service (COS) conference on May 15th, which is when I found out which date I would leave Benin. Coincidentally that is the last week to find out about Fulbright, but since Cambodia is a small country in terms of Fulbright applicants I'm hoping I can get a decision much sooner than that. Searched that google doc relentlessly only to find little information on Cambodia with regards to that so I'll just keep obsessively checking my e-mail in the mean time! 

[BeeKayCee]

22 hours ago, jakem1023 said:

So I am a current Peace Corps volunteer in Benin (let me just say applying from a rural village in West Africa was a giant headache of a challenge!), and I have been selected as a semi-finalist for research in Cambodia. My Peace Corps service technically ends September 17th and if selected as a finalist, I would be entering Cambodia in September. I have some leeway with finishing Peace Corps a month or two in advance, but I have no idea which date to expect to leave for Cambodia since I will likely need to fly to the US since I'm not sure Fulbright and Peace Corps would be able to work out flights smoothly (I'm confident one will pick up the tab of my airfare, but I'm not confident in interagency communication at this point). 

Also I'm technically not allowed to travel for the orientation in June if selected and would need to seek special permission to leave for the US. I was wondering if serving in the Peace Corps would somehow be considered a circumstance that Fulbright would allow for me to miss the orientation (though I would first wait for the potential final offer before emailing the appropriate figure). I would very much like to go to the orientation, however I don't want to be forced to resign the Peace Corps for a 3 day orientation. 

Basically I'm dealing with a lot of uncertainty this point and it's driving me crazy! Just trying to have my Peace Corps service and potential Fulbright line up perfectly! For now I would really like to know approximately which date I would be expected to leave for Cambodia if I'm a finalist and how mandatory the orientation in DC truly is. There is absolutely no information online that I can find regarding Cambodia since they only select 4 Fulbrighters a year. 

Anybody else a semi-finalist in SE Asia??

Im in Georgia and theyre letting me request an early cos (granted by like two days) if i hear back positive. Its worth asking your CD if theyd let you do the same. 

Good luck!

[indexes]

13 hours ago, jakem1023 said:

During my orientation for Peace Corps, it was all about making sure we were mentally ready to live oversees in a very different lifestyle (in addition to a mix of cultural/safety & security trainings). I would imagine a lot of the information covered is along the same lines, so perhaps you are right in assuming this type of orientation wouldn't benefit me as much as others. However, I believe Fulbright will pay up to $1000 to get me to DC, so if that means I can squeeze out a very cheap trip back to the states I might push for it. I'd imagine Fulbright would want to avoid paying for people like me but I'll just have to wait it out I suppose for better answers. 

I was actually torn between applying for Fulbright or Peace Corps right out of undergrad. I recognized Fulbright is of course more prestigious so I chose Peace Corps first as a way to make myself a better candidate (also its something I'm passionate about anyways). So ya I will choose whichever option ensures I can pursue my dream of becoming a Fulbrighter, I just hope I don't have to forfeit some of benefits in the process. 
 

What is nice is that Obama released an executive order last year giving NCE to Fulbrighters (I believe this is true correct me if I am mistaken), which is one of the largest benefits of Peace Corps so that is something to get excited about for this cohort of Fulbright!

And to me Peace Corps and Fulbright are sister organizations since they share many of the same objectives. I'm hoping my director and others can recognize this and things continue to unfold! What is tricky is that I have my close of service (COS) conference on May 15th, which is when I found out which date I would leave Benin. Coincidentally that is the last week to find out about Fulbright, but since Cambodia is a small country in terms of Fulbright applicants I'm hoping I can get a decision much sooner than that. Searched that google doc relentlessly only to find little information on Cambodia with regards to that so I'll just keep obsessively checking my e-mail in the mean time! 

I am pretty certain your Peace Corps training is pretty sufficient. A different way of living plus cultural and political sensitivity training is probably the main jist (I am just guessing this based on the fact that they don't require it for Western or highly Western-esque countries like Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea but do for newer EU-admits like Croatia, Lithuania and Estonia, who aren't far from the Soviet era). If Fulbright will pay to get you to the PDO and you can take the three (or five days, depending on the flights you can get) off, then it sounds ideal tbh. It sucks to diminish a current opportunity for a future one so I really hope you can complete your Peace Corps then jump into your Fulbright easily. I guess I might be cynical but I am sometimes shocked about how much people are willing to help and/or accommodate others, even when their jobs have bureaucratic limitations so always email the right people to see if anything can be done!

Oh, yikes, I didn't know Fulbright notified people all the out until May! I assumed mid-April was the latest, especially since that is when the exemption stuff comes out for the PDOs (finding out in mid-May then having to request an exemption for early June orientations sounds like something they wouldn't do...hopefully...) Looking at the doc, I want to say I am confident you'll hear back end of April by the latest. (The latest notification were 5/16 and 5/20 for Venezuela and Uruguay ETA for the latest Fulbright years, but that seems like an anomaly to me since most are mid-to-late April at latest, with a few early Mays in there) I feel like we're all obsessively checking our emails. It's the most healthy unhealthy option, haha! (better than worry or panic for sure!)

Didn't know about the NCE status actually (EO here btw) -- that is so rad!!  

[mdct123]

The wait is really agonizing... Don't know what to do to get my mind off it--any suggestions? I've also been having nightmares galore.

[Horb]

1 hour ago, mdct123 said:

The wait is really agonizing... Don't know what to do to get my mind off it--any suggestions? I've also been having nightmares galore.

I'm right there with you. Somehow, October to January flew by and now I feel anxious each day. I can only hope someone hears soon so I know we aren't waiting endlessly.

Also, PSA: If you get an email stating your transcripts did not arrive (it will come after Feb. 21), don't panic and think now you have a black mark on your application. You can send them again. They get lost in the mail. They get lost in the building they go to, etc. 

 

[AnnMarie]

3 hours ago, mdct123 said:

The wait is really agonizing... Don't know what to do to get my mind off it--any suggestions? I've also been having nightmares galore.

Surprisingly, the wait after my interview might be my easiest wait yet. It just feels all out of my hands now and I'm halfway toward finding out if I got it (3 more weeks). 

I've been keeping crazy busy though. I started working out again in the beginning of January and I go to the gym 4 or 5 days a week depending. I've been working a lot as a substitute teacher. And any time I have that is going to work or working out I spend with some friends. I've also started a few new shows on Hulu and netflix. I even started a new book series (Outlander) and I've been reading it until 3 am.  So far, it has gone by fast and without stress. Thank goodness. Hopefully that holds up in the final week of waiting. Lol

I think the main thing is to overwhelm yourself with new hobbies and friends. Days go by in a blur!

[Horb]

15 minutes ago, AnnMarie said:

Surprisingly, the wait after my interview might be my easiest wait yet. It just feels all out of my hands now and I'm halfway toward finding out if I got it (3 more weeks). 

I've been keeping crazy busy though. I started working out again in the beginning of January and I go to the gym 4 or 5 days a week depending. I've been working a lot as a substitute teacher. And any time I have that is going to work or working out I spend with some friends. I've also started a few new shows on Hulu and netflix. I even started a new book series (Outlander) and I've been reading it until 3 am.  So far, it has gone by fast and without stress. Thank goodness. Hopefully that holds up in the final week of waiting. Lol

I think the main thing is to overwhelm yourself with new hobbies and friends. Days go by in a blur!

If you like the books, waiting until you see the series... Maybe that is how I should be spending my time....

[ibette]

My passport arrived yesterday so I got really excited looking through it and potentially having a visa in one of the pages  (at least I think a visa would be issued due to the long stay in the host country).  I applied for another internal fellowship in my university which is a one year fellowship. The deadline is Feb 22nd and they will let us know by March 1st if we are selected. Wish Fulbright was that quick . Does anyone have any upcoming trips to distract yourself? I know some of you may be in Spring Break. 

[Mossy.artist]

6 hours ago, Horb said:

If you like the books, waiting until you see the series... Maybe that is how I should be spending my time....

If only there were more than the two seasons so far!

[LibbyCreek]

11 hours ago, mdct123 said:

The wait is really agonizing... Don't know what to do to get my mind off it--any suggestions? I've also been having nightmares galore.

Well if I get the Fulbright I will need to pack up our farmhouse in order to rent it out while we are gone. I have started going through closets, the basement, laundry room etc so I have less to pack and fewer decisions to make this summer. I figure even if I don't get the fellowship our house will be tidier!

[hank.img]

Hi, 

When you guys were picking your host country, were you guys able to come up with unique reasons for that specific country? I had several reasons for my country but they were mainly objective and circumstantial in nature. Of course I had few reasons that mainly addressed circumstances and cultural differences of the country I am interested in but I feel like I didn't really have much appeal to pathos. Any thoughts on that?

[Horb]

24 minutes ago, hank.img said:

Hi, 

When you guys were picking your host country, were you guys able to come up with unique reasons for that specific country? I had several reasons for my country but they were mainly objective and circumstantial in nature. Of course I had few reasons that mainly addressed circumstances and cultural differences of the country I am interested in but I feel like I didn't really have much appeal to pathos. Any thoughts on that?

I had academic reasons (my archive is there), cultural reasons (the archive is of a german scholar persecuted during WWII and Berlin has amazing resources to help me get more cultural context) and personal reasons (I want to improve my German, I'd like to live and work in Germany one day, if possible). 

[Photogeographic]

I was so excited thinking this Wednesday was the first of March. Boy, I was sure disappointed when I realized I still have another week! Ugh ! I just want to know what's next! 

[mdct123]

12 hours ago, LibbyCreek said:

Well if I get the Fulbright I will need to pack up our farmhouse in order to rent it out while we are gone. I have started going through closets, the basement, laundry room etc so I have less to pack and fewer decisions to make this summer. I figure even if I don't get the fellowship our house will be tidier!

Thanks to all who responded. I've been trying to focus on my work but am super anxious--I just have to keep thinking positive thoughts.

[momo25]

I feel like I can't even be antsy about results in March because I'm STILL antsy that neither I or the other Royal Holloway semi-finalist here have gotten our phone interviews which are listed on the US-UK Fulbright exchange as necessary and only happening in February 2017.

Edited February 21, 2017 by momo25

[Jess2323]

@edon16 @tommec have either of you received word about an interview? I know @catsbloom did  - but I haven't so I wanted to know if I should be freaking out about it. Ha. Thanks!

[edon16]

13 minutes ago, Jess2323 said:

@edon16 @tommec have either of you received word about an interview? I know @catsbloom did  - but I haven't so I wanted to know if I should be freaking out about it. Ha. Thanks!

Hi! I have not received word about an interview, but I'm strangely calm - somehow. In this situation and for me, I feel my worrying is not energy well spent, but lolololol I still check this forum and my inbox/spam on the regular. It's my understanding pretty much everyone received an interview last year, so maybe Bulgaria is smoothing out the wrinkles in their process and not attempting to interview all the recommended applicants. I'm trying not to read too much into what an interview means or doesn't mean. Though I've had moments of self-doubt, my gratitude to be in this position continues to outshine any anxiety and worry.

I'm sending out good vibes into the universe so that all of us may be rewarded for our hard work! I don't know about @tommec, but good luck with your interview, @catsbloom! I'd love to hear how it goes.

[catsbloom]

20 minutes ago, edon16 said:

Hi! I have not received word about an interview, but I'm strangely calm - somehow. In this situation and for me, I feel my worrying is not energy well spent, but lolololol I still check this forum and my inbox/spam on the regular. It's my understanding pretty much everyone received an interview last year, so maybe Bulgaria is smoothing out the wrinkles in their process and not attempting to interview all the recommended applicants. I'm trying not to read too much into what an interview means or doesn't mean. Though I've had moments of self-doubt, my gratitude to be in this position continues to outshine any anxiety and worry.

I'm sending out good vibes into the universe so that all of us may be rewarded for our hard work! I don't know about @tommec, but good luck with your interview, @catsbloom! I'd love to hear how it goes.

Thank you! It is tomorrow morning so I can let you all know how it goes. From what I gathered from the e-mail I received, not everyone is being interviewed this year. I'm not sure how they developed the list of people to interview. It could really mean anything at this point! Interviews started on Monday and will end on Tuesday, February 28th.  The interview will be around 10 minutes long. They are interviewing people on Skype from 4pm - 6pm Bulgarian time each day. 

Good luck, everyone! Hang in there!

[Paradoxin756]

Hey, has anyone heard on an interview or over email about notification timelines? Just wondering because my host country's timeline was projected a lot later than normal. Could be something to do with State Department reorganization under the current administration? 

[indexes]

2 hours ago, Paradoxin756 said:

Hey, has anyone heard on an interview or over email about notification timelines? Just wondering because my host country's timeline was projected a lot later than normal. Could be something to do with State Department reorganization under the current administration? 

They didn't say anything in my interview (Poland) but I didn't ask either. Fulbrights are massive bureaucratic undertakings so it could be anything from the various offices involved in the State Department to the Fulbright offices in the host country to the conditions within the country or to the institutions (if you are applying for an ETA) or a combination of all the above. If it's something they told you specifically in the interview, then it's probably something on the host country's side. ): 

[Horb]

12 hours ago, Paradoxin756 said:

Hey, has anyone heard on an interview or over email about notification timelines? Just wondering because my host country's timeline was projected a lot later than normal. Could be something to do with State Department reorganization under the current administration? 

Did they tell you about it in an email? Or via interview that it'd be later?

[catsbloom]

#Fulbrightfail of the day - I thought my interview was at 8:45am, but it's really at 9:45am. I must have converted the time difference wrong.