Fulbright 2017-2018

[Dash123]

Damn just an alternate for Czech ETA - best of luck all

[Photogeographic]

So doesn't that mean for alternate status of non select we only get one email ?

[LibbyCreek]

3 minutes ago, Dash123 said:

Damn just an alternate for Czech ETA - best of luck all

Yes best of luck to you @Dash123!

[CoolOwl]

I realize this is an overdue question and it was briefly discussed a while ago -- but do any of you with research affiliations think that Fulbright commissions are checking in with your proposed PIs at host universities? 

[Horb]

1 minute ago, milliedaisy said:

I realize this is an overdue question and it was briefly discussed a while ago -- but do any of you with research affiliations think that Fulbright commissions are checking in with your proposed PIs at host universities? 

Yeah not sure... I would doubt it

[morelani]

8 minutes ago, milliedaisy said:

I realize this is an overdue question and it was briefly discussed a while ago -- but do any of you with research affiliations think that Fulbright commissions are checking in with your proposed PIs at host universities? 

I think the answer is "sometimes", possibly if they have a specific question or concern. They contacted my PI when I applied to Norway in 2013 to ask if he would be willing to help me find housing. Didn't hear anything this year though.

[Horb]

Did every finalist get two emails?

Edited March 13, 2017 by Horb

[rapskalien]

Finalist for the Czech Republic ?? as well. Good luck to everyone else. 

[jarp729]

Just a heads up for everyone, I work in DC right now at a federal position and we're being told to prepare for the federal government to be closed tomorrow for snow and Wednesday for severe ice conditions. This has not been finalised, but there's a possibility Tuesday and Wednesday will be non-notification days unless results can be released via telecommunication work!

[Horb]

2 minutes ago, jarp729 said:

Just a heads up for everyone, I work in DC right now at a federal position and we're being told to prepare for the federal government to be closed tomorrow for snow and Wednesday for severe ice conditions. This has not been finalised, but there's a possibility Tuesday and Wednesday will be non-notification days unless results can be released via telecommunication work!

Don't they come from New York? Or are all government organizations closing regardless of location?

[AKACaz]

2 minutes ago, Horb said:

Don't they come from New York? Or are all government organizations closing regardless of location?

Many/most New York locations may well be closed as well; they're expecting up to 20 inches. My uni there is on spring break at the moment, but they've already announced that they will reduce staffing down to essential personnel, and my workplace in midtown is also closing.

[jarp729]

4 minutes ago, Horb said:

Don't they come from New York? Or are all government organizations closing regardless of location?

They tend to be somewhat aligned from what I understand. We are only supposed to get 3 inches, so I think the almost 20 in NYC would likely result in closure.

[Photogeographic]

1 hour ago, Horb said:

Did every finalist get two emails?

Dang this whole two email thing is going to throw a wrench in my whole gmail filter idea ... now I'll know if it's non-selected based on how many emails I have in the designated Fulbright folder /filter ??

[Dash123]

Not gonna lie, kind of wish I'd been flat-out rejected rather than designated alternate. I hate being in limbo and there's no way of predicting my chances - could be 1/5 or 1/500 that I'm bumped up! I wish this fate on no one! Also, does anyone else feel like if they're ultimately chosen as an alternate that it won't really feel the same? 

[Tera]

6 minutes ago, Horb said:

Don't they come from New York? Or are all government organizations closing regardless of location?

Yeah, New Yorker here. We are gonna get slammed with 18+ inches over the course of 48 hours, not to mention it has been windy ever since the "wind storm" (not sure what else to call it) hit in Rochester. Visibility will be low, and driving conditions will be dangerous. I am expecting there to be several school and office closures. Makes waiting for results even more painful lol

[Tera]

1 minute ago, Dash123 said:

Not gonna lie, kind of wish I'd been flat-out rejected rather than designated alternate. I hate being in limbo and there's no way of predicting my chances - could be 1/5 or 1/500 that I'm bumped up! I wish this fate on no one! Also, does anyone else feel like if they're ultimately chosen as an alternate that it won't really feel the same? 

Is there any way for you to ask and find out where on the list you are at? I feel like it really would make it easier to plan for other possibilities based on your ranking... If I am an alternate, I will still proceed with my plan B up until I hear from Fulbright again (I suppose). 

[lyonessrampant]

2 minutes ago, Dash123 said:

Not gonna lie, kind of wish I'd been flat-out rejected rather than designated alternate. I hate being in limbo and there's no way of predicting my chances - could be 1/5 or 1/500 that I'm bumped up! I wish this fate on no one! Also, does anyone else feel like if they're ultimately chosen as an alternate that it won't really feel the same? 

Also an alternate for the second time in a row, and I wish it would have been a rejection as well based on my waiting experience last year and the fact that I'm also applying for jobs and postdocs and things right now. I think for me, if I do get converted, I won't feel badly about it because the factors that go into the difference between Principal and Alternate are beyond your control. It doesn't mean that the Principals projects are objectively better or whatever. It means that they wanted more people working on X and you're working on Y or something like that. If you do get converted, be proud of yourself!

[King Sahl Sociology]

This process is giving me an ulcer. 

[Vegan Burrito]

2 hours ago, Lab6214 said:

I'm hoping the next one is the Spanish ETA is next cuz the Spanish researches are already out! I dreamed about fulbright all night last night. This is driving me crazy, literally!  

I hope so too! I'm so tense right now

[Vegan Burrito]

12 minutes ago, Dash123 said:

Not gonna lie, kind of wish I'd been flat-out rejected rather than designated alternate. I hate being in limbo and there's no way of predicting my chances - could be 1/5 or 1/500 that I'm bumped up! I wish this fate on no one! Also, does anyone else feel like if they're ultimately chosen as an alternate that it won't really feel the same? 

Nah, I got in off the waitlist at my college and it didn't impact my experience at all.

[maelia8]

So basically unless the results come out in the next two or three hours, we're looking at a wait of three more days due to snow in NY, is that correct? Assuming the office hasn't already closed?

[Photogeographic]

12 minutes ago, Stormtrooper1138 said:

This process is giving me an ulcer. 

Tried to green arrow up this but ... I'm out for the day. 

[thepictureisstill]

4 minutes ago, maelia8 said:

So basically unless the results come out in the next two or three hours, we're looking at a wait of three more days due to snow in NY, is that correct? Assuming the office hasn't already closed?

Sounds like it. AHHHH WHY

[edon16]

from: me

to: my inbox

[hj2012]

15 hours ago, mckenna81 said:

"Better" is relative. It really all depends on a. what you want to do with the degree and b. what field you're in. I'm in a field where it's very unlikely that I'll get a tenure track faculty job, even with my PhD - there simply aren't enough jobs, and those in "better" programs really don't have much of a leg up at all. I'm better off with my second tier PhD with very little debt than with a first tier degree and $100k in loans. 

I say this having already gotten my PhD and having worked in admissions for a first tier graduate program in the sciences. The "name" school is not necessarily always the best option, nor does it correlate to long-term success. And though a Fulbright might help you get a first year fellowship to attract you to the school, no award is going to guarantee you full funding throughout your entire degree, especially given the current higher ed climate in the US. In my experience, people who have yet to go to grad school tend to be not so great at understanding or predicting the realities of grad school, particularly when it comes to finances. 

I just wanted to add another perspective for those who are thinking about applying to PhD programs. At least in my field, "better" PhD programs tend to also have better funding: the two are definitely correlated. The best strategy to avoid loans, at least for PhD applicants in my field, is to apply to the top programs, nearly all of which guarantee 6-7 years of competitive funding. Of course, the "name" school is not necessarily always the best option and there is legit NOTHING you can do to 100% guarantee long-term success in the academy. (It really is a crapshoot.) However, studies have shown that the "name brand" of your university sadly influences outcomes, and this is a factor that applicants should take into consideration while they make decisions on how to prepare for graduate school.