Critical Language Scholarship - 2017 Cycle

[susurrus]

I realize how impatient I am :/

[KiraKira96]

Does anyone have any information on statistics for semi finalist of Chinese and has anyone heard back or when we will hear back??

 thanks 

[UnawareInGeneral]

7 hours ago, tst1996 said:

Does anyone have any information on statistics for semi finalist of Chinese and has anyone heard back or when we will hear back??

 thanks 

It's about the same as any of the other languages, at this point your chances are 50/50. And we were supposed to hear back by... well if today comes and goes without news they are late. So if we don't hear tomorrow, it's whenever they get around to it.

last year they got semi-finalist news on the 28th of January and finalist news on March 8th. 

If we don't hear today then i think we have become the year with the second longest wait time between second and first round notification. Took two months in 2013 they say, that would put us in mid March..... 

[KiraKira96]

I just decided to call them and ask when we should hear back for notifications and the lady on the phone said that they hope to get them out within the next 2 weeks  But I need to commit to this other program before then so I don't know what to do 

[UnawareInGeneral]

2 weeks huh? So we are basically on for being the year that got boned the hardest, that's cool. 

 

[UnawareInGeneral]

1 hour ago, tst1996 said:

I just decided to call them and ask when we should hear back for notifications and the lady on the phone said that they hope to get them out within the next 2 weeks  But I need to commit to this other program before then so I don't know what to do 

This particular program does an amazing job of conflicting with everything else people seem to want to do. I realize every employee at state is currently re-writing their resume, but at the very least they could make this process less opaque so that when we are being told to wait two months we have some idea why and not just "there's a delay". I mean, it's not a traffic accident. There's nothing to shield people from for their own safety and mental health. 

[brubruboy]

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/321605-trump-pitches-37-percent-cut-to-state-budget-reports

 

Um... this is getting way too problematic. I'm scared, not just about when we'll hear about results, but whether or not the program will be able to successfully secure enough funding for this summer. 

[UnawareInGeneral]

37 minutes ago, brubruboy said:

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/321605-trump-pitches-37-percent-cut-to-state-budget-reports

 

Um... this is getting way too problematic. I'm scared, not just about when we'll hear about results, but whether or not the program will be able to successfully secure enough funding for this summer. 

Funding for these programs is not allotted at the last second. Funding is established for this program and the other fellowships/programs in this cycle (Boren/Fulbright/etc) already. This cycle shouldn't get shafted as a result, but next year might. 

 

Still, read the entire article. Congress has bipartisan opposition to what the President is saying he wants to do here. Meaning it won't happen. If Graham, McCain, and McConnel are opposed to it, the republican majority in congress will not stand firm enough to result in these kinds of drastic budget swings. 

 

We aren't on hold because of budget concerns. Whatever is going on, it isn't that. 

Edited February 28, 2017 by UnawareInGeneral

[KiraKira96]

If any of this seems redundant, its from a topic I just posted on Grad Cafe about TISLP 2017. Any of y'all applying/applied/considering applying?:

Hey, I was just wondering if anyone else is applying to TISLP 2017 this year. I just turned in my app today but haven't heard of many others on grad cafe applying.  I'm also a semi finalist for CLS Advanced Chinese. I came across the program while looking on the American Councils site - anxiously trying to get as much information about CLS to fill the void of having to wait with a delayed notification date. But the program obviously was not heavily advertised, no one in my Chinese Language Flagship program (student and directors/professors) have heard any information about it. Is it new this year or relatively new? If there are any people who have done the program I would love to hear about you all's experience in the class room and in Tainan, Taiwan, or if anyone else is applying I would love to anxiously wait it out with y'all 

[saltpeep1]

" There's nothing to shield people from for their own safety and mental health."
 

....Wait....waiting for an application to process is a strain on your mental health? You need to check yourself.

The entitlement in this forum is off-the-charts. Reminder: this is a fully-funded scholarship. Be a little patient. It's a useful skill to have abroad, too. 

[UnawareInGeneral]

Maybe you should check your ability to read and understand English before you devote more time to another language. "There's nothing to shield people from..." Obviously, obviously meaning there's no reason to keep the process from being more transparent since it isn't going to hurt anyone to explain how it works. The metaphor alone, where first responders arrange the vehicles on the highway specifically to shield as much of the carnage of an accident from view as possible, should make it immediately clear that you are reading something into this that simply is not there. It ISNT going to hurt people to understand the process better, there's no reason for opaqueness is a completely valid point. 

There's absolutely nothing in that statement that says or even remotely implies that it is an emotional burden that simply cannot be sustained to have to wait longer. 

Expecting a government program to be more clearly administrated is not entitlement, regardless of what the program is. 

The question then becomes, what makes you so eager to misinterpret something and then draw your flaming sword of righteous condemnation in response? 

Do you honestly believe that it is somehow entitlement to wish for more clarity on a process like this? It is not a demand being made of the state department, it is a discussion of what might make it more functional for the people waiting to decide what kind of commitment they should make this summer. Some folks have more than one iron in the fire. How much of a sheep are you that when you are told to expect results by a certain point and you don't see them, you figure yours is not to question why simply to do and stfu. Not even allowed to talk about it eh? Not even allowed to express disappointment slightly at a delay or kick the idea around and talk about it. 

It says right there in the comment..... I realize state feels like it is under attack right now. And then it asks why the process doesn't work differently from the start, not why don't they get off their asses and change how they do it tomorrow to make me happy.

Thanks for letting me know patience is valuable overseas. All that time I spent working, living, and studying abroad for years and that never quite sank in. I failed to learn the shut up and wait quietly skill too somehow. I guess we spent time in different places. 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 1, 2017 by UnawareInGeneral

[saltpeep1]

I don't see why people are CALLING and asking some bureaucrat for exact details on when they'll get results. They said late February. February is a short month. Sit down, stfu, and be patient. You don't get to cry that an organization is disorganized when it's February 28 and they are -- God forbid -- only a day behind schedule, so far. Your application is one in a stack of what I'm guessing hundreds. Let them sift and do what they gotta do. You'll get results. And look at past forums on the CLS-- people have had this experience. I don't think a massive hack or crash has jeopardized your application. You'll be OK.  

In the meantime, apply for other programs, jobs, whatever. Nobody is stopping you -- you chose to apply for a shit-ton of programs. Be grateful you live in a country or go to a school where we even have these opportunities (CLS! Boren! Blakemore!)/someone tells you about them. You don't realize how privileged-brat it sounds to whine about waiting on one great opportunity because it MIGHT POSSIBLY interfere with some other great opportunity. 

[_KITE]

Guys - can we chill with the ad hominem attacks?

We don't have to patronize, mock, or berate each other. We're all here, refreshing this thread constantly. We don't have to abandon our morals because some people we've never even met before needed an extension.

The last page of this thread just makes us all look bad.

Let's wring ourselves back in.

Edited March 1, 2017 by bbuddhab1213

[saltpeep1]

Exactly. No need to enter into a frenzied panic because the results may be a little late. 

It will not break your future, I promise.

[susurrus]

I understand the anxiety some people are feeling, it's tough having to tell your work, internship, etc that you can't give a definite answer for at most another two weeks, when they're pressuring you for an answer as soon as possible. I don't blame the state department for needing time to sift through the applications, CLS seems like a huge undertaking and we're not the only thing on their plates. 

it's just a tough situation. At least we have this forum to vent on!

[ImagineHagens]

I thought I would just give my 2 cents that arguing on a friggin forum is ridiculous guys, how old are we again? like seriously grow up. Im really looking forward to hear back, but it is really stressful because I have other things I have to postpone my commitment for. So have a little empathy in that aspect. Noone on here is like boasting their experience or saying their going to waste the scholarship money, Im sure most of us, if not a majority are appreciative of the opportunity to even be considered for thia scholarship by the state dept. stop adding fire to the flame, lets fet along and act like adults. 

 

On another note, 

 

Is anyone else a semi finalist for Chinese lol??

[ImagineHagens]

On 2/28/2017 at 1:12 AM, UnawareInGeneral said:

It's about the same as any of the other languages, at this point your chances are 50/50. And we were supposed to hear back by... well if today comes and goes without news they are late. So if we don't hear tomorrow, it's whenever they get around to it.

last year they got semi-finalist news on the 28th of January and finalist news on March 8th. 

If we don't hear today then i think we have become the year with the second longest wait time between second and first round notification. Took two months in 2013 they say, that would put us in mid March..... 

Yeah but are there real statistics? I heard that chinese and arabic has  more spots than some of the others 

[susurrus]

anyone else a semifinalist for turkish? How did you become interested in learning the language?

[mrs12]

@susurrus me! 

It's really complicated and a long story -- to shorten it, I liked languages and wanted to major in one, so I ended up choosing Turkish because I was fascinated by Turkish history and because it was a critically needed language. That was the reason, but then I took Turkish and fell in love with the language itself. 

How about you? What level did you apply for?

[susurrus]

@mrs12 I applied for beginning Turkish! In high school we were going to take a senior trip to Turkey, and through researching for it I became interested in the language and history. The trip was relocated, but I was still enthusiastic about learning Turkish, aaand a couple years later here I am! 

[ImagineHagens]

Today could be the day guys! 

[_KITE]

lol if we're speculating, I vote for March 13th

[ImagineHagens]

24 minutes ago, bbuddhab1213 said:

lol if we're speculating, I vote for March 13th

Really? You think they would send it out THAT late? It gives me anxiety everyday just thinking about it.

 

[_KITE]

3 minutes ago, ImagineHagens said:

Really? You think they would send it out THAT late? It gives me anxiety everyday just thinking about it.

 

I'm kinda like, a pessimistic person I'd say - so the date I threw out there was completely unfounded (minus the guy who said 2 more weeks and my pessimism) lol. Sorry bud, but I do understand the anxiety bit. I've moved past that stage, personally. I think I'm too busy with school to be as stressed as before.

[ImagineHagens]

On 3/3/2017 at 3:32 PM, bbuddhab1213 said:

I'm kinda like, a pessimistic person I'd say - so the date I threw out there was completely unfounded (minus the guy who said 2 more weeks and my pessimism) lol. Sorry bud, but I do understand the anxiety bit. I've moved past that stage, personally. I think I'm too busy with school to be as stressed as before.

For me its the opposite, its hard to focus on everything when you have school work and its coupled with the stress of not knowing. Im also being pessimistic telling myself I wont get it at all, but then again I said the same thing before becoming a semi finalist so who knows. But I feel better now because I also applied to Taiwan Summer Intensive Langugae Program, so I at least have something else to fall back on. Study Abroad is expensive, this scholarship would mean the world for me. Best of luck to everyone as we wait each day next week for the notification