Boren 2017-2018

[kyle-from-grad-school]

I'm super nervous. I'm worried I drastically overestimated my budget and funding request too.

[UnawareInGeneral]

12 minutes ago, kylall77 said:

I'm super nervous. I'm worried I drastically overestimated my budget and funding request too.

You mean you think you were too conservative or you didn't leave yourself enough money to accomplish your program goals? (Duration, tuition, etc)

 

[kbui]

3 hours ago, kylall77 said:

I'm super nervous. I'm worried I drastically overestimated my budget and funding request too.

I've talked to previous Fellows and it's better that you overestimate so that you get the highest amount they offer. I talked to Boren and they also said that underestimating your budget or to have a budget under the limit does not increase your chances of receiving the grant and that it's more difficult to increase it later on.

[UnawareInGeneral]

7 minutes ago, kbui said:

I've talked to previous Fellows and it's better that you overestimate so that you get the highest amount they offer. I talked to Boren and they also said that underestimating your budget or to have a budget under the limit does not increase your chances of receiving the grant and that it's more difficult to increase it later on.

6 more days before the official commencement of obsessively checking your email all day

[kbui]

2 hours ago, UnawareInGeneral said:

6 more days before the official commencement of obsessively checking your email all day

:D/:O

[gabiwankenobi]

Hey guys, 

I have to admit that I have a lot of anxiety this week and the next, obviously Boren being one of the main causes, but my mother is also in the hospital for cancer treatment. Anyone have any recommendations to deal with the stress and anxiety? I'd really appreciate it.

[SwissMister]

1 hour ago, ladyben-kenobi said:

Hey guys, 

I have to admit that I have a lot of anxiety this week and the next, obviously Boren being one of the main causes, but my mother is also in the hospital for cancer treatment. Anyone have any recommendations to deal with the stress and anxiety? I'd really appreciate it.

Very sorry to hear that ladyben-kenobi. I went through a similar experience while applying to grad school. I don't have great advice, but can tell you that by spending as much time on the phone or in-person with my mother during her ordeal, while concurrently forcing myself to compartmentalize and forge ahead with my own endeavors, made me a stronger, more resilient person. The experience pushed me to my emotional limits, but my mother recovered and my applications were completed. These are those "fight or flight" moments in life where everything inside of you is telling you to succumb to emotional grief and drop everything and just be with your mother. Yes, there are times for that, too. But, I'll go out on a ledge and presume that your mother, like mine, wouldn't want you to stress about this situation that you have no control over. Two quotes that run through my mind when these trying situations arise:

"This too shall pass." and "The pressure of adversity does not affect the mind of the brave man... It is more powerful than external circumstances."

Thoughts and prayers with your family. 

[gabiwankenobi]

9 hours ago, SwissMister said:

Very sorry to hear that ladyben-kenobi. I went through a similar experience while applying to grad school. I don't have great advice, but can tell you that by spending as much time on the phone or in-person with my mother during her ordeal, while concurrently forcing myself to compartmentalize and forge ahead with my own endeavors, made me a stronger, more resilient person. The experience pushed me to my emotional limits, but my mother recovered and my applications were completed. These are those "fight or flight" moments in life where everything inside of you is telling you to succumb to emotional grief and drop everything and just be with your mother. Yes, there are times for that, too. But, I'll go out on a ledge and presume that your mother, like mine, wouldn't want you to stress about this situation that you have no control over. Two quotes that run through my mind when these trying situations arise:

"This too shall pass." and "The pressure of adversity does not affect the mind of the brave man... It is more powerful than external circumstances."

Thoughts and prayers with your family. 

 

Thank you so much for your kind words, Swiss. It has been an emotionally draining situation, I also have a younger sibling in her teen years so I have to take care of her and keep the household running. It's just been a rough start of the month. I also recently received news that my university, the only institution that offers Russian in my island is eliminating Russian language along with Arabic (classic) entirely from the academic offer because of budget cuts but keeping French, Portuguese, and Italian. I'm working on a way to fight this with a group of other students but it is very disheartening. Overall, I do feel indeed this is a "fight or flight" moment in my life, sometimes coming from such a small place contributes to the emotional turmoil I'm currently experiencing. Professional setbacks are always expected, but when it's something like cancer or disease, it just sucks.

[ASDF1023]

Question! If I applied for an AFLI Boren Scholarship and did not receive any budget update email does that unfortunately completely rule me out?

[kbui]

12 hours ago, ladyben-kenobi said:

Hey guys, 

I have to admit that I have a lot of anxiety this week and the next, obviously Boren being one of the main causes, but my mother is also in the hospital for cancer treatment. Anyone have any recommendations to deal with the stress and anxiety? I'd really appreciate it.

I'm sorry to hear this. I would say that family is one of the most important things that we can keep in our lives, and that if you're currently close to your mother and are in the same city, it's going to be a difficult choice. I would ask the question of, Would she do the same thing for you?

I've found that Americans have less of a connection to their parents, and that we're a highly individualistic country. It really comes down to what your priorities and values are as a person.

As for stress and anxiety, I would recommend seeking a counselor or someone who can help you think through things.

[UnawareInGeneral]

1 hour ago, ASDF1023 said:

Question! If I applied for an AFLI Boren Scholarship and did not receive any budget update email does that unfortunately completely rule me out?

You will know in about a week or so definitively. 

[ASDF1023]

35 minutes ago, UnawareInGeneral said:

You will know in about a week or so definitively. 

Thank! I realize that. I was just wondering if anyone in the past had not received a budget email and had still been accepted. 

[UnawareInGeneral]

1 hour ago, ASDF1023 said:

Thank! I realize that. I was just wondering if anyone in the past had not received a budget email and had still been accepted. 

Dunno, My point was just that I'd have looked around in the data people put in the previous years for an answer if you were curious oh... a month ago. Odds are decent we know who all the recipients are in 5 days-ish though so... just doesn't seem like a long enough time to be at all concerned in your case. Don't worry yourself about it is my point, tempus very much fugit. 

 

Edit: So I went ahead and looked at the data from last year (the only year that is relevant anymore since budget emails are no longer an early indicator of acceptance) and everyone who reported their experience (accept, reject, alternate) got the budget update emails. Everyone. 

SO.... there is, based on what we know, no conclusion whatsoever we can make about you not receiving the e-mail. 

I can maybe take a wild guess though.... you did receive the email, it's in your spam folder or you gave them an alternate email and it went there. 

OR.... this is the twilight zone and we are all in very serious trouble. 

You can call them and ask btw, dunno where you'll get  won't be any more in the dark either way. 

Edited April 12, 2017 by UnawareInGeneral

[gabiwankenobi]

11 hours ago, kbui said:

I'm sorry to hear this. I would say that family is one of the most important things that we can keep in our lives, and that if you're currently close to your mother and are in the same city, it's going to be a difficult choice. I would ask the question of, Would she do the same thing for you?

I've found that Americans have less of a connection to their parents, and that we're a highly individualistic country. It really comes down to what your priorities and values are as a person.

As for stress and anxiety, I would recommend seeking a counselor or someone who can help you think through things.

 

 

hey kbui, I'm Puerto Rican and family in our culture is actually a very close knit kind of thing. For example, unlike the typical scenario for American families, when kids go to college for their BA, it is out of the norm that the kid stays in a dorm or moves out, and if they do, they are actually expected to drive back home each weekend. I'm currently staying with my mom at the hospital, but my mom is one of those mom's that says "you cannot stop because of me and I won't let you" and she's a damn great mom so that makes the situation not better but more pleasant. I think I'll definitely take your recommendation btw.

@ASDF1023

wow, that completely goes against last year's pattern. Regardless if you get it or not, please post the result. It could help those who apply next year.

[kbui]

@ladyben-kenobi I really hope things go well with you and your mother. And she does sound like a great mom. Sending prayers your way.

[kbui]

Do you think they'll surprise us with results tomorrow?

[mastersbound]

2 hours ago, kbui said:

Do you think they'll surprise us with results tomorrow?

Why tomorrow?

[UnawareInGeneral]

54 minutes ago, mastersbound said:

Why tomorrow?

Because Ninjas

Edited April 12, 2017 by UnawareInGeneral

[d-hopper]

Good Friday and Easter Monday. Both holidays to most fed offices and schools. The decision will either be tomorrow, or next week.

[UnawareInGeneral]

5 hours ago, d-hopper said:

Good Friday and Easter Monday. Both holidays to most fed offices and schools. The decision will either be tomorrow, or next week.

And how is that any different from Ninjas? 

[kbui]

I think it might be safe to say that it will not be today. Historically in the past five years, Boren has not released results before April 15th. 

[gabiwankenobi]

22 minutes ago, kbui said:

I think it might be safe to say that it will not be today. Historically in the past five years, Boren has not released results before April 15th. 

Super tempted right now to email and ask when we should expect results but instead, I've decided to just delete my gmail app from my phone. The checking your email every 3 seconds life isn't the life I want tbh.

Edited April 13, 2017 by ladyben-kenobi

[jclark12]

Historically they haven't released results before April 15th, yes, but it's also been moving earlier every year

[MA2020]

I talked to them and they said we would hear by mid-week next week.

[UnawareInGeneral]

44 minutes ago, boren1718 said:

I talked to them and they said we would hear by mid-week next week.

Yeah, I heard the same. It looks like Monday was the target but with the federal holiday, Tuesday is probably highly likely.