Fulbright ETA or PhD program?

[brontebitch]

This is probably premature, as I have not heard back from either, but do any of you have advice or experience in dealing with two different offers? I applied for a Fulbright ETA grant to teach English in Poland and am confident that I might be awarded the grant based on my application and candidate profile. I applied mostly because it would be crazy to turn down a Fulbright and I am an excellent applicant for several different reasons, so my advisor and some other faculty I know encouraged me to apply. However, I definitely want to get my PhD in English Lit (not comp lit or anything) and have also applied for multiple programs for Fall 2017 (8 schools). If I get the Fulbright and acceptance into any schools, which should I turn down? Most of the schools I applied to do not let you defer admission - would they if I was awarded a Fulbright? Just curious if any of you have experience with deferring acceptance or taking a gap year to do a Fulbright, etc. It's definitely possible that I won't get either or I won't get into PhD programs this year as I am straight from my BA and it's a crapshoot anyway, but I am just thinking about this in preparation for the best outcome. 

Best of luck to all of you applying this cycle, I am so nervous waiting around for news on my applications and just submitted my final app (to University of Colorado Boulder) yesterday! 

[Glasperlenspieler]

If you get accepted to both, it's certainly worth inquiring as to whether the program would allow you to defer. I think a program would be more apt to allow a deferral for a Fulbright, but you never know.

 

If you don't have that option, you've got a tough choice ahead of you. You'll probably get mixed responses on here, but here are my two cents. As you say, graduate admissions are a crapshoot. This means that if you get accepted this time around, it's no guarantee that you will get accepted next time, even if you apply to the same schools with the same materials. This is because the applicant pool may have changed, the admissions committee may have changed, or there may now be too many students at that program with your area of interest. Things might also change in your favor or not at all. You have know way of knowing. Furthermore, applying to PhD programs is expensive (and time consuming), so it's worth thinking about whether you are able or willing to afford another round of applications.

 

All that being said, all else being equal, I'd say go with the Fulbright. I'm doing a similar program specific to the country I'm in, and I really believe there's nothing like living in another country for a year. You experience things and learn and grow in ways I think it's difficult to do otherwise. So, if you haven't had this opportunity yet, then I'd say take it (if you have, then your decision metric is a little different). The other point in it's favor is the value of a year off. There are lots of people who go straight from BA to PhD and do great for themselves. However, I also think it can be a recipe for burnout. I applied to PhD programs out of my senior year and got shut out. I think I probably could have managed had I got it, but looking back I think I'm better off with some time off. It gave me the chance to step back and refocus. I think it also allowed me to better clarify what I really want to do in grad school and if I (hopefully) get in this time around, I think I will be ready to hit the ground running, something I'm not sure would have been the case if I'd gone directly into a PhD program.

[brontebitch]

39 minutes ago, Glasperlenspieler said:

If you get accepted to both, it's certainly worth inquiring as to whether the program would allow you to defer. I think a program would be more apt to allow a deferral for a Fulbright, but you never know.

 

If you don't have that option, you've got a tough choice ahead of you. You'll probably get mixed responses on here, but here are my two cents. As you say, graduate admissions are a crapshoot. This means that if you get accepted this time around, it's no guarantee that you will get accepted next time, even if you apply to the same schools with the same materials. This is because the applicant pool may have changed, the admissions committee may have changed, or there may now be too many students at that program with your area of interest. Things might also change in your favor or not at all. You have know way of knowing. Furthermore, applying to PhD programs is expensive (and time consuming), so it's worth thinking about whether you are able or willing to afford another round of applications.

 

All that being said, all else being equal, I'd say go with the Fulbright. I'm doing a similar program specific to the country I'm in, and I really believe there's nothing like living in another country for a year. You experience things and learn and grow in ways I think it's difficult to do otherwise. So, if you haven't had this opportunity yet, then I'd say take it (if you have, then your decision metric is a little different). The other point in it's favor is the value of a year off. There are lots of people who go straight from BA to PhD and do great for themselves. However, I also think it can be a recipe for burnout. I applied to PhD programs out of my senior year and got shut out. I think I probably could have managed had I got it, but looking back I think I'm better off with some time off. It gave me the chance to step back and refocus. I think it also allowed me to better clarify what I really want to do in grad school and if I (hopefully) get in this time around, I think I will be ready to hit the ground running, something I'm not sure would have been the case if I'd gone directly into a PhD program.

You're absolutely right! That's why I have been saying I will probably take a PhD acceptance, even if I get the Fulbright as well, just because it might be the only chance I have even if I reapply. I have also spent almost 1k on applications and other materials, so it would be a huge waste of money if I did get in and didn't end up going. 

Thanks for your response. I will have to wait and see what kind of offers I get, but hopefully I have some choices. A lot of my professors and my advisor have advised against starting a PhD right away but have also acknowledged I would likely be able to handle it as I am extremely excited about the field and a great student. Obviously, things could change in grad school, but right now I feel like I would handle it well. The more I think about the Fulbright the more appealing it sounds, and it might make me a more appealing candidate later on if I don't get in anywhere this cycle. Thanks again!!! 

[SophieHatter]

So, I was actually in your position three years ago--I applied to be a Fulbright ETA in Poland and to grad programs in English (although I went for an MA first instead of a PhD). I got the Fulbright, and my grad program of choice let me defer. Even if your program doesn't let you defer, based on my experience, the Fulbright is absolutely worth doing. If you end up having to play the application game again, a lot of places don't make you pay the application fee if you're currently on a Fulbright. That doesn't negate the amount of time it takes, but being a Fulbright will also make you a stronger applicant in the long run.  

Best of luck with both! 

[brontebitch]

5 minutes ago, corinnek said:

So, I was actually in your position three years ago--I applied to be a Fulbright ETA in Poland and to grad programs in English (although I went for an MA first instead of a PhD). I got the Fulbright, and my grad program of choice let me defer. Even if your program doesn't let you defer, based on my experience, the Fulbright is absolutely worth doing. If you end up having to play the application game again, a lot of places don't make you pay the application fee if you're currently on a Fulbright. That doesn't negate the amount of time it takes, but being a Fulbright will also make you a stronger applicant in the long run.  

Best of luck with both! 

Thank you SO much for your comment! It gives me hope! I hope I will find myself in the same position (acceptance to both!) and am able to defer, but I'll just have to wait and see. Good luck to you and congratulations on your Fulbright and MA program! That's so fantastic!! 

[Horb]

Hi! Not sure if you made it to round 2 or not (I hope you did!) but for what it is worth, I talked to an English professor when I was applying to grad school and applying for Fulbright (I was applying for the study to the UK, which has a 4% acceptance rate and I ended up being a semi-finalist) and she said that the ETA isn't that prestigious (for grad programs). They care more about study/research. That said, an ETA would be an amazing experience in and of itself.