Fulbright 2018-2019

[Herbie]

12 hours ago, hobakie said:

The way my fulbright advisor made it seem was as if everyone is judged against one another regardless of background. It's what made it that much harder applying as a soon to be BA candidate because I had to complete against PhDs who likely had an ongoing project and or thesis that the Fulbright could contribute to. 

It's not impossible tho?

Yikes! And totally appropriate emoji.

[Embee]

On 4/10/2017 at 1:13 PM, Adelaide9216 said:

At what time do you start preparing an application for Fullbright (like how many months do you need)? 

I would start about 5 months before the application is due. Fill out the basics of the application, lay out the concept for your research proposal and get affiliation letters requested. Start to work on your personal statement and set it aside for a few weeks to edit it down because it is REALLY difficult to compress everything down to one page. Plan to have everything done by beginning of September and get feedback from others. That way you can easily make the deadline without stress.

[iDance]

On 4/10/2017 at 2:24 PM, Adelaide9216 said:

Yes, I am Canadian. I am a francophone, so I don't know if my written English is good enough to pursue graduate studies in the US (English is my second language and I know that my english grammar is not good). At my current university, I can hand in any graded paper or exam in French.  

I am so sorry--I didn't even realize there were locations next to the avatars.  Now that I look at your program, if you're doing social work, you could try to find somewhere in the US that has a large french-speaking population. I'll be honest, though--I'm not sure how many of those are left. You could even spin it as a chance to improve your grammar. If it helps, your posts on here are good. Is there an English department at your university that you could work with to make improvements before you apply? I'm not sure if international applicants are on the same schedule as US ones. Once again, I am so sorry about giving you confusing info.

[Okonkwo]

Hi Friends!

I have been keeping an eye on past year's threads for Fulbright and I am eager to now have a chance to apply! I am an English Education major from a small liberal arts university in Ohio, I am currently teaching in India in a small school near a village of approximately 600, this is the only inclusion school for students with special needs in the surrounding area. I will be teaching here for 5 months as part of my student teaching requirement for certification and undergrad graduation. Over the past few years in undergrad I have traveled to Costa Rica to teach in an orphanage, and for the past two winters have taught in the West Bank of the Palestinian Territories in a refugee camp near Bethlehem (and going back in December!). International education is a great passion of mine and I have found a lot of energy through these travels so Fulbright ETA feels like a natural fit before pursuing an MA program in TESOL or International Education Development and Policy.

Is anyone in interested in workshopping S.O.P together? I work as a writing consultant at my school but seem to fail to apply such skills to my own writing.

Also, to soothe some already mounting anxiety, the google doc for notification dates (for all you planners out there) is here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AlU2xDiiVhQjK3quPy6qXJuhgXYghzzG8L4YNT0unX0/edit#gid=1535702113

I am torn between which countries to submit my application, either Czech Republic or Turkey. My real attraction is Morocco or Jordan (or the Palestinian Territory which is now offered this year but I am looking for a new experience- if anyone would like some insight to teaching in that area please contact me! Pay careful mind to the restrictions seen on the country details) but unfortunately have not developed any real understanding of Arabic despite my travels aside from travel and market language. 

Best! Can't wait to chat with y'all and develop some groupthink about suspected notification dates and other irrational theories that gradcafe fosters! <3

[HopefullA]

13 hours ago, Okonkwo said:

Hi Friends!

I have been keeping an eye on past year's threads for Fulbright and I am eager to now have a chance to apply! I am an English Education major from a small liberal arts university in Ohio, I am currently teaching in India in a small school near a village of approximately 600, this is the only inclusion school for students with special needs in the surrounding area. I will be teaching here for 5 months as part of my student teaching requirement for certification and undergrad graduation. Over the past few years in undergrad I have traveled to Costa Rica to teach in an orphanage, and for the past two winters have taught in the West Bank of the Palestinian Territories in a refugee camp near Bethlehem (and going back in December!). International education is a great passion of mine and I have found a lot of energy through these travels so Fulbright ETA feels like a natural fit before pursuing an MA program in TESOL or International Education Development and Policy.

Is anyone in interested in workshopping S.O.P together? I work as a writing consultant at my school but seem to fail to apply such skills to my own writing.

Also, to soothe some already mounting anxiety, the google doc for notification dates (for all you planners out there) is here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AlU2xDiiVhQjK3quPy6qXJuhgXYghzzG8L4YNT0unX0/edit#gid=1535702113

I am torn between which countries to submit my application, either Czech Republic or Turkey. My real attraction is Morocco or Jordan (or the Palestinian Territory which is now offered this year but I am looking for a new experience- if anyone would like some insight to teaching in that area please contact me! Pay careful mind to the restrictions seen on the country details) but unfortunately have not developed any real understanding of Arabic despite my travels aside from travel and market language. 

Best! Can't wait to chat with y'all and develop some groupthink about suspected notification dates and other irrational theories that gradcafe fosters! <3

Okonkwo,

I would love to workshop S.O.P together. I am applying for a research grant in Jordan so it is great to hear that someone else has had experience in the area. Turkey and Czech Republic sound like great options! I was in between Turkey and Jordan initially. 

[ibette]

17 hours ago, HopefullA said:

Okonkwo,

I would love to workshop S.O.P together. I am applying for a research grant in Jordan so it is great to hear that someone else has had experience in the area. Turkey and Czech Republic sound like great options! I was in between Turkey and Jordan initially. 

Just FYI Turkey ETA canceled their 2017-2018 program and some of the Turkey Research Grants are not guaranteed to Istanbul (you can look to the current applicants comments in last year's thread, p. 109). 

[Okonkwo]

3 minutes ago, ibette said:

Just FYI Turkey ETA canceled their 2017-2018 program and some of the Turkey Research Grants are not guaranteed to Istanbul (you can look to the current applicants comments in last year's thread, p. 109). 

I just saw this when double checking the notification doc on Google! What a shame, I think it'd be best to apply to more stable area in hopes of receiving a placement. Updated list: Czech Republic, Greece, and Hungary-Roma. Taking special time to weigh options now. Thanks for the heads up!

[Okonkwo]

17 hours ago, HopefullA said:

Okonkwo,

I would love to workshop S.O.P together. I am applying for a research grant in Jordan so it is great to hear that someone else has had experience in the area. Turkey and Czech Republic sound like great options! I was in between Turkey and Jordan initially. 

You betcha! I'll PM you when I start drafting.

[akshali2000]

Question: Are any applicants engaged or recently married, particularly people who were semi-finalists or Alternates before but then reapplied and won the grant? I would love to hear your perspective, particularly regarding - 

• Even with the dependent stipend, were you able to make ends meet financially? If so, how?
• What sort of effect did Fulbright have on your spouse's career? What about personally? Was your dependent able to adjust to a new environment? Were they able to find a job?
• What's it like to wedding plan and/or begin married life while in a new country?

Background: I'm 27, finished graduate school, currently working full-time for the past 2 years. I only know of one other person who has been in this situation, so I'm wondering if there are others. A former classmate of mine won a fellowship (not Fulbright, but similar) abroad and her boyfriend joined her on a 3 month tourist visa. However, he couldn't find a job so he had to come back to the States and they postponed their engagement/marriage until she finished her program.

Thanks!

Edited May 1, 2017 by akshali2000

[bobbiaveci]

Hi All

I'm currently working on a double major in Communication Sciences & Disorders and French at a mid-sized public university in Wisconsin. I'll be graduating next spring, and am going to be applying for an ETA position in a Francophone country ( I am debating towards France, Belgium, and Luxembourg right now)! I've popped on the Fulbright website some this week, and am going to be working on my application throughout the summer. If anyone has any insight on French speaking Fulbright countries, tips for new applicants, or just wants to touch base I am down to chat! Good luck to all those who are applying! 

[Dostoprimechatel'nosti]

On ‎5‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 1:36 AM, akshali2000 said:

Question: Are any applicants engaged or recently married, particularly people who were semi-finalists or Alternates before but then reapplied and won the grant? I would love to hear your perspective, particularly regarding - 

• Even with the dependent stipend, were you able to make ends meet financially? If so, how?
• What sort of effect did Fulbright have on your spouse's career? What about personally? Was your dependent able to adjust to a new environment? Were they able to find a job?
• What's it like to wedding plan and/or begin married life while in a new country?

Background: I'm 27, finished graduate school, currently working full-time for the past 2 years. I only know of one other person who has been in this situation, so I'm wondering if there are others. A former classmate of mine won a fellowship (not Fulbright, but similar) abroad and her boyfriend joined her on a 3 month tourist visa. However, he couldn't find a job so he had to come back to the States and they postponed their engagement/marriage until she finished her program.

Thanks!

Hello! When I first applied for the Fulbright Student Research grant while (not so recently) married, I was named an Alternate. The following year, I reapplied for the grant and was chosen as a finalist. The Fulbright stipend with dependent support was more than enough to cover our expenses in-country (our dependent stipend was only $100 extra per month, intended to cover the additional cost of food for 1 person).

Unfortunately for us, we own a home in the U.S. so the real struggle was working over the two-year application process to save the funds necessary to cover 9+ months of our mortgage and bills at home (this problem is most likely unique to us because we have 3 dogs and rather than rent out our house for the year, we had family stay in our home to take care of our fur babies).

Apart from being students, my husband and I both make our living as bartenders. So my husband's career didn't suffer and his boss is wonderful and is holding my husband's position while we are away. Even if that hadn't been possible, we could bartend anywhere - so this was not a serious issue for us. That being said, the dependent residency visa that the embassy helped us qualify for does not allow for paid work in-country. This may vary depending on the country, but I think that it is the norm. If your spouse is able to work remotely or pick-up online work from U.S. companies, that may be one way to work around not having a work visa.

The adjustment was more difficult for my husband than we expected. He worked incredibly hard for the two years leading up to our Fulbright grant year, so he arrived in-country expecting to enjoy a vacation-like year, but he soon discovered that he felt unfulfilled. Things really improved for him when he involved himself in the community and began volunteering regularly.

As far as married life in a new country, we have been fortunate to travel together for months at a time so it was not a completely unusual experience for us. Of course, living in a new country is far different from traveling and I think that it has been very rewarding to experience this together, although it was not without its challenges!

I hope that some of this info is helpful, I know that it is very specific to our situation. But if you have any additional questions or need any clarification please let me know! Good luck!

[Flambeau]

Hey, guys! I'm a rising senior and will be applying for the ETA program. I've narrowed my choice of countries to Italy, Czech Republic, Netherlands, and Bulgaria.  If anyone has any experiences with those countries, or is also applying, I'd love to chat!

[taymsmi]

Hi everyone!
I am a rising senior and am going to be applying for the ETA in Nepal. I have started my application and am in the very beginning phases of my personal statement and statement of purpose. I am a little nervous for this application process, but also super excited! I'd love to hear from anyone who has any experience with Nepal or any advice about the application process and how to make myself a more competitive applicant!
I look forward to staying posted on everyones application journeys  

 

[PhD Caffeine Consumption]

So, I really want the scholarship, I have an affiliation letter, and I have a clear research topic. BUT, I'm a PhD student and my department prefers that I stay in the states. They've said they would love if someone in the department got the scholarship but it would essentially mean I take a year off from the program and they also don't want that. Has anyone else had pushback or mixed messages from their PhD programs? How did you handle it?

[ibette]

On 5/23/2017 at 10:27 PM, PhD Caffeine Consumption said:

So, I really want the scholarship, I have an affiliation letter, and I have a clear research topic. BUT, I'm a PhD student and my department prefers that I stay in the states. They've said they would love if someone in the department got the scholarship but it would essentially mean I take a year off from the program and they also don't want that. Has anyone else had pushback or mixed messages from their PhD programs? How did you handle it?

My department was very excited and supportive but my advisor was worried that it would put me behind on the research we are working on. Even then, she still wrote me an excellent recc letter that helped me get it. I would just talk with your department head/chair, and possibly see if your university has an international/national fellowship program to learn which national awards you can apply. Your department may be more understanding if you also demonstrate that you applied for national awards to stay in the states and tried to stay here. Also, most graduate schools will work with you if you get this award. My graduate school still awarded me with scholarships/fellowships for this upcoming year that will become "frozen" and when I come back from Fulbright they will be applied.  

[Horb]

On 4/12/2017 at 8:12 PM, hobakie said:

The way my fulbright advisor made it seem was as if everyone is judged against one another regardless of background. It's what made it that much harder applying as a soon to be BA candidate because I had to complete against PhDs who likely had an ongoing project and or thesis that the Fulbright could contribute to. 

It's not impossible tho?

That said, if they see you are a PhD and don't have a clear proposal related to your diss, I bet you'd have a harder time because there's higher expectations. 

[chemteachersrule]

Hi everyone,

I received a Fulbright ETA grant to teach in Indonesia for the upcoming school year. I would be more than happy to answer any questions or help you out in your essays!

Good Luck!

 

[1Q84]

..

Edited June 15, 2017 by 1Q84

[Okonkwo]

Hey y'all is anyone available to swap personal statements and brainstorm on private message for SOP?

 

Best!

[Katheek77]

Hi, all. I am what would be considered a non-traditional applicant, looking to apply to the ETA program. I'm actually 40 years old, completed a master's degree in early childhood education in Aug 2013 (I've read that up to 5 years out of college is generally accepted), and will be going back to school next year to start a second master's degree in ESL. I've already confirmed with the school that I would be able to complete clinic hours overseas (and, yes, it is an accredited program). I've been in the teaching field for years, but only early childhood for three, and, after getting my ESL degree, will be looking to shift into that.  I also have an 11 year old daughter (she could either go to school overseas or our home district runs their own cyber school). Is there anyone else with a "non-traditional" background? And does anyone know anything about how someone with work experience is looked at? I'm not a "new" teacher, but dedicated ESL teaching, both abroad and upon my return, would be new to me. Thank you!

[Okonkwo]

On 7/9/2017 at 4:56 PM, Katheek77 said:

Hi, all. I am what would be considered a non-traditional applicant, looking to apply to the ETA program. I'm actually 40 years old, completed a master's degree in early childhood education in Aug 2013 (I've read that up to 5 years out of college is generally accepted), and will be going back to school next year to start a second master's degree in ESL. I've already confirmed with the school that I would be able to complete clinic hours overseas (and, yes, it is an accredited program). I've been in the teaching field for years, but only early childhood for three, and, after getting my ESL degree, will be looking to shift into that.  I also have an 11 year old daughter (she could either go to school overseas or our home district runs their own cyber school). Is there anyone else with a "non-traditional" background? And does anyone know anything about how someone with work experience is looked at? I'm not a "new" teacher, but dedicated ESL teaching, both abroad and upon my return, would be new to me. Thank you!

Hi Katheek 77!

I think your experience will be looked on with favor. Assuming you are eligible, like you mentioned with the 5 year window from college, and Fulbright's commitment to a diverse representative body - I can't think of any logistical reason you'd be ineligible. Being that you are mid-career professional with experience and an advanced degree, I think the review committee's central question when looking at your application is "why now?" It will be important to articulate in your application the next steps after Fulbright, despite having the master's program clinic hours (which I'd confirm your location is willing to sign off on before acceptance) and presumably a job after ESL degree, you must clarify how being a Fulbright Fellow will better prepare you to be an agent of positive change in cultural exchange, language learning, and professional development. I've read about successful applicants ranging from 25-50, it may be an asset to stress the new-ness you mentioned to add some vitality and curiosity to your app! 

Also, it goes without saying you must apply to a location which accepts Fellows with dependents. What a fun experience for an 11 year old!

 

Best of luck

[viictoriousvip]

Greetings and salutations fellow Fulbright friends!  
I'm looking to apply for an academic research position in Vietnam as a BA student. Currently, I'm taking a gap year and plan to enroll for Communication (rhetoric & public discourse) graduate programs for Fall 2018 OR the Fulbright research position should I get it. Here's what I'm thinking though: should I postpone applying for a Fulbright until after diving into graduate work (MA)? Right now, I have zero Vietnamese language abilities and at the same time, feel as if I haven't prepared myself fully to conduct research abroad in my discipline though I DO know what I want to study/research (rhetoric of Ho Chi Minh). Despite having some undergraduate experience, being able to conduct research in a different language seems a little far-fetched at the moment, yet there are translated works on Ho Chi Minh's speeches/writings. Should I get into my intended MA program, I plan on taking language courses to prepare me for the Fulbright experience if I do choose to delay the application process. At the moment, I do feel a bit insecure about my graduate school application materials, but plan on mentioning Fulbright research in my PS for clarity in professional goals and aspirations.

On a side note, if any previous or current Fulbright scholars did a project abroad in between their graduate work (MA, PhD), please let me know how your experience was like (planning, support/criticism from faculty, etc.). 

Thanks in advance! 
Victory

Edited July 12, 2017 by viictoriousvip

[Hat733]

Hey everyone! I'm a bit unsure if I should apply this year. I applied last year for the research scholarship to Denmark and was selected as a semi-finalist. Unfortunately, I wasn't selected as a finalist. I just graduated from undergrad in May, and I got the Rotary Global scholarship to do my MPH in London starting this September. I'm still very interested in the Fulbright, but I'm worried my GPA might not be good enough to apply. It's a little less than 3.5. But, through my undergrad year, I've done a ton of research and co-authored several publications in international journals. If I were to apply for the Fulbright, it would be public health research. Are my chances better if I apply again to Denmark or are there other countries that are not so competitive for public health research? My other option is to wait to finish my MPH then apply next year. If I wait until next year, I'm hoping to do really well in my MPH so I would have a good chance to apply despite not having a top undergrad GPA. Any suggestions/thoughts will be very helpful!

[ibette]

On 7/15/2017 at 3:09 AM, Hat733 said:

Hey everyone! I'm a bit unsure if I should apply this year. I applied last year for the research scholarship to Denmark and was selected as a semi-finalist. Unfortunately, I wasn't selected as a finalist. I just graduated from undergrad in May, and I got the Rotary Global scholarship to do my MPH in London starting this September. I'm still very interested in the Fulbright, but I'm worried my GPA might not be good enough to apply. It's a little less than 3.5. But, through my undergrad year, I've done a ton of research and co-authored several publications in international journals. If I were to apply for the Fulbright, it would be public health research. Are my chances better if I apply again to Denmark or are there other countries that are not so competitive for public health research? My other option is to wait to finish my MPH then apply next year. If I wait until next year, I'm hoping to do really well in my MPH so I would have a good chance to apply despite not having a top undergrad GPA. Any suggestions/thoughts will be very helpful!

There has been previous posters from several years ago on the forum (2013-2014) who disclosed they have had lower undergrad GPAs than that and have received Fulbrights. I wouldn't get hung up on your GPA. https://www.profellow.com/tips/5-things-they-dont-tell-you-about-the-fulbright-student-grant/

If you already have a strong affiliation with Denmark I would stick to that since you got pretty close. 

[Horb]

7 hours ago, ibette said:

There has been previous posters from several years ago on the forum (2013-2014) who disclosed they have had lower undergrad GPAs than that and have received Fulbrights. I wouldn't get hung up on your GPA. https://www.profellow.com/tips/5-things-they-dont-tell-you-about-the-fulbright-student-grant/

If you already have a strong affiliation with Denmark I would stick to that since you got pretty close. 

Yeah, GPA only matters if the poor grades are in necessary subjects (like you're doing an anthro project and all your anthro grades are, like, Cs and Ds). That is when it may make the committee pause.