Reminder: Webinar with Fulbright Alumni (Western Hemisphere) on Monday

We are having our first webinar: Fulbright Alumni Roundtable for Applicants (Western Hemisphere)

Panelists are:

Jody Dudderar, Assistant Director in the U.S. Student Program Division at the Institute of International Education in New York.
Cara Wolinsky, Program Manager for Central America and the Caribbean Regional Program.

Fulbright Alumni panelists are:

Adrienne Kay, 2007-2008 Fulbright English Teaching Assistant to Argentina.
Samantha Raneri, 2006-2007 Fulbright Garcia-Robles Scholar to Mexico. Proposal Summary: History and Sustainability of Indigenous Women's Collectives
Naomi Parekh, 2005-2006 Fulbrighter to Jamaica. Proposal Summary: The Impact of Natural Disaster on Pediatric AIDS at Mustard Seed Communities.
Jonathan Tigeri, 2007-2008 Fulbrighter to El Salvador. Proposal Summary: Sharing Models for Youth Education and Mentorship: Gangs in El Salvador

Alumni of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program will discuss their Fulbright Experience. IIE Program Managers will moderate the sessions. A question and answer session will follow the presentations. Study or research and ETA applicants are encouraged to attend the session related to their proposed country of application.

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/464552334

Working with Your Fulbright Program Adviser, By Walter Jackson, Program Manager, Fulbright U.S. Student Program

Students who are currently enrolled in a U.S. college or university with a campus Fulbright Program Adviser (FPA) are required to submit their applications through that individual. The name and contact information for your FPA can be found on the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website. Click here to select a U.S. State (or territory) to find your institution and campus Fulbright Program Adviser. All applicants are required to apply online.

If an FPA is not listed, you would apply as an at-large candidate from your U.S. state of permanent residence and contact U.S. Student Programs at IIE for guidance and answers to your questions.

It is important that you contact your FPA as soon as possible to find out the campus deadline for applications. If you have already graduated, you may be able to apply through your alma mater; this will be at the discretion of the FPA. Contact the FPA and ask if he or she works with alumni. FPAs are not obligated to work with alumni but will often do so.

Your FPA will also give you information on the campus interview schedule. All students applying through their campus FPA will have a campus committee interview prior to the application being submitted to IIE. The interview is an important part of the application process as faculty from your school will provide feedback on your application.

Your FPA does not have access to your application while it is being developed. It is important, however, that you complete the basic information requests, including your name, country of application, field of study, college or university information and the name of your FPA as soon as possible. In doing so, your FPA will know that your application is in progress.

While the content and presentation of the entire application is important, your FPA will be most interested in reviewing your two essays: The Statement of Grant Purpose and the Personal Statement. For both of these essays, you should refer to the 'Preparing an Application' section on the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website, where you will find important advice on content and style. You should share your essays with your FPA, who will be interested in working with you as you construct and refine them. First drafts may be requested. The essays should be created offline in a word processing program, and then sent electronically or in hard copy to your FPA for review. Once you are completely satisfied with the content of your essays, you can then upload them into the online application system.

Your FPA will also want to know who you have selected to complete your foreign language evaluation (if required) and three letters of recommendation and why these individuals can best support you and your project.

One official copy of your complete academic record is also required. You should coordinate with your FPA on the submission of your transcript(s).

You and your FPA will decide the best time to submit your application electronically. Only after you have electronically submitted your application, will your FPA be able to view it.

All Fulbright grantees must have a host country affiliation. Affiliation varies by type of grant and country of application. Affiliation may be a host country university, art or music school, research institute, or non-governmental organization.

Applicants for study or research awards may or may not need to secure their own affiliation. Please refer to website and the individual participating country summaries for country-specific information on affiliation. Fulbright Program Advisers and IIE country program managers can provide additional guidance on affiliation and appropriate documentation.

Applicants for English Teaching Assistantships (ETAs) do not need to secure their own affiliation. Affiliation for successful ETA candidates will be arranged by the program sponsors in the host countries.

Finally, in addition to completing and submitting the application electronically, you are also responsible for printing a final hard copy of the application, signing it and delivering it along with hard copies of all your supporting documents to your FPA by the campus deadline. Follow the online instructions for printing the final PDF version of the application and use the 'Application Inspector' within the Embark application to make sure your application is complete.

Developing a Project, By IIE Staff

Language Requirements

Many countries do not require a high level of fluency in the host country language because projects to these countries can typically be completed in English. Nevertheless, developing a hospitality or basic level of proficiency (which most applicants can obtain between applying and starting a grant) is highly recommended in order to successfully complete your program and to survive comfortably while abroad. Also, we strongly advise reading the country summaries (available online at http://us.fulbrightonline.org/thinking_country.html and in the program brochure) to identify the host country language requirement, so that you can begin to prepare as early as possible. Keep in mind that for certain languages there is the possibility of language training or study grant. Click here for more information on the Critical Language Enhancement Awards, and click the country summaries for language training opportunities.

Videos

Take a look at the videos on the website. The videos feature Fulbright Commission Directors and Fulbright alumni offering advice to future applicants. They are a good preliminary resource when you're thinking of applying. The videos are located throughout the 'THINKING OF APPLYING' section and the 'HOW TO APPLY' pages.

Fulbright U.S. Student Alumni Database

Our online directory of alumni is searchable by the following criteria: first name, last name, U.S. institution through which a former grantee applied, home state, field of study, country visited and/or grant year. This is a valuable resource for learning what types of projects have been funded in your chosen country since 1993.

Where to Get Help

There are numerous resources that you can use in preparing a Fulbright application. If you are currently enrolled at a U.S. institution, consult with your on-campus Fulbright Program Adviser. If you are applying at-large, or if you are enrolled and want specific information, we encourage you to contact the appropriate regional Program Managers at IIE (http://us.fulbrightonline.org/contact_us.html). Before calling, we suggest that you fully review the information about the prospective country. We also encourage you to attend an IIE Guidance Session for students or participate in one of the webinars focused on a world region and featuring returned grantees and program staff. One webinar will be conducted specifically for those applying in the arts. Lastly, do you have a friend, colleague or professor who received a Fulbright grant? One of the best resources to use when thinking of applying are Fulbright alumni who can provide useful information about their experiences. Remember, however, that if past grantees did not conduct their program in the same country to which you will apply, their advice may not necessarily be as useful to your potential application.

Choosing a Host Country

Country/regional competitiveness may play a role in determining the country to which you finally decide to apply, but a good rule of thumb is to choose the country that best suits the nature of your project and provides the necessary resources for successful project completion. The Fulbright selection committees look for well-prepared applicants who have compelling reasons for applying to a specific country and a feasible project for the grant timeframe for that particular country.