U.S. Fulbright Applicant
Newsletter

Preparing for Your Fulbright Campus Committee Interview

The Fulbright program expects every currently enrolled student -- graduating seniors as well as graduate and professional school students -- to submit their application for a Fulbright grant through their campus Fulbright Program Adviser (FPA) and to participate in the on-campus evaluation process.

This submission will always involve a formal review of your application materials by a campus committee and a campus committee interview. These assessments provide invaluable information to National Screening Committees here in the U.S. in the fall, as well as to overseas screening committees in the spring.

For enrolled students, campus committee interviews are extremely important. Not only does this interview allow you to supplement your written and supporting materials personally, but the process allows a committee to assess -- in person -- the convergence of your project with the Fulbright program's goals and standards. In a nutshell, the interview provides an opportunity for a committee to gauge how ready you are for the challenges of prolonged immersion in a new culture, as well as how prepared you are to pursue the project you have proposed.

To understand the importance of your campus committee interview, keep one essential fact in mind: this interview will be the only occasion you have in the entire review process, here in the U.S. and overseas, to make a personal case for your abilities to live abroad and to undertake your project successfully. It is essential to know what to expect in your interview, and to take the time to prepare as well as you can.

What to Expect

Campus committee interview procedures vary from institution to institution. Generally, you can expect to meet with faculty members or administrators who have read through your application materials carefully and who are familiar with your field, your destination, and the Fulbright process. FPAs recruit committee members from a range of disciplines and with a variety of international experiences, but all of them will have an interest in the Fulbright program, as well as in your success in applying for a grant.

The Fulbright program expects that each campus committee interview will result in a campus committee evaluation (form #10 in the application) and that these evaluations must address six basic questions for each enrolled candidate:

• What are your academic or professional qualifications to pursue your project?
• How valid and feasible is your proposed project? What are your language qualifications to pursue your proposed project?
• Do you seem mature, motivated, and able to adapt to new cultural environments?
• What do you know about your host country?
  
• What sort of ambassadorial potential do you have in representing the U.S. abroad?

Like many interviews, dialogue with your campus committee may be unpredictable, unfolding in several directions. But unlike many interviews, here you can actually anticipate content -- everything you are asked will be designed to address the above questions, usually in the space of about 30 minutes or longer. Because some of this information will be clear in your written and supporting materials, a fair amount of your interview may address questions of personal suitability: Why are you applying? Are you open to new experiences and ideas? How do you meet challenges or difficulties? Do you interact with people easily? Are you eager to live abroad for up to a year? Are you prepared to do so?

You should expect a portion of your campus committee interview to be conducted in the language of your host country, whether or not you will use that language in your everyday work. You should also expect to demonstrate an interest in and knowledge of your host country that goes beyond the specific disciplinary focus of your proposal.

One further note about your interview: you will be evaluated only in comparison with your peers, and only against set standards. In other words, a graduating senior will not be measured against a more advanced graduate student, nor will a graduate student be measured against a graduating senior with less experience. Neither will be measured against other individuals in the same applicant pool. This commitment keeps the playing field level throughout the evaluation process.

Take Time to Prepare

Because the campus committee interview is an opportunity for you to make your case in person to the Fulbright program, be sure to invest some time in preparing for it. The degree to which you prepare will speak volumes about your conscientiousness and enthusiasm; it will boost your confidence; and it will help you give articulate answers to committee members' questions.

A basic starting point in preparing for any interview is self-assessment -- think about yourself in a specific setting and reflect on your abilities to be successful in that setting. What experience, knowledge, skills, or special training do you have to make you confident in your ability to pursue your project? What aptitudes, experience, or personal traits do you have to make you confident in your ability to navigate a new cultural environment?

Take some time to review the contents of your application -- particularly your statement of proposed study and your curriculum vitae -- and be prepared to expand on any of this. If your project gets more refined after you submit your application, be prepared to introduce these developments in your interview. Think about your supporting materials. How do your recommenders know you and what might they say about you? Can you talk about a paper you wrote for a course, a tutoring job, or a performance, even though you may not have written about these experiences yourself? Can you talk about each of the courses on your transcript?

In preparing your application, you will already have done some research on your host country -- and host institution, if appropriate -- with an eye to the specifics of your project and to current events there. But it won't hurt to refresh your memory before your interview, especially knowing that the Fulbright program hopes that you will establish connections in your host country beyond the scope of your project. The Internet, your local library, and newsstands are valuable resources.

Basic Interview Advice

The best advice for your interview is simple: be yourself. Interviewers expect to meet in person the individual they already have "met" on paper, and you can flounder if you try to be someone you're not. That said, it's important to concentrate on being your best self -- dress appropriately, arrive on time, be courteous to those you meet, and be honest in your interview. The impression you make with your interviewers really does matter.

Without rehearsing or scripting answers, keep the six basic questions mentioned above in mind as you go into your interview. This preparation will help you focus on the sort of information you share and the points you'll want to make with your interviewers. Feel free to take a moment to think before you answer a question, or to ask for clarification if you don't understand a question. If you can't answer a question, say so -- but if you can, connect it to something you do know. If you feel you've said something you wish you hadn't, you can address this issue directly later in the interview. Be sure to address each of your answers to everyone in the room.

It's natural to feel nervous before an interview. But taking care of yourself beforehand -- by preparing, getting a good night's sleep, eating a healthy meal, and giving yourself time to arrive promptly -- will help calm your nerves. If you can be comfortable with the interview as it unfolds, you'll communicate confidence and self-reliance, qualities that will inevitably serve you well during almost a year overseas.

Finally…

The campus committee interview is a formal part of your Fulbright application, and it is an important component in the evaluation of your candidacy, here in the U.S. and abroad. Treat it accordingly. But also try to enjoy the experience as much as you can -- this is a singular opportunity for you to share your thoughts and aspirations with people who genuinely care about them.

Tips on Submitting your Application and After

Submitting your Application

1. Don’t forget that all applications must be submitted both electronically AND in hard-copy PDF format. Please follow carefully the instructions for printing your online application, available on the application system website. Please keep a paper copy of your application.

2. Electronic applications MUST be submitted by midnight, Pacific Standard Time, on October 20, 2006. The application system will not be available after that time. If you do not submit by midnight on the 20th, you will not be able to submit your application. You should receive an email confirming that your online application was submitted. If you do not receive this email, please contact Embark’s technical support immediately.

3. The deadline for receipt of the hard copy of the Fulbright applications is October 23, 2006. This is NOT a postmark date.

4. IIE cannot confirm the receipt of any documents, whether it is your Fulbright application, letters of support or any other supplementary information. Please do not contact us to enquire if we have received all of your documents. We recommend that you send materials to IIE in a traceable format, such as Federal Express.

5. Please ensure that your application is printed on only one side of a page.

6. Don’t forget to SIGN the application at the bottom of Page 1 of the PDF version of your application.

After Submitting your Application

1. Continue to work on your language skills. Even if you don’t receive a grant, the time and effort you put into language study will pay off.

2. You are welcome to submit letters of support from your in-country host affiliations after the deadline, but we make no guarantee that the letters will be matched with your application in time for review.

3. All applicants will be informed by letter of the status of their application at the end of January/early February. If you do not receive a letter by February 15th, please contact us.

4. After you submit your application if you need to change your mailing address you must do so by letter or by email. We will not accept address changes over the phone. No address changes will be made after October 20, so please make sure that the address to which you wish your notification letter sent is the current address in your application.

5. Candidates who are recommended to the host country for further consideration will learn the final decision by the end of Spring 2007. More information about this process will be sent in the next issue of the newsletter, which will be published in late January.

6. Please note that for some country programs (i.e., Swiss Government Grants, English Teaching Assistants for France or Germany, etc.) additional applications will be required. Applicants recommended for these programs will be contacted at the appropriate time and will be given the opportunity to complete the next steps of the application process

Advice to Fulbright Applicants

My experience applying to the Fulbright Program was a very time-sensitive process. I inquired about the Fulbright Program a couple of months before the application deadline, so the application documents -- such as the recommendation and affiliation letters, research proposal and CV -- were needed within a relatively short period of time.

Dionne Griffiths, 2006-2007, Trinidad and Tobago.

1) Stay organized with the application materials, application-related meetings, and deadlines.

2) Be professional and positive in all of your interactions with your local Fulbright Program Adviser (FPA). Meet with him/her to get advice on how to put your best self forward in your application.

3) Really know your subject matter and why the country you are proposing to go to is significant to your research.

4) Utilize the Fulbright website. Read its newsletters and read about Fulbright Fellows who have gone to your country of interest and who are within your discipline.

5) The application process is long and detailed. Pace yourself, be proactive, be organized and passionate about your research topic.

6) My FPA helped me figure out how to choose my research subject by asking me what was true to my heart and what I was most interested in pursuing. For me, it was dance and my previous experiences, education and extracurricular activities which supported this type of research.

7) Acquiring official letters of affiliation can be challenging as far as finding the appropriate organizations, institutions and people you want to work with abroad, so start as early as possible. It can also be a challenge in getting a response from them via e-mail, fax and standard mail. You may have to make international calls to them to get an initial response. However, emphasize as politely and assertively as possible the importance of having an official letter of affiliation for your application by the application deadline. Also, summarizing what the Fulbright Program is may cause them to work more time efficiently on your behalf. At least have one or two solid affiliation letters to include in your application, depending on the number of sites and nature of your project.

Best wishes to you in preparing your Fulbright applications!

Preparing an Application in the Creative, Performing or Visual Arts

Polishing Your Application

1. Make sure that your application follows the directions, and is neat and easy to read. For fonts, a size of 12 point non-script font is preferred, 11 point is acceptable. Make sure that the paper copy mailed to IIE is on 8^½ x 11" white bond paper only.

2. Don’t forget that all applications must be submitted both electronically AND in hard-copy PDF format. Please follow carefully the instructions on the application system website for printing your online application.

3. Make sure that your application will be received by the deadline.

4. Do not send resumes. They will not be passed on to the screening committee.

5. Make sure that you are not proposing a multi-country project that is not allowed, (i.e., across world regions, or between or among countries that do not allow multi-country projects).

6. Make sure that you are not listing alternate countries as a 2nd or 3rd choice. This is not allowed.

7. If you are applying for one of the English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) programs, be sure to select "Teaching Assistantship," code 5120, as your field of study. Only applicants applying for an ETA program should use this code.

8. Please do not staple pieces to the application.

9. Please collate the application in numerical page order and fasten all pieces together with a paper clip or clasp. Do not staple the application.

10. Make sure to answer both questions asked in item #22 pertaining to felony convictions.

11. Don’t forget to SIGN the application at the bottom of Page 1.

Fulbright Critical Language Enhancement Award

Languages

Specifications

• All candidates must already have the minimum level of language capability to carry out their Fulbright Full grant projects, or to be able to do so following their period of concentrated language study. Candidates should convincingly demonstrate how language study will enhance their ability to carry out their primary Fulbright research project.
• Critical Language Enhancement Award applicants must demonstrate a commitment to developing their language skills through current study, during their Full grant tenure, and in their future career and/or educational plans.
• The minimum length of the Critical Language Enhancement Award is three (3) months in the host country or country where the language is spoken. The maximum length is six (6) months.
• In selecting a country and language of interest, it is important to note that the language of study is of more relevance than the venue of the Fulbright Full grant. For example, if a student's Fulbright project involves working with the Turkish community in Germany and Turkish language ability is needed, that student will be eligible to apply for a Critical Language Enhancement Award.
• The Critical Language Enhancement Award grant period of study must take place before the start of the Fulbright Full grant, usually beginning in the summer. Exception: Candidates whose Full grant projects focus primarily on language acquisition may apply, but in these cases the Critical Language Enhancement Award grant period will follow completion of the full tenure of the primary grant.

• Language study in the United States, or
• Training programs in countries where there is not a U.S. Student Fulbright Program.

Application Requirements

• The intention to apply for language enhancement must be indicated on the first page of the application.
• In the project proposal, discuss how language will be utilized in carrying out the project and the role that knowledge of the language may take in your future plans.
• The foreign language evaluator should mention how you and your project would benefit from the additional language training.
• In the Language Background Report, outline steps you have taken or are taking to learn the language.
• Applicants should investigate training possibilities in an appropriate country and mention these in the Language Background Report. Keep in mind that final placement will be at the discretion of the Fulbright Program.

Program Description

• Take place in a country where the language is used, usually, but not necessarily, the grantee's host country.
• Be up to six months of intensive study before beginning the Fulbright Full grant project, followed by study concurrent with the grant period and beyond.
• Lead the awardee toward a high level of proficiency in the language studied.

Additional Language Training Opportunity

Final Steps Before You Submit Electronically

As you prepare to submit your application, please make sure to take the following steps:

1. Print the application before electronically submitting it.

2. Click on the Preview button. Make sure that all data is correct and that your responses were not cut off due to size limitations.

3. When complete, click the Print function.

Please note we will accept only applications that are printed in PDF. DO NOT submit applications printed from the HTML format.

Missing university fields in started online applications.

We have had several Fulbright Program Advisers comment that they are not able to see some of their candidates. It is important that you fill in your institution's name and Fulbright Program Adviser's information on page 1 of the application. Check the final hard copy to make sure this information has been included on the Student Record Card (if you are applying through a U.S. college or university and have also included your name). Currently, for example, there are 3,543 applications which have been started, but which do not have the U.S. college or institutional affiliation information entered. We urge you to complete the basic data -- Name, Country of Application, Field of Study, and Academic Affiliation or At-Large, as soon as possible.