Section 1—General Questions Section 2—Country Specific Questions Section 1—General Questions Q 1: I have spent extensive time (about 5 years) in my country of proposed study. Will I be at a disadvantage when applying?
A: It depends on how recent the experience was and the nature of the time spent abroad. Five years of study or research abroad would be considered quite extensive and will place your application at a disadvantage. However, if the time spent abroad was prior to high school it would be less of a disadvantage. n bsp;
—By Walter Jackson, Publicity Manager. Q 2: If I have already spent time abroad (as a student) in the country I am now applying for, will my application be penalized? A: If the experience was part of a US college or univeristy study abroad program, it will have no effect on your application. If you spent six months or more in the country in the previous year conducting graduate study or research, generally, it would be a disadvantage.
—By Walter Jackson, Publicity Manager. Q 3: Does having spent a short period of time, say less than 6 months, in the country one will be applying to hurt a candidate, all other things being equal? Does it matter how long ago that candidate was there? A: Less than 6 months is not a problem, especially if the time was spent acquiring language skills.
—By Walter Jackson, Publicity Manager. Q 4: Do I need to include a high school transcript as well as university transcripts with my application? A: Transcripts are only needed from all college or universities attended.
—By Walter Jackson, Publicity Manager. Q 5: In the application, it states that you need to fill out a language proficiency form, but in the program I am applying for, a language course is provided as part of the program, so I will start the program with no language skills. Do I still need to submit the language form?
A: If you do not have any language skills and do not plan to begin any language study, you should still submit the foreign language report indicating your lack of ability in the language. However, keep in mind the importance of cultural exchange in the Fulbright Program. Your ability to communicate, even on a day-to-day survival basis upon arrival in your host country will certainly make your application more attractive. Therefore, it would be to your advantage to begin some language study, no matter how informal, now.
—By Walter Jackson, Publicity Manager. Q 6: Is there a listing of previous projects that have been done for specific countries?
A: The annual Directories of Fulbright Fellows are on our website at
../../www.iie.org/fulbright in the "Fulbright News & Publicity" Section. The directories list Fulbright grantees by year and are organized by country, field of study and U.S. academic institution. Each entry gives a brief description of the student's study or research project.
—By Walter Jackson, Publicity Manager. Q 7: If I do not speak the official language (French) for the country in which I'd like to study and can not afford foreign language courses, what is the possibility that Fulbright will offer me a grant that includes some language training?
A: I’m afraid that for France there is no funding available for language classes. Some countries do offer language training, so you should review the
country summaries to find out if the country you are interested in offers such a program. For example, Switzerland (MA holders and above only) and Germany both offer summer language programs prior to the beginning of the grant. When a country does not offer specific funding for language training, a grantee may still be able to afford language lessons from the overall grant. This will depend upon the cost of the language lessons and the grantees other maintenance/research/travel expenses.
My recommendation for an applicant who cannot afford language training prior to taking up a possible award is to commit to self-study using tapes and language books. I would also recommend that you find a native speaker of your host country’s language and swap some English language practice for a bit of tutoring in the host country’s language.
—By Valerie Hymas, Europe & Eurasia Program Manager Q 8: What should an applicant do if his/her proposal might fall under two different categories of grants? (For example, a proposal to aid teachers in setting up an extracurricular program to benefit at-risk children could, depending on how the proposal was written, fall under a general grant, a teaching assistantship grant, or even a community service grant.) Must an applicant specify on the application which of the grant categories for that country his/her proposal should be considered under?
A: Yes, you must specify the grant category for which you are applying. Applicants cannot be considered for both a regular Fulbright study/research grant and a Fulbright TAship. You must choose one or the other. It is entirely up to the candidate to determine which grant category best fits his/her project needs/interests, but applicants are welcome to contact the Program Manager for their host country for more advice.—
By Valerie Hymas, Europe & Eurasia Program Manager Q 9: How would I go about choosing a project? I haven't started graduate school yet, so I don't have any specific ideas of what projects I will be working on. So, how can I write the essays if I don't know what assignments I want to begin when I study abroad?
A: What are you interested in? This is a question that only you can answer. It is entirely up to the applicant to design a project, so it is up to you to research and create a project that excites you and for which you are prepared. If this task is too daunting, then I recommend that you consider one of the Teaching English as a Second Language awards where coming up with a side research project is secondary to teaching English. You could also consider the new Community Service grants to Russia, or any of the other grants that offer more structured activities where there is less need for an applicant to design a research/study project proposal. —
By Valerie Hymas, Europe & Eurasia Program Manager Section 2—Country Specific Questions Q 1: If I already have an MA, and I'm applying to a 3-year PhD program at Sheffield, England, am I still eligible for the 1-year Fulbright fellowship?
A: Although you are eligible to apply for a Fulbright grant to the UK to pursue a PhD, you would not be a competitive candidate for this country. One of the goals of the Fulbright program is to offer a different cultural experience to as many Americans as possible. As you have already completed a degree in the UK, you have already had this cultural experience. The preference will be for offering awards to candidates who have not yet had the opportunity to study at the graduate level in the UK. It is recommended that you consider applying for another country where this would not be a negative factor. Alternatively, if you are able to fund your PhD studies in the UK from another source perhaps a Fulbright year of research to a different country could help you with your PhD dissertation. There is no regulation that prevents American citizen candidates enrolled in a university outside of the US from applying for a Fulbright grant. –
By Valerie Hymas, Europe & Eurasia Program Manager Q 2: I am applying for Fulbright to study at a UK university. The program that I am interested in is a 2-year Master's program in Art Conservation (there are no 1-year programs in this field). Would the fact that the length of the course is 2 years instead of 1 influence the decision? I plan to seek funding for the 2nd year elsewhere. A: Many masters programs in the UK are for 2 or more years and this will not negatively impact your Fulbright application. However, you should mention in your application that you would secure alternative funding for the 2nd year as the Fulbright grant to the UK is for one academic year only. –
By Valerie Hymas, Europe & Eurasia Program Manager Q 3: I am considering applying for a Fulbright to Poland because my parents are from Poland, I speak fluent Polish, and I have visited the country several times. However, I also have an interest in studying in Latin America, because my major at school is International Relations with a concentration in Latin America and the Spanish Language. I am also studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Are my experiences a hindrance or a benefit for applying for study in either area? Which area (Poland or a Latin American country) do you suggest I apply to for a better chance to receive a Fulbright scholarship?
A: You should apply to the country where you have the best project, where there are good resources to complete your project, where you have host institution support and where the project will benefit your future career/educational goals. It sounds to me as if your academic background is geared more towards Latin America; would this also be the case for your professional goals? The fact that your parents are from Poland isn't really a compelling reason to apply to Poland. Is there another reason which is project related that attracts you to Poland? Do you have something to gain from studying in Poland other than to "get back to your roots"? Heritage projects from candidates who are only applying to a country because their family is from there are much less preferred unless the candidate has a clear academic or professional reason to complete a project in this country. Ultimately, it is entirely your decision where you apply. I also recommend that you seek advice from your academic advisers and on-campus Fulbright Program Adviser. –
By Valerie Hymas, Europe & Eurasia Program Manager Q 4: If I have already been accepted to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and I will begin courses in August, does that hurt my chances of obtaining a scholarship? That is, if I will be in Israel already, am I still eligible for the scholarship? A: While you would still be eligible to apply for a US Student Fulbright grant, my sense is that your candidacy would be at a disadvantage. The screening committees often look askance at people who are already in their prospective host country at the time they submit their applications-- my sense is that they often take issue with Fulbright money being used to subsidize the stay of someone who intends to stay in the country regardless of whether they receive the grant or not.
Furthermore, keep in mind that US Student Fulbright grants generally support independent research projects that may be complemented by a course of study at a college or university. Fulbright grants generally do not go to students who simply want to pursue graduate degrees at overseas institutions. –
By Jermaine Jones, Africa, Sub-Saharan, Near East, North Africa, and South Asia Program Manager
Q 5: Does Fulbright allow projects involving cases in multiple states in one country as long as one has a primary adviser? I am a graduating senior applying to India with intentions of comparing associational life in three states of Indian.
A: It would be fine to submit a proposal involving work in more than one state within India. However, keep in mind that you would more than likely be affiliated with just one Indian institution. Also, I'd be careful about choosing too many sites for your research, as this might make the project too unwieldy and raise questions about its feasibility among the screening committees. –By Jermaine Jones, Africa, Sub-Saharan, Near East, North Africa, and South Asia Program Manager
Q 6: I am a U.S. citizen by birth who has lived in Ecuador since November 2000 as a correspondent. I earned a bachelor's degree from a U.S. university in 1998. Am I still eligible to apply at-large to go to another country? (My proposal deals with immigration policy differences between Spain and the United States, using Ecuadorian immigrants as a case study.)
A: If you are applying to Spain or another country, then your four years in Ecuador will not make you ineligible. And you would apply At-Large. –
By Jody Dudderar, Western Hemisphere Program Manager Q 7: What do the teaching assistant responsibilities consist of in Chile? A broad idea would be fine, but I'm wondering if they are responsible for preparing any lessons or anything of that sort for classes, and if so, should these plans be included in the application? How much teaching experience have the winning applicants for the teaching assistantship in Chile had in the past?
A: Please
click here to read a very detailed description of the ETA program in Chile.–
By Jody Dudderar, Western Hemisphere Program Manager