Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Do you have a Fulbright future?
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Do you have a Fulbright future? The Fulbright Program is offering international study, research and teaching assistantships for the 2007-08 academic year. The application deadline is Monday, October 9, 2006. The U.S. Student Program awards approximately 1,000 grants annually to over 140 countries worldwide. Fulbright full grants generally provide the funding for round-trip travel, maintenance for one academic year, health and accident insurance, and full or partial tuition. The Fulbright Program provides recipients with the opportunity to observe political, economic and cultural institutions, exchange ideas, and embark on joint ventures of importance to the general welfare of the world’s inhabitants. In addition to graduate study and research grants around the world, there also are approximately 250 English teaching opportunities in Argentina, Belgium/Luxembourg, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Korea, Romania, Taiwan and Turkey. Applicants to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program must be U.S. citizens at the time of application and hold a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent by the beginning of the grant. Past USI Fulbright grantees are: • Walter Jermakowicz ‘03 (chemistry/biology/German) for study at the University of Munich, Germany; • Kirt Page ‘98 (chemistry) for study at the University of Mainz, Germany; • Tracy Bee ‘97 (English/sociology), English Teaching Assistantship to Korea. Applications are available on the Fulbright U. S. Student Web site. Here are 10 myths about the program: MYTH 1: Only applicants with a 4.0 GPA or in Honors Programs will be considered. There is no minimum GPA requirement for the Fulbright U.S. Student program. Academic achievement is only one of the factors that contribute to the selection of Fulbright Fellows. The Screening Committee also looks for project feasibility, the strength of the project statement, affiliation, and community involvement, among other things. MYTH 2: Fulbright grants are only for graduate students. Applications from graduating seniors are welcome and encouraged. MYTH 3: Fulbright grants are only for academic research. One of the fastest growing programs within Fulbright are the opportunities for English Teaching Assistants, which are now available in 21 countries, and which have a primary focus on teaching and cultural interchange. MYTH 4: Only enrolled students may apply. Applicants for Fulbright grants do not need to be enrolled in a university to be eligible. Each year approximately 20 percent of the Fulbright grants are awarded to At-Large candidates. MYTH 5: Only students from large, prestigious universities are awarded Fulbright grants. Fulbright Fellows come from large and small universities, liberal arts institutions, state colleges and universities, school of music and art, and professional schools. The National Screening Committee strives to achieve the broadest representation of the U.S. academic community, including broad geographic, ethnic, and field of study diversity. MYTH 6: You have to speak a foreign language fluently in order to apply. Only some Fulbright grants require fluency in a foreign language. In many countries, English is sufficient. In some countries, applicants can propose to make language study part of their grant experience and for others, the Fulbright Commission will provide language training before the grant begins. Under a new program, to be introduced this year, extensive in-country, pre-grant language training will be offered in certain world areas and for certain languages MYTH 7: Fulbright grants require you to already have a host country affiliation/placement. While an affiliation will considerably strengthen your application (a university, laboratory, library, non-governmental organization, etc.), it is not necessary in all instances that affiliation be established at the time of application. MYTH 8: You can only apply once for a Fulbright, even if you are not selected. If a student applies and is not selected, He or she is free to reapply the following year. Each competition is separate and distinct. We see many applicants that reapply. They strengthen their application, and they are then successful. MYTH 9: Applying for a Fulbright grant is a time-consuming, grueling exercise. We won’t lie. Students will have to devote some quality time and energy to preparing a successful application. There are many helpful hints on the Web site and in the brochure as well as in the application instructions and we urge students to consult these. It is also recommended that they view some of the videos on the Web site to hear about the Fulbright experience from program alumni. MYTH 10: There’s nowhere to go for help with the application. As mentioned above, there are many sources of information within the brochure, Web site, and application. However, the program managers in the U.S. Student Programs Division welcome your questions and will provide as much assistance as possible. While they cannot critique projects, they are available to give insight into what may make an application more competitive. Do you have a Fulbright future? Information on the types of grants, participating countries, competition statistics, and more is available online at us.fulbrightonline.org. For more information, contact Dr. Susan Smith Wolfe, USI Student Fulbright Advisor, at 812/465-7026. |
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