How to Win a Fulbright Scholarship
Actor John Lithgow received one, as did opera singer Renee Fleming, and composer Philip Glass, all testimony to the fact that you don't have to be an economic wunderkind or foreign policy wonk to land a Fulbright Scholarship. Established by Congress in 1946, this dynamic educational initiative was named after former Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. Nearly a quarter of a million domestic and international students have been granted this coveted prize. There's no reason why your name shouldn't appear on a future list of recipients.
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Things You'll Need
- Fulbright Program guide
- Application form
- Personal statement
- Letter of invitation
Instructions
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Understand the goal of the Fulbright Program. The U.S. Government's "flagship international exchange program" exists to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries." You'll need an outstanding academic record, more than a passing interest in international exchange, and evidence of leadership potential to compete. Importantly, start early -- the Fulbright organization suggests the second semester of your junior year -- and use the Fulbright Student Program information guide as your bible.
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Peruse the annually published Fulbright Catalog of Awards to consider current opportunities, as these openings change frequently. Match your interest in humanities, sciences, social sciences, mathematics, performing arts, engineering or technology to the list of available awards. Decide whether your talents would be best used as a teacher, conducting research, or a combination of the two.
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Obtain an application and directions for completing the paperwork and compiling backup materials from your campus awards and scholarships department, the Fulbright website or the Council for International Exchange of Scholars. (See Resources). If you're not committed to a specific culture, select from geographic projects with the most openings so you stand a better chance of being given an award. Meet the language requirements tied to the study area you'll pursue.
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Write a personal proposal/statement, a critically important component of your application. Outline research or teaching objectives and goals in three sections: an introduction, how you plan to achieve your goal, and how your efforts abroad will contribute to diplomacy and understanding between the U.S. and your host nation. Relevance is the single most important aspect of your statement so write and edit, then ask professors and colleagues to evaluate your statement before you submit it.
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Obtain a letter of invitation from the country you've chosen. For example, if you plan to pursue a research project that reveals the sociological gap that exists between South and North Korean universities, request a letter of invitation from a university in South Korea. Another conduit to acquiring this letter is to find a former Fulbright scholar who conducted research in South Korea. Get help from Fulbright Program personnel.
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Expect your application and supporting documents to take a circuitous route starting with your university faculty. If your application passes muster, you'll be invited to an in-person interview. Next, your application, supporting documents and faculty recommendations will move to the Institute for International Education before being sent to the host country's Fulbright representatives where a yes-or-no decision will be made. Stay patient and you'll be rewarded.
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References
Resources
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