Since the Fulbright program began in 1946, there are more than 360,000 Fulbrighters from the United States and other countries.
What makes for a good Fulbright candidate? We sat down with Betty Watts, the GEO's coordinator for international initiatives, to find out.
Q: Who can apply for the Fulbright Program?
Betty: The Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards grants for exchanges to conduct independent study research, enroll in graduate degree programs, or teach English for an academic year abroad. The program is for recent graduates, masters and doctoral candidates, and young professionals. Students can start an application during spring semester of their junior year and can apply up to any time before they’ve earned a PhD. They can apply while currently enrolled in school or as alumni.
Q: How is it awarded?
Betty: There are around 140 participating countries, and awards are based on those countries’ needs and interests. Grants are awarded based on how well you fit the candidate profiles of the host countries and if you have a compelling application. Winning proposals are innovative and clearly demonstrate that the project is unique to that country.
Q: What is the application process like?
Betty: Basically, you will be making an argument that what you want to do can only be done, or will be done best, in a specific country. There are 2-3 pages of essays that you will use to convince a campus committee, a national screening committee, and a review committee in the host country that you are a good candidate.
You start with an interview with a campus committee, who will give feedback on your application. After polishing things up, the national screening committee reviews the application and chooses candidate to move forward. Finally, the application goes to the host country committee, who may request a Skype interview before making final decisions. The whole process takes about a year from start to finish.
Q: What makes a good candidate?
Betty: An ideal candidate would be someone who is genuinely curious about the people in the host country. A good candidate is someone who shows that they are on a trajectory with classes, grades, and activities, and can effectively show that what he or she wants to do on Fulbright is consistent with these things. You don’t have to have a perfect GPA, either. And a good candidate should be persistent! Nationwide, applicants revise applications an average of 7 times, so patience and persistence are key.
Q: What advice would you give someone who is unsure about applying for Fulbright?
Betty: Fulbright is looking for diversity. You don’t have to be the highest achieving student, and it is not something that is out of anyone’s league. If it is something you are interested in, you should at least try. No matter the outcome, it’s an incredibly positive learning experience to even go through the process.
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