Senator J. William Fulbright

1. “to bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs and thereby increase the chance that nations will learn at last to live in peace and friendship” Senator J. William Fulbright

2. General Introduction • Established • After World War II • Legislation by J. William Fulbright • Awards • 75000, new grants annually • thousands of alumni • Many come to US to study • Many go outside US to study

3. What they offer(http://www.iie.org/en/Fulbright) • Foreign Student Program • MS/Doctoral studies • Who Can Apply • NON- US citizen • graduate students, young professionals and artists • Every Region has different number of scholarships • Where to Look • http://foreign.fulbrightonline.org/ • NOTE: For other types of grants like travel grant look at http://www.iie.org/en/Fulbright

4. What they offer • Other programs offered • For Undergrads and Professionals • Check Region’s website • See the link • http://www.iie.org/en/Fulbright • http://www.usefpakistan.org/

5. Where to look • Fulbright website • http://fulbright.state.gov/ • IIE website • http://www.iie.org/en/Fulbright

6. My Note This Presentation is about MY EXPERIENCE or how I FEEL what matters in the Fulbright Application. It is NOT official rule or description of what they look for

7. My Experience---- Why Fulbright? • Places • About 140 countries, countless cities and amazing towns • From 1992 till 2007 I lived in ONE city Lahore, • Now I am studying thousands of miles away from home • Culture • Experience the world different than yours • Understand why some people do what they do. • Before this • I have never ate burrito • Never celebrated Thanks Giving

8. My Experience---Why Fulbright • People • People from other countries • Different culture, different behavior,. • Just broadens your mind • Today I have • Friends from America, India (see Pakistan and India don’t see eye to eye), Mexico, Greece. Remained roommate with exchange student from Nigeria. • People from your own Country • will meet people filtered by selection process • Different fields, different areas, different interests, different views • Amazing diversity in your own country

9. My Experience– Why Fulbright? • For Best • It’s Adventure.

10. What you need? • Some of the Most Important things • GRE • Personal Statement • Statement of Grant Purpose / Research Statement • 3 letters of References • Transcripts

11. My Experience • Long process(http://us.fulbrightonline.org/overview_timeline.html?page=us/overview_timeline) • Application Starts in May (submission deadline is later in the year) • Decisions sometime come till next year’s June • For Foreign Students • Waiting for Visa ; extra headache • Mine took about 4 months • So • Don’t Stop your life waiting for Results • Intern/Teach/Research or at least travel  • Why? • Because you will not feel wasting a year if you don’t get in.

12. My Experience • Application • It’s Long Application • Start Early • Do multiple goes • I took print out and filled it with pencil • Let someone else read it • Sometime we become blind to our mistakes

13. My Experience • Essays • Most Tough Part • Takes most of your time • Write it, read it, write it again • Let others read it • Take Care of Grammatical mistakes • Don’t write too much and don’t write too little • Personal Statement • Statement of Grant Purpose / Research Statement

14. My Experience • Personal Statement • Not your life story • Just highlights • About where you are • Why this is important for application • Don’t duplicate your scores and GPA • Opportunity to explain discrepancies • Why certain bad grade or GRE score. Or Why suddenly your grades become better • Catch them • First few lines are important • I followed advice given in (MorHarchol-Balter, CMU) • http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~harchol/gradschooltalk.pdf • Go over few Personal Statements

15. My Experience • Statement of Grant Purpose / Research Statement • Have a look at previous PDF • First few sentences to catch attention • Why your research? Why this area? • Why this Grant be given to you? • What you have done in this area previously • I started my statement by telling my first experience of Face Detection and how it amazed me. • But then I told them What I am Doing NOW. • Reading examples of Research Statement help. • Webminar“Crafting Your Fulbright Project Statement” http://www.cies.org/Webinar/

16. My Experience • Reference Letters • Carefully choose whom to ask for letter • They should know your work and you • Simply indicating good GPA is not enough • I found it better to get letters from professors • Who have studied in US • So it may help to get letter from teachers who have experience studying or teaching outside US • Tell them • for what kind of program you are asking Reference Letter • Discuss with them • Do they think you are good for program? • help you know whether that person will give good reference letter or not • YES they can write “This Student does not deserve to be in this program”

17. My Experience • Reference Letters • Discuss with them • Teachers can ask you to waive your right of reading the reference letter • Transcripts • Apply for them early • Arrange them properly • Make note of all the material you are sending • Keep Backup copy of everything

18. My Experience • Interview • After initial screening • Few selected students • Be confident • Opportunity to tell and explain anything you missed • Why you should be selected? • Prepare for it • Ask your friends to ask you questions • Mirror talk • Usual Suspects • Take few moments to answer • Sit upright, dress comfortably • Look towards everyone • Ask Question --- Yes you should ask question also to the interviewers

19. My Experience--- What Counts • Good Grades, Good GRE, Good Reference Letters • Good Interview • They are looking for • Not only Intelligent Person but • Hard working also • Most Importantly • Person who can Go and Make friends in other country • Person who is open to “Different” • Person with Extracurricular and social activities.

20. My Experience • Some people drop even after getting accepted • So rethink

21. Links • http://www.iie.org/en/Fulbright • How Do I Apply for Fulbright? • http://fulbright.state.gov/fulbright/become/howdoiapply • Webminars • http://www.cies.org/Webinar/ • Application TIPS and timeline • http://us.fulbrightonline.org/overview_timeline.html?page=us/overview_timeline • See Your Region’s website