250 likes | 397 Views
“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. General Introduction. Established After World War II
E N D
“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
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
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
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/
Where to look • Fulbright website • http://fulbright.state.gov/ • IIE website • http://www.iie.org/en/Fulbright
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
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
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
My Experience– Why Fulbright? • For Best • It’s Adventure.
What you need? • Some of the Most Important things • GRE • Personal Statement • Statement of Grant Purpose / Research Statement • 3 letters of References • Transcripts
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.
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
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
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
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/
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”
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
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
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.
My Experience • Some people drop even after getting accepted • So rethink
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