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Schuyler

U.S. Fulbright

Visit the New Fulbright U.S. Student Program Website!

May 4, 2012

Just in time for the 2013-2014 application cycle (which launched on May 1), we’re happy to announce the new Fulbright U.S. Student Program website!

After receiving feedback from our most frequent users, we’ve redesigned the look and simplified how the content is organized.

 

A few highlights:

– Grantee feature on the homepage: Learn about the stories and projects of recent Fulbright recipients.

– Video Embedding: dynamic content will be posted on a regular basis showcasing Fulbright applicant resources and in the near future, video testimonials.

– New navigation: The top menu has been designed to simplify the navigation experience and make finding information easier.

Over the coming months, additional content and features will be added to further refine the user experience.  We hope you will visit the new site regularly and experience all of its features!

U.S. Fulbright

Meet the 2012 Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors!

March 16, 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Wednesday, February 29th, 21 newly selected Fulbright U.S. Student Program Alumni Ambassadors met in Washington, DC to receive training on how to promote and recruit for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.  Staff members from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and the Institute of International Education (IIE), along with Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors from the 2011 cohort, shared tips on giving an effective presentation and emphasized the unique, important role that Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors play in inspiring diverse students, Fulbright Program Advisers, college administrators – and anyone interested in the program – to learn more about it and the power of educational and cultural exchange.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Alumni Ambassador Program was established in 2008 to identify, train and engage a select group of approximately 15-25 Fulbright U.S. Student Program alumni to serve as representatives, recruiters and spokespersons for the Fulbright Program.  They are selected annually through recommendations from Fulbright Commissions and U.S. Embassy staff, area managers, the Fulbright Student Program Outreach Division and approved by the sponsor of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.  Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors come from an array of different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, states, fields of study, institutions and have participated in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program in all world areas.   

Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors represent the program’s rich diversity and play a key role in increasing knowledge about Fulbright opportunities. They provide testimonials about their Fulbright experiences at conferences and campus presentations, and offer application tips in written articles, video and podcast interviews, webinars and at special events throughout the United States.  The Fulbright U.S. Student Program relies on the Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors to share with potential applicants what the Fulbright experience is really like and how to successfully address the challenges of living abroad while meeting the Fulbright Program’s ultimate goal – to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and the people of other countries.

Here’s a preview of the 2012 Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors:

Sade Bonilla
Current City: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Undergraduate Institution: Brown University
Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow in Education – Chile, 2009-2010

Regina Cagle
Current City: Baltimore, Maryland
Undergraduate Institution: Drexel University
Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow in Energy – Ecuador, 2008-2009

Maya deVries
Current City: Berkeley, California
Undergraduate Institution: University of California, Davis
Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow in Biology – Panama, 2010-2011

Kristen Erthum
Current City: Washington, DC
Undergraduate Institution: Doane College
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant – Egypt, 2010-2011

Linnette Franco
Current City: Atlanta, Georgia
Undergraduate Institution: Agnes Scott College
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant – Spain, 2009-2010

Dustin Gee
Current City: New York, New York
Undergraduate Institution: Juniata College
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant – Montenegro, 2010-2011

Francesca Ioffreda
Current City: San Francisco, California
Undergraduate Institution: Claremont McKenna College
Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow in Economic Development – Colombia, 2010-2011

Jessica Kuntz
Current City: New York, New York
Undergraduate Institution: Georgetown University
Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow in Political Science – Croatia, 2010-2011

Samson Lim
Current City: Seattle, Washington
Undergraduate Institution: University of Washington
Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow in Education – Germany, 2010-2011

Eli Magana
Current City: Memphis, Tennessee
Undergraduate Institution: San Diego State University
Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow in Political Science – South Korea, 2009-2010

Regina Mamou
Current City: Chicago, Illinois
Undergraduate Institution: Rhode Island School of Design
Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow in Art and Architectural History – Jordan, 2009-2010

Antonio McAfee
Current City: Baltimore, Maryland
Undergraduate Institution: Corcoran School of Art
Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow in Photography – South Africa, 2009-2010

Fareed Mostoufi
Current City: Washington, DC
Undergraduate Institution: New York University
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant – Argentina, 2009-2010

Zipporah Slaughter
Current City: Atlanta, Georgia
Undergraduate Institution: Spelman College
Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow in Anthropology – Brazil, 2008-2009

Kara Spiller
Current City: New York, NY
Undergraduate Institution: Drexel University
Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow in Engineering – Portugal, 2010-2011

Sarah Staton
Current City: Washington, DC
Undergraduate Institution: William Jewell College
Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow in Chemistry – Ecuador, 2011-2012

Chase Stoudenmire
Current City: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Undergraduate Institution: University of South Carolina – Columbia
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant – Georgia, 2010-2011

Antonio Tahhan
Current City: Baltimore, Maryland             
Undergraduate Institution: Cornell University
Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow in Anthropology – Syria, 2010-2011

Zane Thimmesch-Gill
Current City: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Undergraduate Institution: California Institute of the Arts
Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow in Filmmaking – Canada, 2008-2009

Michael Trice
Current City: Lubbock, Texas
Undergraduate Institution: University of Texas, Austin
Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow in Communications – United Kingdom, 2010-2011

Kelley Whitson
Current City: Glenn Dale, Maryland
Undergraduate Institution: Spelman College
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant – Malaysia, 2010-2011

Michelle Williams
Current City: Birmingham, Alabama
Undergraduate Institution: Florida A&M University
Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow in Public Health – Ghana, 2010-2011

We encourage you to check the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website in the coming weeks to read their full bios and see their photos.  Ambassadors will also receive Fulbright email accounts, where you can contact them directly to ask questions about the application process.

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program also has a cohort of Alumni Ambassadors, selected to promote Fulbright opportunities for faculty, administrators, professionals and artists.

Photo: (Back row, left to right) Sarah Staton, Antonio McAfee, Walter Jackson (IIE), Zipporah Slaughter, Bryan Messerly (ECA), Chase Stoudenmire, Jessica Kuntz, Francesca Ioffreda, Linnette Franco, Jamie Lawrence (ECA), Kara Spiller, Michelle Williams, Sade Bonilla, Meg Neff (ECA); (second row, left to right) Maya deVries, Regina Cagle, Dustin Gee, Regina Mamou, Kristen Erthum, Zane Thimmesch-Gill; (front row) Lee Rivers (IIE), Schuyler Allen (IIE), Antonio Tahhan, Michael Trice, Fareed Mostoufi, Kelley Whitson, Tony Claudino (IIE); (not pictured) Emily Hagemeister, Justin Hill, Michelle Johnson (ECA), Mary Kirk (IIE), Kari Kuja (IIE), David Levin (ECA), Samson Lim, Eli Magana

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Fulbright is at SXSW through March 15!

March 10, 2012

Whether you're a Fulbright alum, student, musician, flimmaker – or all four – stop by the Fulbright Program's trade show exhibition at SXSW from March 12-15 (stand 930) to learn more about grant opportunities.

The Fulbright Program increases mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.  It supports individuals in all fields to undertake innovative projects, while also enabling participants to become cultural ambassadors from their countries.

Projects can include study, field research and teaching (at all levels). For example, Fulbrighters have:

– Developed devices to detect cancer by scent
– Used music to help children with HIV create a supportive community
– Studied new painting techniques
– Developed key new economic theories
– Taught Arabic to U.S. college students
– And over 300,000 other projects in more than 150 countries

The Fulbright Program is sponsored by U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. For more information, visit: http://fulbright.state.gov/.

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Attending SXSW? Learn how the Fulbright Program is the first social network.

March 6, 2012

This Sunday, March 11 in Austin, Texas, the Fulbright Program will present a panel within the very popular SXSW Interactive track entitled “Fulbright: How the 1st Social Network Adapts to Social Media.”  The panel will be moderated by Meg Neff, Public Affairs Assistant, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Vijay Renganathan, Senior Program Officer, the Institute of International Education, Doug Mitchell, Fulbright Scholar Specialist to Chile and Katie Day Good, Fulbright-mtvU Student to Mexico, 2008-2009, as panelists.  To learn more, please visit the SXSW schedule of events.

Like last year, the Fulbright Student and Scholar Programs will be represented by a booth during the tradeshow from March 12-15.  We hope you will stop by and learn more about Fulbright’s involvement in SXSW!

U.S. Fulbright

Putting the finishing touches on your Fulbright-mtvU application? Check out the application timeline and last minute tips below.

February 22, 2012

 

March 1, 2012

Online application deadline for all candidates (Enrolled and At-Large)

Fulbright-mtvU Online Application Timeline
The online application for ALL applicants must be submitted electronically by 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, March 1, 2012.  For your records, be sure to print out a hard copy before submitting the application electronically.
You will receive an email confirmation from the Embark Fulbright Online Application System when you complete all the steps leading to the electronic submission of the application.  Failure to electronically submit your application by the deadline will result in the disqualification of your application.
DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO ELECTRONICALLY SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION.   The system for both applicants and References/Evaluations will shut down at the time indicated.  Plan to complete submission well in advance of the deadline.
March-April 2012

Stage 1 Application Review

Applications are reviewed by committees in the United States.  Results are collated and panels of recommended candidates for each country receiving Fulbright U.S. Student grantees are compiled.
April 2012

Stage 2  Review Begins

Applications of recommended candidates are transmitted to the supervising agencies abroad, to the U.S. State Department and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB) for further review.
April, 2012

Stage 1 Decision Notification

Applicants in the 2012-2013 competition will receive email notification indicating whether or not they have been recommended to the host country.
May- June 2012

Stage 2 Notification

As results of the selection and approval process are received, recommended candidates will be notified of their status: 

  1. Selected to receive a grant.
  2. Designated as an alternate to receive consideration if a selected candidate declines the grant offered.  Alternates remain on the list until August 2012, since a declination or withdrawal can occur at any time prior to the closing of the competition.
  3. Non-selected by the host country, and, therefore, no longer under consideration.
May- June 2012 

Selected candidates

  1. Have Medical Certificate completed to receive clearance (within four weeks of selection notification).
  2. Graduating seniors submit final transcripts with bachelor’s degree award certification (by end of June or within two weeks of selection notification).
July/August 2012

Mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation

Mandatory Pre-departure Orientation Meetings in New York, NY. Attendance is mandatory and is a condition of receiving a grant.
July 2012 to March 2013

Grants begin

Grantees may begin their grants with host country concurrence.  Consult the Country Summary for specific restrictions on grant dates.  Grant start dates may not be postponed beyond March 31, 2013.

 

Last Minute Tips:

  • In addition to the Statement of Grant Purpose and the Personal Statement, be sure to complete and upload the mtvU Documentation and Outreach Plan.
  • Review country summary for the host country to which you are applying to ensure you meet the country specific requirements.
  • If applying as a Creative and Performing Arts candidate, be sure to submit supplementary materials via mail by March 1st.
  • Monitor your application and follow up with your recommenders and language evaluator(s) to make sure that they upload their documents to your application by 5:00 p.m., March 1st.
  • Make sure to upload all of your transcripts. Graduate students will need to submit both undergrad and graduate transcripts.
  • Community engagement is important in the Fulbright Program and even more so for Fulbright-mtvU.