Jared Finkelstein, 2010-2011, looking up at the Oculus at the Pantheon in Rome
I had never heard of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program until three months before I applied. In the summer of 2009, I knew I would graduate from college in just a few short months, and was still considering options for the future. Then, I received a letter in the mail from my university about an opportunity to travel to a different country and learn about its culture while conducting research.
I contacted my school’s Fulbright Program Adviser and discovered a grant in Italy specifically for engineering graduate study at the Politecnico di Torino. I had always had an interest in Italian culture, and had studied the language in high school. While putting my application together, with the help of my Fulbright Program Adviser and some other members of the faculty, I contacted the Politecnico di Torino describing my desire to study with them. Politecnico then gave me details on the coursework they offered and how to apply. The application took a lot of time – it’s not something you can do in one sitting. I spent a great deal of time researching the school and Turin, Italy, before writing and meticulously tweaking my essays.