Advice on the Fulbright Application Process
By Delia Kulukundis (ISLE 2004)
Since many ISLE program alumni choose to return to Sri Lanka on Fulbright fellowships, Padma has asked me to write a short piece giving advice about the Fulbright application process. I am sure that everyone who applies will read the information available on the Fulbright program website, so I will try not to repeat too much of that information here. The application process involves several steps and lots of periods of waiting. In the past, the Institute of International Education (IIE), the organization that handles the applications for the Fulbright US Student programs, has not been very responsive to students' questions about the application process. For that reason, you should apply through your college, if possible, and make sure that all of your forms are submitted on time.
"A major advantage of applying through your college is the interview..."
If you are applying as a senior, you will have to apply through your college's Fulbright Program Advisor (FPA), and most colleges will accept applications from alumni as well. The application consists of a two-page statement of proposed research, a one-page personal and academic biography, three academic recommendations, one language recommendation, a printout of the completed online application form, and an official transcript. You will have to submit all of your application materials to your FPA by your campus deadline, which will probably be about a month earlier than the "at-large" deadline set by the IIE of October 19, 2007. At some point during that month you will have an interview with the FPA and a panel of faculty members from your college, and then you will have the chance to revise your application before submitting it online and sending your final draft to your FPA. The FPA will then forward your application to the IIE. A major advantage of applying through your college is the interview: since the panel of faculty members is primarily interested in helping you develop a strong proposal and application, you'll receive some very helpful feedback about your proposal, and you have the chance to consider that feedback when revising your application.
In order to get all parts of your application submitted by the deadline, you need to give your professors ample time to write and send their recommendations to the FPA, especially those professors based in Sri Lanka. After requesting recommendations, you should give your US-based professors least three weeks before the campus deadline to write their recommendations, and you’ll need to send them a copy of your proposal along with the recommendation form with your portion filled out. Some recommenders may also request a copy of your biographical statement. For Sri Lanka-based professors and teachers, you need to allow even more time.
"After you’ve requested those recommendations and sent the forms, etc., you should call your professors in Sri Lanka to confirm that they’ve received it ... about a week before the campus deadline you should call them again to make sure that everything is on its way to the FPA."
First request a recommendation either over the phone or by email, then once they have agreed to write for you, send a hard copy of your proposal, the recommendation form with your portion filled out, and a check to cover the cost of return express mail and any incidental costs of printing, email, and long-distance phone calls (in case they have to ask you any questions, etc). Padma has suggested $40.00 as a reasonable amount to send. It can be a personal check in dollars, since Sri Lankan banks will be able to convert it.
Mail to Kandy from the east coast of the US takes at least eight days, and slightly less than a week to return via express mail, so you should request those recommendations at least five weeks before the campus deadline. (Since you are enclosing a check, it might be safer to send the letter via express mail.) After you’ve requested those recommendations and sent the forms, proposal, and check, you should call your professors in Sri Lanka to confirm that they’ve received it, and then about a week before the campus deadline you should call them again to make sure that everything is on its way to the FPA.
After your campus deadline has passed, check with your FPA to make sure that everything has arrived, and if anything is missing, call the relevant professors and make sure that everything is on its way. In order to get all of those forms submitted in time, you need to have a rough draft of the proposal written about five weeks before the campus deadline. In the intervening time, you can edit the proposal and respond to any feedback from your recommenders and advisors. Fulbright applications for some countries require a letter of affiliation from a faculty member or a university abroad, but thankfully Sri Lanka is not one of them.
The Fulbright application website describes what needs to be included in the proposal; in particular see the section titled "before you begin") -- I won’t repeat all of that here. But remember that as a former ISLE student you have a great advantage in the application process, and you have access to some great resources while you are in Sri Lanka: the ISLE library, the professors who taught you while on the program, host family connections, as well as a good deal of familiarity with the country and a huge head start in Sinhala. While writing the proposal it is good to mention some of those things, especially since you are asked to write about the resources you have available to help you in your research.
"You have access to some great resources while you are in Sri Lanka: the ISLE library, the professors who taught you while on the program, host family connections, as well as a good deal of familiarity with the country and a huge head start in Sinhala."
The proposal should include a tentative schedule for your project, and it is helpful to budget the first month or two for intensive language study. Since you are only allowed two pages for the proposal, make sure it clearly states the scope and objective of your project, and why the project is exciting and important. The application also requires a biographical statement, a one-page description of the personal and academic experiences that led to your interest in the topic you’re proposing to study. One page is an absurdly small space in which to write a biography, so obviously figure out what’s most important and relevant and cut out the rest. It helps to mention ISLE experiences as they relate to the development of your interest in your proposed project. That essay is referred to as the "curriculum vitae" in the application, but it is actually much more of a narrative biography than a traditional CV.
There is a new program called the National Security Language Initiative which funds pre-Fulbright in-country language training, as well as intensive summer language training courses for current undergraduates and graduate students. Information about the program can be found at http://us.fulbrightonline.org/thinking_type.html, under the heading "Fulbright Critical Language Enhancement Award." Although Sinhala and Tamil are not listed as eligible languages on that page, there is currently one Fulbrighter studying Tamil in Sri Lanka under that program. Since the program is still new and undergoing changes, exceptions might be made to allow students to study Sinhala or Tamil in Sri Lanka with funding from that program.
If you are interested, check with your college's FPA to see whether he or she has any updated information. You will have to note your intention to apply for the additional language training grant in your Fulbright application.
What to do if something goes wrong: the FPA at your college is your first line of defense. Should any recommendations arrive late, your FPA will be much more capable of getting the IIE to accept them that you will be. If you have questions about filling out the online application, the FPA will be able to answer them, and might even be able to give you advice on how to strengthen your proposal. If you reach a point where the FPA can’t help you, apply common sense as far as it will take you, and only when you have exhausted all other options, contact the IIE, and hope for the best.