Student Fellowships & Research

Description.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries through the exchange of persons, knowledge and skills. In most cases, English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) grantees are placed in schools or universities outside of the capital cities. They are assigned various activities designed to strengthen English language instruction by establishing a native-speaker presence and to improve their students’ language abilities and knowledge of the United States. At the same time, U.S. participants will conduct community work, and gain from intensive cross-cultural interaction and international education while increasing their own language skills and knowledge of the host country. Please see the relevant “Participating Countries" summaries on the Fulbright website for details on language requirements (note that proficiency in the host country's language is not always required), placements, responsibilities and opportunities for research or coursework. All ETA affiliations will be made by the appropriate Fulbright office in the host country.  Last year, approximately 870 awards were made in 70 countries from 3900 applications.

Benefits.
English Teaching Assistantship grantees will be provided with round-trip transportation; maintenance for the academic year; supplemental health and accident coverage; tuition assistance, in some case; and language or orientation programs, where appropriate.

Eligibility.

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens at the time of application.
• Applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree or the equivalent before the beginning date of the grant.
• Applicants may not hold a doctoral degree at the time of application, but may hold a J.D. degree.
• Applicants must be in good health. Grantees will be required to submit a satisfactory Certificate of Health from a physician.
• The language requirements vary greatly by country. Applicants should review the applicable country profile to ensure their written and spoken language skills are sufficient.
• Preference will be given to those applicants who have undertaken their higher education primarily at educational institutions in the U.S. Foreign study during junior year or other periods of undergraduate study that are integral parts of the curricula of American institutions will not be considered a disadvantage.
• Preference will be given to those applicants who have not resided or studied in the country to which they are applying for more than six months.

Bowdoin's Initial Application Process. Please note that the Fulbright application must be created online.

By the Initial Bowdoin Deadline (see above), you must electronically submit a completed Fulbright ETA application. By clicking the "submit" button in the online application, you will be releasing your application to Bowdoin's Office of Student Fellowships and Research, not to Fulbright. The Office of Student Fellowships and Research is responsible for distributing your application to the campus review committee and will electronically return your application to you in a matter of days. A complete Fulbright ETA application includes the following:

Parts B - E

Part F (References and Evaluation)

1. Foreign Language Evaluation** (Form 8). Applicants must enter their language evaluator's name and email address into the online application well in advance of the deadline. Doing so triggers the online system to send an email with instructions for foreign language evaluators. The evaluator must complete the form online and electronically submit the form. (View a sample Foreign Language Evaluation.)
2.  ETA Reference Form.  Three separate recommendations (Form 9B) must be electronically submitted. Please note Form 9B is NOT a general letter of recommendation; referees must respond to specific prompts (view a sample ETA Reference Form 9B). Applicants are strongly encourage to read "Instructions for Completing a Reference" well in advance of the deadline for guidance on who the applicant should ask to serve as a recommender and for an explanation of the process. Applicants must enter each recommender's name and email address into the online application well in advance of the deadline. Doing so triggers the online system to send an email with instructions to the referee.  Recommenders will complete Form 9B online and electronically submit it.

 
**Indicates "if applicable"

Bowdoin is required to rate all Bowdoin applicants (scale is from 1 - 4; 1 = exceptional, 4 = not recommended); this is accomplished through a brief interview. If all of the above materials are submitted on time, you will be scheduled for a campus interview. Once the interview is complete, it is your responsibility to continue revising and collecting your materials.

Materials for Final Application. By the "Final Bowdoin Deadline" (see above) applicants must electronically submit their completed Fulbright application. Please note that the "Final Bowdoin Deadline" is several days earlier than the submission deadline posted on the Fulbright website to allow the Office of Student Fellowships and Research the needed time to process your application before releasing it to Fulbright. Without exception, Bowdoin students are expected to meet the "Final Bowdoin Deadline."  A complete Fulbright ETA application includes:

• Forms 1 - 3              Basic Data
• Form 4                     Student Record Form
• Form 5                     Statement of Grant Purpose
• Form 6                     Personal Statement
• Form 7**                  Language Background Report
• Form 7A**                Critical Language Enhancement Award Supplementary Form**
• Form 8**                  Foreign Language Evaluation**
• Form 9B (3)              ETA Reference Form
• Uploads of official transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended.

**Indicates if applicable

Please note that applicants are responsible for all photocopying needed for the internal selection process and as required by the foundation.