Fulbright Scholarship. Fulbright Scholarship: How to Open Doors to American Universities
Down with the stereotypes about foreign universities "for the rich" - any state has multimillion-dollar grant programs that annually sponsor the most motivated students for master's or postgraduate studies. Payments cover tuition and living expenses, and students can devote themselves fully to their studies. All that is required of the candidate is to understand why he needs it, clearly set a goal and carefully collect a package of documents, and then suitcases.
"Big Village" begins to collect practical advice from the guys who were able to enter best universities peace. How to overcome the circles of bureaucratic hell, what to say at an interview, is there a universal motivation letter Is there any point in returning home? In the first part - one of the best international Fulbright programs.
Where: United States of America
What includes: payment for knowledge exams in English, tuition fees, monthly stipend, limited health insurance, travel expenses (round trip from hometown and extra baggage on the way back), a one-time payment of the cost of educational materials and accommodation at the place of residence.
Training period: from one year to 2 years
Requirements: are listed at the link, one of the required ones is knowledge of English at a sufficient level (TOEFL not lower than 80 points) and age no older than 30 years.
What is it and how to get through. Fulbright is one of the most generous and cool scholarship programs in the world, which annually provides grants for training, scientific research and internships at US universities. University graduates or students can participate in the competition last year education, which by the time of the possible departure will already receive diplomas of higher education. You need to choose a master's or graduate program. Masters study for two academic years, graduate students conduct research for one academic year.
Competitive selection begins in the spring and lasts about a year. During this time, the candidate must write motivational essays and collect three letters of recommendation, translate a diploma of higher education into English, pass English proficiency exams (TOEFL, and masters also GRE), pass an interview in Moscow and - combo! - combine all this with main job or study.
The Fulbright Scholarship covers everything. It was important for me, because I did not have my own funds.
Apply every year different amount applicants: in 2015 there were about 600 of them. Usually about 10% reach the final - the competition for a place is comparable to a challenge when entering a good domestic university.
It must be understood that Fulbright has a clear goal - cultural exchange: the finalists of the grant in a sense become cosmopolitans, educators and bearers of important experience. This means that chilling on the shores of the ocean after graduation or completion research work it won’t work out - the scholarship holder is obliged, ideally, to return to his homeland, but in any case he cannot live and work in the USA for two years (the option with an interethnic marriage will not work either).
Yana Shchetinskaya, student at North Carolina State University
In Samara, I graduated from the Faculty of History of the Samara State University with a degree in International Relations. I applied for Fulbright in May 2014, and in March-April 2015 I found out that I was going to study. The process of selecting candidates lasts about a year, and it's quite nerve-wracking - so much time to be in a state of uncertainty.
The Fulbright scholarship covers everything, including housing: for me this was important, since I did not have my own funds to pay for half or, say, a third of the tuition.
By submitting an application, you do not choose a university - you just express your wishes, and the commission takes them into account. You should not count on Harvard and other well-known universities: you can be sent to an excellent university that no one in Russia has heard of, and this will be a much better solution.
There is only one motivation: you either need it, and you stubbornly go to the end, or not.
If everything is in order after submitting the papers with the documents, you go to the second round - there you just have to pass the exams and go for an interview in Moscow. It is held in English with an American-Russian commission of five to six people. At the interview, they check your determination, and also your communication skills, so it’s better not to be too nervous and try to communicate calmly, without excessive alertness. If you have interesting topic, you really know the purpose of the program and believe in what you say - this is a big plus. It is important to understand that the American commission will not be satisfied with general phrases.
University of North Carolina You need to clearly understand, and then paint, what practical importance is what you plan to do. It would be nice to throw in a draft of sample questions and answers for the interview. If possible, it is better to give your essays to an experienced person, the same Fulbright or native English speaker, who will help correct stylistic inaccuracies.
I know many who went to the Fulbright for the third and fourth time
There is only one motivation: you either need it, and you stubbornly go to the end, or not. If you didn't manage to apply this year, you can do it next year. I know many who passed the Fulbright on the third and fourth time. An important point about English: if you feel that language training is not enough, start preparing in advance. Learn the exam format so you don't get overwhelmed when testing - and practice without interruption.
"Orientation", or University of North Carolina pre-start meeting school year, Yana was held in Boston I am currently a student at the University of North Carolina. State University) and overall very satisfied. I am the only foreign student in my program, but I am treated exactly the same as dozens of American masters. The teachers are very responsive and always ready to help if you do not understand or do not know something. This is a big plus for development and adaptation. The university where I study has a lot of resources: constant conferences, seminars, debates, where speakers from the UN, government and non-profit organizations are invited - a very busy life.
Probably the most important thing is not to be afraid. If you have any questions - ask and consult, communicate with former scholarship holders. There is a group in VKontakte
Fulbright Program
A small insert from WikipediaThe Fulbright Program is an educational grant program founded in 1946 by US Senator James William Fulbright and funded by the State Department to strengthen cultural and academic ties between citizens of the United States and other countries.
Provides international educational exchanges for students, scientists, teachers, professionals and artists. On a competitive basis, it provides grants to both American and foreign students, scientists and researchers. Stimulates "cross" education, in particular, American students abroad, and foreign - in the United States. The Fulbright Program is one of the most prestigious award programs in the world among its kind, it operates in more than 155 countries, in 50 of which there are special commissions that manage the program, and where there are none, it is overseen by the Information and Cultural Section of the US Embassy.
Push. The scholarship is considered one of the most prestigious scholarships in the USA. Many people in the US have heard and know about it.
Initially a more humanitarian program, but recently it has been gaining popularity among fundamental sciences. For example, a specially recently opened Fulbright STEP program.
Scholarship conditions
- university tuition fee
- 2 way ticket
- monthly stipend
- medical insurance
- 2 year return requirement
- opportunity to take your family with you
Submission of documents
The deadline for submitting documents for the competition is mid-May. Keep in mind that documents are submitted a year in advance. So I applied in May 2012, being in my 3rd year at the university, and started studying in the USA in August 2013. The results of the entire selection will be known somewhere at the end of September (the choice of the university, whichever one is lucky), which is still allows you to plan well ahead.The list of documents is quite simple (here I will focus on the most important ones in my opinion):
- Personal Statement- serves as a record of everything you have already done that you think makes you a good candidate for a scholarship. At the same time, it should include some mention of how studying in the States will help you achieve your professional and academic goals, and why this cannot be done in the circumstances in which you are now.
- Study Objective- an essay that follows as much as possible to talk about what you would like to do when you are in the United States. It implies a more or less detailed description of the project, the relevance of the direction you have chosen. It is advisable to describe in detail your goals in the chosen area and how you are going to realize these goals, and most importantly, why go to the USA for this.
- three letters of recommendation. Try to pick up people who can show you from different sides. It seems to me that the optimal set is work, university and social activity. It is desirable to characterize you in many ways, but it is still better to have a letter from your supervisor. These same letters will then be used to apply to US universities, and knowing how we feel about letters of recommendation, it is important to make people understand that these letters are important, and not just unsubscribe.
Selection process
The deadline for submitting documents is mid-May. Then, somewhere until mid-August, forms are being processed. Everything is quite liberal, if you miss something, you will most likely just be asked to send the missing documents.In mid-August, people who have passed to the second round (Semi-Final) are announced, that is, for an interview. The interview takes place in the form of a panel - 5-6 people ask you about your project, goals and arguments for the relevance of the project. As a rule, among them 2-3 Americans. In my case, half of the people who interviewed me came across Computer Science, the rest were just from technical fields.
The interview itself takes place somewhere in the middle of September, and the results are announced 1-2 weeks after the interviews. So the applicants go to the final stage. The bottom line is that this is not yet a guarantee of the trip itself (although the chances are somewhere around 95%). A small proportion of people drop out because of poor test results, some by choice or because they cannot find a suitable university. Therefore, in addition to the main list, there is also a reserve one, and the chances of people from the reserve list, as a rule, are not bad.
Tests
After getting into the final stage (actually receiving a scholarship), you will need to pass 2 tests (TOEFL, GRE General). If you took them before, the results are still valid at the time of submitting documents to universities and satisfy minimum requirements, then you can not pass the tests. The finalists are paid the surrender itself, but the preparation is usually not paid.- TOEFL iBT - consists of 4 parts (Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing). Each part is about 30 points, for a total of 120. The minimum in most universities is somewhere around 80, but an acceptable result is 100. It is highly desirable to pass Speaking with more than 25, this often gives you the opportunity to get certified at the university if you want to work with students (I passed on 23 and I had to take an additional course)
- GRE revised General Test - this test has a progressive grading scale (from 130 to 170, for example 145 means you are in the first quintile, 151 is the middle score, and from 157 the fourth quintile), depending on the university and the program, the requirements for this test are very different. Some universities do not require it at all. In general, the test is more difficult than TOEFL, it takes more time to prepare. Consists of 3 parts:
- Math- a fairly easy test, at the level of the 1st course in technical university. The bulk of the tasks in algebra. Nothing out of the ordinary, just for successful delivery you need to get used to the wording of tasks in English (as a rule, this is more difficult than the tasks themselves).
- Vocabulary- just incredibly complex. Very academic vocabulary is used, it is often difficult to understand what is being said. It really takes a long time to prepare for it. Later, while talking with the Americans, I realized that among them there are many people who fail this test.
- Writing- 2 essays. I heard more than once that for foreign students this is not the most important part. According to empirical observations, it is better to devote more time to other parts. Although, again, regarding the program.
University selection
After passing the tests, according to your results, it compiles a list of recommended universities for you, in which, according to the Fulbright program, you could apply. The bottom line is that a scholarship is funding, but not a guarantee that you will be able to find yourself a university. Often, program staff try to take into account your wishes if they are from the field of logic, and not from the field of "I won't go anywhere except Harvard." You are offered a list of 4 universities and, as a rule, you need to fill in something yourself everywhere. Submission of documents begins at the end of November. The first proposals from universities will be after the New Year. And here, in principle, the most difficult situation happens. Some universities give the Fulbright program a discount on your tuition, so it is more profitable for the program to send scholarship holders to such universities. It is very good when your choice coincided with what you are advised. Honestly, what happens in another case, I don’t really know. There are people who refuse because they are not satisfied with the university. I think that the obsession with the name of the university is not bad, but not the most important thing. Moreover, in the end, upon arrival in the United States, you can transfer to another university.- take the TOEFL or GRE before filing, if possible, or over the summer after filing (the results can be added to your application at any time). Nice results tests give the commission a certain level of confidence in you and show language proficiency. Empirically, somewhere around 50% of the finalists passed at least one test before reaching the final. Also, passing tests in advance will greatly simplify your life if you get into the final, since otherwise you have to take them in a very short time (1-2 months).
- it is better to have a real list of universities where you want to go. Take the time to review the programs. As a rule, universities even have a specialization in the field computer science. I want to upset a little right away, there are not very many chances to get into the Ivy League. The problem is not even the level of knowledge, but rather the financial side of the issue for Fulbright. Plus, to get into the conditional Stanford, you need a real argument why Stanford and not, for example, the University of Washington. Therefore, when applying, it is better to have realistic goals.
- be as prepared as possible for your direction and project. Try to update your knowledge, read what is currently being researched in your field. This is likely to be asked in an interview.
- in preparation for the interview, I was advised one very effective technique. Spend 2-3 days and write down all the questions you would ask yourself about your project. What can a person from the outside ask. Ask your friends to help you with this. This is how I managed to “guess” about 70% of the questions that I was eventually asked at the interview.
The Fulbright scholarship program is one of the most famous in the world. It gives thousands of students from different countries every year the opportunity to receive higher education in the United States without serious financial shocks.
From general...
Senator William Fulbright. He was not a typical American politician; his understanding of the good of America was often at odds with that of the majority. It was Fulbright who, in 1945, proposed using funds from the sale of remnants of US military property abroad for the purpose of student exchange in education, culture and science.
Since then, every year there has been an exchange of students between America and other countries. Currently, the Fulbright program covers about 150 countries around the world. Funding from the US government exceeds $100,000,000 per year. Other governments contribute about $30,000,000 per year to the Program.
With Russia, Fulbright has ten programs available for different categories of participants. The list of competitive disciplines is quite wide. The Russian Association of Fulbright Alumni has about 1,600 members.
Fulbright program for Russian citizens provides grants for education, research, lecturing and internships at any university, library, archive in the United States. Grants are awarded based on the results of an open competition in all disciplines.
Graduate-focused programs Russian universities, graduate students, scientists, artists, teachers, employees of international departments Russian universities.
The grant includes: participation in the competition, tuition fees at a US university, a monthly stipend, limited medical insurance and travel expenses.
Citizens of the Russian Federation permanently residing in the country, having a diploma of higher education or an academic degree (depending on the program), with a good knowledge of English, can take part in the programs.
Each program has its own application system and selection criteria. Each case is considered on an individual basis. Accordingly, grant amounts also vary on a case-by-case basis.
…to private
Fulbright programs include several areas. And in turn, each direction is divided into groups.
For students and teachers:
Master's degree and internship in the USA. Grants are issued for 1-2 years of study or research. There are age restrictions. Fellows of the program receive a J-1 visa and after the end of the grant are required to return to Russia.
Program for university teachers. Grants on a competitive basis are issued to university professors not older than 39 years. The duration of the program is 5 months.
Program for young teachers of a foreign language. The program lasts 9 months and does not involve a degree upon completion. Young teachers of English are given the opportunity to improve their teaching skills, English language proficiency and become more familiar with American culture and traditions. Program participants enter universities and colleges in the United States to work as teachers or assistant teachers of the Russian language.
For scientists:
Scholar-in-Residence Program (SIR). US university exchange program. Teachers from Russian universities go to community colleges, small universities specializing in master's programs on humanities, and universities where representatives of national minorities study.
For scientists and artists. Grants are issued to scientists, employees of research institutes, university professors (mandatory availability degree), as well as artists and specialists in the field of applied and creative disciplines (the presence of an academic degree is not required). The duration of the research grant is 3-6 months. The duration of the lecture grant is 3-9 months.
New Century Scholars. A research program that annually brings together 25-30 scientists and specialists from the United States and countries participating in the educational project.
Program for employees of international departments of Russian universities:
RIEA exists for employees of international departments. Designed for young professionals with at least two years of work experience. The RIEA program offers an intensive 3-month internship in the United States and is aimed at improving the professional skills of Russian university staff who work with foreign students and teachers.
The Fulbright programs also include several summer schools: the School of Sustainable Development of Regions and Territories, the School of Exact Sciences and Technologies, the Humanitarian Summer school. And also - the Hubert Humphrey Program, aimed at supporting research. All details are on
The largest US government-funded international education exchange program, commonly known as Fulbright program a, was created to improve mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. In pursuit of this goal, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 230,000 of its participants with different countries chosen for their leadership qualities, the opportunity to get acquainted with the work of political, economic and cultural organizations, exchange views and initiate joint projects for the common good of the peoples of the world.
The Fulbright Program was founded in 1946 by a bill introduced by former Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright. The Fulbright Program is administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State.
Since the program was founded, 34,000 foreign scientists have conducted research or taught at US universities and more than 32,000 American scientists have been engaged in similar activities abroad. Each year, the Fulbright Program awards about 750 grants to scientists who come to the US from other countries. Currently, the Fulbright Program operates in 140 countries around the world.
The main source of funding for the Fulbright Program is the annual appropriations allocated by the US Congress to the Department of State. Participating Governments and Host Universities foreign countries and the United States also contributes financially to the program, either as part of the costs or indirectly through salary increases, tuition waivers, and university housing. In fiscal year 1999, the US Congress allocated $102 million to the Fulbright Program. Other governments, through their bilateral commissions and funds, have directly invested another $28 million in the Fulbright Program.
In 1973, six Soviet and six American scientists became Fulbrights, receiving a grant from the Program for research and lecturing, thus laying a solid foundation for bilateral academic cooperation.
A Fulbright Scholar for English Teachers talks about her internship in America.
About study
I came to study and work in the USA scholarship program Fulbright for English teachers (Foreign Language Teaching Assistant).
The program involves teaching the Russian language and culture of their country in an American college in the amount of 20 hours a week, as well as teaching at least two subjects per semester. The program covers all expenses during all stages of participation in the competition and the year of study in the United States.
All scholarship holders of the program are distributed to different colleges. I received a placement at Grinnell College in Iowa.Grinnell is one of the private liberal arts colleges, which in America are called Liberal Arts colleges.
The college is very wealthy and can afford to provide financial assistance to about 85% of its students, who study here in 26 areas.
Grinnell has a great campus with two excellent libraries, 12 academic buildings, 19 residence halls and 7 student houses, a canteen, a bar and grill, an arts center, and one of my favorite places on campus, the sports center.
In addition, there is also a stadium, football and baseball fields, 6 indoor tennis courts, an indoor athletics track, a swimming pool and much more. At the beginning of the semester, the teacher introduces students to the plan (Syllabus) and deadlines. written works followed throughout the semester.
When I tell my American friends what college I work and study at, most refer to our college as educational institution with a very high educational standard.
And I boldly assert that my classmates and students to whom I teach Russian are real stars and intellectuals. Great attention is paid to independent work student.
The teacher acts as a coordinator, curator, leading the lesson in the form of a discussion on the materials that students should familiarize themselves with before the lesson.
The guys are engaged not only in studies, which, believe me, "takes up" the lion's share of our time, but actively spend time outside of school: in Grinnell there are about 250 student organizations for every taste and 20 sports that you can get carried away.
Almost 1/3 of Grinnell students are athletes and participate in competitions in various sports, or study music, sing in a choir, put on performances, work, “volunteer”.
For example, two female students I know volunteer to help inmates prepare for a test to get a high school diploma.
Preparation and admission
The Fulbright Grant competition lasts a whole year. For me, the most important step was the process of preparing and collecting documents. I believe that this stage is the most responsible, since many people are eliminated at it.
At this stage, it is important to write a convincing and original motivation letter, to support your application letters of recommendation. The main thing here is to show your uniqueness, to prove that it was you who was so lacking in the international Fulbright family.
At the second stage of the competition, all semi-finalists take the TOEFL language test, as well as interviews with representatives of the Fulbright program in Russia, a participant in the program of previous years and a representative of the US State Department.
In winter, the finalists are informed about the successful completion of the competition, after which it is necessary to collect the next package of documents and prepare a medical card. Fulbright assists in obtaining visas and other documents.
The most exciting stage is the distribution to colleges. After distribution, fellows are in direct contact with their college supervisor.
Before leaving in Moscow, there is a meeting with representatives of the American embassy for the so-called pre-departure orientation, at which the fellows are told about the main points related to culture, life and study in America so that they can better adapt to the new environment.
Upon arrival in the United States, before entering their college, fellows from all over the world are distributed to the largest American universities already for summer orientation. I was among the lucky ones who got to Stanford for a few days.
Life
At the beginning of the year, all new students and language assistants go through an orientation during which everything can be processed Required documents, open a bank account, get a tax number, etc.
Under the terms of my grant, I receive funding from the Fulbright program and from Grinnell. The college provided me with housing in one of the student houses called "Russian House".
Here I live with students studying Russian. The college also provides me with a full meal-plan, which includes three meals a day in the student cafeteria.
You can also cook in the kitchen at the Russian House, as most of the guys who don't eat in the canteen do: it's cheaper for them. Life in Iowa is not expensive.
The main expenses while living in the USA are travel and endless online shopping. Since the college is located in a very small town, there are no special frills.
To neighboring big cities, Des Moines or Iowa City, we drive a car that we bought with friends at the beginning of the semester. You can also rent a car right on campus.
In free time
Grinnell has very long holidays. As the students explained to me, they are much longer here than in many other colleges, since the study is very intense. So, during the holidays I travel. In the fall, I spent a week in Chicago.
I went to visit friends in Iowa for Thanksgiving. In mid-December, a conference for Fulbright Scholars was held in Washington, where we attended many trainings, received certificates, and shared our impressions after the first semester of work.
After the conference, we went with friends to celebrate Christmas and New Year to Philadelphia, New York, Miami Beach and Key West in Florida. On the spring holidays I'm still making plans. V free time I meet friends - other language assistants or students.
Of course, every weekend we go to parties. It will be very difficult for me to convey on paper the impressions and atmosphere that prevails at student parties. Guys, you need to be in an American college to appreciate this! I love to watch the competitions of our "Pioneers" - Grinnell Pioneers, when they play at home.
An interesting fact about my college for basketball fans. Last semester, our team's defenseman Jack Taylor scored 138 points in 36 minutes of playing time, setting a new NCAA record! Sure enough, the Grinnell Pioneers beat Faith Baptist Bible 179-104. I also go to the gym and pool or sleep.
Country and culture
This is my first visit to the USA, but, oddly enough, I did not experience the slightest culture shock. Probably, this is all very individual. I travel a lot and meet all kinds of people.
Previously, I often heard that it is very difficult to make friends with the Americans, they say, they do not let them into their souls. I would like to debunk this myth. Here I met charming and kind people whom I can call my friends, and I know that this relationship will not end when I return to Russia.
You may consider this a lyric, but I believe that if a person is open to the world and people, accepts every day and every new meeting as a gift, remaining an optimist in any situation and trying to see only good in any person, everything returns to him a hundredfold.
With such an attitude towards the world, it will be all yours, since both your eyes and your whole being will shine with goodness. How not to make friends with such a person?! I fell in love with America, and I will definitely return here: after all, I have not yet walked around Central Park in warm weather.
After study
How I love this college, students, teachers, colleagues and how good it is that I will be in my dear Grinnell for another four months! The fact that I came to the USA under the Fulbright program is very valuable and honorable.
This is a big plus for my "resume" and professional growth. Here my vision of the dissertation, which I am writing in Russia, has changed, new development prospects have appeared.
- An interesting section is "Tips". Can I give at least one? I think no. I can only share my thoughts. Do what your heart is in. If you want to study, look for competitions and grants, participate in them. Believe in yourself and know that there is no one like you. If you are writing a motivation letter, be sure to tell about it.
- I believe that nothing is impossible for us. As a 3rd year student, I accompanied the delegation of the executive committee of my city in Hong Kong as an interpreter. Then I studied for a year in China on a grant from the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan and was a volunteer at the World Universiade in Shenzhen, and I hope that I will be one at the Universiade in Kazan this year.
- A year ago I sailed on a huge ship from Tokyo to Colombo and Chennai and back as part of the participants international program"Ship of Youth of the World" and now I am the vice-president of the association of its graduates from Russia. Finally, I became a Fulbright Scholar.
- I just believe in myself, and I hope that those comrades who conduct competitive selection will believe in me. Prove to them that they need to believe in you too!
- And finally: when traveling, use couchsurfing. This unique opportunity feel like a traveler, not a tourist.
