Shine Fulbright like a Diamond
By Grace Carballo ‘17
Probably the most valuable lesson I’ve learned in college is that there is a whole lot in this big, beautiful world of ours that I know very little about. I won’t ever know everything, but I plan on learning more and more, even after graduating from USC in May 2017, which is approaching way too quickly. To facilitate this, I’ve started checking out my options because honestly the dream is to continue going to school as long as possible.
Never stop learning!
An amazing, but very competitive opportunity after graduation is earning a Fulbright award. These academic grants fund typically one year of study abroad, including roundtrip airfare and room and board. It seems too good to be true but it really is this magnificent and their website checks out. http://us.fulbrightonline.org/
USC graduates have been very successful in the Fulbright application process; Eleven Trojans received Fulbright awards for the 2014-2015 academic year. Their fellowships brought them to some amazing places in one of the more than 150 participating countries, which you can read more about in this USC news article detailing the fields of study and backgrounds of the recipients:
http://news.usc.edu/75790/usc-again-among-top-producers-of-fulbright-fellows/
I attended an informational meeting about Fulbright U.S. Student Program Opportunities on Monday, which I recommend doing if you have any interest in applying because Katie Calvert and the Office of Academic and International Fellowships know what’s up.
Here are 10 helpful tips Katie shared with those in attendance that I will now share with you (arguably hurting my own chances of receiving an award myself now that I think about it):
1) Choosing a grant- You can only apply to 1 country for 1 type of grant each year, so choose wisely.
2) Eligibility- These fellowships are available to recent alums and graduate students mostly. As soon as you get your PhD or similar, you are ineligible- this is probably the only door that closes when you get that high of a degree.
3) Fulbright tends to look at you very holistically and their mission is “cross-cultural, mutual understanding” so make sure you understand and embrace this when you apply.
4) Study/Research- if you’re applying for the research grants, keep thinking about feasibility. You are only there for 8-10 months and they will only fund what works logistically.
5) ETAs or English Teaching Assistantship - if you want to teach English in a classroom abroad, you really should have some teaching experience, which you should highlight on your statement of grant purpose.
6) You can get your official transcripts from the Registrar’s Office for free if you tell them it’s for an academic honors/fellowship application.
7) Also free is the Fulbright application itself! These people are generous, I tell ya. You can start anytime but be sure to select to apply through USC on the application.
8) Think ahead- You need 3 letters of recommendation for the application and you probably want those to be from academics. Also if you are applying to a non-English speaking program, you will need a foreign language evaluation which you should try to plan with a USC faculty member ahead of time.
9) The essays are the heart of your application and you can and probably should get started on them early. For inspiration, the AIF office has example essays you can look at from past Fulbright scholars.
10) Arguably the most important part, especially if you are like me in that you march to the beat of your own drum and your beat is a few beats behind everyone else’s, the deadline. September 14, 2015 is the next deadline for current juniors who are applying for the 2016-2017 awards. If you hope to go right after graduation, you should apply at the beginning of your senior year.
Shine fulbright, shine far, don’t be shy, be a star.
Do you think I should include my tasteful incorporation of “Fulbright” in a number of classic tunes on my application?
-Grace
