Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

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Seven Tips for a Developing a Fulbright Project

  1. Start early (preferably in the second semester of your Junior year).
  2. Read the Fulbright Student Program information booklet very carefully.
  3. Work closely with on or two professors in developing your ideas for a project and writing your proposal and personal statement.
  4. Devise a project that is feasible and that builds upon your demonstrated abilities, education, and language skills. (Don't apply to study piano in Vienna unless you are an accomplished pianist. Don't propose studying an Amazonian tribe unless you have a strong background in Anthropology. Don't propose collecting Turkish folk tales unless you speak Turkish.)
  5. Affiliate with a university or indigenous organization in your host country.
  6. Get a letter of support from a relevant person in your host country.
  7. Begin on a Fulbright Grant proposal only if you are willing to work very hard on it. Fulbright Grants are big league; applicants play hardball.

Frequently Asked Questions
 

What's a typical Fulbright project?

Do countries prefer certain kinds of applications?

What sort of Fulbright projects have Skidmore students done?

How hard is it to get a Fulbright Grant?

Can I submit more than one Fulbright application?

Can I apply for more than one country?

Can I get a Fulbright Grant to study in the United States?

Can my friend and I apply together with a joint proposal?

If I don't get a Fulbright, can I apply again in the future?

Can I apply for a Fulbright after I graduate?

I know a letter of support from a relevant person in the host country helps chances of getting a Fulbright. How do I find a such a person?

I won't be on campus in the Fall. Can I still apply for a Fulbright even if I can't be on campus for an interview?

I spent my junior year abroad. Will that help or hurt my chances of getting a Fulbright?

Should my Fulbright application be typed?


Q: What's a typical Fulbright project?
A:

Most Fulbright projects involve studying at a foreign university and/or carrying out an independent research project.

Fulbrights to teach English are available for several countries -- Belgium/Luxembourg, France, Germany, Hungary, Korea, Romania, Taiwan, and Turkey in 2003-04.
Q: Do countries prefer certain kinds of applications?
A:

Sometimes. For example, applications in the Creative and Performing Arts are especially welcome in the following countries:

  Bolivia Finland Nepal
  Bulgaria France New Zealand
  Canada Greece Russia
  Columbia Guinea Spain
  Denmark Hungary Taiwan
  Ecuador India Ukraine
  Eurasia Regional
Program
 Japan  

But for details, see individual country's summaries in the Fulbright information booklet.
Q: What sort of Fulbright projects have Skidmore students done?
A:

All kinds. Here are a few Skidmore examples:

  • Tavis Eddy, a Geology major and Philosophy minor, studied pollution control efforts on India's sacred Ganges River.
  • Juleyka Lantigua, a Government major, researched Dominican immigrants to Spain.
  • Rachel Seligman, an Anthropology major, researched Calypso and Carnival in Trinidad. (Yes, that does sound like fun!)
  • Biology major Anne Ballou studied marine biology at the University of the South Pacific and at the coral reef in Fiji.
  • Deborah Jacobson studied the Jewish community of Finland.
  • Robert Ingenito, an Anthropology and Music double-major, studied reactions to natural disasters in the Philippines.
  • English major Kelly Sullivan studied creative writing at Trinity University in Dublin.
  • Music major Sarah Nicholson is teaching English in Germany.
Q: How hard is it to get a Fulbright Grant?
A:

Very hard. Last year there were 5,293 applicants for 1,134Fulbright grants. That is, about 21 percent of applicants were successful. But "odds" vary greatly from country to country. Ireland and the United Kingdom are very tough -- 37 applicants for each grant to Ireland; over 27 applicants for each grant to the UK. France less so -- about 8 to 1. Chances for Germany are 2 to 1. Odds are excellent for Paraguay (3 applications for 1 grant) and Romania (11 applicants for 7 grants). Competition for parts of Latin American and sub-Saharan African countries is continental rather than country specific. The odds last year: about 6 to 1 for both continents.

These kind of statistics for specific countries are in the back of the Fulbright Student Program information booklet. But what these odds don't tell you is that you can greatly improve your chances by carefully devising and skillfully proposing a Fulbright project.

Q: Can I submit more than one Fulbright application?
A: No, not in the same year-- only one application each year. But an unsuccessful applicant can apply again in subsequent years.
Q: Can I apply for more than one country?
A: Maybe but probably not. Applications are usually for a single country. For some countries, you may submit a multicountry proposal for up to three countries in the same geographic regions. See the Fulbright Student Program information booklet for details.
Q: Can I get a Fulbright Grant to study in the United States?
A: No.
Q: Can my friend and I apply together with a joint proposal?
A: No.
Q: If I don't get a Fulbright, can I apply again in the future?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I apply for a Fulbright after I graduate?
A: Yes. After graduation, you can apply either directly to the Fulbright organization as an at-large applicant or you can apply through Skidmore. Applying through Skidmore has a Skidmore interview committee reviewing your application. That's probably an advantage.
Q: I know a letter of support from a relevant person in the host country helps chances of getting a Fulbright. How do I find a such a person?
A: Several ways. Faculty often have contacts abroad, so talk with faculty who are likely to know a relevant person in your host country who will support your project. The Web is often a good way to identify a person, especially an academic. (It's called the World Wide Web for good reason!)
Q: I won't be on campus in the Fall. Can I still apply for a Fulbright even if I can't be on campus for an interview?
A: Yes. We can make special arrangements, perhaps for an early interview or for a phone interview.
Q: I spent my junior year abroad. Will that help or hurt my chances of getting a Fulbright?
A: Neither. The Fulbright program recognizes that studying abroad is an integral part of the curricula at American colleges and universities. (However, having lived for extended periods -- e.g., several years of high school -- in a country greatly reduces chances of a Fulbright grant for that country.)
Q: Should my Fulbright application be typed?
A:

Definitely! And without typos and grammatical errors. As a Fulbright staffer put it, "Neatness counts."

You may prepare your Fulbright application on-line or with a hardcopy (paper) form. The on-line form is by far the easiest to use, although you will have to print out a final version to give to Skidmore Fulbright advisor Matthew Hockenos. Professor Hockenos will then send in your application along with others from Skidmore Fulbright applicants.

If you use a hardcopy form, prepare your project description and personal statements on a word processor, and then print them out on a laser printer (setting appropriate margins). Use a carbon-ribbon electric typewriter for the rest of the Fulbright application. A typewriter (with handy correction features) is available in 218 Tisch Learning Center. (Ask Cindy Martin-Diver, the department scretary in 208 TLC, about using the typewrier.)
A mid-September session on how to prepare a Fulbright application will go over these kinds of "mechanics."
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Revised 9/20/03