THE FULBRIGHT ESSAYS

Two essays are required: The Personal Statement and the Study/Research Proposal. These essays serve
very different but complementary purposes. Unless noted, the following information comes straight from the
Fulbright Web site.
THE PERSONAL STATEMENT (1 Page)
The following information is applicable to both Study/Research and ETA applicants:
The Personal Statement should be a narrative giving a picture of you as an individual. Remember, applicants
are not interviewed on the national level. The Personal Statement is your opportunity to talk about yourself
and to tell the committee more about how you came to this point in your life and where you see yourself in the
future. There is no single right way to approach the Statement rather candidates will consider what they
think is important for people reviewing the application to know about them.
The Statement can deal with your personal history, family background, influences on your intellectual
development, the educational and cultural opportunities !or lack of them" to which you have been e#posed, and
the ways in which these e#periences have affected you. $lso, you may include your special interests and
abilities, career plans, and life goals, etc. %t should not be a recording of facts already listed on the application
or an elaboration of your &tatement of 'rant (urpose. %t is more of an autobiography, and specifically related
to you and your aspirations.
Adhere to the following format:
&tatement length is limited to a ma#imum of one typed, single-spaced page )onger statements will
not be presented to screening committees
To ensure a smooth upload and readability, use * margins all around and Times Roman *+ pt. font
$t the top of the ,ord -ocument, in the upper left.hand corner
o /n line *, type PERS!"A# STATE$E"T. -o not place this information in a header
o /n the ne#t line, type your name, country of application, and field of study !or 0nglish Teaching
$ssistantship"
THE STUDY/RESEARCH PROPOSAL (2 Pages)
T%E &EST PR!P!SA#S &E'(" )(T% '!!* (*EAS:
&tart by putting your ideas on paper, and list the goals and ob1ectives of your pro1ect. 2Yale Note: Yales
Fulbright pre-application will wal you through this!3 &hare your ideas with your 4ulbright (rogram $dviser,
your academic adviser, and professional colleagues in your field. $s you work on your proposal, consider the
following questions and remember your audience. $void discipline.specific 1argon. The individuals reading your
proposal prefer you get to the point about the 5who, what, when, where, why and how5 of the pro1ect. %n a direct
and persuasive manner, address the following:
,hat do you propose to do6 ,hat is e#citing, new or unique about your pro1ect6 ,hat contribution will
the pro1ect make to the 4ulbright ob1ective of promoting cross.cultural interaction and mutual
understanding6
,hy do you want to do it6 ,hat is important or significant about the pro1ect6
,ith whom do you propose to work6
,hen will you carry out your study or research6 %nclude a timeline.
,here do you propose to conduct your study or research6 ,hy is it important to go abroad to carry out
your pro1ect6
7ow will you carry out your work6 $ll students should discuss methodology and goals in their
statements.
7ow will your pro1ect help further your academic or professional development6
8our pro1ect statement should contain a clear commitment to and description of how you will
engage with the host country community.
(S T%E PR!+E,T -EAS(&#E.
8ou must also demonstrate that the pro1ect research strategy is feasible, including its time frame:
7ow will the culture and politics of the host country impact your work6
7ow do the resources of the host country support your pro1ect6
%f employing such research methods as e#tensive interviewing and the use of questionnaires, how will
you locate your sub1ects6
%s your language facility adequate6 %f not, how will you accomplish your work6
,hat are your plans for improving you language skills, if they are not adequate at the time of
application6
%f there could be any question regarding the feasibility of your pro1ect or your background or ability to conduct
the pro1ect, address the issue directly in your statement. 0nrolled students are urged to consult professors
in their ma1or fields and their 4($s about the feasibility of their proposed pro1ects. $t.)arge applicants should
consult qualified persons in their fields. Please note: $pplicants should determine if the host country has
specific visa or research clearance requirements. This will be noted in the 9ountry &ummary. %f required visas
and: or research clearance!s" are denied by the candidate;s host country, reassignment to a new country is
normally not an option.
-on<t make reviewers search for information. ,e urge you to have several people read and critique your
&tatement, including a faculty adviser, a faculty member outside your discipline, a fellow student, and:or a
colleague.
Adhere to the following format:
&tatement length is limited to a ma#imum of two typed, single-spaced pages. )onger statements will
not be presented to screening committees.
-o not include any bibliographies, publications, citations, etc., e#cept those that will fit in the two.page
limit.
To ensure a smooth upload and readability, use * margins all around and Times Roman *+ pt. font.
$t the top of each page of your ,ord document type the following:
o /n line *, type STATE$E"T !- 'RA"T P/RP!SE
o /n line +, (lace your =ame, 9ountry of $pplication, and 4ield of &tudy
o /n line >, type (ro1ect Title as it appears on (age > !4orm +" of the application !on the first
page of the &tatement only"
TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS STATEMENT of GRANT PURPOSE (1 Page)
&ince you are applying for an 0T$, you are not e#pected to present e#tensive research plans. The following
are guidelines as to what you could include in your &tatement:
,hy would you like to undertake a Teaching $ssistant assignment6
,hy have you chosen the particular country6
,hat specific qualifications, training, and:or e#periences do you have related to the overseas
assignment6
,hat use will you make of your time outside the classroom !?ost 0T$s work no more than +@.>@
hours:week6
7ow you e#pect to benefit from the assignment, and what use you will make of the e#perience upon
your return to the Anited &tates6
28ale =ote:3 ,hat do you hope to learn from the assignment6
Beep in mind that the ma#imum length for the Statement of "rant Purpose and Personal Statement is one-
page each Therefore, you should construct these &tatements in such a way as to include all pertinent
information, but so as not to be redundant. ?ost 0T$ programs e#pect that grantees will engage in an
independent academic, vocational, or community service pro1ect. 8ou should briefly describe what you would
like to do in the Statement of "rant Purpose.
&ince applicants will not know e#actly where they will be located, this description is not e#pected to be
detailed. 8ou simply need to indicate the activities that you intend to pursue outside of the 0T$ responsibilities
and why you have chosen this:these activities for the country to which you are applying. %n addition, any
community service activities or e#tra.curricular activities that you think you might conduct should be described.
%f you have a very specific proposal for study or research, you may wish to consider the &tudy:Research
option, since in the 0T$ program you will not be able to choose where you will be placed and you will not have
very much time for independent research or study. 4urthermore, successful 0T$<s are those who value the
e#perience of working in an educational environment first and foremost. ,e have seen highly qualified
applicants not selected because the impression from their &tatements indicated that they were more focused
on a pro1ect than on the 0T$ assignment.
Adhere to the following format:
4or 0nglish Teaching $ssistantships, the &tatement length is limited to a ma#imum of one typed,
single-spaced page )onger statements will not be presented to screening committees.
To ensure a smooth upload and readability, use * margins all around and Times Roman 01 pt font.
$t the top the page of your ,ord document type the following. -o not place this information in a
header, it will not upload.
o /n line *, type STATE$E"T !- 'RA"T P/RP!SE
o /n line +, type your =ame, 9ountry of $pplication, and English Teaching Assistantship
[Yale Noe!" ADDRESSING ENGAGEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY
&ince the primary aim of the 4ulbright (rogram is to further mutual understanding between the people of the
Anited &tates and other countries, it is important to address this issue in your application. 8our application
should demonstrate a clear commitment to the host country community. Ceing involved in the local community
will contribute significantly to the 4ulbright (rogram<s goals and will enhance your e#perience in many ways.
%%0 advises that applicants should describe any volunteer or e#tracurricular activities of interest to them and
relate the activity to the 4ulbright grant e#perience. 8ou can choose to address this in your (ro1ect &tatement,
if the planned activity is an integral part of your study or research, or in the (ersonal &tatement, if the planned
activity is more e#tracurricular.
%f you will be in a university environment, this activity could be e#tracurricular !1oining a club, participating in a
sport, etc." it does =/T have to relate specifically to your study proposal. /ther e#amples of community
involvement could include teaching or tutoring 0nglish or $merican &tudies volunteering with a charitable
organiDation, volunteering for a school renovation pro1ect, volunteering in a healthcare facility, etc.
[Yale Noe!" ALSO SEE!
2)riting -ellowship Essays2:
http://wwwyaleedu/yalecollege/academics/fellowships/application/essayshtml
/S Student -ulbright Applicant &log: http://blogsfulbrightonlineorg/usapp/
Podcasts: http://blogs.fulbrightonline.org/usapp/new-podcasts-available-on-httpus-fulbrightonline-org
"!TE: Resist the temptation to look at the samples below C04/R0 you have completed 8ale;s 4ulbright pre.
application and have begun to sketch out your own reasons for applying. ,hile the samples linked below are
useful for demonstrating well.structured essays, it is the quality of the content !the clarity of your convictions
and your own purposes for applying" that set the foundation for strong essays. &amples from others cannot do
that work for youE
Samples of )inning Essays !n-line:
(enn &tate Aniversity: https:::www.e.education.psu.edu:writingpersonalstatementsonline:pFGpH.html
Temple Aniversity: http:::www.temple.edu:studyabroad:students:fulbright:sampleGessays.htm
Aniversity of %owa: http:::international.uiowa.edu:funding:fulbright.resources
Aniversity of Rochester: http:::www.rochester.edu:college:99$&:fellowships:fulbright:samples.html
#ELLO$SHIP PROGRAMS
YALE COLLEGE CENTER #OR INTERNATIONAL % PRO#ESSIONAL E&PERIENCE
www.yale.edu:fellowships
!Revised $pril +@*+"
PERSONAL NOTES!