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Hi everyone, This year's applicants to the Fulbight Scholarship Program must be eagerly waiting for the second phase of the application assessment: interviews. Candidates will start receiving calls for interviews in the second-half of August, with interviews being scheduled in September. In this thread, I invite Fulbright alumni to discuss their interview experiences, and try to answer questions that applicants may have about the process. So let's start Interview Logistics Interviews are held at the USEFP Office in Islamabad, generally in the first-half of September. Back in 2013, around 400 candidates were invited for interviews, from which 150-180 were awarded the scholarship. Looking at these numbers, I personally think that the main aim of the interviews is to separate the principal candidates from the alternate candidates. Please note that the USEFP does not reimburse travel expenses for the interviewees. Interview Panel Each candidate is assigned to a panel of 3 to 4 interviewers. The panel can include USEFP staff, Fulbright alumni, and even officials of the US Embassy. My interview panel had representatives from each of these groups, and contained an equal number of Pakistani and American interviewers Interview Duration and Questions Each candidate is interviewed by the panel for a maximum of 20 minutes. The interviews are carried out in a very cordial atmosphere, and there is no "grilling" involved, so relax. Although interview questions can be different for each candidate, I think that the questions do follow certain themes: Candidates will certainly be questioned about their area of interest. Why did you choose this field of study? Why is it important for Pakistan's development or progress? What are the challenges that Pakistan faces in this field? What makes you a good candidate for the scholarship/degree? Or why should the scholarship be awarded to you? What will you do to serve Pakistan when you return after your studies? More questions from the candidate's CV/resume may be asked. These can be about academic or extra-curricular activities, for on other topics too. For e.g., my resume showed that I had worked in a bank but I had applied for a degree in public policy. As a result, I was asked how my work experience would help in my future field of study. Keep in mind that the overall purpose of the 20-minute interview is to decide whether the field of study is beneficial to Pakistan, and whether one is a good candidate for the scholarship, given your interests and future plans. I think a good review of the candidate's application form, the essays written in it, and their CV will really help in preparing for the interview. I hope this helps. I request other alumni to share their interview experiences here too. Current applicants, please post your questions about the scholarship interviews here and we will try to answer them.
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The hardest part of the grant is done. You've got the grant and the visa and you can breathe a huge sigh of relief. Now comes the operational work; like planning where to live. I'm going to try and give a brief run-down of the things you should look into before finalizing a place: Never pay more than 50% of your stipend in rent. If you stick to this basic rule you should have more than enough money to eat what you want and travel whenever you want across the country. Make use of previous Fulbrighters/undergrad alumni that have travelled to your city. In case you can't find one yourself ask USEFP to get you in touch with one. Nothing can replace the advice of someone who has been there themselves and comes from the same cultural context. All Fulbrighters have been where you are now and would be more than willing to help. Always get someone to corroborate places that you find online for potential housing. If you have done (2) above Fulbrighters who are in the city can be requested to check out the place on your behalf or at least give an opinion about the deal you're getting. (Yes, some Fulbrighters have actually even gone and inspected places themselves for incoming students!). If you cannot get someone to inspect/comment about the potential housing prospect then get a sublet for a week or two and inspect places on your own time when you get there. Sublets are inexpensive and can be found via multiple sites such as Craigslist. Generally, the closer you live to your University the better. Ideally, never be more than a 30 minute walk from your campus. Yes, public transport is great generally but it's practically non -existent on the West Coast with San Fran being the notable exception. Also, if you're on the East Coast, you never know when a bus misses its schedule and you get late for your final presentation; public transport is good but not infallible.
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Friends, this a great place to get to know each other in advance, and for those who want to prep for a Fulbright next year. I wanted to know which universities you all applied to, and for which degrees. Once the submissions come in, I would love to hear who got in their preferred unis. Thxxx!
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Hi All, I wanted to know till when can we retake the GRE to improve our scores. Specifically if we retake it after a universitys application deadline, will it still be considered? I know that it takes about 2 weeks for the official report from ETS to reach the designated universities but can we also self report the scores through the fulbright office in pakistan to IIE and then they can forward it the university. -
What programs are most common in Fulbright? Development? Economics? What about journalism? Does anyone have historical figures regarding degrees awarded to previous fulbrighters?
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This question is for currently enrolled or alumni of the Fulbright program. When do you think a person should opt for a fulbright? What are its merits vs applying on your own? Do you regret that you have to come back after two years? Thanks.
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For the Fulbright program to USA from Pakistan, are only Pakistani residents eligible? Are those students eligible who have received their undergraduate degrees from a foreign country e.g. England?
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Hey. In the introductions I have noticed that a few of the folks on this forum have had corporate jobs, and still managed to get a Fulbright for Public Policy. I always thought Fulbright would be given to development professionals, people with backgrounds in NGOs etc. Is this not true?
