Transcript drexel fellowships office

drexel fellowships
A look at the Fulbright, Marshall,
and Mitchell Scholarships
What are Fellowships?
On the downside…
 Competitive
 Very demanding
application process
 Not Financial Aid
On the upside…
 Extremely prestigious
 Often quite generous
 Exposure to new ideas,
new people, new
cultures.
Drexel
2008 Fellowship Winners
NSF – 12
 Fulbright – 3
National Security Education Program – 1
 Jack Kent Cooke – 1
 Goldwater – 1
 World Bank – 1
 Rotary International – 1
 Freeman Asia – 4
 Gilman – 4
 Baden-Wurtenburg - 4
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Mitchell Scholarship
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What is it?
 One year of graduate study in any discipline offered by
institutions of higher learning in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
 12 awards annually
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Why?
 Designed to introduce and connect generations of future
American leaders to the island of Ireland, while recognizing and
fostering intellectual achievement, leadership, and a commitment
to public service and community.
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What’s it cover?
 The Mitchell Scholarship provides tuition, housing, a living
expenses stipend, and an international travel stipend
Mitchell Application
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Eligibility and Criteria
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18-30 years old
US citizen
Three main criteria: academic excellence, leadership, and a
sustained commitment to service and community.
How and when do I apply?
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Drexel deadline : September 20, 2008
Online application, 5 recommendations; proof of citizenship;
transcripts; 1000-word personal essay
3-5 desired graduate programs at Irish institutions.
University endorsement required.
20 finalists interviewed in DC on November 21-22; 12 selected.
Website: www.us-irelandalliance.org
Marshall Scholarship
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What is it?
 Two academic years of graduate study in the UK in any discipline,
leading to the award of a British graduate degree, usually an MPhil.
 40 awards annually.
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Why?
 To strengthen British-American understanding, especially among the
US’ top scholars and future leaders.
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What’s it cover?
 Two years of University fees, cost of living expenses, annual book
grant, thesis grant, research and daily travel grants, fares to and
from the United States and, where applicable, a contribution towards
the support of a dependent spouse.
Marshall Application
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Eligibility and Criteria
 US Citizen
 Recent graduate of US institution; no UK degree
 Minimum 3.7 GPA
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“DISTINCTION OF INTELLECT AND CHARACTER AS EVIDENCED BOTH BY THEIR
SCHOLASTIC ATTAINMENTS AND BY THEIR OTHER ACTIVITIES AND
ACHIEVEMENTS…POTENTIAL TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THEIR
OWN SOCIETY…STRONG MOTIVATION AND SERIOUSNESS OF PURPOSE...”
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How and when do I apply?
 Drexel deadline: September 20, 2008.
 Apply in either your home region or here in Philadelphia (NY region).
 Online application, four recommendations, transcripts, essays.
 Selection of 2 preferred UK Universities.
 Drexel University endorsement required.
 Interviews November 10-17.
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Website: www.marshallscholarship.org
Fulbright Scholarship
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What is it?
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Why?
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One academic year of international graduate study, research, and/or
teaching.
About 6000 grants annually, depending on federal funding.
Available in about 155 different countries.
Sponsored by the US State Department with the goal of promoting “mutual
understanding.”
What’s it cover?
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Varies by country.
Typically grants cover air travel, living expenses, book/research allowance,
insurance.
Tuition in some cases.
Language study, in some cases.
Types of Grants
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Full Grants:
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English Teaching Assistantships (ETA)
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Available in 33 countries.
20 hours/week in classroom.
No choice in placement.
Critical Language Enhancements (CLA)
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Study
Research
3-6 month intensive language study, on top of regular award.
Arabic (including dialects), Azeri, Bangla/Bengali, Chinese
(Mandarin only), Farsi, Gujarati, Hindi, Korean, Marathi, Pashto,
Punjabi, Russian, Tajik, Turkish, Urdu, or Uzbek.
Special Grants: Business, Journalism, mtvU
Eligibility/Criteria
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Eligibility
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Criteria
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US Citizen
BS/BA (but not PhD) by start of award
Preference for students who have not spent extensive time in the area they are
applying to.
Personal qualifications/character
Engagement in host community, “mutual understanding”
Feasibility of project
Academic record
Language preparation
Competition
Two-staged selection process
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National Screening Committee recommendations (domestic)
Fulbright Commissions abroad
Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board
Fulbright Scholar 2007-2008
Aaron Sakulich
Morocco
BS/PhD, Materials Engineering
2009
Developing concrete-like
materials from industrial waste
for use in impoverished
regions of North Africa.
“My time in Morocco has been
just one long string of fantastic
amazing days. The irony is that
I wasn't originally going to
apply because I thought I
wouldn't stand a chance, but
my advisor said ‘hey, why not
give it a shot?’”
Fulbright Scholar 2008-2009
Paul Phelps
India
MD, Ophthalmology, 2010
Laboratory work with corneal
epithelial stem cells and
community outreach eye
camps through the Aravind
Eye Hospital, the largest
and most productive eye
care facility in the world.
Fulbright Scholar 2008-2009
Andrew Blakely
Spain
Biomedical Engineering BS,
MD 2010
Study the extent to which
recommendations from
Spain's national anti-obesity
initiative, NAOS, have been
integrated into primary care
physicians' daily counseling.
Fulbright Scholar 2008-2009
Regina Cagle
Ecuador
BS, Environmental Engineering, 2008
Pursuing a Master's in Sustainable
Energy Development at the
Universidad San Francisco de Quito
while also conducting field work
investigating energy solutions for
developing communities.
Additionally, I'll be working with the
Latin American Energy Organization
(OLADE) and Engineers Without
Borders while in Ecuador.
Fulbright Scholar 2009-2010
?
Drexel Fulbright Scholar blogs
Paul Phelps
FULBRIGHT INDIA
www.paulowenphelps.com
[email protected]
Aaron Sakulich
Marakablag!
A bad story about good times
http://marakablag.wordpress.com
“I like to think that’s the point of the Fulbright program: startling the crap out of
foreigners by not being that American they see on TV all the time. You know
the one I mean.”
Fulbright Application
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How and when do I apply?
 Drexel deadline: September 20, 2008
 Online application, 3 letters of recommendation, transcripts,
language certification, 2 essays.
 Letter of affiliation
 Campus interview and evaluation required (FPA)
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When do I hear? Two stages.
 First round recommendations – January 31.
 Final: between April and June
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Website: us.fulbrightonline.org
drexel fellowships tips
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TIME MANAGEMENT!
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Review program website, including all available criteria and
advice for applicants.
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Start early; affiliation and essays can both take a good long time to
complete.
Identify deadlines and work backward
Leave more time than you think you need
Review program criteria thoroughly. For Fulbright, review country-specific
criteria.
Be sure you are eligible.
Open an online application.
drexel fellowships tips
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Get faculty involvement early
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Get things out of the way early that you can.
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Language evaluation
Transcripts.
Essays
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Especially with your Statement of Proposed Study or
Research
Get specialist and non-specialist readers.
Revise, revise, revise
Think about the application as a whole; paint a
compelling picture of yourself.
Getting Recommendations
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Who makes a good recommender?
How/when to ask for a recommendation letter
Bring materials
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paragraph that describes award and its selection criteria
paragraph that describes you/your proposed project
Sentence that tells them where to send letter and deadline
CV/resume
a paper or project from the class
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Follow up politely
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“No”
What Next?
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Which awards?
Get advice:
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From website
From faculty
From Fellowships Coordinator
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Time management/deadlines
Contact Rona Buchalter: [email protected]
or [email protected]
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Q&A
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