Fulbright Process, University of Illinois Note: If you interested in the separate Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowships, please contact the Graduate College Fellowship Office

Fulbright Grant Process

Who they are looking for:

The Selection Committee rates candidates based on their academic or professional qualifications (especially in relation to proposed projects), the validity and feasibility of the proposed project, language qualifications, evidence of maturity, motivation, and adaptability to a different cultural environment, knowledge of host country, and the impression a candidate will make abroad as a citizen representing the United States. Fulbrights are more than academic awards; Fulbright commissions look for extracurricular activities in and out of an applicant's field, leadership potential, and general community involvement. Specific criteria pertaining to your country may be found at http://us.fulbrightonline.org/program_regions_world.html. You should also look at your country's or region's specific Fulbright site.

"Priority" Deadline July 2, 2007:

Students are encouraged to submit a priority application for the Fulbright Grant. The priority deadline is July 2, 2007 for students wishing to study, teach English, or conduct research abroad in 2008-09. University faculty and staff who are familiar with the Fulbright will review materials received by this date, while only the Office of Scholarships for International Study will review materials submitted after this date. In either case, we will provide feedback on your application and are willing to work with you through the summer on subsequent revisions.

          Requested information:
  1. Transcripts from all colleges attended.
  2. 3-4 Letters of Recommendation - primarily academic (drafts acceptable).
    Do not request letters online through the Fulbright system.
  3. A complete Fulbright Application, submitted online, including a Personal Statement ("curriculum vitae") and Statement of Proposed Study or Research.
    4. No supplementary materials or foreign language reports are needed at this time.
Further information about priority deadline requirements

REQUIRED Campus Deadline September 5, 2007:

Whether or not you turned in a priority application, a complete Fulbright application must be submitted to the Scholarships for International Study Office in order to be considered for a Fulbright. Unlike many other prestigious international scholarship schemas, the Fulbright Grant does not formally include a university endorsement process. However, it does require that our campus reviews and rates all applications. This rating goes forward confidentially with your application. Thus, it remains extremely important to turn in a polished application for the campus review committee by September 5. Although you may have the option of revising your application based on this committee's feedback, the campus committee's ratings will not change. The committee will consist of university faculty and staff who are familiar with the Fulbright Grant and with your field. They will review your materials and conduct an interview upon which your evaluation also is based. This committee and interview are completely separate from your interview for any other prestigious international scholarship. Regardless of the rating you earn from the campus committee, all applications are forwarded to the Fulbright Commission (however, lower rated applications rarely receive much attention at the national level). Click here to obtain an idea of the types of questions your application should address and that may come up in an interview.

          Required information:
  1. Transcripts from all colleges attended
  2. 3-4 Letters of Recommendation (Referees should write an individual letter specifically addressing your Fulbright project)
    Do not request letters online through the Fulbright system
  3. A complete Fulbright Grant application (including application form, statement of proposed study or research, curriculum vitae, foreign language report, and all required supplementary materials). One set of each is required, with the exception that four copies of supplementary materials are necessary, e.g. four CDs
  4. Any letter(s) of affiliation or acceptance for research or university coursework
Final Submittal Deadline 5:00 pm, Tuesday, October 16, 2007:

The applicant must submit the complete Fulbright application, both electronically and a signed hardcopy, with any final revisions by 5:00 pm, October 16 to the Office of Scholarships for International Study. Additionally, we will need all original transcripts and letters of recommendation specifically tailored toward your application as a Fulbright Scholar by this date. All materials (including letters) must be submitted to the Office of Scholarships for International Study. By this time (after your interview so recommenders have a chance to revise their letters based on any proposal changes), letters of recommendation should be submitted online and then printed and signed. Note that letters for English Teaching Assistantships require a different form than those for other Fulbright awards. Students may then either hand deliver these letters in signed, sealed envelopes, or they may be mailed to the Office of Scholarships for International Study directly by the referee. While letters are submitted on campus, they should be written to the attention of the "Fulbright National Screening Committee". If the referee wishes to include the address, it is:

Institute of International Education
Fulbright U.S. Student Program
809 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017-3580

An applicant pursuing a Fulbright grant to undertake research or coursework at an overseas university also must mail his/her admissions application to the university of choice by the admission deadline for that institution.

The Final Stages:

In early February, students are notified if their application has been recommended for forwarding by our national panel to the various in-country panels. These panels then review the finalist applications and further narrow the field. A select few countries conduct telephone interviews of finalists, usually by early April. The Office of Scholarships for International Study will coordinate mock telephone interviews for those students called to an interview. Students are announced as recipients, alternates, or nonawardees between April and June. Once a Fulbright is awarded, IIE will put you in touch with returning Fulbrighters upon request. Also, you may obtain copies of midterm and final reports of previous winners.

General Application Tips:

Review general tips and view sample application materials. Additional winning Fulbright applications are available for viewing at the Scholarships Office.

Personal Statement: Your curriculum vitae should be an intellectual biography. The instructions are not totally correct -- that is, they really are more interested in your intellectual development than in knowing that you are the 3rd child of divorced parents, UNLESS, of course, you are studying the affects of divorce on children.

Research/Study Proposal: Approach your statement of proposed study/research like a newspaper article (answer: what, where, why, how). Create an introductory paragraph that briefly summarizes your proposal, and then go on to further explain. Do not use discipline jargon, as not all reviewers will be familiar with your area of study. For students who are just completing their undergraduate degree, many country Fulbright programs allow them to do coursework at a university with a smaller research component. In this case, your statement of proposed study/research should discuss the types of courses you would like to take and how this coursework fits in with your future plans. Those who are applying for teaching assistant positions should focus on portraying why they would like to undertake a teaching assignment, experiences they've had relating to the overseas assignment they are seeking, how they will use the experience upon returning to the U.S., and how they will spend their time abroad outside of the classroom. The last paragraph of all proposals should include the duration of your sojourn and date of departure.

Letters of Recommendation: Letters should focus more on addressing the applicant's proposal and less on past achievements. Letter writers should not use the online Fulbright system until after you have interviewed with the campus committee. Otherwise, they will not be able to make any changes to their letters. Once you have interviewed, your letter writers should then submit their letters, with any changes, on the Fulbright online system, print off a copy, sign it, and have it delivered to the Scholarships Office.

Advice for Writing Letters of Recommendation

Application Technical Details:

  • Page 2 is a data sheet that stays in the U.S. if your application is forwarded on to the application country. Thus, information on this sheet (only this sheet) should be duplicated elsewhere in the application (e.g. list only your major fellowships on page 2 and list the same ones again with others under #29 (p. 3)).
  • On page 1, #6 if you are a new M.A. student in fall 2007, check "B.A." and not "M.A." Likewise, if you receive your M.A. between now and the application deadline and are continuing for a Ph.D., check "M.A." and not "Ph.D."
  • If you studied abroad previously, on page 3 (#26, Education), include the institution(s) where you have studied abroad. If you do not include transcripts for these schools, you should note that the study abroad grades/courses are listed on your U.S. transcript. If they are not, you need to obtain transcripts from the overseas institutions.
  • Make sure the student record card (page 5) is filled out correctly.
  • Letters of placement or affiliation should be hard copy, but a letterhead fax with signature may suffice in a pinch. These letters should address the feasibility of your project and whether or not appropriate facilities are available.
  • The Foreign Language Report (page 8) should be completed if you need a foreign language to do your research (even if you are going to an English-speaking country).
  • As you are applying through the University of Illinois and having all transcripts sent through our offices, you do not need the transcript labels.
  • Students must print and sign their application (select "preview" before printing) for the final October 16 deadline.
  • For students applying in the arts, the supplementary materials are VITAL -- even more important than the paper application. Supplementary materials are submitted with your regular application packet and will only be returned if SASE is provided.


    • Fulbright Website and Application:

    For official information on the Fulbright Grant (which supercedes any information provided here) and access to the online application, please go to: http://www.fulbrightonline.org/us/home.html