How to Win a Fulbright Scholarship

Muhammad Feldy Riza

Petroleum Engineering – Institut Teknologi Bandung

Fulbright Master of Science and Technology 2011 Program

WELCOME TO THE JOURNEY OF FULBRIGHT EXPERIENCE

A Glance in Fulbright program

• Is sponsored by the United States Government• Was established in 1946 by the U.S. Congress to "enable the government of the United

States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries."

• Has provided more than 255,000 participants—chosen for their leadership potential—with the opportunity to observe each others’ political, economic and cultural institutions, exchange ideas, and embark on joint ventures of importance to the general welfare of the world’s inhabitants.

• Awarded approximately 6,000 grants in 2005, amounting to more than $250 million, to U.S. students, teachers, professionals, and scholars to study, teach, lecture, and conduct research in more than 150 countries, and to their foreign counterparts to engage in similar activities in the United States.

• Awards approximately 1,800 student grants to non-U.S. nationals to study in the United States annually. Approximately 3,200 new and continuing student fellows are currently in the United States on Fulbright grants.

• Receives its primary funding through an annual appropriation from Congress to the United States Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions in foreign countries, and in the United States, also make significant financial contributions through cost-sharing and indirect support, e.g., through salary supplements, tuition waivers, and university housing.

Where are the current grantees now?

• UCLA, Los Angeles – Biomedical Engineering

• UC Barkley, California - Astrophysics

• Columbia University, New York - Microbiology

• New York University, New York - Sociology

• Georgia Tech, Georgia – Earthquake Engineering

• Harvard University, Cambridge - Health

• Texas A&M University, Texas – Petroleum Eng

• Vanderbilt University, Tennessee - Economics

2011 Indonesian Masters and PhDs Fulbrighters

Fulbright Prominent Alumnus

• Head of Indonesian House of Representative – AmienRais

• Rector of Paramadina University – Anies Baswedan

• Head of Muhammadiyah Organization – Syafi’ieMa’arif

• Sociolog – Imam B. Prasodjo

• Minister of Coordinator of Economics – Dorodjatunkuncoro Djakti

• Senior Artist – Putu Widjaya

• Politicans – Rizal Malarangeng

What is Fulright experience are all about?• Fulbright doesn’t only give you a chance to

take a grad school, but to join a community of more than 23 Nobel laureates, Pulitzer winners, prominent scientists, and political leaders across the globe.

• It is also a window of understanding and exchanging culture between Indonesia and United States

HERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO BE THE NEXT FULBRIGHTER

HOW TO ACE THE SELECTION PROCESS ?!

General Requirements

For Fulbright Master’s degree program*:

• Bachelor’s (S1) with minimum GPA 3.00/4.00

• Minimum ITP ETS ® TOEFL score 550

• Have a good leadership qualities

• Demonstrate commitment to chosen field of study

• Good understanding in Indonesian and International culture

• Willing to return to Indonesia upon completion of the Fulbright program

*Application deadline: April, 15 2011

Documents Requirements

• Completed form (download at AMINEF website)

• Study objective

• Statement of purpose

• Educational Transcript and Diplomas

• Copy of TOEFL test

• Reference letter (minimum 1, but you may provide more than 1 letter)

• Copy of KTP or Identity Card

INSIDE THE FULBRIGHT SELECTION PROCESS

Document Screening

From more than HUNDREDS of applicants fromall around Indonesia each year, there are onlyaround less than one hundred applicants whopassed the document screening process andonly around 70 Masters and PhDs candidateswho get the scholarship.

Document Screening (2)

Don’t Be Hesitate to Submit!

The strength of your application is not only relyon your GPA, but also your working andleadership experiences (resume), your studyobjectives, statement of purpose, and yourreference letter.

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS YOU’LL HAVE TO

WRITE?

1. Statement of Purpose

2. Study Objective

3. Reference Letter

Why do You Want to Take a Grad School in United States?

A Good Statement of Purpose Must Answer This Question!

Statement of Purpose

Statement of purpose tells about the reasonswhy you really want to study in US and why doyou think you are worth to received theFulbright scholarship.

Statement of purpose also the requirement foryou to get accepted to the university (but don’tmention the specific university in yourstatement of purpose)

Statement of purpose may content:

-Your personal background of study and career-Your personal life story which inspire you to takesome specific study program or research-The specific conditions or problems of yourcountry and your willingness to change that by yourresearches-Your endless effort showing what have you done inthe past in order to get the scholarship or acceptedto the University- your reasons why you have to conduct yourresearch in United States university

My Components of Statement of Purpose

Par1.-Your Career or Education Background

Par2.

-Introduction of your research/study purpose

Par3.-The reason you want to take the research in US

Par4.

-The goals of your research, study, career, and closing

statements

Your Specific Research Objectives, Goals, and Benefits

of Your Research!

What do I Have to Write on MyStudy Objective?

Study objectives

A good study objectives should be clearlywritten, sophisticatedly written, important, andinteresting for the committee; a research whichwill create a significant benefit to your field ofstudy.

REMEMBER!! Your study objective will be

heavily weighted for consideration by the

scholarship committee!

My Components of Study Objective

Par1.

-Your Career or Education Background

Par2.-Introduction to your research interest

Par3.-What will you do or develop during your study or

research in US

Par4.

-The benefits of your research for your field of study or the

development of your country or United States and your closing

statements

Suggestions•It is better if you have already consult with yourProfessor in Indonesia and also Professor in USregarding your research interest.•. Beware of the difference between an importancestudy objectives and an overexposed studyobjectives. Do not make an exaggerated StudyObjective•Check your grammar again and again. If you don’tconvinced with your grammar, ask for a help froman English course institution to check yourgrammar.

DON’T!Don’t make your Study Objective very standard,bias, shallow and very plain or ordinary,

REMEMBER there are other hundreds ideas thatmight be better or interesting than your ideas ifyou cannot sell your own Study Objective.

Reference Letter

A reference letter is the opinion of you from thepoint of view of your Supervisors, Professors, orManager.

It is better if you can have more than onereference letter from different institutions andpositions which will give a different opinion andinsight of your capability to work and alsohis/her support to you to get the scholarship orto continue your education in US.

Reference Letter Indicates:-How long have the author of reference letterknown you-The higher position of the author of referenceletter (the more important the author’s positionand the more influent trough your career), themore your reference letter will be considered-The opinion from the author about yourintelligence, behavior, or your attitude at work-His support and approval for you to take thescholarship program and continuing your educationin US

THE INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW

The interview is the last pre-process to win theprincipal candidate Fulbright scholarshipprogram.

Winning the interview is still HALF of the entireprocess that will take you to Master program atUnited States university.

If you passed the document selection process,you will be called for the interview at aroundJune-July in the nearest location to your city.

INSIDE THE INTERVIEW

The interviewers may come from differentbackgrounds from yours, since they are onlyprovided with your resume, study objectives,and statement of purpose, their questions mayevolved around what you write on yourapplication documents.

INTERVIEW TYPE OF QUESTIONS (2)•Your background and your documents contents :(research/study objective, academic/organization life,leadership experiences, projects/work experiences)•Your reason to conduct research overseas•What contact have you made overseas•Your academic and professional achievements•Your preparation in language mastery and anticipation foracademic or culture shock•Circumstances/cases in your country relevant with youracademic background•Some US policies/issues that may relevant to your research•Challenges that you anticipate during your study overseas•The benefits of your researches to Indonesia• Or find more in the internet, ask Mr. Google!

PREPARATION TIPS AND TRICKS

Preparation• Knowledge is power. You have to gather all

valuable information regarding your scholarshipapplication such as:

-Research objectives and applicability of yourresearch in Indonesia

-Scholarship requirements, interview date,deadlines

-University admission dates, requirements, etc

-Professor names and researches subjects

-The interview type questions

Do a research on your essays

• Spent your time doing a little research andsearching for information about takingeducation overseas.

• Buy a book about a scholarship and overseaseducation

• Conduct a small research about your thesis,make a contact with friends/professorsoverseas, and approach your professors inIndonesia to give advise regarding yourscholarship application.

Learn how to write

• Everybody can write but not everyone’swriting can impressive and influential.

• All of your essays and documents aresupposed to impress the scholarshipcommittee. Internet provide more informationabout how to create a clear, impressive, andconcise essays.

• Don’t hesitate to ask your friends, supervisors,or parents about your essay.

START FROM NOW!• Start making your documents FROM NOW

(study objective, resume, statement ofpurposes).

• Dont delay! and make sure after you finishedyour documents, you have time to review it orask your senior/professor to review yourdocuments.

• Get familiar with the IBT, and GRE from now.You will only have less than one month afterthe notification that you received thescholarship to the tests time.

Don’t depend on one door only!• Look for other scholarship opportunity outside

Fulbright If you really want to conduct yourmaster degree overseas.

• For example there are Chevening (UK), ADS(Australia), NESSO (Nederland), Total and ParisFoundation (France), Norway, Saudi Arabia,Malaysia, Germany, Canada, European Unions(Erusmus Mundus) and many more.

• Even tough you dont get a scholarship grant,university in US, there are a lot of other financialaid such as research assistanship, teachingassistanship, and achievement grants. Dont loseyour hope!

Other preparations

• Be religious!Dont forget to pray to God moreoften, ask your parents blessing andpermission and be more generous.

• Practice your English from now, do bothconversation and writing exercises in yourdaily activity

• Improve your TOEFL paper based test toexceed the minimum TOEFL requirement

• Start to get familiar with the IBT and GRE test.

Other Important Scholarship Resources• Twitter:

@beasiswaindo, @studyaussie, @scholarshipuk, @studidibelanda, @beasiswagratis, @germanyedu

• Mailing List/Web

scholarship-positions.com, beasiswa@yahoogroups.com,

scholarshipsgrantsloan.com, WWW.AMINEF.OR.ID

• Other Scholarship Foundations

Nesso, Chevening, ADS, Monbugakusho, Education USA, DIKTI

(for Professors education),

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