Fulbright Step by Step
How to Apply for Fulbright through Wesleyan
Graduating seniors, rising seniors, and recent alumni are all welcome to apply for a Fulbright award through our campus process. A full summary of the process is available in the Moodle resource for applicants. Email fellowships@wesleyan.edu to request to be added to the Moodle for the 2023 application cycle.
- Learn about Fulbright
- Attend or watch a general webinar or more than one – check that you are eligible!
- Watch the tutorial for your award type & learn about the requirements of the application for ETA, Arts, or S/R awards
- For those interested in ETA, consider summer experiences that could bolster your resume for Fulbright. There are opportunities at Wesleyan and beyond! (volunteer opportunities are looked well upon by Fulbright)
- Research your host country (or possible host countries); use the Grantee Directory, investigate the priorities set in each country (find the country page on the Fulbright site); explore statistics to see how competitive each award typically is
- For S/R applicants, begin the process of finding an in-country affiliation at this stage
- Book an initial fellowships conversation with Fellowships staff to talk about your intentions and weigh decisions
- Finalize your choice of program (ETA vs. Study/Research or Creative Arts) and country
- Create your account in the Fulbright online application portal
- Schedule writing time and draft your essays, starting with your Statement of Grant Purpose
- Consult resources from the Fellowships office on this topic:
- Take advantage of online writing sessions, June through August. (Fill out the online form for writing sessions.)
- Revise, revise, revise!
- Get feedback from peers, mentors, Writing Workshop peer tutors, and Fellowships staff; take time to reflect on your experiences and seek resources for how to communicate your passion. Book a draft review appointment with a fellowships advisor ahead of time or as needed. Booking the appointment ahead is great for accountability! Submit your draft (via the Google Form) at least 24 hours before the meeting time (Word document preferred; Google Doc ok).
- Where language proficiency is required, take steps to request a Foreign Language Evaluation
- Meet the campus deadline (September 12, 2023): submit all final materials online by this date.
- Complete a campus interview (September 15-30): During the second half of September, everyone who has applied through the campus process will be called for an interview with members of the campus Fulbright Committee. For fall 2023, these interviews will be conducted on Zoom. Prepare for your interview by reviewing the details of your application. The purpose of the interviews is both to provide you with feedback that allows you to strengthen your application before the national deadline on October 10 and to elicit information that will be included on the Campus Committee Evaluation form, which is added to the application of every Fulbright applicant that the Committee endorses.
Additional Resources
Below you will find a series of Google docs with resources and advice on various elements of the Fulbright application, in the format of weekly newsletters, arranged from earliest to latest. (Wesleyan login required.)
- Fulbright Summer Update #1: Summer Resources
- Fulbright Summer Update #2: Next steps, inspiration, workshop changes
- Fulbright Summer Update #3: ETA resources
- Fulbright Summer Update #3: Study/Research Steps
- Fulbright Summer Update #4: Target dates
- Fulbright Summer Update #5: An approach to writing
- Fulbright Summer Update #6: Steps for next week
- Fulbright Summer Update #7: The online application (+tips!)
- Fulbright Summer Update #8: Language Evaluations
- Fulbright Summer Update #9: Recommendations for ETAs
- Fulbright Summer Update #9: Letters of Recommendation for Study/Research
- Fulbright Summer Update #10: Transcripts