I am a Fulbright Scholar. Personal experience

A Fulbright Scholar for English Teachers talks about her internship in America.

About study

I came to study and work in the USA scholarship program Fulbright for English teachers (Foreign Language Teaching Assistant).

The program involves teaching the Russian language and culture of their country in an American college in the amount of 20 hours a week, as well as teaching at least two subjects per semester. The program covers all expenses during all stages of participation in the competition and the year of study in the United States.

All scholarship holders of the program are distributed to different colleges. I received a placement at Grinnell College in Iowa.Grinnell is one of the private liberal arts colleges called Liberal Arts colleges in America.

The college is very wealthy and can afford to provide financial assistance to about 85% of its students, who study here in 26 areas.

Grinnell has a chic campus with two excellent libraries, 12 academic buildings, 19 residence halls and 7 student houses, a canteen, a grill bar, an arts center, and one of my favorite places on campus - a sports center.

In addition, there is also a stadium, football and baseball fields, 6 indoor tennis courts, an indoor athletics track, a swimming pool and much more. At the beginning of the semester, the teacher introduces students to the plan (Syllabus) and deadlines for the submission of written work, which follows throughout the semester.

When I tell my American friends what college I work and study at, most refer to our college as educational institution with a very high educational standard.

And I boldly assert that my classmates and students to whom I teach Russian are real stars and intellectuals. Great attention is paid to independent work student.

The teacher acts as a coordinator, curator, leading the lesson in the form of a discussion on the materials that students should familiarize themselves with before the lesson.

The guys are engaged not only in studies, which, believe me, "takes" the lion's share of our time, but also actively spend time outside of school: there are about 250 student organizations in Grinnell for every taste and 20 sports that you can get involved in.

Almost 1/3 of Grinnell students are athletes and compete in different types sports, or play music, sing in a choir, put on performances, work, “volunteer”.

For example, two female students I know volunteer to help inmates prepare for a test to get a high school diploma.

Preparation and admission

The Fulbright Grant competition lasts a whole year. For me, the most important step was the process of preparing and collecting documents. I believe that this stage is the most responsible, since many people are eliminated at it.

At this stage, it is important to write a convincing and original motivation letter, back up your application with letters of recommendation. The main thing here is to show your uniqueness, to prove that it was you who was so lacking in the international Fulbright family.

At the second stage of the competition, all semi-finalists take the TOEFL language test, as well as interviews with representatives of the Fulbright program in Russia, a participant in the program of previous years and a representative of the US State Department.

In winter, the finalists are informed about the successful completion of the competition, after which it is necessary to collect the next package of documents and prepare a medical card. Fulbright assists in obtaining visas and other documents.

The most exciting stage is the distribution to colleges. After distribution, fellows are in direct contact with their college supervisor.

Before leaving in Moscow, there is a meeting with representatives of the American embassy for the so-called pre-departure orientation, at which the fellows are told about the main points related to culture, life and study in America so that they can better adapt to the new environment.

Upon arrival in the United States, before entering their college, fellows from all over the world are distributed to the largest American universities already for summer orientation. I was among the lucky ones who got to Stanford for a few days.

Life

At the beginning of the year, all new students and language assistants go through an orientation during which everything can be processed Required documents, open a bank account, get a tax number, etc.

Under the terms of my grant, I receive funding from the Fulbright program and from Grinnell. The college provided me with housing in one of the student houses called "Russian House".

Here I live with students studying Russian. The college also provides me with a full meal-plan, which includes three meals a day in the student cafeteria.

You can also cook in the kitchen at the Russian House, as most of the guys who don't eat in the canteen do: it's cheaper for them. Life in Iowa is not expensive.

The main expenses while living in the USA are travel and endless online shopping. Since the college is in a very small town, there are no special frills.

To neighboring big cities, Des Moines or Iowa City, we drive a car that we bought with friends at the beginning of the semester. You can also rent a car right on campus.

In free time

Grinnell has very long holidays. As the students explained to me, they are much longer here than in many other colleges, since the study is very intense. So, during the holidays I travel. In the fall, I spent a week in Chicago.

I went to visit friends in Iowa for Thanksgiving. In mid-December, a conference for Fulbright Scholars was held in Washington, where we attended many trainings, received certificates, and shared our impressions after the first semester of work.

After the conference, we went with friends to celebrate Christmas and New Year to Philadelphia, New York, Miami Beach and Key West in Florida. On spring break I'm still making plans. IN free time I meet friends - other language assistants or students.

Of course, every weekend we go to parties. It will be very difficult for me to convey on paper the impressions and atmosphere that prevails at student parties. Guys, you need to be in an American college to appreciate this! I love to watch the competitions of our "Pioneers" - Grinnell Pioneers, when they play at home.

An interesting fact about my college for basketball fans. Last semester, our team's defenseman Jack Taylor scored 138 points in 36 minutes of playing time, setting a new NCAA record! Sure enough, the Grinnell Pioneers beat Faith Baptist Bible 179-104. I also go to the gym and pool or sleep.

Country and culture

This is my first visit to the USA, but, oddly enough, I did not experience the slightest culture shock. Probably, this is all very individual. I travel a lot and meet all kinds of people.

Previously, I often heard that it is very difficult to make friends with the Americans, they say, they do not let them into their souls. I would like to debunk this myth. Here I met charming and good people whom I can call my friends, and I know that this relationship will not end when I return to Russia.

Perhaps you will consider this a lyric, but I believe that if a person is open to the world and people, accepts every day and every new meeting, as a gift, remaining an optimist in any situation and trying to see only good in any person, everything returns to him a hundredfold.

With such an attitude towards the world, it will be all yours, since both your eyes and your whole being will shine with goodness. How not to make friends with such a person?! I fell in love with America, and I will definitely return here: after all, I have not yet walked around Central Park in warm weather.

After study

How I love this college, students, teachers, colleagues and how good it is that I will be in my dear Grinnell for another four months! The fact that I came to the USA under the Fulbright program is very valuable and honorable.

This is a big plus for my "resume" and professional growth. Here my vision of the dissertation, which I am writing in Russia, has changed, new development prospects have appeared.

• An interesting section is "Tips". Can I give at least one? I think no. I can only share my thoughts. Do what your heart is in. If you want to study, look for competitions and grants, participate in them. Believe in yourself and know that there is no one like you. If you are writing a motivation letter, be sure to tell about it.
• I believe that nothing is impossible for us. As a 3rd year student, I accompanied the delegation of the executive committee of my city in Hong Kong as an interpreter. Then I studied for a year in China on a grant from the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan and was a volunteer at the World Universiade in Shenzhen, and I hope that I will be one at the Universiade in Kazan this year.
• A year ago I sailed on a huge ship from Tokyo to Colombo and Chennai and back as part of the participants international program"Ship of Youth of the World" and now I am the vice-president of the association of its graduates from Russia. Finally, I became a Fulbright Scholar.
• I just believe in myself, and I hope that those comrades who conduct competitive selection will believe in me. Prove to them that they need to believe in you too!
• And finally: when traveling, use couchsurfing. This is a unique opportunity to feel not like a tourist, but a traveler.

The Fulbright scholarship program is one of the most famous in the world. It gives thousands of students from different countries every year the opportunity to receive higher education in the United States without serious financial shocks.

From general...

Senator William Fulbright. He was not a typical American politician; his understanding of the good of America was often at odds with that of the majority. It was Fulbright who, in 1945, proposed using funds from the sale of remnants of US military property abroad for the purpose of student exchange in education, culture and science.

Since then, every year there has been an exchange of students between America and other countries. Currently, the Fulbright program covers about 150 countries around the world. Funding from the US government exceeds $100,000,000 per year. Other governments contribute about $30,000,000 per year to the Program.

With Russia, Fulbright has ten programs available for different categories of participants. The list of competitive disciplines is quite wide. Russian Association There are about 1,600 Fulbright graduates.

The Fulbright Program for Russian citizens provides grants for training, conducting scientific research, lectures and internships at any university, library, archive in the United States. Grants are awarded based on the results of an open competition in all disciplines.

The programs are aimed at graduates of Russian universities, graduate students, scientists, artists, teachers, employees of international departments Russian universities.

The grant includes: participation in the competition, tuition fees at a US university, a monthly stipend, limited medical insurance and travel expenses.

Citizens of the Russian Federation permanently residing on the territory of the country who have a diploma of higher education or an advanced degree (depending on the program) with a good command of English.

Each program has its own application system and selection criteria. Each case is considered on an individual basis. Accordingly, grant amounts also vary on a case-by-case basis.

…to private

Fulbright programs include several areas. And in turn, each direction is divided into groups.

For students and teachers:

Master's degree and internship in the USA. Grants are issued for 1-2 years of study or research. There are age restrictions. Fellows of the program receive a J-1 visa and after the end of the grant are required to return to Russia.

Program for university teachers. Grants on a competitive basis are issued to university professors not older than 39 years. The duration of the program is 5 months.

Program for young teachers of a foreign language. The program lasts 9 months and does not involve a degree upon completion. Young teachers of English are given the opportunity to improve their pedagogical skill, level of English proficiency and get to know American culture and traditions. Program participants enter universities and colleges in the United States to work as teachers or assistant teachers of the Russian language.

For scientists:

Scholar-in-Residence Program (SIR). US university exchange program. Russian university professors go to community colleges, small universities specializing in master's programs in the humanities, and universities where ethnic minorities study.

For scientists and artists. Grants are awarded to scientists, employees of research institutes, university professors (a degree is required), as well as artists and specialists in the field of applied and creative disciplines (a degree is not required). The duration of the research grant is 3-6 months. The duration of the lecture grant is 3-9 months.

New Century Scholars. A research program that annually brings together 25-30 scientists and specialists from the United States and countries participating in the educational project.

Program for employees of international departments of Russian universities:

RIEA exists for employees of international departments. Designed for young professionals with at least two years of work experience. The RIEA program offers an intensive 3-month internship in the USA and aims to increase professional excellence employees of Russian universities who work with foreign students and teachers.

Fulbright programs also include several summer schools: the school " Sustainable development Regions and Territories, School of Exact Sciences and Technologies, Humanitarian Summer school. And also - the Hubert Humphrey Program, aimed at supporting research. All details are on

The first time I applied for a Fulbright scholarship was in my fifth year at university. At that time, my main goal was to go to study abroad, and where exactly, by and large, I didn’t care. In my fifth year, I wrote a diploma on a topic that was terribly interesting to me - "Translating audiovisual materials in scientific communication using subtitles", so I applied for the Linguistics direction. However, about the first attempt can be shorter - I did not even make it to the second round. Despite the fact that my teachers from the university, in particular, a teacher who herself received a scholarship and went to study in Germany, said that my application was good and strong.

So, as you know from the official website of the program for the first round of the program, you need to submit a certain list of documents, we will focus on only a few of them:

1) Reference Letters - letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation can be written by your teachers from the university, most often this happens. Some teachers, as common practice shows, are asked to write a letter themselves, and then they edit it, sign it and send it. It is very good if, before writing a letter of recommendation, you introduce the teacher to what exactly you want to study, what kind of scholarship you are applying for and what plans you have for the future. This will help you write a review that is tailored specifically to the specific application you are currently submitting. Of course, it is best to contact those teachers with whom you have worked together a lot, who know you well not only as a student, but also as a person. One of my letters of recommendation was written by a work colleague. This is also a look at you, but from a different, professional side. I think it makes sense to ask for letters of recommendation to be written ahead of time, so that you can feel more comfortable and that those who write them have the opportunity to write a good recommendation.

2) Study/Research Objective - in fact, this is the main component of your application. In this essay, you tell what exactly you want to study during your studies in the USA, what you want to achieve, and why you need all this.

When I applied for the second time, I applied for two specialties - "Linguistics" and "Education" (we are talking about the master's program). For each discipline it is necessary to submit a separate package of competitive documents. To be honest, although I was interested in linguistics, I looked for those research topics that are currently relevant in the USA, read what they are currently studying, because I think that for the first time I had no chance, if only because subtitles are not studied at all in USA.

I would advise you to think and look for information about whether there are any universities in the USA that can offer you to study what you are interested in. After all, if there are no such universities, then your application is doomed from the very beginning, which is quite logical, isn't it?

3) Personal Statement - in fact, this is an essay in which they want to hear about how you became interested in this topic and why, what you have achieved in this area. Here is an example of my essay when I Not passed, although it still seems to me that this is quite a decent Personal Statement.

By the way, EducationUSA in Moscow holds free seminars on how to write a motivation letter or other essays for admission to US universities, prepare for TOEFL or GRE, and how to get a good letter of recommendation.

Before writing an essay, think about what interests you? What can you talk about for hours? What can you explain well to another person? Read your essays yourself and give them to others to read. Is it clear what you want to study? Does it feel like the person who wrote these essays is really “sick” about what he writes about?

For a number of reasons, I have not written anything here for a long time, but I will correct it! And as a moral compensation, today I will tell you about the cool Fulbright program, which allows you to cover the cost of studying in a master's or graduate school in the United States. I’ll make a reservation right away: I was given a Fulbright scholarship a year ago to study under the LL.M program. (Master of Laws) at the American University of Washington, and I refused. But first things first.

A moment of history

In general, this same Fulbright was a senator and an efficient uncle (not counting the fact that he voted for the entry of troops into Vietnam). In 1945, he introduced a bill to Congress to use the proceeds from the sale of surplus military property of the US government in the fund "Promotion of international goodwill through the exchange of students in the field of education, culture and science." After the Second World War, the Fulbright Program was created, which was supposed to serve to strengthen peace and understanding between peoples. A plan was developed for the bill to cancel the debts accumulated during the war foreign states in exchange for financing international educational programs. On August 1, 1946, President Harry Truman signed the bill, and in last days 79th session of the US Congress, it was adopted.

About the program

The Fulbright Master's/PhD program provides grants for travel to US universities to study or conduct research in all subject disciplines for graduates of Russian universities and graduate students. the main objective programs - strengthening cultural and academic ties between the peoples of the United States and Russia, improving mutual understanding between our countries. The program is fully funded by the US State Department.

Grants on a competitive basis are issued to:

· university graduates (i.e. persons studying in their last year of university or have already graduated from a university) - to study at a master's program at one of the US universities in order to obtain a master's degree (Master's, except for MBA); duration of stay in the USA under these grants - from 1 to 2 years, depending on the duration of the master's program;

· Graduate students - to conduct research work at a US university and/or archive and collect materials for a Ph.D.

ATTENTION-ATTENSION: Postgraduate programs - without obtaining a degree (non-degree). Not in all specialties it is possible to study for one year without obtaining a degree, make inquiries in advance about the existence of such programs (on the websites of US universities where there are programs of interest to you).

Fellows of the program receive a J-1 visa and after the end of the grant are required to return to Russia.

The grant covers the cost of tuition, accommodation, monthly stipend, insurance, as well as the participant's flight from the place of residence to the place of study in the United States and back. At the beginning of the year, they still give out money “for the arrangement” and for the purchase of a new computer.

Requirements for applicants

PERSONS HOLDING A PHD DEGREE ARE NOT ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COMPETITION OF THE MASTER / POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM.

Russian citizenship and permanent residence on the territory of the Russian Federation, starting from January 2014 ( relevant for this year).

Higher education diploma (specialist or equivalent Russian diploma, bachelor's or master's degree) by May 2014 ( was relevant for this year).

Proficiency in English to the extent necessary to study or perform research project. (Internet Based TOEFL - minimum 80 (for technical, natural and a number of humanitarian and creative specialties) or at least 100 (for disciplines Journalism, Political Science, Public administration, law, Sociology, Economics and some others) points. There is no need to take the test in advance, those who successfully pass the first round of the competition will be paid for by the Fulbright program.

Age of applicants: date of birth - not earlier than May 1984 ( was relevant for this year).

For applicants who previously received a J-1 -  visa, the time period from the date of return to Russia until the date of submission of documents for the competition must be at least 2 years (This requirement does not apply to those J-1 visas in which there is a comment that that the two-year rule does not apply to visa holders, such as Work and Travel participants, see the commentary on the visa itself).

Applicants who are permanent residents of the United States or who have permanent residency in the United States are not eligible to compete.

A grant may be suspended if:

• The fellow terminates work on the study program or scientific project before the end of the grant period;
• The fellow leaves the United States for more than 2 weeks without the permission of the program representative or sponsoring organization.

Stages of the competition

The Fulbright competition is held in 3 rounds.

First tour:

To participate in the competition, you must fill out an online application before the due date (usually mid-May). All applications are reviewed and evaluated by Russian and American specialists in the relevant subject areas. The results of the first round are announced by e-mail after August 20-25.

Filling out an application - is clearly not the right time to be modest. Describe your best qualities and achievements. In addition to what is stated in your application, this stage The selection committee will not know anything about you! Read more about the program, its goals and alumni, and try to get an idea of ​​what qualities organizers are looking for in candidates.

Second round:

Participants of the second round are invited to an oral interview in English. The interview is conducted by a Russian-American English-speaking commission, consisting of 4 people. It lasts about 20 minutes, any questions can be asked, both related to the topic of the application, and not related. Interviews are held in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and if there are enough participants, then in Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg in September. As part of the second round, all participants of the competition will take a test on English language Internet-based TOEFL, and in most specialties, also mathematical GRE (I don’t know anything about it).

Information about the tests can be found on the Internet, for example here: http://www.toefl.org and http://www.gre.org .

You should not be afraid of the interview: everything is extremely friendly. But try to have a clear idea of ​​where and why you want to go, as well as how studying in the USA will help you achieve your global goals. Important: even if you think you speak English like a native, buy a book to prepare for TOEFL (or find preparation materials on the net, since there are a lot of them). Often the score is reduced precisely because of ignorance of the test format, even with a good command of English, and this is a shame. Get yourself a quiet 100 points!

Tests within the competition are paid by the Fulbright program. Competitors not from Moscow are also paid the cost of travel to Moscow and back, as well as accommodation in Moscow during the second round of the program.

Third round:

The third round is held at the end of September by the Russian-American commission, which also includes employees of the Department of Culture of the US Embassy in Moscow. According to the results of the first and second rounds, those who are recommended for a grant are selected. Following the results of the third round, in October, all contestants will be notified of the results by e-mail. Application forms for recommended candidates are sent to the Institute of International Education (IIE) in New York, which distributes them to US universities. The Institute of International Education reserves the right to choose the university for each scholarship recipient, even if the applicant has his/her own preferences or he/she is already enrolled in a US university.

Actually, this is the main catch of the program: you cannot choose a university on your own. I was assigned to such a place that I decided not to go. Nevertheless, many are sent to quite decent universities, and indeed, who ever bothered with an American university diploma? ;) So go ahead and make the American dream come true!

And the Fulbright program also has an official website http://www.fulbright.ru, where you can find out everything that I did not have time to describe here☺

The largest US government-funded international education exchange program, commonly known as Fulbright program a, was created to improve mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. In pursuit of this goal, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 230,000 of its participants with different countries chosen for their leadership qualities, the opportunity to get acquainted with the work of political, economic and cultural organizations, exchange views and initiate joint projects for the common good of the peoples of the world.

The Fulbright Program was founded in 1946 by a bill introduced by former Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright. The Fulbright Program is administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State.

Since the program was founded, 34,000 foreign scientists have conducted research or taught at US universities and more than 32,000 American scientists have been engaged in similar activities abroad. Each year, the Fulbright Program awards about 750 grants to scientists who come to the US from other countries. Currently, the Fulbright Program operates in 140 countries around the world.

The main source of funding for the Fulbright Program is the annual appropriations allocated by the US Congress to the Department of State. Participating Governments and Host Universities foreign countries and the United States also contributes financially to the program, either as part of the costs or indirectly through salary increases, tuition waivers, and university housing. In fiscal year 1999, the US Congress allocated $102 million to the Fulbright Program. Other governments, through their bilateral commissions and funds, have directly invested another $28 million in the Fulbright Program.

In 1973, six Soviet and six American scientists became Fulbrights, receiving a grant from the Program for research and lecturing, thus laying a solid foundation for bilateral academic cooperation.