This document summarizes Vince Ricci's presentation on how to secure a Fulbright Fellowship. It provides tips on developing a strong statement of grant purpose describing the proposed research project, as well as an impactful personal statement. It emphasizes starting early, getting feedback from non-specialists, and demonstrating how one's background prepares them to execute their Fulbright plans. Additional resources and next steps are provided, including researching the host country's program, drafting documents with the interview in mind, and enjoying the process.

1. Vince Ricci How to Secure a Fulbright Fellowship AIGAC Summit 2010 Sign up here: http://bit.ly/FulbrightWebinar

2. Vince Ricci Educator, Entrepreneur http://VincePrep.com

3. Vince Ricci Educator, Entrepreneur http://VincePrep.com

12. Admissions counselor since 2002

14. Admissions counselor since 2002

15. Helped 10+ Fulbrighters

17. Who are YOU?

18. Where are you?

19. What is Fulbright?

20. What Fulbright Wants Your Name Here

21. Over 7,000

22. 150+ countries

23. Easy to Access

24. Transparent

25. Contact them Directly

26. Our Focus Today Statement of Grant Purpose (proposed future project)

27. Our Focus Today Statement of Grant Purpose (proposed future project) Personal Statement (about the past)

33. Our Focus Today Statement of Grant Purpose (proposed future project)

35. Our Focus Today Statement of Grant Purpose (proposed future project) Personal Statement (about the past and present)

36. Statement of Grant Purpose (PROJECT) Research Proposal

37. Statement of Grant Purpose (PROJECT) Research Proposal Study Plan

38. Statement of Grant Purpose (PROJECT) Research Proposal Study Plan Goals

39. Statement of Grant Purpose (PROJECT) Research Proposal Study Plan Goals The Future

41. Statement of Grant Purpose (PROJECT) Developing a strong, feasible and compelling project is the most important aspect of a successful Fulbright application

42. Statement of Grant Purpose (PROJECT) Developing a strong, feasible and compelling project is the most important aspect of a successful Fulbright application

43. Statement of Grant Purpose (PROJECT) Your first step should be to familiarize yourself with the program summary for the country to which you wish to apply

44. Photo of Tokyo subway map in Japanese

45. Easy to Access

46. Transparent

48. Statement of Grant Purpose (PROJECT) Please ensure that your project design fits the program guidelines for your host country

50. Statement of Grant Purpose (PROJECT) Here you demonstrate in detail what and how your research will contribute to your discipline

51. Statement of Grant Purpose (PROJECT) Here you demonstrate in detail what and how your research will contribute to your discipline

52. Accepted Areas of Research Make sure your proposed project will contribute to one of the designated project areas identified by the Fulbright commission of your country

53. Accepted Areas of Research Make sure your proposed project will contribute to one of the designated project areas identified by the Fulbright commission of your country

54. How do you add value?

55. Contribution A contribution includes an addition to your field’s overall knowledge that also enhances understanding between the US and another nation

56. Something cute

57. Something cute

58. Ask Yourself Six Questions

59. Who

60. What

61. When

62. Where

63. Why

64. How

65. Who What When Where Why How

67. Who? With whom do you propose to work?

68. What? What do you propose to do?

69. What? What is exciting, new or unique about your project?

70. What? What contribution will the project make to the Fulbright objective of promoting cross-cultural interaction and mutual understanding?

71. When? When will you carry out your study or research?

72. When? When will you carry out your study or research? Include a timeline.

73. Why? Why do you want to do it?

74. Why? Why is your project important or significant?

75. Why? Why must you go abroad to carry out your project?

77. Add MU images / some kind of visual +/or animation lessig style only words

79. Something cute

80. Why? What resources are available in your host country but not in your home country?

81. Why? How will you use these resources to better understand your subject matter?

82. How? How will you carry out your work?

83. How? What methodologies will you use?

84. How? What methodologies will you use? Access to archives & specialists

85. How? What methodologies will you use? Access to archives & specialists Site visits

86. How? What methodologies will you use? Access to archives & specialists Site visits Interviews

87. How? How will your Fulbright project help further your academic or professional development?

88. a b c

89. Link to Current Issues

90. In your home and/or host country, how can you contribute to issues such as

91. good governance

92. good governance poverty alleviation

93. good governance poverty alleviation rule of law

94. (examples from social/political science)

95. This sounds important but I am not sure why

96. Most interviewers hail from other disciplines

97. Something cute

98. Get Feedback Remember your audience

99. Get Feedback Remember your audience Avoid academic or professional jargon

100. Keep It Simple Examples are golden

101. “Writing for the outside world”by Andrea Sims Although intelligent people will be reading your proposed plan of study, few (if any) will be specialists in your field

102. “Writing for the outside world”by Andrea Sims The longer you spend in a field, the less you realize when you are using technical terms

103. “Writing for the outside world”by Andrea Sims My assigned mentor took my proposal, underlined everything she didn't understand and made me do it again.

104. “Writing for the outside world”by Andrea Sims My assigned mentor took my proposal, underlined everything she didn't understand and made me do it again. And again.

105. “Writing for the outside world”by Andrea Sims Then I sent my proposal to my parents, who are also not linguists.

106. “Writing for the outside world”by Andrea Sims Then I sent my proposal to my parents, who are also not linguists. And I wrote it again.

107. “Writing for the outside world”by Andrea Sims Then I sent my proposal to my parents, who are also not linguists. And I wrote it again. And yes, again

108. “Writing for the outside world”by Andrea Sims Each time I clarified the ideas while reducing the terminology

109. Something cute

110. “Writing for the outside world”by Andrea Sims Thanks to my simple example, one of the people who had read my application was able to intelligently explain my proposal to her boss based solely upon what I had written

111. That is the goal.

112. “Writing for the outside world”by Andrea Sims I will never again write a grant application without passing it in front of as many non-specialist eyes as are willing to read it

113. Get Feedback This advice also applies to most graduate school and other scholarship essays!

114. Get Feedback This advice also applies to most graduate school and other scholarship essays! Even if not selected, the process will yield dividends

115. Something cute

116. Passion?

117. What Do You Want to Change? How will your studies impact your field?

118. What Do You Want to Change? How will your studies impact your field? How will your studies and their impact change society?

119. What Do You Want to Change? How will your studies impact your field? How will your studies and their impact change society? If teaching, what new perspectives will enter your curriculum?

120. Worthy?

121. Something cute

122. Is Your Project Feasible? Account for resources, relevant to your project, of your host nation and host institution, as well as the time frame and funding of the grant

123. Is Your Project Feasible? Demonstrate you have already taken enough steps to set up parts of your research

124. Is Your Project Feasible? Any factor that could raise doubts about the likelihood of completing your project should be accounted for in your proposal

125. OK, now I understand.

126. Questions?

127. Statement of Grant Purpose (Project)

129. Part II

130. Personal Statement The Past The Present

132. Personal Statement Allows you to highlight the person-behind-the-project in no more than a single page

133. Personal Statement A narrative giving a picture of you as an individual

134. Personal Statement Your opportunity to tell the committee more about how you came to this point in your life and where you see yourself in the future

135. Personal Statement Can deal with your personal history, family background, influences on your intellectual development, the educational and cultural opportunities (or lack of them) to which you have been exposed, and the ways in which these experiences have affected you

136. Personal Statement Can deal with … the educational and cultural opportunities (or lack of them) to which you have been exposed, and the ways in which these experiences have affected you

137. Personal Statement Can deal with … the educational and cultural opportunities (or lack of them) to which you have been exposed, and the ways in which these experiences have affected you

138. No Prior International Experience?

139. Chicken vs. Egg

140. Chicken vs. Egg

141. You don’t need experience abroad to be a strong candidate

142. On the contrary, the purpose of Fulbright is to expose Americans to the world

143. (and vice versa)

144. Personal Statement It should not be a recording of facts already listed on the application or an elaboration of your Statement of Grant Purpose (Project)

145. boring

146. boring

147. Personal Statement It is more of a biography, but specifically related to you and your aspirations relative to the Fulbright Program

148. Personal Statement Show in detail what has made you successful in the past and will facilitate the success of your proposed project

150. Who are YOU?

151. What can you DO?

152. Why are you insanely great?

158. a b c

159. Demonstrate That • you achieve goals

160. Demonstrate That • you prioritize and follow-through on your objectives

161. Demonstrate That • you learn from your mistakes

162. Demonstrate That • you have leadership and communication skills

166. a b c

169. Do I Believe You?

170. Can you help the Fulbright Committee understand how your background best prepares you to execute your plans?

171. Can you help the Fulbright Committee understand how your background best prepares you to execute your plans?

172. It is critical that your personal statement fully support your project proposal

173. Why are you uniquely qualified to realize your ideas?

175. Do I Care?

179. How can Vince help?

180. Admissions Counseling CV

181. Admissions Counseling CV Goals / Project clarification

182. Admissions Counseling CV Goals / Project clarification Personal statement structuring

183. Admissions Counseling CV Goals / Project clarification Personal statement structuring Interview training

184. Admissions Counseling CV Goals / Project clarification Personal statement structuring Interview training Second opinion

185. Next Steps Do CV and Personal Statement together

190. what how wow

191. Next Steps Do CV and Personal Statement together Research and write Project Proposal (Statement of Grant Purpose) with an eye towards interview preparation

192. Most interviewers hail from other disciplines

193. Next Steps Do CV and Personal Statement together Research and write Project Proposal (Statement of Grant Purpose) with an eye towards interview preparation Enjoy the process!

194. Something cute

195. Next Steps Start early

196. Next Steps Start early Get help

197. Next Steps Start early Get help Contact Fulbrighters

198. Vince’s Perspective Website Blog VincePrep.com

201. Ethicalhttp://www.aigac.org/membership.htm

202. Resources & Links Special thanks to Adam and Steve Blog link here http://adam-markus.blogspot.com/2009/04/steve-green-preparing-fulbright.html

203. Resources & Links http://www.iie.org/en/Fulbright

204. Resources & Links http://www.iie.org/en/Fulbright http://us.fulbrightonline.org/preparing_personalstatement.html

205. Resources & Links http://www.iie.org/en/Fulbright http://us.fulbrightonline.org/preparing_personalstatement.html http://bit.ly/FulTips

206. Resources & Links http://www.iie.org/en/Fulbright http://us.fulbrightonline.org/preparing_personalstatement.html http://bit.ly/FulTips http://bit.ly/FulTipVids

207. Resources & Links http://www.iie.org/en/Fulbright http://us.fulbrightonline.org/preparing_personalstatement.html http://bit.ly/FulTips http://bit.ly/FulTipVids http://twitter.com/TokyoVince/following

209. San FranciscoVincePrep.com