The Fulbright Program is one of the most high-profile international exchange programs in the world. It was established in 1946 with an ambitious goal: to increase mutual understanding and support friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Supported by the United States State Department, Fulbright provides over 2,200 scholarships each year for recent graduates to study, research or teach English overseas in over 140 countries.
DePauw has a strong record with Fulbright, especially before the COVID-19 pandemic. “We used to have around 25 students initiate applications every year,” Professor Michael Seaman, Director of the DePauw Fulbright program, said. “Last year, only seven completed their applications, even though several more started working on them. We’d like to see that number get back to normal.”
There are two kinds of Fulbright grants:
- Research/Study Awards – to allow students who want to research or study in a foreign university.
- English Teaching Assistantships (ETA) – to enable the student who desires to teach English overseas, especially in public institutions.
The majority of programs last for 8-12 months. For research scholarships, one has to identify a host university overseas to be their affiliated university, such as sending an email to a professor and requesting use of the library and a student ID. The ETA grants are slightly more common and while they don’t require teaching experience, they do ask students to come up with a community project. For example, one student might set up a weekend soccer club and another might start a music group.
If you are worried about money, Fulbright pays for your travel, gives you a monthly stipend and often pays for housing. Some awards even allow students to finish a full master’s degree overseas—though tuition is not covered, foreign schools are often significantly cheaper.
Applying might seem intimidating, but it is manageable. Most of the things required are:
- Two short essays (one page and two pages)
- Transcript
- Three letters of recommendation
- Interview with DePauw faculty
DePauw’s internal deadline is September 12, a couple of weeks ahead of the national deadline in October. That’s because all applicants must go through a campus interview process. It’s not meant to weed people out but to improve your application.
To apply through DePauw, U.S. citizenship is required. International students should apply through the Fulbright office in their home country instead.
Fulbright also has special programs that students can do in public health, journalism, photography and critical language study (like Hindi, Arabic, or Mandarin). Hanako Goetz ‘25 recently received a critical language scholarship to study in India this summer.
The Fulbright office encourages all interested juniors and seniors to start preparing now. You don’t have to figure it all out alone. There was a Fulbright Lunch Panel on Thursday, May 1, and Seaman will conduct summer workshops to guide applicants through the process.
Seaman also explained how this is one of the best opportunities available to graduating students. Even just writing your essays helps you reflect on where you’ve been and where you’re going next.
If you ever wanted to travel abroad, gain international experience and make something meaningful, Fulbright could be the right next step.
