If you’re thinking about applying for a Fulbright or Watson nomination in the fall, it’s a good idea to begin working on those applications. And yes, you can still apply for these in the fall even if you did not yet submit a preliminary application! Below are a few notes for you:
Dean Gates is happy to talk with you, answer questions and review essay drafts. You can email questions to fellowships@middlebury.edu and/or make appointments at go.middlebury.edu/appt .
Make sure you know the internal deadlines and application processes! See https://go.middlebury.edu/fulbright and https://go.middlebury.edu/watson for details. I often get questions that can be answered by reviewing the information on these pages, so please review carefully and then send me your questions. Note: the fellowships office must register Watson applicants in the online Watson system. As of today, everyone who has notified us of their interest has been registered! If you can’t find a link, check your junk/clutter/spam filters. For technical or password problems with the Watson online system, you must contact the Watson office for help.
If you haven’t sent in a preliminary application for Watson or Fulbright, but want to do so now, that is just fine! Alumni, you can apply for Fulbright through Middlebury; you just have to follow our process and campus deadlines. You will also need to use a Word version of our preliminary application, not the online form. The online applications for both are open and you can begin working on those. However, the preliminary form is great for me to get a quick sense of what you want to do, review recommender choices, and provide some feedback on your ideas.
For more Fulbright info, check out the webinars offered by the Fulbright team–see the schedule here: https://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants/information-sessions
And a few more Fulbright tips: review the specific country/grant type pages carefully to make sure you are a good fit. Criteria do change sometimes from year to year. Also, Fulbright Nat Geo is back this year!