It’s almost August (gasp!) and this is usually that time when I get a lot of questions from students and alumni wanting to apply for a Fulbright or Watson fellowship. It’s also a time of year when I am not always in the office so try to answer some frequently asked questions below. Read on–and read carefully! It is long.
How do I talk with Dean Gates? Check out go/appt for open appointments through Aug 13. You can also email me with good dates/times (M-F, 9am-5pm ET only). I will post appointment hours for Watson and Fulbright applicants (and UK nominees) the week of August 26 soon. Appointment hours for Sept. will be posted later in August. Please note, I will be away from the office for parts of August.
I missed the preliminary deadline for Watson or Fulbright. Can I still apply? Yes, you can! The HARD deadlines coming up are Middlebury’s internal deadline: Thursday 9/5 at noon for Watson, Sunday 9/8 at 11:59pm for Fulbright. We also strongly encourage Fulbright applicants to complete the August 15 tasks in MiddApply with drafts of their essays–this will ensure you receive feedback before the internal deadline.
I’m just thinking about applying for a Watson or Fulbright right now. How do I get started? Review the information and directions at go/fulbright or go/watson and start the application processes in MiddApply. Some application types may be more or less feasible at this point in time, so it’s important you get some feedback.
Watson FAQs
I want to apply for the Watson and need to get access to the Watson online application. How do I do this? If you are not yet registered for the Watson online application, contact fellowships@middlebury.edu. Read the instructions at go/watson carefully regarding which application sections to complete for the internal deadline. We ask you to complete abbreviated essays and only some sections of the Watson application for the internal deadline. Again, instructions are available in your MiddApply (go/middapply) portal as you complete the Watson materials there.
Where do I find info about the Watson internal application process? Instructions for nomination materials and submission are online at go/watson . Please review the linked Google documents carefully–there’s a lot of useful info there and answers to common questions. You will need to complete the tasks in MiddApply (go/middapply) and selected sections of the Watson online application.
Is the Watson Internal Deadline (Thursday September 5, 2024 at noon) a hard deadline? Yes, it is. If you anticipate any difficulties with this, talk with us.
Fulbright FAQs
I’m an alum and interested in the Fulbright. Can I still apply through Middlebury? Yes! You will need to adhere to our internal deadline and interview with our campus committee via Zoom in September.
What is the August 15 “Intent to Apply” deadline, what do I do, and what happens if I miss it? This deadline tells us who is planning to apply in this cycle. You can still apply for the Fulbright if you miss it, and you can decide in September that you don’t want to proceed–just tell us. This deadline gives us a sense of the number of Fulbright applicants we will interview and most importantly, TIME to send you feedback on your drafts before the internal deadline. For the August 15 deadline, complete the tasks in your MiddApply (go/middapply) portal. This gives us the materials we need to review! Note: Drafts are fine at this point! Make sure you review the guidance at go/fulbright (see Fulbright Guidance Google doc) before sending to us, however. Make sure you are including the information required for the Statement of Grant Purpose in your draft. Recommendations, transcripts, affiliation letters, etc. are not needed at this time (but if you have an affiliation lined up, include a copy of that). We will review your materials, send comments as needed, and you can continue working on your application. We will provide official transcripts for those who complete the August 15 tasks in MiddApply.
If you do not complete your Aug 15 tasks in MiddApply, we may be less able to provide substantive comments on your essays depending on when you send in your materials to review. You will also need to order your own transcript. If you discontinue your application after this point, that is also fine, just let us know.
Is September 8 at 11:59pm (Sunday) a hard deadline for my Fulbright application? What if I’m missing some recommendations or a letter of affiliation? Yes, this is a hard deadline. You will need to lock your application for campus review by this deadline. If you have a letter (recommendation, affiliation) that is late in arriving, just be in touch with us. If you want to apply after this deadline, you may do so, but will not be able to participate in the campus review process and may not receive feedback. As always, if you have questions or issues, talk with us.
Are you expecting a complete and polished Fulbright application on Sept 8? Yes. But see note above about missing letters–it does happen. But everything in your control should be done and finalized at this point. Essays must be polished with no grammatical or spelling errors. You will be able to continue working on your materials after this date, however. You will often receive suggestions during your campus committee interview and may find things you want to tweak.
Fulbright webinars and tutorials: are ongoing this summer. Check out http://us.fulbrightonline.org/about/videos-tutorials and http://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants/information-sessions (click on webinars to see schedule).