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Even as they contemplate the end of their Boston College undergraduate years, some members of the Class of 2012 are already looking ahead to their next big experience as Fulbright Scholars. Among the nation’s research universities, BC has become one of the top producers of prestigious Fulbright awards, which support a year’s post-baccalaureate study abroad. Chronicle spoke with Adjunct Associate Professor of Political Science Paul Christensen, who completed his first year as BC’s Fulbright program administrator.
What does being the Fulbright administrator entail?
The job of the Fulbright Program Administrator (or FPA, in Fulbright speak) is primarily to help guide the students through the application process, but it is really a combination of planning, organizing, and advising. The process starts in the fall with contacting students who have told me they are interested and organizing presentations to various BC programs where we might find likely candidates.
During spring semester, I organize a series of meetings for students to talk with me and the other Fulbright advisors about the various types of grants and the components of the application. The summer is given over to advising individual students on their applications — which is the most rewarding part of the job — and keeping track of any changes in the program.
The most intense part of the job is in September and October, when all the applications are due. The FPA’s main job then is to organize the campus interviews, which entails coordinating the student, her or his advisor, and two other BC faculty (one of whom needs to be fluent in the language of the country to which the student is applying), all in the space of about two weeks. Since we typically have around 60 or more applicants, this process is always something of a circus.
In addition, either I or one of my colleagues will typically go down to New York to observe one of the National Selection Panels, so that we can get a sense of what the Fulbright committee is looking for in an applicant.
What kind of insights — about Fulbrights, and the students who apply for them — have you gained as coordinator?
The main insight about the Fulbright grants themselves that I have gained is just how country-specific they really are. Fulbright grants are available to over 155 countries; some only have research grants, others have research and teaching assistantship grants. Each country is also slightly different: in terms of qualifications for applicants, sometimes in regard to what kinds of research the country either wants to support or will not support, or in terms of at what level students will be teaching. So, when a student asks if she or he can do research on a specific topic on a Fulbright grant, the standard answer is: It all depends on the country.
In many ways, the students who apply for Fulbrights reflect the diversity of the Fulbright program. While all the students I see applying are smart, self-motivated, and adventurous, they have very different experiences, interests, and goals. So part of my job — and that of all the Fulbright advisors — is to try to help students match up their ideas about the Fulbright grants to the opportunities that the Fulbright programs provides.
Many of our students who come to me to talk about the program do not know at the outset exactly what they want to do, and that is absolutely fine. One of the great things about this program is that it is as much a voyage of discovery as anything else.
Why should students consider seeking Fulbrights, or other fellowships of similar stature?
As to the Fulbright in particular, the main reason is that a Fulbright grant gives students the opportunity to work and study for the better part of a year in another country, where they will have the chance to become deeply knowledgeable about that country’s society and culture in a way that, for example, a semester abroad simply cannot do.
But beyond that, applying for a Fulbright — or a Boren, Truman, or Marshall, among others — gives students the opportunity to think seriously about who they are, about what their BC education means to them, and about what they want to accomplish in the future. As I am sure many of our applicants would attest, the application process itself is a learning experience that really makes you focus on what is essential, and that is a skill that will be useful in many other contexts. And, of course, the prestige of being a Fulbright scholar is nice, too.
What kind of challenges does a BC student typically face in trying to obtain a Fulbright?
The single most important challenge that any student faces in obtaining a Fulbright is crafting a grant proposal that will convince the Fulbright commission that she or he is the right person with the right project for the right country. Along the way, there are any number of technical challenges, but the construction of the project is the key. For the five Fulbright advisors at BC, helping students get this right is what our work is all about.
Is there a benefit for BC as an institution in having its students pursue Fulbrights and other prestigious fellowships?
Without question. In my view, the most important benefit is that pursuing these grants brings out the best in our most promising students, and encourages them to push themselves even farther than they might otherwise.
A second important benefit is that the application process for these grants brings together students and faculty in a unique and pretty intense way. The Fulbright process, for example, involves the students working with their Fulbright advisors, specialists in their fields of study and on the countries to which they are applying, and language specialists, all working toward a singular goal.
And of course there are always the bragging rights — after all, last year BC was eighth in the country in successful Fulbright applications. Joking aside, I think our success in this regard simply reinforces BC’s academic reputation, which will of course help us attract more students who will be Fulbrighters in the future.
How do you identify promising Fulbright candidates? Is this something that faculty or others in the University community can help facilitate?
Promising candidates often times identify themselves to me. I cannot count the times when I have received an email inquiring about the program, or a knock on my office door followed by the question: “Can I talk to you about the Fulbright for a minute?” Sometimes students will come to me in their sophomore or even freshman year to ask about Fulbrights — and believe me, we keep a list.
But beyond that, BC faculty members already do a great deal to identify promising students — as teachers and advisors — by encouraging their work and suggesting to them that they apply. I have seen that Fulbright scholars come from all disciplines and backgrounds, so I would encourage all members of the BC community — from departments to all the wonderful programs we have here — to bring Fulbright and scholarships like it to the attention of your students. And, of course, send them to us.