So after figuring out where I wanted to apply to, now came the hard part. Starting at the end of the spring semester and over the summer, the essays were started and references found. Now these essays, for those of you didn't hear me complain while doing them, are two single spaced pages in which you highlight your life and make it sound interesting. They were edited and edited (and edited) over the summer via email and the first couple weeks of school. So starting out with about 2 pages for each, with the help of Dr. Hopkins, we took out all the fluff and had two very distinct and informative essays about my life and while I should get a Fulbright grant. I was really proud about these essays that we had come up with, but alas, another professor at Naz said "oh, use these essays instead." It was a compilation of many of the previous essays and most of the stuff had been cut out, but he basically approves your application at Naz so I had to turn in these, in my opinion, sub-par essays. Fortunately it turned out for the best, but I still didn't like the essays.
The essays, references and language evaluations were all turned in at the beginning of September the fall semester of my senior year. Now the waiting game. The essays were now in the possession of the essay reviewers that look at hundreds of thousands of essays from people all over the U.S. If your essay was interesting enough within the first few lines, you'd have a chance. I guess my essays were good enough to warrant a pass through round 1. In January, the spring semester of senior year, I was notified that I had passed round 1 and moved on to round 2. Now here came the really tricky part; the translation of the essays into German.
Germany is the only country that makes you translate your Fulbright essays in round 2, even though knowledge of the German language is recommended but not required. All of the people who applied to other countries and got past round 1 never had to do anything other than send their transcripts to their host country, even those who required fluency in the language. Again, with the help of Dr. Hopkins, we began rewriting those 2 essays in German. I did the initial translation to the best of my abilities and he helped me from there. There was just over a month to do this part of it and mail the essays off to Germany. Many hours were spent on perfecting these essays and I learned a lot about German grammar in the process, a true learning experience. Once the essays were done, a new application form was filled out with my information and which areas of Germany I'd like to go if accepted. The waiting game began anew.
Around the end of March, I was informed that I was an alternate for a Fulbright grant, but if anybody dropped out, I could have a chance. Come the beginning of May, I was informed that all of the spots for Germany were accepted. With both of these notifications, I was crushed. Was it because I was only a German minor? Were my essays not good enough? I resigned myself to the fact that I was going to Grad school right off the bat. Luckily during the Fulbright process I had been accepted into programs at both Naz and UB. I started to get ready to do registration for that and then one day in June I got a call from Dr. Hopkins. "Now don't get your hopes up but I think you might be getting a Fulbright." Of course I went and checked my email immediately and told him I'd call him back and let him know. There was an email asking if I was still willing and able to accept a Fulbright grant to Germany. As my mom said: "Yes! Give me 20 mins to pack and 20 mins to the airport, when do I leave?" I emailed the person back saying yes and I got an email back in 10 mins saying that I had been promoted from an alternate to a grantee. I was placed in Bayern (Bavaria) which wasn't one of the states I picked but I'm not all that picky.
The last couple of months have been a whirlwind of excitement, confusion (paperwork, so much paperwork) and more emotions than I can describe in writing. In less than a week now I will begin my adventures abroad, this time for a school year. I hope that through this blog, I can share some of the things that I am experiencing and maybe inspire someone to go abroad themselves.
For now, bis bald und vielen Dank! (See you soon and thank you very much!)
