When senior year of undergraduate rolls around, students are faced with the biggest question of all: What am I going to do with my life? While searching for a job/career immediately after graduation is an option, the dismal state of the economy makes success almost impossible. Even with internship experience, jobs on the side, participation in student organizations, and volunteering the hunt can be intimidating and competitive. While some may choose graduate school directly after undergraduate, there are other paths without directly jumping into the working world. Not to preach, but it’s often helpful to think ahead!
As a collegiette on one of these “alternative routes” after graduation, I thought I’d try to help some sisters out. If you have studied abroad and would like to continue your experience (read my past posts on Jordan), there are many scholarships and fellowships to apply for. For example, I am currently in the process of applying for a Fulbright Research grant and Critical Language Enhancement Award (CLEA) for Jordan. Just in case this is the first you’re hearing about it, I’ll give a brief overview.
The Fulbright scholarships are sponsored by the US State Department, and fully funds research projects for Americans abroad and for foreigners in America. That’s right – FULLY FUNDS – as in travel, living, any research expenses. Not to mention this award is beyond prestigious. Out of thousands of applicants in the US, only about 10-20 researchers get selected per country. There is also a high likelihood of publication after the project’s completion due to its high esteem. If you obtain the CLEA, then Fulbright will also take care of several months of intensive language instruction of the host country. What a great opportunity this is for recent graduates!
The application process, to be honest, is quite difficult, more so than anything else I’ve experienced. I’m talking about 3 very short, yet very detailed research proposal and essays, endless information on volunteer and job experience, and a concise plan for your year of research abroad. Needless to say, so far the beginning of senior year has been stressful trying to perfect this application! The point of the post, I would say, is to explore your options earlier than the beginning of your senior year! And if you would like to study abroad or return to an old abroad locale, I highly suggest applying for the Fulbright. Sure, it’s stressful and competitive, but hopefully in the end the rewards are fluency in another language and a respected award which will build on your future career.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at GWU chapter.