Seven Students Named Fulbright Finalists

Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus has produced seven finalists for this year’s prestigious Fulbright fellowship.  

Rose Hill’s finalists have yet to be revealed, but Dr. Regina Plunkett-Dowling of the Fulbright and Graduate Fellowships Office was allowed to disclose the countries in which the students applied: Egypt, Madagascar, Taiwan, Albania, Korea, France and Poland.

The Rose Hill finalists were notified at the end of January. Following that phase of the selection, the decision then goes to the host country which then sends out notifications to the student between early April and early June.

The scholarship program was founded in 1946 in the wake of World War II, and it is designed to promote understanding of different countries by allowing students the opportunity to travel to one of 140 countries to study or teach. Every year, 6,000 Americans apply and over 1,100 of them are sent to other countries. At Rose Hill, there are currently students studying from 15 countries.

Plunkett-Dowling explained that they offer two different kinds of fellowships.  
“One type of scholarship offered is the Full Grant which involves extensive study and research,” Plunkett-Dowling said. “For this scholarship, we are looking for a good track record involving strong research experience.”

She also explained the second type of scholarship, the English Teaching Assistantship (ETA).

“[The ETA] is offered in 35 countries,” Plunkett-Dowling said. “The recipients are often graduating seniors who travel to assist an English teacher at a university in another country. The assistantship is between nine to 10 months.”

Plunkett-Dowling explained that some of the winners are working on their dissertations or have already received their master’s degrees.  A majority of the recipients are English majors, but if an applicant is majoring in a different field, he or she must be an articulate speaker and eloquent writer. The winners must also have teaching experience, such as being a camp counselor or mentor.

“The acceptance rate varies between different countries and programs,” Plunkett-Dowling said. “The United Kingdom is ruthless. An applicant needs to have a 3.85 GPA before they will even look at you. In Korea, on the other hand, 50-60 percent of United States applicants will be accepted.”

Plunkett-Dowling said that when applying for any country, a student should have around a 3.5 GPA and must possess qualities of maturity and independence. Cross-cultural experience is also important.

“Applicants must complete essays and have faculty recommendations,” Plunkett-Dowling said. “Many countries expect a high level of proficiency in their respective languages. However, other countries like Taiwan will accept a non-proficient student as long as they have a strong intent to study the language extensively.”

Students interested in applying for a Fulbright fellowship in the future are invited to attend an information session being held on Thursday, April 30 between 4 and 5 p.m. The meeting will take place in the music room at the McGinley Center and free food will be provided. A senior program officer from Fulbright will be present, along with at least one of the Rose Hill winners, to explain the process and answer questions.