Author: Gaby Keane
At a school like Cornell where every other conversation seems to be about internships or post-grad jobs, it may feel crazy to go against the grain and do something after graduation that doesn’t involve business casual. Crazy or not, don’t let it stop you from looking into some of the amazing opportunities available for post-grads, particularly the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the largest exchange program in the U.S. In 1945, Senator J. William Fulbright introduced a bill in the United States Congress calling for the use of leftover war money to fund the “promotion of international goodwill through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture, and science.” President Harry Truman signed the bill in 1946, and Congress created the Fulbright program, the flagship international exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Government.
Now, why would this matter to you?
Applying for a Fulbright travel grant gives you an all-expenses paid opportunity to travel to a country of your choice, where you can either teach English or conduct research. The only application requirement is an active U.S. citizenship — other than that, it’s up to you to impress the panel of reviewers. Luckily, Cornell’s Einaudi Center is available to guide you through every step of the application.
If you want to do research but are unsure of which discipline you should choose, don’t lose hope. The Fulbright program encourages you to use the opportunity to explore areas of potential research focus.
The program also allows you to defer student loans during the travel period. If you’ve already been accepted to grad school, don’t think this opportunity can’t be for you — graduate school acceptances can also be deferred in conjunction with the Fulbright program. You can use the Fulbright program as a fun and functional (FUNctional, anyone?) way of filling a post-grad gap year. And one year is all you need — there are no commitments after the Fellowship.
You may never get another chance to immerse yourself so deeply in a different culture. Many grad students have gone on to use the trip as inspiration for theses. Looking to the future, the experience provides fellows with a new worldview invaluable to whatever workplace you choose to enter when you return from your travels abroad, and the prestige of the Fulbright name will enliven your resumé to all potential employers.
So now that you might consider applying for a Fulbright, here is some necessary information:
Sophomores who are interested should consider attending information sessions held by the Einaudi Center.
Juniors should begin working on their applications, which should be ready for submission at the beginning of senior year.
Seniors who submit their applications after they graduate in December or May will have to wait until July of the following year to begin the program.
For more information, visit the Einaudi Center website. Prospective applicants should contact for guidance.
