Fulbright Semi Finalist to Korea

I have just received the news that I am a Fulbright Semi Finalist to Korea! Of course, this is terribly exciting – this is the second time I have been a semi-finalist. However, the first time I was unable to proceed further so this time involved a lot more hopping up and down 😀

So what does being a Semi-Finalist involve?

Not a whole lot, to be honest. You receive an email with an (R) in the title from Fulbright. This apparently scared a bunch of people who thought this meant “rejected” but it actually means “recommended.”

Last year you were required to send in your updated transcripts at this stage, but they no longer ask for them. If your country requires an interview, they will send a follow-up email with information (South Korea does not require these). Pre-departure Orientations, if applicable, can be found in a link from the e-mail (South Korea does not have this).

There are no official statistics, but essentially what has happened is the US Fulbright department has narrowed down the applications. They then send these applications to Korea. General stats say that of every three application the US Fulbright committee recommends, around 2 will be chosen as finalists. This means your odds are relatively good 🙂

Timeline

You will receive your rejection or recommendation e-mail in late January. Last year I received mine on the 28th, this year I received mine on the 25th, so it varies. Almost every applicant will receive their letter on the same day, but occasionally there are exceptions for certain countries, etc.

So essentially it’s a waiting game now, until March-May, when they will announce the finalists.

There’s literally nothing you can do in-between, which is both good and bad for me. There’s no one to email or talk to to find a way to up my chances. So I’m just happy instead of stressed 🙂