Office of Fellowships Grad Study Application Steps

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Applying for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program is a lengthy, but rewarding process involving many stages of review, both on campus and beyond, taking almost an entire year from start to finish. The Office of Fellowships staff are here to guide you through the process. Follow the steps below to produce an application that represents you well by the deadline.

DEADLINES for Fulbright Graduate Study applicants applying through AC:
Internal review: September 15, 2025 at NOON.  Submission to Fulbright program: October 6, 2025 at NOON. 

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When you apply for a graduate study grant, you have choices to make. What kind of degree program will you pursue? Which university will you go to? What country makes the most sense for you? Fulbright offers two kinds of graduate study grants: 1) open awards which allow you to study in any field at any accredited university, or 2) partnership/named awards which restrict your options in terms of field and/or university. Many degrees are offered in English, even where English is not the primary language.

• To start exploring on your own, review the Fulbright list of graduate degree grants. You can also use the Award Search tool, selecting filters that will show you which countries have graduate degree offerings that suit your stage of education, language skills, and interests. 
• A few countries require foreign language facility even if the grad program is taught in English. Before you get too excited about a degree program, check the Fulbright country pages by region to make sure you meet the qualifications. Read these pages thoroughly.
• Note that university grants are offered at over 40 universities in the UK .  Delve into the following databases to explore the top programs in the UK by field of study:
  - the UK's Research Excellence Framework 
  - the Guardian's Best UK Universities Ranking
  You might also consult the list of British universities here and the database to "Find a Course in the UK" ("course" = degree program). Another good resource is the Russell Group website. 
• Go to the universities' websites to read about the degree programs they offer, the research faculty are doing, and what it is like to be a student there. 
• Ask faculty in your field of study for guidance, too! They often know about programs overseas as well as the more familiar U.S. ones. 
• Be sure to check this listing of recent application statistics to make a strategically-wise choice about which grant/country to shoot for. Some have odds that are prohibitive. Make sure you're making a wise choice. 
• Note that under the category of research grants, applicants may pursue training in the creative and performing arts. Take a look at examples of these on the RISD Fulbright page.  
• Finally, consult the State Department website to learn about the U.S. diplomatic relations with the country as well as other interesting facts that may factor in your decision.

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Talk with us about what you've learned from the Fulbright website. We can help you think through your choices to settle on a grant and a country; you can only apply for ONE Fulbright grant in any given year.   Request an appointment  for a conversation. Once we've talked, we'll work together through emails and Moodle on your application materials.

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Open the application  and select the option to apply through Amherst College. Carefully read the application instructions on the first page before answering questions. You'll enter biographical details, extracurricular activities, awards, travel history, work experience as well as your long and short essays; you'll trigger recommendation and language evaluation requests there. Include work and other activities through to October 2025, which is when your application will begin to be read.

Reach out to three potential recommendation writers to explain your intentions and ask if they'd be willing to write on your behalf. You can do this in person, over email, or on the phone. Let them know you will follow up later in the summer (August) with a draft of your essay and reminder about the deadline. 

For the grad study grant, at least two of your writers should be faculty who have taught you as a mature student. If you've done/are doing a senior thesis, your advisor may be a good choice. Lean toward faculty whose expertise is in the field you plan to study. They can comment not only on your academic strengths, but also on how the program is a good fit for you. The third letter may also be from a faculty member or, in some cases, from a staff person, coach, or work supervisor who can speak in detail to your potential to be an outstanding cultural ambassador.  Ask your recommenders to read our Fulbright Overview page so they understand the Fulbright and what the reviewers hope to learn about you in the letter.  Point out to them the instructions For Recommenders at the bottom of that page.

Reach out to one language evaluator, if needed or desired by the country. If the country has recommended or required language competency, show them what you've got! The application will invite you to complete a Language Self-Evaluation. Do it, even if not required, if you have any skill in the language. It can only help you! If language skill is required, you will have to enter the contact information for a language evaluator. Ask someone who has taught you the language most recently. Send them the link to Instructions for Foreign Language Evaluators and inform them that the link will be coming from the Fulbright application system once you've triggered it. 

After your recommenders or language evaluators have said "yes,"  enter their names and contact info in the Fulbright online application. Trigger the recommendation request through the portal about four weeks before the internal deadline (or sooner, if they wish it).  While recommendation letters are due by the internal deadline, it's okay of the language evaluations come in afterward (before the final deadline). 

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An "affiliate" is an institution who will host you in the destination country. In the case of the study grant, the affiliate is the university where your degree program is offered. You will list your affiliation in the program information section of the application. Depending on the country, you may also be asked to secure an "affiliation letter" that you will upload to your application. For a graduate degree grant, your acceptance letter to the university IS your "letter of affiliation."  However, it is usually impossible to get accepted to the university before your Fulbright application is due.  As a placeholder, you can request a "letter of affiliation" from a faculty member/program director in the university department vouching for your potential as an applicant.
 
Asking for this letter, however, comes after a conversation with that person. Invite them to have a virtual conversation with you. Here's a template for an email you can use to request a meeting. Come prepared to the meeting with a few questions about the program that are not already answered on the website. Be ready to explain your interest and especially to discuss any research you might want to do as your thesis or dissertation (usually required in the third term). After one or more conversations, it will be appropriate to ask your contact if they will write an affiliation letter for your Fulbright application.  

Your contact may be unsure how to write that letter. Here is a template your affiliate can use to write their letter. Once they send the letter to you, upload it to your application. Note: this might take months to come to fruition,, which is why we recommend starting in June. Try to upload your letter before the internal deadline, but you can upload it any time before the final deadline. 

The Statement of Grant Purpose (SOGP) is the only long essay you will write for this application. There is no longer a personal statement for the Fulbright application. (Instead, there are "short answers" which you'll see in the next step. 

Brainstorm: Before you draft the essay, completing this Graduate Study SOGP Questionnaire will help you think through the why, what, when, where, and how of your intentions for graduate study. 

Draft: Write the first draft of your statement of grant purpose:
(1) introduce the context for this field/topic and your particular interest in it
(2) briefly describe the program you are pursuing, highlighting courses and research you will undertake
(3) point out what is compelling about this university and the country in terms of your professional goals
(4) mention your affiliation if you have one and any agreements you have made
(5) explain how you are prepared for this program/research (academic coursework/research/language study)
(6) describe how your year of study will benefit you (in terms of your future goals) the host community, and how it will further the Fulbright mission 

Feedback via Moodle: Rounds of feedback will be given throughout the summer and early fall via our Moodle course. See the chart at the top of the page for feedback deadlines.  If you start early in the summer, you can expect at least three rounds of feedback on your SOGP.  If you start later, you will receive fewer rounds. If you miss deadline #1, hop in at date #2. Once you have opened an application in the Fulbright portal (Step 3), we will add you to Moodle as an enrolled user. Current Amherst students and alumni can gain access with their Amherst College login. Alumni who are unable to gain access should email evclark@amherst.edu or coverstreet@amherst.edu for access.

Before you write, it may help you to read a few essays from former AC Fulbright grad study winners here. These essays will be in a different format and may vary in content from the above due to the new 2026-2027  guidelines.

Format: Length is limited to 6,000 characters, including spaces and punctuation. You will enter text in a field rather than preparing a separate document for upload. 
~ Do not include any bibliographies, publications, citations, etc. Citations are not required.
~ Do not include links to websites or external files/materials. Doing so may disqualify you.
~ Do not include personal contact information, such as email addresses or phone numbers, in your SOGP.

In addition to the Statement of Grant Purpose, the Fulbright program asks you to write four short paragraphs about your intentions. These include three Short Answers (SA) aimed at ascertaining how you intend to fulfill the Fulbright mission of increasing mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries, and an Abstract, in which you summarize your proposed project.  Draft these essays using the prompts below, and submit via Moodle following the timeline above.

PROMPTS:

Flexibility & Adaptability (2,000 character limit): Please explain how you will adapt to working and living in a new environment in the host country. Consider the ways in which you have grown throughout your life that make you the individual you are today. How have you demonstrated these qualities in your academic, professional, or personal life? Use specific examples from your personal experiences.

Community Engagement (2,000 character limit): How will you integrate within and engage with your host community? Consider the ways in which you engage with your U.S. community (through extracurricular activities, hobbies, or volunteering), and how you can engage with these ideas and practices while on grant. In what unique ways do you plan to share your culture and values in your host community and learn from others? How do your lived experiences prepare you to represent the United States as a cultural ambassador? Provide specific examples.

Impact of Fulbright Award (1,000 character limit): An objective of the Fulbright Program is to “support activities and projects with broad multiplier effects. As a relatively small number of persons can participate in any of these, it is desirable that they be persons who are or who are likely to be in positions to share their experiences and knowledge with others.” Describe your career and/or educational plans after completing a Fulbright grant. How will your Fulbright experience help you reach these future goals? How will you share your Fulbright experience with your community upon your return from the grant?

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Abstract/Summary of Proposal (1,750 character limit): Prepare an executive summary detailing the what, where, and why of your proposed project․ If you are proposing the pursuit of a graduate degree program, summarize the program and its relevance to your career/education plans․ 

Format: Character limits are listed above.
~ Do not include links to websites or external files/materials. Adding any URLs to external websites may result in your application being deemed ineligible for consideration.
~ Do not include personal contact information, such as email addresses or phone numbers, in your short answers.
~ Do not use hard returns for paragraph breaks. 

Send recommendation and language evaluation requests. In Step 4, you reached out to ask people if they would write these for you. Now is the time to trigger the requests in the online application portal if you have not already done so, and reminder your recommenders of our internal deadline, which is different from the Fulbright deadline they will see on the Fulbright program's own website. For recommendation letters, send the writers your SOGP.

Request your official AC transcript and study abroad or transfer college transcripts -- anything for which you have received college credit on your AC transcript. Upload them into the portal by the internal deadline. While Fulbright says they allow unofficial transcripts, because the name of the college must appear on it, AC students must use an official version. To aid you in this process, complete an “Electronic Transcript Request” and when you receive it, convert it to a readable (not secured) pdf. The numerical GPA you enter in the application should be the one listed on your transcript. 

For transfer or study abroad transcripts, follow instructions at the relevant institution for requesting an electronic version and convert and upload it as above. If you upload encrypted transcripts, your application will be disqualified.

Upload your letter of affiliation. (If it comes in after the internal deadline, upload it as soon as you can afterward.)

1. Once you have completed everything, turn the application into a pdf, print it, and proofread it.  Review all short entries, small paragraphs, the essay, and language self-evaluation for typos and line break issues. (You won't catch errors if you review the app on your phone.) Make sure there are no blank pages in the uploads.
2. Make sure transcripts are un-encrypted.
3. Check to see if your recommendations and language evaluations are in. If not, send gentle, polite reminders. If you're waiting for a transcript or language evaluation, upload a placeholder document with the name of the intended document on it so that you can lock the application for campus review.
4. LOCK the application by your internal deadline! Do NOT submit it. (If you submit, you will not be able to edit it further. We will pull the version you've locked for the campus committee to review. Please do not make changes after we lock it until you've received committee feedback. 

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All Amherst College applicants will be endorsed to move forward to the Fulbright national competition. However, Fulbright asks us to conduct a campus interview and to write an evaluation of you as a candidate based on the interview and your written materials. In the evaluation we highlight your strengths as a candidate. 

After you submit your application, we'll send an invitation to schedule your 20-minute interview with the faculty committee on student fellowships. Sign up for your interview slot and prepare to receive feedback and talk further about your interest in the Fulbright program, the country, and your chosen graduate program and university. To prepare, review your own application and think about what more you can tell us, both about your graduate study goals and your desire to immerse yourself into the culture of the country. 

After your campus interview, we'll un-lock your application in the portal and send you final suggestions for improvement. If we have noticed them, we'll alert you to any typos. However, as this application represents YOU, then YOU should make sure your app is error-free! Revise and proofread, then submit the application by October 6th at NOON. This will give us time to attach your campus committee evaluation for the Fulbright review.

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You have one important step that other Fulbright applicants don't have - applying to the university. While university applications usually don't open until after the Fulbright deadline, you need to apply in time to gain acceptance by January 2026, if possible. You may be able to do this as soon as October, and will likely be able to by November. (For some countries with very different academic calendars, the applications won't open until December or so.)  Mark your calendar for when the university application will open, and apply as soon as you can.  If you apply and gain acceptance by January, it can help your chances of winning the Fulbright. You'll be able to send Fulbright your acceptance letter in January if you are named a semi-finalist. Enhance your chances of doing the degree. Scour the university website for sources of funding other than the Fulbright.  Apply also for Amherst College Fellowships. Every bit will help!

The Fulbright process takes so long that we joke that people sometimes find out they won and forgot they even applied! After submitting, you wait, but wait actively! That is, be alert to the stages of selection and any emails you may receive from Fulbright. From here, they'll contact you directly about how you are faring in the competition. Tell us what you hear from them, as soon as you here it, so we can continue to support you.

Have questions? Please contact us.

Physical address: 100 Boltwood Avenue, Amherst, MA 01002

Mailing address: AC #2214, PO Box 5000, Amherst, MA 01002