It's a Fulbright Friday!

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

As we approach the internal September 1, 2026, at 12 PM NOON ET deadline to apply through Georgetown University's campus committee review and mentorship process, a few helpful reminders:

• Language evaluations (when required by the host country) and all 3 recommendations are due by this deadline. As noted in our frequently asked questions, the center reserves "the right to not match with a campus mentor applicants who lock incomplete draft applications by the September 1 internal due date."
• If you are locking your application by Georgetown's internal deadline, please be sure to complete the center's Waiver and Agreement Form, which is REQUIRED to be matched with a campus mentor.
• If you do not apply by Georgetown's internal deadline and you meet other eligibility requirements, you can still list "Georgetown University-DC" as your institutional affiliation in the application portal. In this case, you won't take part in the campus committee review and mentorship process.
• For the internal deadline, use the "Ready for Campus Review" lock feature in the application portal. DO NOT use the submit feature as your application will be permanently sent to Fulbright. This action cannot be undone.

IMPORTANTLY, best wishes with your application over the next couple weeks! You should be proud of all of your work and commitment to the process!

Advising Corner

APPLICATION ABSTRACT

Each Fulbright application requires a thoughtful abstract that conveys the highlights of your proposed grant.

THOUGHTFUL SUMMARY

The abstract should be the last thing you write. It should be a summary of your proposal - not simply a cut-and-paste, rather a distillation of your application's key points.

Imagine, for example, that you just gave a 45-minute presentation in class or at work. When you meet up with friends afterwards, you spend about 3-4 minutes telling them about the content of your presentation. 

Certainly, you cannot go into as much detail as you did during the presentation itself. What are the highlights? How do you tell the abbreviated story in a compelling way? How do you get the main points across - especially to an audience who may not be familiar with your topic? 

Remember: The abstract will be on the first page of the .pdf version of your application, and it may be the first thing a Fulbright application reviewer reads.

So you should use it as an opportunity to clearly and enthusiastically describe your grant plans in the host country. You should seek, through this well-crafted paragraph, to inspire reviewers to want to learn more about you and your goals!

ADDRESS PROMPTS

Be sure, of course, that your Fulbright abstract addresses the prompts in the portal:

Abstract/Summary of Proposal (Study/Research)

A concise description of the what, where, and why of the proposed project. If you are proposing the pursuit of a graduate degree program, summarize the program and relevance to your career/education plans. (1,750 characters including spaces and punctuation)

Abstract/Summary of Proposal (English Teaching Assistant)

Why do you wish to be a Fulbright grantee and undertake an English Teaching Assistant opportunity? Why are you applying to this specific country? (1,750 characters including spaces and punctuation)

HOST COUNTRY

Emphasizing your enthusiasm for the host country and why the host country is important for your grant year goals and project – regardless of award type – is helpful to include clearly in the abstract. 

Fulbright Information Sessions

Georgetown Fulbrighter Spotlight

Camille Vandeveer (CAS'25)

English Teaching Assistant - Spain

From Camille Vandeveer (CAS'25) - "I am working as an English Teaching Assistant at Camilo José Cela University in the International Relations, Education, Communication, and Health Sciences faculties. My responsibilities include developing and giving class lectures and supporting English language development through 1:1 tutoring. For my side project, I am launching an extracurricular student-led magazine to promote students’ writing, critical thinking, and research skills."

Application Suggestion: "Do not apply alone! Seek feedback and advice on your essays from as many people as possible. It is sometimes nerve-wracking to share vulnerable essays (like the ones the Fulbright program requires), but it is always worth it!"

(Photo: Vandeveer, right, at a Fulbright España event)

It's a Fulbright Friday!