This Friday, everyone who already had their intent form meeting with us by June 20 needs to submit at least one essay draft plus information about your recommenders:

Please note that we not expecting polished work at this point - rough drafts are okay! Really! Our foremost aim with this deadline is to ensure that everyone has started on the writing process. If you are still shaping a research project or uncertain of other important details, it's not uncommon and we get that. Wherever you are with thinking through your plans, please just do your best with this first assignment.

After this shared deadline, applicants will have individual deadlines for additional draft submissions, assigned by the NFP advisor with whom they are working (you'll be connected with your advisor soon after you submit your draft(s) on June 30). Our next shared deadline for everyone is on August 21, our campus deadline.

Whenever you submit a draft, we will aim to have feedback for you within a week at most (or will let you know if we need a bit longer due to extenuating circumstances). When we give you feedback on a draft, we will normally ask you to submit a new version about a week later, incorporating that feedback (if you can’t meet that deadline, please let us know in advance). That timing should allow for review of 4-5 rounds of drafts before the campus deadline, which in our experience is about the right amount for most applicants to develop a strong and compelling SOP.

We look forward to reading your drafts!

Fulbright has specific criteria they want applicants to address in each essay. As you dig into the thinking/writing/revising process with your Statement of Grant Purpose and Personal Statement over the next several weeks, please keep in mind the many resources we provide on Canvas:

For your SOP, whether you are an ETA or S/R applicant, our workshops & accompanying handouts cover key elements you need to include in your statement. For your personal statement, our workshops help you choose the best features of your candidacy and highlight them.

Our comprehensive guidelines provide essential information and advice on every part of preparing your application, including drafting and revising your essays.

Written by previous JHU applicants who advanced in the selection process, samples can be quite helpful as well as inspiring.

Over the years, we've collected key excerpts from our favorite style guides and created narrated PowerPoint videos to address common writing issues in Fulbright application essays. If you are wondering how to formulate a community engagement plan, want to make sure you are "showing not telling" or not being too technical, or need to be more concise, we've got you covered with these common concerns and much more.

The application requires your recommenders to complete a questionnaire, not submit a standard letter of reference. Your first step in selecting references is to look at the ETA Recommendation form so you understand what referees are asked to address. The form has five specific questions focusing on: 

Seek recommenders who are best able to comment on your project and your qualifications to successfully carry it out. First, consult Fulbright's instructions for S/R reference writers to understand what Fulbright expects letters to include. Who is able to evaluate your skills and experience relevant to your proposal? Are there specific qualities about you and your work that you want a recommender to address? Who can evaluate both the feasibility and significance of your proposal and your academic demeanor, i.e. your attitude toward learning and study? (For example, if you are proposing an academic project involving historical research, who can testify to your ability to do independent archival work and carry out textual analysis?) Secondarily, who can tout your potential as a cultural ambassador in your host country?

Please be sure to:

Several Fulbright affinity groups exist to bring together Fulbrighters past, present, and future around shared identities and interests. Here are several, with links to find them on Instagram:

In addition, Fulbright Forward – A Diversity Podcast features alums of Fulbright (both the Student and Scholar Programs) talking about their work and research, about regional and local ramifications of global diversity-related issues, and the impact their Fulbright experience has had on their personal and professional growth. Also featured are advocates and professionals from diverse communities working towards greater inclusion in higher education/educational exchange.

Kathleen Barry, PhD, Associate Director (kbarry18@jhu.edu)

Brent Fujioka, PhD, Assistant Director (bfujiok1@jhu.edu)

Chelsey Jones, Assistant Director (cjone273@jh.edu)

Jacob Budenz, MFA, Writing Fellow (jbudenz1@jhu.edu)

Rhiannon Clarke, Program Coordinator (rclark65@jhu.edu)

Thai-Catherine Matthews, Program Coordinator (tmatth20@jhu.edu)

Nate McCabe, Program Coordinator (nmccabe1@jhu.edu)

Tegan White-Nesbitt, Program Coordinator (twhiten2@jhu.edu)

The National Fellowships Program (NFP) in Scholars & Fellows Programs (SFP) advises JHU students and recent graduates applying for nationally competitive fellowships, scholarships, and grants. You can find information about many awards, with detailed profiles for several, on our website.