Applicant Guidelines Booklet. Fulbright Foreign Student Program 2016 Oman

Transcription

1 Applicant Guidelines Booklet Fulbright Foreign Student Program 2016 Oman

2 Table of Contents Introduction & Applicant Requirements.. Page 2 Timeline & Important Dates...Page 3 Applications Instructions.. Page 4 Hightlights...Page 5 Frequently Asked Questions....Pages 6-9 Applicant Checklist...Page 10

3 Fulbright Foreign Student Program for Graduate Studies in the United States of America You are invited to apply for a prestigious grant program to obtain a Master s degree at an accredited university in the United States! The Fulbright Foreign Student Program covers a maximum of two academic years of study beginning in August The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State through the Embassy of the United States of America in Oman. AMIDEAST administers the program, which is funded by the U.S. Congress. Originally proposed by Senator J. William Fulbright in 1945, this special program has become the U.S. government s flagship program in international educational exchange. The grant includes: Roundtrip airfare between Oman and the United States (one time), tuition & fees, room & board, books, health insurance and a small living stipend. Funding is NOT available to meet the expenses of a Fulbright student s dependents (spouses, children, parents, etc.). STOP APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS A competitive applicant will have an excellent academic record, strong English language skills, an outstanding character, and the commitment to return to Oman upon completion of the program. Also an applicant: Must be an Omani citizen residing in Oman Cannot be a U.S. passport holder or legal permanent resident (Green Card holder) Must have at least two years of work experience Must have a bachelor s degree recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education Must have achieved a minimum GPA of 3.0 or equivalent Will pursue a field of study benefitting Omani society Cannot apply for programs in clinical nursing, medicine, dentistry, law or veterinary medicine If you meet all the requirements, please continue to the next page C o n t i n u e

4 Timeline & Important Dates 1. Read about the Fulbright Foreign Students Program on AMIDEAST s website ( and use this booklet as a resource. 2. Prepare for and schedule the TOEFL exam ( and optional testing for the GRE ( or the GMAT ( 3. Complete the Fulbright application online and upload all of the required documents by July 9, 2015 Note: All supporting documentation must be submitted at AMIDEAST no later than the deadline. 4. The application is available at: 5. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to participate in an interview which will take place after Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr (exact date TBD). 6. Candidates who pass the interview will become nominees and will be notified by AMIDEAST in early September Attend a meeting with other nominees at AMIDEAST office. (September 2015) 8. Select universities, with assistance from the AMIDEAST staff. (September to October 2015) 9. Request transcripts from all academic institutions you have attended before, to be sent directly to the universities to which you are applying. (October to November 2015) 10. Complete all of the required applications and correspond with universities that you have selected. (November 2015 onward) 11. Finalists will be notified of acceptance by AMIDEAST. (April to May 2016) 12. Apply to the US Embassy Muscat for a J-1 exchange students visa. (May to June 2016) 13. Attend Fulbright pre-departure orientation at AMIDEAST office. (June 2016)

5 Read Carefully Application Instructions Apply Now! Complete the application online Answer all questions accurately and completely Click link Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted under any circumstances Carefully write and edit two essays, Future Plans and Statement of Purpose, which are key components of the application. Each essay must be a minimum of 250 and a maximum of 600 words. The selection committee will review these essays closely! Supporting Documents Soft copies and hard copies required (Upload online and bring the following supporting documents to the AMIDEAST office): TOEFL ibt or TOEFL ITP score Note: The paper-based ITP TOEFL is acceptable at the time of application only. ITP TOEFL scores of 550 or higher will only be considered. TOEFL ibt scores will be required following a candidate s nomination. If you already have a TOEFL ibt score, please submit it. TOEFL ibt scores should be over 80 to be considered for admission by US universities Official Transcripts (original transcripts and photocopies are NOT acceptable) for your undergraduate degree, translated into English Documentation of class rank (if available) Copy of all degrees in English (if available, photocopies are acceptable) Master of Business Administration (MBA) candidates: Three sealed letters of recommendation (two from professional colleagues); All other Master s candidates: Three sealed letters of recommendation (two from university-level professors) Note: All recommenders must submit recommendations using the online system and scan the recommendation letter with signature into the system. A hardcopy of the recommendation letter should be sealed in an envelope and delivered to AMIDEAST with applicant s name on the envelope Curriculum Vitae or Résumé no longer than two pages Copy of only the biodata information page in English from the applicant s passport Two recent passport-sized photos with applicant s name written on the back Optional Submission of Graduate-Level Exam Scores Applicants for most graduate programs must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). MBA degree applicants must take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) instead of the GRE and have a minimum of two years work experience (by January 2016). Applicants are not required to submit graduate exam results at the time of application. However, good scores may enhance your application. Final selection of Fulbright grantees will be contingent upon successful completion of the requisite exams. Serious applicants are encouraged to prepare in advance for these required exams. Preparation courses available at AMIDEAST; Preparation books are available for purchase at AMIDEAST, at other book retailers in Muscat, and online

6 Provisions Preference will be given to applicants who have not studied in the United States previously. Fulbright students will not be eligible for U.S. employment, immigration or residency visas for two years after ending the program. Fulbright students are eligible to apply for student, tourist, and business visas to the U.S. after completing the Fulbright Program. Highlights Target Test Scores* TOEFL ibt: 80/ TOEFL ITP: 550 GRE: 153 on Verbal section and 144 on Quantitative section; 4.0 on Analytical Writing GMAT: 500 *These scores are minimums Prep Books & Classes available Call to learn more For additional Fulbright Information and inquiries, contact AMIDEAST: Al Jama a Al Khbar Street Airport Heights - Ghala Tel: Fax: kconrad@amideast.org **Additional information can be found on our website: TOEFL ITP Test Dates at AMIDEAST February 19 April 23 March 5 May 7 March 19 May 21 April 2 *Can be used as part of initial application process for Fulbright; however nominated candidates must then take TOEFL ibt. Register at AMIDEAST Submission deadline for all application materials: Thursday, July 9, 2015 by 5:00pm Applications must be completed online. Supporting documents should be uploaded to the online application AND hard copies of supporting documents must be received at AMIDEAST by Saturday, July 9, Please put all supporting documents into a large sealed envelope and your name and Fulbright 2016 should be written on the outside of the envelope. Late or incomplete sgfdafdadfa applications will NOT be considered. Application online: Only Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an in-person interview after Ramadan Phone interviews are not possible

7 Frequently Asked Questions My field of study is X, do I qualify for Fulbright? The only fields that are not accepted by Fulbright are fields that require additional licensure, such as clinical studies and law. Therefore, the fields of medicine, clinical nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine and law are not eligible for Fulbright. Preference will be given to fields of study deemed as critical for Oman. I want to do my PhD, does Fulbright cover this? No. At this time, The Fulbright Foreign Student Program is not considering applications for PhD studies. Due to budget cuts within the U.S. Government, we are unable to consider partially funding PhD studies at this time. What if I want to do a second Master s degree? Only first time Master s degree applicants will be considered for Fulbright. If you already have a Master s degree, you cannot be considered for Fulbright at this time. If I apply for Fulbright, when will I actually go to the U.S. to begin my studies? July or August 2016, depending on your program start date. The Fulbright Program follows the U.S. university admission process timeline which means the whole process takes between 12 and 18 months. What if my GPA is below 3.0? Fulbright requires a minimum GPA of 3.0 (or equivalent if grades/marks are given in a different scale) because this is the requirement for university admissions at the graduate level. If your GPA is slightly below a 3.0, a strong GRE or GMAT score could increase your chances of being nominated for the Fulbright as well as gaining university admissions. It is highly encouraged that applicants who have a GPA lower than 3.0 submit a good GRE or GMAT score report as part of their Fulbright application packet (deadline: July 9, 2015) to increase their chances of being nominated. What is meant by official transcripts? Official transcripts look just like your original transcripts; however, they are additional copies you have requested from your undergraduate institution. We do not take your original documents because oftentimes these are your personal copies, and these documents will not be returned. Colleges and universities in Oman and outside of Oman will provide you with additional official copies upon request and sometimes a fee. Should I take the TOEFL ibt or TOEFL ITP? If you have already taken TOEFL ibt, please submit the official score report to AMIDEAST. If you do not have a TOEFL ibt score or your score has expired, for the purposes of the Fulbright application process, you may take the TOEFL ITP and submit your score report to AMIDEAST as part of your Fulbright application packet. If you are nominated for the Fulbright, you will then be required to take the TOEFL ibt at a later date.

8 What scores are required for the TOEFL ITP and TOEFL ibt? To be considered for Fulbright, you will need 550 or higher on the TOEFL ITP, or 80 and higher on the TOEFL ibt. You may also submit an IELTS score. Minimum score required is 7. Do I have to take the GRE or GMAT? And which one do I take? For the purposes of the Fulbright application process, it is not required to take GRE or GMAT prior to the Fulbright application deadline (July 9, 2015). However, if you are nominated for the Fulbright, you will be required to take either the GRE or GMAT (August 2015 November 2015). These tests are requried for university admission in the United States. If you are seeking a Master s in the fields of business administration, management, finance or accounting, you will be required to take the GMAT. For all other fields of study, you will be required to take the GRE. Are these tests difficult? How can I prepare? Past students have experienced great difficulty with the GRE and GMAT. As these tests are crucial to university admissions, it is extremely important that you prepare for them. How can I prepare for these tests? You can prepare for these tests by registering for the test and receiving a free bulletin with practice questions. In addition, AMIDEAST has some GRE and GMAT preparation books located in its EducationUSA Center that can be used in the center (books cannot leave the center). AMIDEAST also sells preparation books and we offer GRE and GMAT preparation courses. Why do I have to upload my documents to the online application and bring hardcopies to AMIDEAST? Though it helps to have your documents uploaded to the Embark system with your application, we ultimately must have hard copies of all your documents. Therefore, we require hard copies of your documents to be delivered to AMIDEAST by July 9, Do I have to do the interview in person? Yes. Interviews will take place following the holy month of Ramadan and Eid al Fitr. Serious candidates should plan to be in the country during that time. Interviews cannot be rescheduled and phone interviews are not accepted. What happens after the interview? After the interview, the Fulbright Review Committee will rank candidates and submit the rankings and reports on each candidate to the AMIDEAST office in Washington DC, who will work with the U.S. Department of State to finalize a nomination list. Candidates will be informed of nominations in September 2015.

9 If I am nominated, does that mean I received the scholarship? A nomination does not mean you have received the scholarship. The Fulbright Program is a multi-step process. If you are selected as a Fulbright Nominee, this means you will continue to the next phase working with AMIDEAST to select universities and submit applications. If you do not receive a nomination, your part in the process is finished. When do I receive the scholarship? After you have worked with AMIDEAST to submit your university applications, and once you have received an acceptance to a university, the Department of State will decide if they have funds to sponsor your studies. If the Department of State approves, you then become a Fulbright Grantee, and will work with AMIDEAST to begin the visa process. Should I apply to universities and get accepted before applying to Fulbright? Absolutely not! You must first be considered a Fulbright Nominee before beginning to apply to universities. Furthermore, you will work with AMIDEAST to select your university preferences. AMIDEAST will ultimately decide which universities you will apply to based on your credentials of which your academic record and test scores will play the biggest role. How many universities can I apply to? AMIDEAST will work with you to complete four university applications. In addition, you may request to do a maximum of two self-applications. However, you must receive approval from AMIDEAST before submitting any self-applications. No self-applications will be considered without prior approval. What if I am accepted to more than one university, do I get to choose which one I go to? No. This decision is made by the Department of State and is dependent upon funds available as well as the pool of Fulbright Nominees. The goal is to be able to send as many suitable candidates as possible, so the cost of the university is a very important factor in the Department of State s final consideration, but not the only consideration. It is important that you be comfortable attending any of the universities you ultimately agree to submit applications to. Why does it say that I must come back to Oman for two years following my studies? The Fulbright Program is a U.S. Government exchange program, and as such, a J-1 visa will be issued for your studies. With the J-1 visa comes the requirement that you must return to your country of origin following completion of your studies, and you may not apply for employment, immigration or residency visas in the U.S. until your two year home country residency requirement is complete. Does this mean I cannot visit the U.S. for two years? No. You may continue to go the U.S. on a tourist visa, a business visa, a student visa or another exchange visa. However, your two year home residency requirement will still be there and must still be completed before immigrating, obtaining employment or residency in the United States.

10 How will I cover my living expenses? Fulbright will give each Fulbright Grantee a living allowance which is equivalent to the standard of living in the city and state in which you are located. If you have a more extravagant lifestyle, the living allowance may not be enough. Therefore, you may want to have additional personal funds available. Can my family come with me to the U.S.? Yes. Your immediate family can come to the U.S. on a J-2 dependent s visa pending approval from the Consular Office of the U.S. Embassy in Muscat. However, Fulbright cannot pay for the living or educational expenses of dependents, so careful consideration needs to be made with regard to living expenses of the family as well as school/daycare expenses for children. Maids are not considered part of your family and most likely will not be granted a visa by the U.S Embassy. If you require a maid or a nanny for the purposes of watching the children, you should look into au pair and daycare options (not paid by Fulbright) in the United States prior to applying to Fulbright. Do you have any other tips or advice? As mentioned, the Fulbright process is multi-layered. As such, it is extremely time consuming and requires much preparation and commitment. Therefore, we have listed minimum requirements for tests (page 6) and a minimum GPA of 3.0 (page 3) to encourage only serious candidates to apply. These minimum requirements are not Fulbright-specific; these requirements are typical minimums set by U.S. universities for graduate studies. If you do not meet the minimum requirements, we encourage you to take a realistic self-assessment and consider taking a GRE/GMAT if your GPA is slightly lower than 3.0; in addition, a unique history, work experience or community involvement can also add to your candidacy. Finally, please take adequate time to complete the application process before the July 9, 2015 deadline. Our suggestion is to begin by requesting professors and employers to write recommendations as this can be a timely process. Next, look into taking your tests (TOEFL ITP or ibt if needed and GRE/GMAT if you think it will enhance your application) as score reports can take upto a month to receive following the test. Then begin working on your essays (Future Plans essay and Statement of Purpose essay). You should focus on filling in your application bio-data last as this takes very little time.

11 Fulbright Application Packet Checklist Applicant Name: Date: Applicant GSM: Online Application Checklist I have completed the correct application: Fulbright Foreign Student Program (NOT the Fulbright Science & Technology PhD application) My references have submitted their recommendations online (scanned letters with signatures) and I have obtained hard copies of the recommendations sealed in an envelope I have completed the entire application, and I ve answered all questions honestly and in as much detail as possible I have carefully written the two essays and entered them into the online application. I checked for organization, spelling and grammar I have doubled checked my address and phone number on the application, and they are correct I have printed a copy of the Fulbright Agreement Form from the system and I have signed it I have clicked the submit button on my application, so that the Fulbright administrators can access my application Supporting Document Checklist I have included official copies of my transcripts from my undergraduate studies (NO photocopies or original documents will be accepted) I have included official score reports from my TOEFL ITP/TOEFL ibt (and GRE/GMAT if taken) I have included three sealed recommendations I have included photocopies of my degree (different from transcripts; transcripts are records of your marks received in courses) and other awards and certifications I have received I have included my CV that has been edited and is now two pages I have included two passport-sized photos with my name written on the back, and a photocopy of my passport s bio-data page I have included the signed Fulbright Agreement Form I have put all of these documents inside a large envelope, I have sealed it and I have written my name, phone number and Fulbright 2016 on the outside