My Advice on How to Write a Good Fulbright Application

Google “how to write a good Fulbright application” and you will find many neatly drafted articles on this topic. Most of those articles will include stuff like “review your application and have others read it” and “make sure there are no typos.” Therefore, what I decided to do in this piece is to avoid repeating what’s online, but rather provide guidance that should help you with the written portion of the Fulbright application. Of course, as a lawyer, I have developed a natural tendency of slapping disclaimers on anything that I write or say, so this piece is based solely on my opinion and personal views. Take all my advice with a grain of salt!

First: identify a true passion. I don’t want to sound like a YouTube life-coach mentoring you on how to find a meaning in life, but seriously, your Fulbright application needs to be centered around a true passion of yours. The application should clearly articulate and highlight all aspects of what you’re passionate about. The Fulbright process is extremely competitive, and if your application does not show that what you want to study is a true passion of yours, your chances of getting picked will be significantly reduced.

Second: have a story to tell. Once you have identified a passion, start writing a story about how you developed this interest, how you pursued it, and how Fulbright will help to further advance this passion. Relying solely on your grades and academic achievements will undermine your chances. Instead, create a narrative in which you weave in your academic achievements while making your passion the cornerstone of your application.

Third: Fulbright is a cultural exchange program. Fulbright’s goals include cultural exchange, intercultural integration, and increased cultural understanding. As such, highlight your background and what is unique about you, as well as what you can add to the student body of an American academic institution. Remember to talk about the importance of cultural exchange, and what this concept means to you, in your application.

Finally, don’t let anyone tell you that you do not meet the Fulbright criteria, and that Fulbrighters are a very rare breed of people (personally, I never thought I would one day be a Fulbrighter). Anyone is Fulbright material. Being a Fulbrighter requires you to be honest, sincere, open, tolerant, and committed to positive change. I urge you to apply, and I assure you that if you are sincere, honest and passionate, you will see a light at the end of the application process.

Taher is an Egyptian Fulbrighter who is working on his LLM at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

You can find more information about the Fulbright Program, Fulbright Foreign Student Program and the Fulbright Program for the Middle East and North Africa on our websites. For more application tips and to learn more about other Fulbrighters, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and visit our blog.