Smith College Deadlines
Updated 6/10/13
CONTENTS
1. No Confusion
2. When to Start & Finish
3. Progressive Deadline Schedules
4. Serious Commitment
5. Fall, Winter, Spring Breaks
6. J-Term Grads & "Late" Seniors
7. Progressive Deadline Details
8. Five Schedule Guidelines
-- Early Junior Deadline Dates
-- Spring Junior Deadline Dates
-- Rising Senior Deadline Dates
-- Petition Senior Deadline Dates
-- Late Senior Deadline Dates
Do not be confused by the I.I.E. deadline(s) as it applies only to Smith College the institution, not to its candidates who must abide by our campus deadlines (not to I.I.E.'s "Competition Timeline") because the college submits your applications to I.I.E. on your behalf after you have submitted them to the college.
This is called Applying Through Smith (College) which must sponsor, endorse or should otherwise ideally recommend your application.
The Smith College campus deadline is September 30
which, again, can be misleading because, in order to apply, you are required to begin your application much, much (months) earlier.
Fulbright requires that Full Grant Applicants (research, study, creative arts, practicums) begin their applications no later than two months before the campus deadline.
This means that July 31 is the latest you can begin, which means to register your interest formally in applying.*
For Teaching Fulbrights, a six-week head-start is stipulated at
http://us.fulbrightonline.org/preparingapplication.html
The dates below follow the Research application timetable which mean that Teaching applicants have up to August 15 to Register to apply through Smith's Fellowships program.
Teaching applicants are however required to catch up with the Research schedule dates by Stage 6 which is on September 7 as shown below.
Starting earlier is of course far better as it results in a superior application, because more revisions are possible, which increases your chances of winning.
* Interest is registered by passing through three levels of engagement.
You cannot see what's involved in the next level because you do not have access to it until you have successfully completed the level you are on.
Level One is answering the Enquiry questions at
http://www.smith.edu/fulbright/intro.php
and is called the Enquiry Level.
Level Two is Registering to apply per
http://www.smith.edu/fulbright/reg/register.php
and is called the Registration Level.
Level Three is our step-by-step guide for those Registered applicants who are admitted to Smith's Fellowships Program to apply as our Candidates through the college and is called the Candidates Level.
Candidates can start anytime between schedules (see 8. FIVE SCHEDULE GUIDELINES below) which are a guideline for moving the process forward except for Late Seniors and Petition Seniors who are required to adhere to their deadlines.
Accelerating your timetable is encouraged since deadlines are the last day due within a cycle, an “up to” date.
ALL applicants must at the latest keep up with the Petition Senior deadlines.
But the advantage of Registering earlier is that you do not have to petition to be allowed to follow the Petition Senior deadlines because you HAD started earlier even if you fell behind your own Deadline Schedule guide.
So submit materials earlier for review to speed your process.
Starting earlier rather than later does not disallow a candidate from slipping into a later cycle if she falls behind or is delayed -- and keeps the FPA informed.
Therefore don’t delay for fear of not keeping up.
Better to get something going than nothing at all.
Once admitted into the campus program however, it is unacceptable simply then to neglect submitting required application materials, certainly without informing the FPA as the key here is communication: building a professional relationship of trust and mutual respect by staying in touch.
Keeping the FPA abreast of your progress or delays (versus going silent) is what makes all the difference in being convincing about your seriousness and sincerity in wanting to apply.
We understand that sometimes one simply does not have the time or the energy when our plate is already full.
We need the psychic space to take on and concentrate on important tasks such as this.
The trick though is that by telling the FPA where you are at, he can sometimes throw light on something that did not occur to you or that you could not have known.
This does not imply pressure, only that there is no reason to at least try to start the process knowing that your circumstances will be understood and respected.
The new Student Fulbright programs are officially opened by I.I.E. only in May each year, when the candidate must re-check her country profile for any changes, which may necessitate alterations in her application.
But this must not be a reason for waiting because country programs can change anytime, and sometimes do even late into the application process, though rarely so.
Students too often believe they can leave their applications to the summer “when they will have more time” only to find themselves equally busy or away somewhere not conducive to working on a Fulbright application.
Besides, Affiliates need to be found, charmed and secured -- and that sometimes can’t wait or shouldn't ideally as it usually takes ages.
3. PROGRESSIVE DEADLINE SCHEDULES
The Following Applications are Substantially Due Progressively Before Summer
EARLY JUNIOR (starts application end-October).
SPRING JUNIOR (starts application mid-March, or sooner).
Over summer, Early Junior (includes Late Senior, see note below) & Spring Junior candidates update their applications to add in relevant background experience or pledged affiliations.
The Following Applications are Due Progressively Through End-September
RISING SENIOR (starts application end-May or a couple weeks later).
PETITION SENIOR (starts application with permission end-July).
(Start Later = Produce Faster & Disadvantaged in Securing Vital Host-Country Sponsors and NOT having professors available during the summer to consult for advice.)
Consider also that Fall mid-term exams happen around the time of the final Fulbright deadlines.
You don't want to be battling to fix your Fulbright application (there are almost always last-minute changes) when you need to be studying for mid-terms!
As you will see from the various Deadlines below, by the end of September, all Schedules converge because the late starters have been working furiously to catch up.
Starting late and finishing in time takes a superhuman effort.
Completing a Fulbright application involves far more work than one can imagine when starting out.
The effort itself is of course worth every second because so much is learned that you don't learn elsewhere.
But it takes a lot of time and the more time you devote to it, the greater your chances of success.
So why stretch yourself to your maximum capacity but not allow yourself enough time to do a winning job?
Completing a Fulbright application is not something you just squeeze into an otherwise fully booked life.
You need to plan to set aside time to attend to it as a front-burner undertaking.
This does not mean it becomes the most important activity in your life -- your school work and other essential commitments should always be met.
As much work as it is, once you do get underway with it, it is not as heavy a load as it appears when you are still struggling to get over that initial hump.
It is an extra burden you can carry, as many a student before you has handled the Fulbright application process when it was more difficult because our systems were less streamlined.
It boils down to how soon you start because the sooner you get the process underway, the easier it is (quite manageable) but the longer you take to plunge in, the harder it is working at a furious pace.
One reason for this is that the faster you work, the more mistakes you make.
This then means spending even more time re-doing work that could have been done once had you spent a little more care over it the first time.
Some late-starting students set aside August to get a jump-start on it, with some even moving to Northampton then to be near the resources here.
Others of course are way ahead of the curve, having begun in the spring and don't need to do this.
There are various way to attack this project time-wise, but trying to leave it to the last minute risks failure as well as annoying those trying to help you.
August is really your last chance to have your ducks lined up and to be on top of your game.
5. FALL, WINTER, SPRING BREAKS
Fall Break
Applicants, who are Seniors, should plan to remain around during Autumn Recess in case you might need to work on your application.
Please do not make absolute or unchangeable plans to leave campus for Fall Break because this occurs soon before the Fulbright deadline when there are inevitably many last-minute matters to finalize for your application.
Without classes and time for a last wholehearted push, concentrating on putting the finishing touches to your application, will honor all the time and effort over many months that you have already invested in this marathon accomplishment of completing a Fulbright application.
This does not mean you may not leave campus, only that if you are not finished, then you do need to use this time to catch up and get done.
Mountain Day is another fall semester opportunity to work on completing your application.
If you are behind, you will be expected to use this day to catch up although usually by then, depending on when Mountain Day is called, most applicants are all but done.
Winter & Spring Breaks
If you are a Junior who is beginning or working on a Fulbright application, or a Registration, you should use both J-Term and Spring Recess to advance your application.
This can be done two ways:
1. Working on your application, or Registration, itself (this applies more to the shorter March Break and can be done at and from home).
2. Using the time to be engaged in activities that will boost your competitiveness, such as, for a Teaching Fulbright, volunteer teaching or gaining TESL certification, or for a Research Fulbright, activities including interning or volunteering in your field, performing research, visiting your target country or learning its language or improving your skills in it.
6. J-TERM GRADS & "LATE" SENIORS
If you are a J-Term graduate, and will be on campus during your final (fall) semester, you are subject to the same deadlines as a junior.
If you will not be on campus in your final fall semester, contact the FPA per the next paragraph.
If you are a J-Term graduate who is just beginning her application or enquiry in the late summer (after the Petition Senior Deadlines) preceding or during your final (fall) semester, you are considered an alumna as far as our program is concerned and must contact the FPA to see if we can accommodate you in the program.
If you are a Senior who missed the final deadline to submit an application in early fall of your senior year, you can still apply while at Smith and so benefit from the advice and support available on campus.
As a Late Senior applicant you may follow the Early Spring Deadline Dates below.
Applying as a graduating senior is better because it usually increases the likelihood of winning.
If you were admitted to our campus program to apply but dropped out, you must re-Register October 31 of your senior year by updating your Registration form and re-submitting it.
You will hear the result in spring the following year, about 11 months after graduating and, if you win, will begin the fellowship usually that fall about 16 months after graduating.
This means that you must have a plan for those 16 months, something to do that you would not mind leaving to take up a Fulbright Fellowship.
Applying as a Late Senior can be advantageous for Teaching Fulbrights if you spend the 16 months teaching, particularly the six months following graduation and leading up to when Smith submits your application.
This is especially suitable for those interested in a teaching career.
Such experience will boost your application enormously although beware because for a few countries a professional level of teaching experience is not wanted -- so study each country ETA profile at
http://us.fulbrightonline.org/uploads/files/eta/2013%20ETA%20Chart.pdf
and
http://us.fulbrightonline.org/countries/regions
7. PROGRESSIVE DEADLINE DETAILS
The order laid out here does not always exactly dovetail with all Five Deadline Date Schedules below for every different starting date but the descriptions here give sufficient explanation for and indication of which matching dates apply for each next step.
Simply apply the next function deadline to the applicable date for the schedule you are using as a guide to keep yourself on track.
1st deadline is when the fully completed Registration for admission consideration into the Smith Campus Fellowships Program must be submitted to the FPA (Fulbright Program Advisor: at Smith, this is the Fellowships Advisor, Donald Andrew, Class Deans' Office).
Admission into the program depends on the feasibility of the project/assignment proposed in the Registration and on the viability of the candidacy (such as: Does the applicant speak the host-country language well enough to be able to conduct her project?).
2nd deadline is when the Research Project Outline OR Teaching Assistantship Outline must be submitted for review.
"Submitted for Review" means to the applicant's mentor in the way the mentor wants and to the FPA as a 12pt Times New Roman Wordoc email attachment.
In between, the applicant will be asking a variety of people to review drafts for her to revise.
Sometimes the mentor or FPA will be unable to review promptly, which is all the more reason to have others, preferably professors, as consultants.
3rd deadline is when a draft of the Statement of Grant Purpose essay must be submitted for review.
4th deadline is when drafts of both essays must be submitted for review.
5th deadline is when advanced versions of both essays must be submitted for review.
If faculty mentors are unavailable during any of these times, the FPA will review submissions whenever possible.
It is also mandatory that candidates consult with an array of field/subject and area/regional specialists across campus and or beyond.
All the advising does not fall on the mentor and it is up to and required of the student to establish her own advising-support network, proof of which is eventually required, influencing the college evaluation.
6th deadline is when the completed application forms must be submitted to the FPA for review with near-finalized versions of both essays uploaded into the online application and then the entire online application downloaded into a PDF file and printed.
If it is before May 1, then refer to your detailed instructions below under 8. Five Schedule Guidelines.
7th deadline is for finalizing Review & Revision of your entire application via Consultant/s, Mentor & FPA Interviews towards Application Approval.
8th deadline is when the finalized application, including the forms and both essays, must be submitted to the FPA, printed from online.
Activate References and Affiliations.
If it is before May 1, then refer to your detailed instructions below under 8. Five Schedule Guidelines.
9th deadline is for finalized Review & Revision of your entire application via Mentor & FPA Interviews towards Application Approval.
10th deadline is for receiving Affiliation letters.
11th deadline is for final Review & Revision of your entire application approval via FPA Interview.
12th deadline is your final Application Approval Interview with the FPA of the entire Online electronic package of Forms, Essays, Affiliation/s, Transcript/s (with prior spring grades) -- after which you immediately submit your application, with the Language Evaluation/s and the three recommendations submitted independently.
13th deadline is when the Questionnaire and Evaluation are due. Details later.
14th deadline is when Consultant Campus Evaluation Input is due to emailed direct to your Mentor.
15th deadline is for Mentors to submit their Campus Committee Evaluation (CCE) to the FPA.
16th deadline is for the FPA to add edited and rated CCEs to each application online and submit all applications to I.I.E.
17th deadline: Candidates then follow the Post-Submission Events schedule supplied later.
Early Junior Deadline Dates
Spring Junior Deadline Dates
Rising Senior Deadline Dates
Petition Senior Deadline Dates
Late Senior Deadline Dates
EARLY JUNIOR DEADLINE DATES
1a. November 6: Enquiry Answers Research (October 23 ETA).
1b. November 11: Partially completed Registration (October 27 ETA).
1c. November 15: Fully completed Registration (November 6 for ETA).
2. December 1: Research Project Outline OR Teaching Assistantship Outline.
You may submit materials for review earlier than the following dates:
3. March 15: Statement of Grant Purpose essay draft.
Line up Affiliations (Research) or Add Acts Associates (if appropriate for ETA assignment).
4. April 1: Drafts of both essays.
5. April 15: Advanced versions of both essays.
6. August 15: Application forms & penultimate versions of both essays.
7. August 21: Consultant/s, Mentor & FPA finalizing Review & Revision application approval interviews.
8. August 31: Finalized online application, including the forms & both essays.
Activate Affiliations.
Line up Language Evaluation/s, 3 Recommendations (due September 30), request non-Smith transcripts.
9. September 7: Mentor & FPA finalized Review & Revision application approval interviews.
Activate by Registering Language Evaluator/s and 3 Referees
10. September 12: Upload Affiliation letters.
Activate Language Evaluation/s + 3 Recommendations (due September 30).
11. September 18: FPA final Review & Revision.
12. September 25: Application Approval Interviews* of entire Online package of Forms, Essays, Affiliation/s and Transcript/s followed by electronic submission.
References submitted online by September 30.
*Candidates' Presentations to Advisers & Peers
13. October 3: Questionnaire & Evaluation.
14. October 6: Consultant Campus Evaluation Input to Mentor.
15. October 11: Mentor's Campus Evaluation.
16. October 16: FPA adds Evaluations online, submits applications to I.I.E.
17. Candidate follows Post-Submission Event instructions (supplied later).
SPRING JUNIOR DEADLINE DATES
You may submit materials for review earlier than the following dates though not earlier than the Early Junior Deadline Dates:
1a. March 6: Enquiry Answers Research (April 23 ETA).
1b. March 11: Partially completed Registration (April 27 ETA).
1c. March 15: Fully completed Registration (March 6 for ETA).
2. March 21: Research Project Outline OR Teaching Assistantship Outline.
3. April 1: Statement of Grant Purpose essay draft.
Line up Affiliations (Research) or Add Acts Associates (if appropriate for ETA assignment).
4. April 7: Drafts of both essays.
5. April 15: Advanced versions of both essays.
6. August 15: Application forms & penultimate versions of both essays.
7. August 21: Consultant/s, Mentor & FPA finalizing Review & Revision application approval interviews.
8. August 31: Finalized online application, including the forms & both essays.
Activate Affiliations.
Line up Language Evaluation/s, 3 Recommendations (due September 30), request non-Smith transcripts.
9. September 7: Mentor & FPA finalized Review & Revision application approval interviews.
Activate by Registering Language Evaluator/s and 3 Referees (due September 30 ).
10. September 12: Upload Affiliation letters.
Activate Language Evaluation/s + 3 Recommendations (due September 30).
11. September 18: FPA final Review & Revision.
12. September 25: Application Approval Interviews* of entire Online package of Forms, Essays, Affiliation/s and Transcript/s followed by electronic submission.
References submitted online by September 30.
*Candidates' Presentations to Advisers & Peers
13. October 3: Questionnaire & Evaluation.
14. October 6: Consultant Campus Evaluation Input to Mentor.
15. October 11: Mentor's Campus Evaluation.
16. October 16: FPA adds Evaluations online, submits applications to I.I.E.
17. Candidate follows Post-Submission Event instructions (supplied later).
RISING SENIOR DEADLINE DATES
You may submit materials for review earlier than the following dates -- or a couple of weeks later but only UNTIL July 31 when you must be, if not ahead of, at least not behind the Petition Senior Deadline Dates schedule below:
1a. May 15 Enquiry Answers Research (May 1 ETA).
1b. May 21 Partially completed Registration (May 5 ETA).
1c. May 31: Fully completed Registration (May 15 for ETA).
2. June 15: Research Project Outline OR Teaching Assistantship Outline.
3. June 30: Statement of Grant Purpose essay draft.
Line up Affiliations (Research) or Add Acts Associates (if appropriate for ETA assignment).
4. July 15: Drafts of both essays.
5. July 31: Advanced versions of both essays.
6. August 15: Application forms & penultimate versions of both essays.
7. August 21: Consultant/s, Mentor & FPA finalizing Review & Revision application approval interviews.
8. August 31: Finalized online application, including the forms & both essays.
Activate Affiliations.
Line up Language Evaluation/s, 3 Recommendations (due September 30), request non-Smith transcripts.
9. September 7: Mentor & FPA finalized Review & Revision application approval interviews.
10. September 12: Upload Affiliation letters.
Activate Language Evaluation/s + 3 Recommendations (due September 30).
11. September 18: FPA final Review & Revision.
12. September 25: Application Approval Interviews* of entire Online package of Forms, Essays, Affiliation/s and Transcript/s followed by electronic submission.
References submitted online by September 30.
*Candidates' Presentations to Advisers & Peers
13. October 3: Questionnaire & Evaluation.
14. October 6: Consultant Campus Evaluation Input to Mentor.
15. October 11: Mentor's Campus Evaluation.
16. October 16: FPA adds Evaluations online, submits applications to I.I.E.
17. Candidate follows Post-Submission Event instructions (supplied later).
PETITION SENIOR DEADLINE DATES
Teaching (ETA) Deadlines run a little later until Stage 6 September 7 from when this schedule applies to ETA applicants as it does for Research/Study/Creative/Practicum applicants.
1a. July 15 Enquiry Answers Research (July 1 ETA).
1b. July 21 Partially completed Registration (July 5 ETA).
1c. July 31: Fully completed Registration (July 15 for ETA).
2. August 7: Research Project Outline (August 20 for Teaching Assistantship Outline).
3. August 15: Statement of Grant Purpose essay draft (August 25 for ETA).
Line up Affiliations (Research) or Add Acts Associate (if appropriate for ETA assignment).
4. August 21: Drafts of both essays (August 30 for ETA).
Line up Language Evaluation/s, 3 Recommendations (due September 30), request non-Smith transcripts.
5. August 31: Advanced versions of both essays (September 3 for ETA).
6. September 7: Application forms & penultimate versions of both essays. (Same dates for ETA from here on.)
7. September 10: Consultant/s, Mentor & FPA finalizing Review & Revision application approval interviews.
8. September 12: Finalized online application, including the forms & both essays.
Activate Affiliations (due September 21).
9. September 16: Mentor & FPA finalized Review & Revision application approval interviews.
Activate by Registering Language Evaluator/s and 3 Referees
10. September 21: Upload Affiliation letters.
Activate Language Evaluation/s + 3 Recommendations (due September 30).
11. September 24: FPA final Review & Revision.
12. September 30: Application Approval Interviews* of entire Online package of Forms, Essays, Affiliation/s and Transcript/s followed by electronic submission.
*Candidates' Presentations to Advisers & Peers
References submitted online by September 30.
13. October 3: Questionnaire * Evaluation.
14. October 6: Consultant Campus Evaluation Input to Mentor.
15. October 11: Mentor's Campus Evaluation.
16. October 16: FPA adds Evaluations online, submits applications to I.I.E.
17. Candidate follows Post-Submission Event instructions (supplied later).
LATE SENIOR DEADLINE DATES
We used to run special Late Senior deadlines for those current seniors who did not submit applications in October of their senior year but who wanted to complete an application in the course of their senior year in order to avail themselves of faculty support while still on campus.
One of the main reasons rising seniors felt this was because they had recently returned from junior year abroad, feeling they just wanted to be home, in the United States, for the next stretch to re-ground here.
They still liked the idea of returning abroad, maybe someplace different, and wanted to apply for a Fulbright but not for the year immediately following graduation.
This feeling is a normal part of the re-entry, re-orientation and re-adjustment process to deal with the disconnect, confusion and alienation some students experience upon return to their home country, the United States, after junior year abroad.
What they can't see while going through this is that after a year back in the United States, spent mostly at Smith completing their senior and final year of college, they will be completely ready and eager to go abroad again!
Then an additional obstacle arises in the interim to prevent them from realizing the Fulbright dream:
While they believed they wanted to submit their Fulbright application in the fall following graduation, once they had graduated, their lives mostly took off in other directions, often a great job or graduate program offer, either in the States or abroad and they no longer wanted to wait until the following fall to begin a Fulbright fellowship about 16 months after graduating.
If you are a senior who missed the October deadline in your senior year to submit an application to conduct a Fulbright in the academic year immediately following graduation but who still wishes to apply, you may apply according to the EARLY JUNIOR DEADLINE DATES above.
Once you graduate though, you are an alumna and must fit the parameters under 10. ALUMNAE QUESTIONS at
http://www.smith.edu/fulbright/intro.php
If you were admitted to our campus program to apply in senior year but dropped out, you must re-Register by updating your Registration form and re-submitting it.
