'U' leads nation in Fulbright awards

By Sara Lynne Thelen
Daily Staff Reporter  On  October 24th, 2007

The University of Michigan had more Fulbright winners than any other university this year.

The University had a school-record 37 grant winners, 10 ahead of runner-up Yale University. Of the 119 University of Michigan applicants last year, 31 percent received the prestigious grant.

The Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, is the largest international exchange program in the United States. It offers awardees fully-funded professional and research experience in 150 countries.

Amy Kehoe, the Fulbright coordinator for the University of Michigan, said competition for the award is intense and the application process is complicated. Students must apply to a specific country and be proficient in the language of their desired destination. They also have to write two pages about the purpose of their work there and a two-page personal statement.

All applicants used to go through an interview process to help them in crafting their applications, but this option was eliminated for undergraduate students at the University of Michigan this year because there aren't enough faculty and staff to process the interviewees.

"We are working on how to develop an administrative structure to accommodate the increasing number of students," Kehoe said.

She credits the high turnout to the increased press and attention the program has received in recent years.

"Through word of mouth, it's built a life of its own," she said. "Success breeds success."

Andrés Carter, a University alum working as an architect in Brazil with a grant from the Fulbright Program, said that while most people were dedicated and helpful, his experience with the University's program to help applicants was not entirely positive. He said he received a lot of help early in the process, but that he was unable to get help during the final part of his application.

"Before the acceptance, I thought the program put up many barriers to stop you from receiving the grant," he said. "Even though there were plenty of resources, it was still a very difficult project to complete."

Kehoe, who has run the program for four years, holds information sessions between January and September to keep students up to date on requirements and resources like professors and previous successful mission statements.

"It's up to individual students whether or not they take advantage of the advising available," she said.

University alum Cameron Gokee, a Fulbright scholar studying archaeology in Senegal, said the University's support system played a key role in his receiving a scholarship.

He said Kehoe, along with archaeology faculty, helped him improve the application before its final submission by going over his materials to ensure they fit the criteria for his specific program.

Kehoe said she has hope for the future of University of Michigan students in the program.

"The fact that we had ten more than the next top institution is unbelievable, just fantastic," she said.

-Lindy Stevens contributed to this report.

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