SP Offline #5 “Pathway to Fulbright” December 12, 2015 Khoa D. Truong

My story from the woodland to the U.S... nearly 50-km walks and bicycle rides!

Can Tho University......give up or step up...?

Choose what you heart tells you...

...Sai Gon Dream...

Can Tho City start from scratch...

???

[What scholarship?] Foreign Governments Fulbright Vietnamese Student Program Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF) Canadian Government Scholarship Australian Award Scholarship (AAS) Endeavor Scholarship New Zealand ASEAN Scholarship Eramus Mundus Scholarship UK Chevening Scholarship Irish IDEAS Scholarship Belgian Bilateral Scholarship (BBS) France Eiffel Scholarship Netherlands Fellowship Program (NFP) Germany DAAD Swedish Institute Scholarships Norwegian Quota Scheme Scholarship Swiss Government Scholarship

University fundings Partial scholarship Research scholarship Excellence scholarship Graduate assistantship

[General Application Package] Degree / Transcript IELTS / TOEFL iBT GRE / GMAT Resume Personal statement Study objectives / Research proposal Reference letters Employer’s authorization letter Certificates (professional / voluntary)

[Fulbright Vietnamese Student Program]

[Components] Vietnamese Scholar Program U.S Scholar Program Vietnamese Student Program US Student Program Senior Specialist Program English Teaching Assistantship Program

[Requirements] Be a Vietnamese citizen (no dual citizenship). Have at least one undergraduate degree. Have at least two years’ work experience. Not currently live or study in the US. Not hold a BA degree from a US university within 3 years. Not local employees of US missions in Vietnam and their immediate dependants

[Online Embark Application] Application form (online) Degree / Transcript 01 Personal statement (max. 1,000 words) 01 Study Objectives (max. 1,000 words) 03 recommendation letters (academic advisor, employer, colleague, NOT relatives or friends) Minimum IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL 79 Resume Post-interview: GRE, GMAT, Sample Writing

[Important Dates] Mid or end of April: Application submission May: Application screening June – July: Selection of semi-finalists August: Interview for selection of finalists September-October: Post-interview tests December-March: Uni placements April-May: Placement confirmation May-June: Grant documents / Orientation July-August: Departure

[Formula of a successful candidate] Compelling personal statement. Clear and detailed study objectives and future goals. Depth and breadth of work experience & understanding of the field. Dedication to Vietnam and potential impacts upon return. Contribution to the mutual understanding between two countries. Excellent recommendation letters Academic excellence and English proficiency

[Personal statement] Be your true and authentic self. Use plain English. Story: Important events of life. Mind-testing challenges & solutions. Show your strongest passion. Begin and end with an image. Fulbright!

[Study objectives] Use plain English. What you want to learn from and share with U.S university fellows. What you want to do upon return.  Focus on your passion about shortcomings! Link study and career objectives to the scholarship spirit. “increase mutual understanding between the U.S and other countries; help to develop your home country” Make objectives as detailed as possible. Write objectives in order (Firstly, Secondly...)

[PS & SO Edition] Stick your essays to your mind 24/7. Allow yourself sufficient time to read your essays over and over. Then add, remove or rearrange ideas and make linguistic changes. Have “right” people proofread your essays and give comments. Edit them as many times as possible.

[03 Recommendation letters] One from your academic relationship, one from your employer, and the other from your colleague or mentor. List what you want them to write for you. Write it for yourself if necessary. Profiles of recommenders: Not important! Submission by recommenders themselves.

[Sample Writing] 03 work samples for Journalism candidates. 01 sample for TESOL and Education candidates. Other candidates: Porfolios Double-check your college writing ability. Polish your writing through a native speaker’s comments.

[Interview Preparations] Update yourself with info about the country, its culture, its education, its science, and your chosen field of study. Update yourself with Vietnam’s current issues related to your field of study. Update yourself with info about the scholarship. Prepare ideas for possible questions related to your field of study. Rehearse with experienced people many times.

[On the big day] Reread your application carefully. Sleep well and stay relaxed. Bring required documents. Dress professionally. Arrive at the venue (Hotel) 30 mins in advance for check-in and calm yourself down. Greet 2-3 interviewers and 1 clerk in a formal and friendly way. Pay attention to hand shakes, sitting postures, facial expressions, hand gestures, eye contacts.

Don’t answer questions immediately. Ask for 30 seconds to think for difficult questions. Ask for clarification when necessary. Say thanks before answering. Straightforward answers. Clear voice, pitch highlights, correct pace.

[About-yourself Questions] Introduce yourself shortly? Your hobbies or special interest? Your family background’s influences on your life and work? Your influences on your family? Advantages/disadvantages you had at university? How could you overcome difficulties? Did you engage in leadership activities? Did you do volunteer work? What benefits you got from this?

[About-your-work Questions] Advantages/disadvantages of your work? Areas of work you want to improve in the next 5 or 10 years? Shortcomings of your employer and your difficulty in solving them? Your plan for improvements?

[Why America & Fulbright?] Why America for your study? What to learn from American universities? What university? Why Fulbright? Fulbright objectives? What to do to shorten the gap between American & Vietnamese culture? Career objectives upon return?

[Nerve-testing Questions] Why should we choose you instead of other better candidates? What do you think about yourself working in the private sector? Do you think you’re a lucky person? If you were given $1 million to give up your Fulbright dream, which would you choose? What type of person would you see yourself in the next 10 years? If you failed in this competition, what would you do?

[IELTS] Websites IELTS Quang Thang IELTS Simon IELTS Advantage IELTS Buddy IELTS Kien Tran Books IELTS Recent Actual Tests (Speaking/Listening/Reading) Strategies for IELTS Writing Task 1 Marvelous Techniques in IELTS Writing (Task 2)

[Q & A] Thanks heaps for listening!