Last-minute Fulbright Submission Tips
It’s time to submit your application!
We mean it: stop making changes to your application. Take the time to proofread, and then hit submit.
Although the official deadline is October 8th, 5 PM EASTERN TIME, do not wait until the last day to finalize your application submission. The online system has historically crashed on the last day. Don’t be one of those people banging your head against a wall waiting for the system to reload, your eyes growing in fear that 5 pm will come and go. IIE will not extend the deadline for any reason: website malfunction will not be accepted as an excuse. We urge you to submit the day before and then go celebrate on October 8th.
Last-minute tips and considerations:
Draft all online applications components before you are ready to submit. It’s challenging to fit the 90 character limit fields. Put special consideration into the title, project summary, community engagement, and future plans sections.
Get a trusted friend, family member, or colleague to slowly read all your application components, including the short essay sections. It’s easy to miss a typo or repeated word, and a trusted pair of eyes taking a final look can catch mistakes!
You can submit your application before your recommenders have uploaded their letters. If you are still waiting for recommendations, follow up with your recommenders daily. Be pleasant with them, and let them know that you will keep checking in until you hear back. Call their office, email them, and show up to their campus office.. Do whatever it takes.
Your statement of grant purpose is not set in stone. Fulbright applications are usually submitted about a year in advance of the grant. Things change while you are waiting and when you are on the ground. If your methodological approach evolves or your affiliation changes, that’s okay.
Once you submit, celebrate! Plan how you will celebrate—a fun night out, a weekend vacation, binge watching your favorite TV show, or another way that you like to decompress.
Take a moment to be proud of the dedication and courage it took to pull together this application over weeks or likely months.
Still have questions? Chat with a Fulbright expert
We host regular free virtual office hours where you can with one of us to have your questions answered. Office hours are great for people who don’t have access to a campus Fulbright Program Adviser.