Tips to prepare for your Fulbright interview
By: Zahra Ketoun, Moroccan Fulbright grantee, Rochester Institute of Technology, MA in Deaf Education
The interview is the part where the interviewers will see you and know you in person. In a way, they already know you from your application, personal statement, and study objectives, so don’t recite your resume when they ask you to introduce yourself.
Don’t panic, be yourself!
In your Fulbright interview, there will be several people in the room sitting in a big round table and all looking at YOU.
In my interview, there were members of the Moroccan-American Commission Board, the Commission Executive Director, and the Fulbright Study Grant program officer. As I mentioned, these people will be looking at YOU, waiting for you to fascinate them. They will ask you questions related to different aspects: your personal and professional experiences, why you want to study in the US? How can you contribute to the growth of your home country when you come back? And many more questions…
Well, I said before that you should not recite your resume. Why? Well, they know who you are, they basically want to meet with you in person. So why then am I mentioning these traditional questions above?
Simply said, they want to know if what you wrote is what you actually wish to pursue. They want to know how confident you are in what you want to do, and they want to see if you actually believe in those plans or you just wrote them down.
I was thinking of some tips that might help you, but remember that everyone is different from the other, so these will be some general tips that might or might not apply to you.
Tip 1: Be confident and prepared
This goes without saying that confidence is vital in everything we do in our lives. I know that all of us get nervous when doing an interview and have butterflies. Remember that the panel is there to get to know you. Perceive this as a casual chat, but at the same time, make sure to convince them that you are a candidate worth selecting.
Moreover, you should be prepared for all sorts of questions that might pop up during the interview. To have a sample of questions that might be during your interview check this blog post as it is more detailed https://www.brightlinkprep.com/most-important-fulbright-interview-questions/ or check these testimonials from other Fulbright grantees here https://blog.fulbrightonline.org/fulbright-alumni-ambassador-on-campus-interview-blog-post/
Note that you might not have the same questions or experience as these people in the blog!! DON’T view these as the questions that you will have as the questions will change from a person to another.
Tip 2: Know your personal statement and study objectives
If you are the person who wrote these two papers (and you should be!), then you should be able to answer any question related to it.
However, during the interview, the panel will want to understand more about where these inspirations are from; your personal and professional experiences, what causes you to think in that specific way, etc.
You have to know your plans and yourself.
DON’T DOUBT your plans if you believe in them!
You wrote that personal statement and your study objectives because you believed in what you wanted to do. The committee might indeed ask you questions you may or may not have thought of, related to your future plans. Remember that they might want to tackle another perspective of your projects, and it’s okay because we are not perfect. We can oversee or overthink some aspects, and it is okay to admit that. If this happens, DO NOT PANIC! You can redirect the panel to your perspective again and acknowledge that their perspective is valid. Still, you are probably not focusing on that point of view yet. Maintain their focus on your viewpoint and explain why you picked it!
Tip 3: Know your culture!
I know this might seem a simple tip; believe me, it is crucial to know the Moroccan culture, traditions, etc., at least the major ones. You are going to the US as a student but also as an ambassador of your own country. Know Moroccan movies, and be able to talk about them, know traditions, explain the politics in your country are some of the examples you are expected to know.
During the interview, I had a question that I did not expect.
“What do the Henna symbols mean?”
I WAS SURPRISED TOO!
I’m indeed Moroccan and a girl who does Henna occasionally, but it never crossed my mind to understand the henna symbols AT ALL. Therefore, I was doubtful what answer I should give. I’m not an expert in archeology nor in cultural studies, and for a specific question like this, I doubted I could answer. Then, the panel member who asked the question elaborated by “If you are in the US and someone asks you this question, what would you answer as a Moroccan?” Alright! This is more of a situation I can handle. I thought, and the only answer that came to my mind at that time was related to an article I read recently at the time about Amazigh symbols in Morocco.
I answered,
“I’m no expert in culture. However, as a Moroccan, I would explain that Henna was and is used as a way to emit specific messages of freedom and identity the same as Wcham as a way to empower women. Also, aesthetically used to show beauty among women”
This answer might seem disorganized; believe me, that was the only way I could answer an American if I was face-to-face with them. Or, I can say “well, I’m not informed in that area, I will get back to you on this!” This will help me go and look for answers. Still, during the interview, you must have a response or answer around the question, if you understand what I mean.
As an ambassador, you have to convince the committee that you will represent your country in the best way possible, and they will notice that in you if you are the one!!
Tip 4: Be HONEST!
I think this probably should be a tip applied to the whole Fulbright process; whatever you write or say in your application will represent you.
“A lie cannot live.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.
And
“Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.” -Colin Powell
Honesty with yourself first and with others is essential in all life aspects. Be honest, even if you feel trapped or cannot answer a question. We are humans, and we are NOT PERFECT. It does not matter how much research you did or perspectives you tackle, you can’t cover it all!
All in all, DO YOUR BEST, and all will be FINE!
