How to apply:
Click here to find an application packet for students who plan to apply. The packet contains tips on creating a good application, a timeline, checklist, advice for getting strong letters of recommendation and sample essays.
Applicants must enter their Ball State credentials to gain access. Alumni should contact Barb Stedman to obtain the packet materials.
Deadlines
- The campus deadline is noon on Sept. 2, 2016. All materials must be submitted by this date to Dom Caristi.
- The national deadline is Oct. 10, 2016.
The Fulbright program is widely seen as a prime opportunity to study, teach, conduct research, exchange ideas and to contribute to finding solutions to international concerns for recent graduates and doctoral students.
Currently, the Fulbright program, which is run by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, operates in over 160 countries worldwide.
Ball State is no stranger to “Fulbrighters,” as awardees are known. Since 1966, the university has sent 43 students overseas to conduct research and serve as English assistants, and that number is expected to grow.
Telecommunications professor Dom Caristi serves as a Fulbright Ambassador, and in addition to his own Fulbright awards is the current Fulbright program adviser for Ball State. With the application for 2017 set to open during the last week of March, Caristi said he’s excited to see the next round of applications come in.
He said each year they have about 30 completed applications come in, and he said he wouldn't be surprised if that number grew.
“The Fulbright experience is unlike any other,” Caristi said.
Since 2008, Caristi has assisted 22 Ball State students to receive Fulbright awards. To do so, he meets with students to guide them through the application process before joining a board of Ball State faculty to assess and recommend students based on their abilities.
“We’ve had students go overseas and do some really, really great work," Caristi said. "Some are still overseas, and some have since returned and are doing great things in their communities now. Fulbright is looking for students that are community engaged, leaders and possess strong academic skills. We have many individuals at this university right now, and applying for the program is a great step for students that are ready."
A bachelor’s degree or equivalent is required, so students often apply during their last year of undergraduate study. If they are accepted, they take part in the program during the year after graduation.
Two Ball State graduates, Kate Bartley and Cynthia Smith, were both encouraged by Caristi to apply for Fulbright, and both were awardees in 2009 and 2013, respectively.
Bartley taught English in Palembang, Indonesia for nine months. Smith conducted research in Basel, Switzerland, researching the manuscripts of Holocaust composer Viktor Ullmann and promoting his compositions within the Basel community.
What (or whom) prompted you to apply for Fulbright at Ball State?
Bartley: Dom Caristi and Barb Stedman (from the Honors College) were both hugely instrumental in my decision to apply. I decided relatively late — but they were great about helping me put together a strong application on short notice. Honestly, I wasn’t sure exactly where I wanted to apply, I just knew the idea of the program was something that really resonated with me. Being an ambassador for our country in amazing places around the world: the coolest.
Smith: I completed a study abroad program with AHA International in Vienna, Austria, during the summer of 2011 through Ball State. I had a wonderful experience and needed to return to Europe for research regarding my doctoral dissertation, along with my desire to spend more time in German-speaking European culture. Meeting with Barbara Stedman in the Honors College helped me decide what international scholarship program would work for my goals. The Fulbright program seemed to be the perfect fit. Dom Carasti was very encouraging and helpful in my decision to apply for the program. Additionally, the Fulbright Program is family friendly, as I could be accompanied by my husband.
What was the transition abroad like?
Bartley: It’s hard to overstate how different the culture of Indonesia is from Muncie, Ind. I arrived during Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, so that was a huge adjustment. The large city where I lived was devoutly religious — it truly dictates the day. While most people have smart phones, Internet access wasn’t as readily available. One of my favorite memories is a really selfish one: I licked a cinnamon tree. It was ridiculous and fantastic. I was able to travel a lot throughout the country and I experienced so many wonderful moments: walking blindfolded through banyan trees as part of an old legend, meeting a medicine woman, trying native foods and meeting countless interesting people. It’s true — some people were wary of our presence, but overwhelmingly, I felt welcomed and appreciated.
Smith: Having previously spent a summer in Austria, I understood a little of what to expect. However, every country is different. Switzerland can be a difficult country for an outsider as the German-speaking population of each city speaks a distinct dialect of German that is extremely different from the rest of German-speaking Europe. Also, the Swiss can come across as shy and uninterested — not unkind — but not overtly open either. I was able to make connections through an international student group at the university, an English-speaking church and singing with the University of Basel Choir. My favorite experiences center around these groups of lovely people with whom I experienced Swiss food, culture and life. I still have meaningful contact with many of the people I met during my time in Basel.
What would you say you gained through Fulbright?
Bartley: I’m a different person — a better person — because of my Fulbright experience. Every day overseas feels like an achievement. I worked extensively with high school, college students and professionals to improve their English skills, and they opened my eyes to a different way of life. It’s slower there, there’s less pressure to move quickly. I came back to the U.S. a more adventurous person. Plus, there’s obviously growing tension in the U.S. around Muslims. Now, I’m as much as ambassador here for the people I met as I was in Indonesia for Americans.
Smith: Academically, there is nothing quite like holding a manuscript, letter or photograph that was created by someone who experienced a world-changing event, like the Holocaust. The connection to the past, to what these artifacts represent, is remarkable. Through my primary-source research, I was motivated to further devote myself to the promotion and performance of Holocaust music, to make sure these testimonies to the triumph of the human spirit are not kept silent. Personally, and in my career, I gained boldness from my Fulbright experience. Because of this, I knew my current position, teaching Western-classical voice, music history and music theory at a conservatory in Chennai, India, was completely possible. Knowing that I could happily live abroad inspired me to experience an even different culture. We are content with our lives here in India, and are expanding our family from two to three. Baby Smith will join us next month.
Would you recommend Fulbright to other students?
Bartley: Of course. It’s an experience unlike any other I’ve had, and it’s bittersweet. Not only did I make lifelong friends, it changed me. Sometimes I’m so entrenched with my life now, it feels like that nine months didn’t happen. But I remind myself I spent nearly a year making a life in a foreign place, surrounded by kind people and the most beautiful environment.
Smith: I would whole-heartedly recommend the Fulbright Program to any student interested in cultural immersion and study. I was able to spend quality time in Switzerland, to experience place and culture. This would have been impossible with the short, three week trip I had planned as a backup to the Fulbright. Living in another country is a completely different experience from traveling as a tourist. Being a Fulbrighter opened up many opportunities that would have been impossible for me otherwise, including my current job.
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