Reflections on the Application Process

Applying for foreign exchange scholarships is a challenging process – it’s not as idealized as you read on foreign exchange student forums and in Facebook groups. I know that, when I first became interested in applying for foreign exchange scholarships last summer, I would read discussions on forums between applicants that were so exciting. They were full of passion, intrigue, curiosity, hope, optimism, and reward. I have to admit, I read every discussion online between applicants that I could find, and I was extremely excited to go through the process. I wasn’t ignorant of the challenge of the process when I first read about it – I was simply willing to overlook the challenges the application process would provide in order to focus on what the final result would hopefully be.

The most difficult thing about the process is the waiting, which seems endless at times. You wait for the application to come out. You wait to hear whether or not you’re a semifinalist. You wait for your interview. You wait to receive either a rejection or an acceptance. Sometimes, it feels as though it’ll be years before you know whether or not you've received a scholarship.

Logistically, the process is time-consuming and challenging. I had to ask for five letters of recommendation, fill out two VERY thorough medical forms, which involved multiple pokes and prods from needles (keeping in mind this was before I knew whether or not I’d received a scholarship), and I wrote thirteen essays and created one video response. These things are far from the most challenging part of the application process – the not knowing is the most challenging part. You want this probably more than you’ve ever wanted anything, but you’re up against a great set of applicants and not everyone who deserves a scholarship can receive one. This really is true. At my CBYX interview, there were four of us. Just from talking to everyone about exchange and travel and working with them in the group activity, I could tell that all of my fellow applicants were passionate, ambitious people, and I wanted to give every one of them a scholarship. However, from that interview session, likely only one of us four will receive the CBYX scholarship.

It’s an uncertain process, but it’s every bit worth it. You meet some amazing people – both in person and through Facebook groups online, who introduce you to new opportunities and share your passion for cultures. You spend time dreaming about wonderful places that you might actually have a chance to go to. You follow your dreams and take a step that most American high school students never dare to take. It’s an uncertain process, but one that I would do again in a heartbeat even if my story ended with a handful of rejections.

While I applied for foreign exchange, dreams of foreign places became a reality. Exotic lands most people never venture to became books just waiting for me to open. I can say proudly, that I seriously considered or applied to the following countries: Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Senegal, Ghana, South Africa, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal, Jordan, Turkey, Oman, India, China, Japan, Thailand, Mongolia, Ukraine, Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Portugal, Latvia, Denmark, Belgium, or Norway. I would have considered Iceland, Malaysia, and Indonesia, but unfortunately was not eligible for those countries. By considering those 30 countries, I was able to discover things through research about those countries that I never would have known before, things that make me more aware of the politics and culture of the world around me. 

You know what the funniest thing is? I’m most likely going to two countries that I never considered I could or would go to, and I'm so incredibly excited about these countries that I can't believe they weren't the first I thought of. In my very first blog post, I ended up by making a list of the countries I was planning to apply for scholarships to and thought I might end up in, and Senegal or Argentina aren't on that list. Neither is Portugal, or even Slovakia, which are wonderful second and third choices for me, truly countries I'd be ecstatic to go to. Senegal, where I received a CIEE Leadership Academy scholarship to exchange to this summer, was a country that wasn’t even on my radar, simply because I didn’t know of any program that offered in, until February. Argentina, my first choice country for Speedwell, where my application is now being sent, is a country on a continent that I never fully considered for months. When I looked at the 11 or so AFS countries I was eligible to for Speedwell, Turkey was my first choice, Egypt my second, and Argentina was the third choice I added because it was the country on that list that seemed the most “out of the way” besides my friendly Mideast countries. Before that, I hadn't given any thought to South America. Of course, I eventually ended up applying for Argentina as my first choice, Portugal as my second, and Slovakia as my third. Back in July, my absolute first choice country across all of the scholarships I planned on applying to was Oman. I never would have guessed that I now will likely be spending a year in Argentina! I must say, after all the consideration of countries, I feel like, whether I end up in Argentina or Portugal, my second choice, I'll be in a country that seems to be a great fit, and one that I am ecstatic to get to know the culture of! I couldn't be happier about the countries I'm going to (ask my family or close friends - I struggle to start sentences that don't begin with "In Argentina..."). 

Originally, I planned on applying to YES, NSLI-Y (if I was eligible, I was unsure whether or not I would be), and CBYX. I ended up not being eligible for NSLI-Y or YES. Instead of being disappointed about this, I focused my energy into my other applications. I ended up applying to AFS Speedwell (finalist), CIEE Leadership Academy scholarship (finalist), and CBYX (unknown; semifinalist at this point). 

Overall, applying for exchange scholarships is a challenging process, but you bet it’s worth it. My advice? Don’t hold back, apply to everything you’re eligible for, and keep an open mind about country choice, because you won't regret it.