Fulbright while applying?

[CrispyTofu]

Is that a smart thing to do? 🙁 Does anyone know of people who successfully did both at the same time?

I was just notified that I received a Fulbright ETA but now I'm wondering how doable it is while simultaneously applying given all the work needed for secondaries, interview prep, and actually attending interviews.

Of course accepting it would strengthen my app, but I don't think declining it would be a deal breaker either (I have average ECs--clinical volunteering, research, mentoring--a 521 MCAT, and a 4.0 science GPA).

My concerns:
-Not super keen on the idea of taking a second year off (aka apply after returning from Fulbright). My family also isn't supportive of me taking a second gap year.
-Conflicts with scheduling interviews if I go through w/ Fulbright
-Whether or not doing both at once will negatively impact my application quality + Fulbright experience
-Is it stupid to turn down a Fulbright opportunity??

Would appreciate any thoughts.

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[curbsideconsult]

I think a Fulbright could definitely boost your application, but I highly doubt you need an app booster. My guess would be that it would be difficult for you to fly back and forth to do interviews so it looks like a second gap year would probably be what you'd end up doing if you did the Fulbright.

Did you apply for a Fulbright thinking you'd need something else on your application? Or did you apply because you really wanted to teach English overseas?

In your case, the decision boils down to what you want to do. Which do you think you'll regret more: not doing the Fulbright or taking a second gap year? (setting aside your family's displeasure)

 

[Mistasunshine]

Is that a smart thing to do? 🙁 Does anyone know of people who successfully did both at the same time?

I was just notified that I received a Fulbright ETA but now I'm wondering how doable it is while simultaneously applying given all the work needed for secondaries, interview prep, and actually attending interviews.

Of course accepting it would strengthen my app, but I don't think declining it would be a deal breaker either (I have average ECs--clinical volunteering, research, mentoring--a 521 MCAT, and a 4.0 science GPA).

My concerns:
-Not super keen on the idea of taking a second year off (aka apply after returning from Fulbright). My family also isn't supportive of me taking a second gap year.
-Conflicts with scheduling interviews if I go through w/ Fulbright
-Whether or not doing both at once will negatively impact my application quality + Fulbright experience
-Is it stupid to turn down a Fulbright opportunity??

Would appreciate any thoughts.

Congrats! Fulbright sounds like a once in a lifetime opportunity. I would say do it and take two gap years so that you can do everything right. This would be a really unique thing to talk about in your future med school interviews and it's an experience you may forever regret turning down.

 

[Fluxiona1]

It’s definitely possible - I met a fellow applicant at an interview this cycle who was doing a Fulbright in Europe while applying. She mentioned that she had managed to schedule ~10 interviews into a 2 week period in early November in order to fly back just once for the interview season.

I can’t speak to the ease of working with schools to schedule interviews like this (or the difficulty of having so many interviews so close together), but it’s certainly possible. Good luck!

 

[CrispyTofu]

Thanks for your responses everyone. 🙁 I think I'm toying with the idea of trying to do both at once (just because I already had to negotiate really hard for my family to accept having me do one gap year, so I think taking two is stretching it). Is it normally possible to finish secondaries over the summer assuming you pre-write early on? That would probably decrease some of my application related stress if I were able to have those finished prior to going abroad

 

[Master_of_Savage]

I was a Fulbright ETA and there were a few of us in my cohort that were pre-meds actually. We all ended up taking 2-3 years off and not applying during our Fulbright year. It’s just hard logistically to fly back and forth for interviews, not to mention very expensive. I know one person who managed to pack a bunch of interviews in December when he had time off. But instead of traveling around europe for those few weeks, he spent it interviewing.

Overall I would recommend just taking another year off and enjoy the **** out of your Fulbright year.

 

[curbsideconsult]

Thanks for your responses everyone. 🙁 I think I'm toying with the idea of trying to do both at once (just because I already had to negotiate really hard for my family to accept having me do one gap year, so I think taking two is stretching it). Is it normally possible to finish secondaries over the summer assuming you pre-write early on? That would probably decrease some of my application related stress if I were able to have those finished prior to going abroad

I was nowhere near the fortunate situation you were in, but I definitely looked at all the secondaries I could find and pre-wrote them so that I could hit submit ASAP when I received them. The tough part is when the school completely changes their secondaries and they're different from the ones posted on SDN the year before. But this is rarely the case unless you're applying to schools that have only had a couple of app cycles under their belt.

You might want to pay a little closer attention to @Master_of_Savage 's advice. I know it's hard to go against the family grain, but at some point you have to learn to do what's right for you and not what your family wants you to do. Of course, that all changes if they're dangling hundreds of thousands of tuition dollars in your face.

 

[500miles]

Thanks for your responses everyone. 🙁 I think I'm toying with the idea of trying to do both at once (just because I already had to negotiate really hard for my family to accept having me do one gap year, so I think taking two is stretching it). Is it normally possible to finish secondaries over the summer assuming you pre-write early on? That would probably decrease some of my application related stress if I were able to have those finished prior to going abroad

If the only reason you don't want to take two years off is because of your family, please reconsider. Your an adult in your early twenties(I'm assuming). Do what you want to do with your life, there is plenty of time. Assure them that your not going to forget about med school and that it will actually make you more competitive. The way you've worded everything makes me believe that your family is the only reason your not taking that extra year to enjoy your life and pursue your interwsts.

Either way good luck! All your options are good options

 

[pbsdrinkingwhale]

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