Brown ranked third among research universities in the number of Fulbright grants awarded this year, according to a report published Oct. 28 by the Chronicle of Higher Education. Twenty-seven recent alums from the classes of 2012 and 2011 and two graduate students received the scholarship out of Brown's 85 applicants. Brown also had the highest number of undergraduate applicants this year - 25 total - to receive Fulbrights, beating out the University of Michigan and Harvard, which were ranked first and second in total grants awarded, respectively.
The third place ranking marks an improvement from last year, when Brown fell 14 spots to 17th after two consecutive years of ranking third.
Sixteen of the grant recipients are completing English Teaching Assistantships, while the other 13 will be conducting independent research in their chosen fields, which include creative writing, ecology and public health. The Fulbright winners are currently working in 22 different countries, including Bangladesh, Denmark, Senegal and Brazil.
The University strongly encourages graduating seniors to apply for Fulbrights, providing guidance throughout the application process, said Linda Dunleavy, associate dean of the College for fellowships.
The Fulbright Program requires that every participating school have a Fulbright adviser and a campus interview committee to vet students' applications before they are submitted in October.
But Brown offers even more resources for applicants. Each is assigned an "interviewer-mentor" for individual guidance, Dunleavy said. Sarah Denaci '12, who won a grant to translate an Argentinian novelist's work into English, said Brown's advising system was "excellent."
"I (went) through about nine drafts of my project proposal, each one improved by the advice that Dean Dunleavy and the fellows (gave)," Denaci said.
The Office of the Dean of the College also offers Fulbright essay writing workshops in the summer and early fall.
The character of Brown's student body also plays a role in their Fulbright success, Dunleavy said. Brown's open curriculum and flexible leave-taking process attract students "who are willing to take a year off after college, who are adventurous," she said. Denaci said Brown students overall "genuinely want to learn more about other countries and cultures."
