How a Pakistani Scholar Secured the Fully Funded Fulbright Scholarship to Study International Development at the University of Denver

My name is Aisha Nazir. I am a development practitioner from a small town in Pakistan and a Fulbright Master’s recipient. I have been working in the NGO space since I was in high school and have always been interested in understanding the politics of development. I grew up in many different cities across Pakistan, always moving around because of my parents’ work, which opened me up to the many different cultures and privileges (and lack of) across Pakistan. I spent my high school years volunteering with rights-based organisations in South Punjab, one of Pakistan’s most underdeveloped regions in the country, ripe with human rights violations. When making decisions about my higher education, I was heavily influenced by my experiences of socio-political inequalities across a developing country like Pakistan and in countries across the global south. I pursued a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, and returned to Pakistan to start working in the development sector. Working directly in projects with multilateral and bilateral development organisations deepened my need to understand the failures of aid in countries like Pakistan, and I applied for a Fulbright Master’s in International Development to pursue research in the field.

Fulbright Scholarship Details

I applied for a Fulbright Master’s Scholarship in June of 2020, the deadline for which had been extended because of COVID-19, and the immediate requirement for a GRE and a TOEFL was waived at the initial application. I was informed of my acceptance in November 2020. The initial shortlisting called for some short questionnaires and an online interview, following which I was given the offer. Fulbright reserves the right to decide the university that scholars are sent to, and I had the privilege to attend the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. The scholarship covered tuition fees in full, accidental insurance coverage for up to USD 100,000, airfare to and from the destination, and initial settling in and laptop allowance for USD 2000. I was also offered a university tuition scholarship, which reduced my tuition by half.

Educational Background

I received my high school education from Pakistan and went to the University of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. I studied in the department of International and Strategic Studies, and graduated first class with honors, with a CGPA of 3.80. Having had this experience in Malaysia, a country that was geographically within Asia and still had cultural similarities to my home country, made it easier to not only understand the landscape of international educational institutes but also helped me settle in better in the USA for my Fulbright experience.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to the University of Denver?

While I was asked to provide my preferred institutes (up to 4), Fulbright’s partner organisation Institute of International Education (IIE), matches students based on their essays and profiles to the relevant institutions, and I was matched with the University of Denver.

While I was not initially required to provide a GRE or a TOEFL score during my application, once my offer was confirmed, I was asked to take both tests primarily for university applications. I was given a short timeline to appear for the tests, which limited my ability to prepare effectively; however, I used free online resources to study, the most useful of which are usually available on the tests’ official websites.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Fulbright Scholarship?

When preparing for the application, I focused on the most efficient way to explain what I wanted to study (research), why it was an important field, and why I was qualified and interested in it. In the application, this would be reflected through my personal essay, my research essay, and my reference letters. For the former two I wrote and re-wrote several drafts and got feedback from mentors and teachers until I felt it was perfected, and for the latter I reached out to professors and professional mentors that not only I could rely on without a doubt for giving a good recommendation, but also those who knew me enough to be able to speak to my strengths.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I think a range of factors matter when it comes to scholarships, including academic merit, relevant non-academic experiences, references, and the vision for future plans. I made sure I clearly articulated how my experiences, academic, professional, and personal, prepared me for graduate school. While my research essay focused on the significance and uniqueness of my choice of study, my personal essay showcased how I have a personal stake in the work that I want to study, and how, being from the developing world, I am personally affected by the very inequalities I was hoping to study. I think it’s important to focus your lived experience of the issues you speak to, while also showing the scholarship/schools a glimpse into the future vision of my career plans that are ambitious but realistic. This is important for Fulbright in particular because students go to the US on an exchange (J) visa, which requires that they return to their home country for atleast 2 years (each country’s contract varies slightly), thus the scholarship committee often look for people who have a clear plan of what to do with their degree in their home country. I tried to highlight this in my essays and through my choice of referees for reference letters, showing how my entire career and work were in South Punjab, and whatever knowledge I gained, I always intended to bring it back home.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

Had I had the opportunity to go through the process again, I would have done some more research on the university beforehand and not only prepared pre-emptively for my application, but also for the 2 years of grad school ahead, so I didn’t have to make those plans once I arrived.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

I think it is very important to know why you want to pursue grad school or any other higher education. The reason could be anything from personal passion to wanting a high-paying job, but it’s important to be clear on that reason. Only then can you showcase in your application why you are most suited for that scholarship. These scholarships don’t just want to see your current abilities; they also want to see how far you can go and if you would make it on their “notable alumni” lists. How well and ambitiously you articulate your vision for the future will determine that.