Hi, I'm Eesha
This is the story of my
Scholarship Journey.

Hi! My name is Eesha, and I’m from Lahore, Pakistan. I’m a 2022 Fulbright Master’s Scholar, and I graduated in May 2024 with a Master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology from New York University. You might be wondering what I/O Psychology is, and to put it very simply, it’s the study of human behavior at work! The reason why I chose this field is that it brought together two of my main passions: analytics and psychology. Due to its STEM nature, this degree provides me with a quantitative skillset that I can apply to real-world employee and organization issues. I now work as a People Analytics Analyst at Motive, which is the exact application of the field I was looking for!

Scholarship Details 

I received the Fulbright scholarship funded by the US State Department. Pakistani Fulbrighters receive full tuition and living funding which is a mixture of funding from the university and the US State Department. For example, NYU gave me 100% tuition funding based on the fact that I was a Fulbright scholar, meanwhile, the US State Department provided me with a fixed monthly stipend, book, and laptop allowance to cover my cost of living. Keep in mind that I did not select NYU myself; instead, I submitted a list of 3-4 universities and programs I wanted to attend, and Fulbright applied to those (and usually 1 more as a backup) on my behalf. After that, I completed any additional requirements such as interviews, supplemental essays, case studies, or videos. Once all this was completed, I was informed of my selection or rejection from each institution. The final selection is done by Fulbright and usually, they send you where there is maximum funding from the university. This might vary by country! Another catch to remember is that Fulbright mandates we return to our home country to serve in our respective fields, as the entire purpose of the degree is to learn and give back. I also applied to some universities in the UK, including LSE and the University of Manchester. I got accepted at the University of Manchester, but ended up not going because I needed more funding.

Educational Background

I completed my undergraduate degree in Pakistan in 2018. I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Management Science with a minor in Psychology (GPA:3.88) from Lahore University of Management Sciences. This part of my education was monumental in building my career pathway, as the quality of education was very similar to top international universities. Due to my college courses, I was inspired to follow I/O psychology and eventually ended up in People Analytics, where I can use my quantitative skillset to make a difference in employees' lives.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Fulbright Scholarship?

I usually find information from a simple Google search and word of mouth. A lot of my peers from college went on the Fulbright scholarship. Once I decided to pursue it, I joined the main Facebook group for Pakistani aspirants.

I sat for the GRE (Score 324) in 2018, so it has definitely been a while. At the time, I used a book with a lot of practice questions for each section, and I just stuck with it and completed each question. It was published by McGraw-Hill. Secondly, I also did some Manhattan prep practice exams, along with Magoosh flashcards for vocabulary. For TOEFL, I simply did a few exams, start to finish, and familiarized myself with the format. I ended up achieving a score of 116.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I believe the field I was opting for is very unique and very new to Pakistan. Going in with a clear plan of what I want to do with the degree is helpful, along with a strong reasoning as to why I want to pursue it. I was able to support my reasoning with personal and professional experiences alike. Bringing in that human aspect is crucial because that’s where your passion shines. Also, being somewhat familiar with the faculty of the programs I was interested in helped me speak more to the kind of future work I would do upon returning to Pakistan. I think another area that helped me stand out was my work experience. I had nearly 4 years' worth, and I could draw a lot of examples that strengthened why I wanted to study this area. For instance, my work in HR consulting allowed me insight into the high-pressure (at times, toxic) work culture of multiple organizations at the same time. That, coupled with my own struggles with mental health at work, I realized how employee well-being is largely ignored by leaders. One way to make them care is to show them how business outcomes are impacted by unhappy employees, which is where I/O Psychology steps in! The program helped me learn how to collect, analyze, and present data to stakeholders that can help answer the “so what?” questions in HR.

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

I would have applied directly for scholarships to a few institutions as well. I opted for Fulbright as it makes life much easier in so many ways, but it definitely hinders the opportunity to stay and expand your career in the US. However, I probably would still always choose Fulbright, as the kind of security and network you get is unmatched. I would also have asked a lot more questions and contacted professors directly to explore options such as Graduate Assistantships.

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

I will always say there is no harm in trying. It took me several attempts to even complete the application, but once you do it, applying for other scholarships doesn’t seem so hard. Definitely tap into what drives you, because that fuels your content and becomes visible in your conversations. Ask all the questions and then ask some more. You can never know too much, and the only stupid question is the one unasked. There are so many people you can reach out to, so have backups for directing these questions! Happy to be a resource for anyone who reaches out and learns from new aspiring Fulbrighters!