How a Mauritanian Scholar Earned a Fully Funded Fulbright Scholarship to Pursue a Master’s in Public Affairs at the University of Missouri

My name’s Mohamed Mahmoud. In 2023, I secured the prestigious Fulbright scholarship, which is the flagship international exchange program of the US Department of State. Coming from the developing country of Mauritania, this was a life-changing opportunity. I travelled to the US to pursue my master’s degree at the University of Missouri. My major was in Public Affairs with a focus on the management of public and nonprofit organizations.

The Fulbright Program granted me a fully-funded scholarship. This includes coverage of tuition, living expenses, and medical insurance. I’m deeply grateful to this incredible program and to the US Department of State. The financial aid amounted to over $100,000. This allowed me to be fully immersed in academia in order to achieve my goals.

Educational Background

I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in international communication studies from the University of Missouri as the class valedictorian of the 2020 cohort. This major enhanced my communication skills and equipped me with a useful skillset comprising public relations, international relations, project management, etc.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Fulbright Scholarship?

The application consisted of several parts. To begin with, I filled out the online application. In doing so, I wrote two key essays— the personal statement and study objective. Additionally, I made a CV and obtained the consent of 3 recommenders. They uploaded their recommendation letters. The second part was the TOEFL iBT test—you must get a score of 80 or above to surmount this challenge and proceed to the interview. The interview was the most enjoyable one for me. It’s challenging, but with preparation, it gets easier. In my country, the Fulbright committee at the US Embassy places grantees at certain US universities. Then, one must translate all the transcripts and diplomas into English and follow the admission requirements.

I mostly relied on self-study using free websites and practice sets available on YouTube, Magoosh, ETS, etc. However, I strongly recommend purchasing paid lessons if one has time and money.

Personal Statement Tips

The personal statement is an essay designed to hook and capture the imagination of your reader. This means that you should structure it as a story rather than a resume-like document. You should narrate how you overcame obstacles to accomplish your goals. For example, I shed light on the fact that I was doing something that I didn’t like, which eventually led me to fail in high school. Afterwards, I switched to a major I deeply enjoyed, resulting in massive success, but I wrote in a storytelling way.

Study Objective

The study objective is your opportunity to showcase your major and how it is going to help you and your community solve a particular issue or strengthen capacity. I chose public affairs because it’s relevant to my community, as it will enable me to train public officials and ensure that my vision aligns with the president’s recent reforms aiming at building the capacity of public servants.

Key takeaways of my experience

No matter how good you are at English, you must prepare well for the TOEFL. If you can pay for a professional preparation session, that would be much better. It will boost your chances of getting admitted quickly. Your essays need to be proofread by a qualified person you know. Once you are in the US, ask for help and guidance. You need to have friends to help you navigate academia. Additionally, there are a lot of tools placed at your disposal on campus. For instance, the writing center to help you improve your writing and provide feedback on your assignments prior to submitting them. I wish you all the best in your Fulbright application