Seize the Day
It may be more than four decades ago since a UND student applied for the Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford. This year we have two students representing UND in the Rhodes competition. That is exciting! October is one of the busiest months in the world of international scholarships. Our Rhodes (Oxford University) and Fulbright (Universities worldwide) students are putting the finishing touches on their applications due this month. These scholarships offer a fully funded graduate degree from some of the most prestigious universities in the world.
Few students apply for competitive scholarships, let alone apply for those that bring them far away from home. What types of students seek those experiences? They are students who take risks, show independence of thought, lead purposefully, serve their communities, and have a clear professional mission.
Acceptance rates for these scholarships can range between 3% and 25%. Why even apply? Strong students understand that true competition comes from within--striving to improve oneself and to act more generously toward others each day. They understand that life offers no guarantees, just opportunities. Congratulations to those who have seized the day!
Yee Han Chu PhD MSSW
Academic Support and Fellowships Opportunities Coordinator
What were the goals of the CLS classes? What were the stated expectations for students?
Goals of the CLS classes were designed for students to achieve proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. These goals targeted academic and professional needs, enabling students with diverse backgrounds and goals to communicate with Hindi speakers in different contexts. Since the class was virtual, there were few behavioral expectations. We were expected to find a quiet place with no distractions; our video needed to remain on to promote focus; we refrained from eating or drinking in front of the camera; and we were expected to maintain a professional attire throughout the duration of the class.
Tell us about how the classes were arranged (e.g. when did you start and end, number of students in the class, how often did you meet, when did you meet, etc.).
CLS virtual was an eight weeks program that ran from June 22 to August 21 and involved a commitment of approximately 20 hours per week. Classes were held five days a week, Monday-Friday from 8:00am to 12am Central Time. In my session, there were six students who came from diverse ethnic backgrounds: African-American, Indian-American, Bhutanese-Nepalese American, Korean, and American.
Types of classes:
Speaking: Conversation + Weekly Guest + Warm-up conversation (all classes) + Word Games
Listening: Audio + Audio-visual + Pronunciation
Reading: Literature
Writing: Home Assignment + Literature and other writing assignments
Who taught these lessons?
Teachers from India taught those lessons.
What did you (actually) learn in these classes?
When I came to America, I was so focused on learning English that I have forgotten to learn and write in my native language. My native language, Nepali, and Hindi are similar in alphabets, as they are both derived from Sanskrit (the language used for Hindu scriptures). One thing that surprised me was that I learned my native language within a week.
What did you enjoy? Or did not enjoy about these classes?
I wasn’t looking forward to waking up early in the summer, but it was worth it. Teachers were very helpful, and they were eager to teach. My favorite part of the class were final presentations where everyone got to be creative and share their creativity.
What was the funniest thing that happened?
One of my classmates watched a Bollywood movie and now she is obsessed with the movie. For her final project, she decided to write a sequel for the movie and presented it in the class.
Would you do this again and why?
Yes, I would do this again. CLS is a great platform which provides tools to successfully navigate race and identity in various parts of the world.
Ranju Dhungana is a senior majoring in Psychology and Honors with emphasis in pre-medicine at UND. She is a graduate of Red River High School in Grand Forks, ND. Learning Hindi is "a step towards learning other Indo-Aryan languages such as Urdu, Bengali, or Punjabi. As India's profile continues to skyrocket, proficiency in Hindi and the nuanced cultural knowledge gained through Hindi language study will be in high demand" (CLS Website). The CLS Program is part of a US government initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are critical to national security and economic prosperity. The CLS is awarded to fewer than 10 percent of applicants. Approximately 5,000 students applied the 2019-2020 application year.
Critical Language Scholarship Chinese Information Session
Oct. 1 1PM CST
Join Chris Stiles, CLS Program Officer for Chinese to learn about the CLS Chinese program.
Requires 2 YRS of study prior to program.
Critical Language Scholarship Korean Information Session
Oct. 2 1PM CST
Join Syejeong Kim, CLS Program Officer for Indonesian, Japanese, and Korean to learn about the CLS Korean program.
Requires 1 YR of study prior to program.
Critical Language Scholarship Japanese Information Session
Oct. 6 1PM CST
Join Syejeong Kim, CLS Program Officer for Indonesian, Japanese, and Korean to learn about the CLS Japanese program.
Requires 2 YRS of study prior to program.
CRITICAL LANGUAGE SCHOLARSHIPS GENERAL INFORMATION Q & A SESSION OCTOBER 7 2PM CST
Join us for a live overview of the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program followed by a question and answer session with one of our Program Officers.
National and International Scholarship DUE DATES
October
- Gilman Scholarship 10.6.20
- Rhodes Scholarships (US) 10.7.20
- Fulbright US Student Program 10.13.20
- Knight-Hennessy 10.14.20
- Rangel Graduate Fellowship 10.14.20 (Contact Prof. Mark Jendrysik)
- Scholarship America Dream Award 10.15.20
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship 10.19.20 to 10.22.20 (Depending on Discipline)
- Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship 10.21.20 (Contact Prof. Mark Jendrysik)
- SOROS for New Americans 10.29.20
November
- Critical Language Programs 11.17.20
December
- DoD Smart 12.1.20
- Boren Awards 12.4.20 (Campus Deadline)
- DAAD RISE Germany 12.15.20
- Goldwater 12.21.20 (Campus Deadline)
January
February
- NOAA Hollings 2.1.21
- Truman 2.2.21 (Contact Prof. Mark Jendrysik)
- Udall 2.5.21
- Fulbright US-UK Summer Institutes 3.15.21
- Rangel Summer Enrichment Institute 2.2.21
March
- Gilman TBA (For study abroad between May 2021- April 2022 which includes Summer 2021, Fall 2021, and 2021-2022 Academic Year. Contact Nicole Rothenberger at UND.NSPA@UND.edu)
-
National Scholarship Peer Advisors are Here to Assist
Check out bios in the September NSPA Monthly Communiqué.
Contact UND.NSPA@UND.edu. for advising assistance or to request a presentation.
You can now find all our NSPA Monthly Communiqué Newsletters on the UND National Scholarships and Fellowships Webpage. See Scholarship Opportunities.