Crafting a Competitive ApplicationAs the deadline for Boren is coming up in February, I will take some time to write some recommendations that I have from applying in 2011. Everyone’s application should be unique, but you can incorporate these ideas into your essays to make a strong argument on why you should be selected to become a Boren Scholar.
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1. Understand how you will use your scholarship to contribute to U.S. national security, and present it explicitly in your application.
When I was writing, I thought that I should be creative and draft up this dramatic story where I would slowly lead the reader up into a climatic moment to leave a big impression. That may work for many people in many situations, but the Boren Scholarship essays are not it. Read some Press Statements from the U.S. Department of State or Defense, and you will start to understand some of the language and form that you may want to imitate.
2a. It is a personal statement, so make it about you.
I came from a science writing background where we are taught to reference past published works and to avoid being personal (since science in amoral and nothing but data and interpretation), but I learned that this is not true for this situation. I tried to strike a balance between professional and personal through pulling my family background and my personal interests in the language and region. Many applicants have been taught to write about the background of a situation or to explain a political history that is related to the target country—but not to them. This may work for some, but overall have things bolster your own story instead of trying to write an article for Wikipedia.
2b. Do not make your application a research application or a report of what you did in class.
I'm currently a reader for an undergraduate conference scholarship, and I have seen a number of otherwise great applicants write about their research topic in a seminar or in their lab without connecting it back to themselves. Sometimes students want to write about their analysis of current world affairs, but that may not be what admissions committees want to read--they want to know how you will contribute to U.S. national security after learning the language, and to make that connection clear. If by the end of your application I cannot pinpoint a couple quotes, themes, or insights, then that means the applicant may have to get a second opinion that is strong enough to pull them into the selected pool.
3. Show you’ll continue to engage in your target language in the future.
What type of career do you want to pursue after college? How can you fit in your language abilities to enhance that career? And how does that career relate back to U.S. national security? These questions can be answered with fairly trite responses such as, “In the future, I want to work for the United Nations to develop relationships with Japan, and through engaging with Japan I will have a better understanding of their language and culture.” I mean, sure. It may sound good enough, but what does “relationship” or “understanding” mean? Does relationship mean that you’ll help public natural gas companies connect with the Philippines to help secure a source of energy in the future, or does it mean you’ll use your language skills to help develop evidence-based infrastructure planning in rural Laos to boost economic activity to secure a political relationship with the U.S. to offset China’s soft-power? Whatever it may be, show that you’ll continue to use that language to advance U.S. interests.
4a. Have recommendation letter writers who can speak to your experiences outside of class.
When I was applying to fellowships, it was helpful to have some guides on how the committee will rank you (and yes, they will rank you). The recommendation letter form for the Rangel Fellowship was useful for me because your writers can actually mark in what percentile you are in terms of interpersonal, oral communication, writing, organizational, and analytical skills along with how often you show initiative. Oftentimes you will have already been showing these characteristics throughout your time in college, and so pick a professor who have seen you in the best light and persuade them to give you high marks when they're writing your letter.
4b. Sometimes a recommender does not know the student very well, and it shows in the letter.
When selecting a recommendation letter writer, please choose a professor unless there are substantial circumstances where another person may be better to speak to your experience. As an undergrad, our full-time job is to be a student, and so people expect for most of our letter writers to be our professors or advisers. If there are no professors that know you outside of class, that will be a problem because they may only write about what they see in class and fill the rest with generic comments--that is not what you want. My approach for good recommendation letter writers is to be genuine, and to open up about your background and why you want to pursue this opportunity, and if you can, tell them how they have impacted your academic or career trajectory (but don't force the connection).
5. Show your readers that you have a vested interest in your language both professionally and personally.
It's great to want to learn Chinese because of the changing economic climate in Southeast Asia, but why are you more worthy of receiving the scholarship than the next applicant who also wants to learn Chinese? Do you have better language acquisition skills? Do you have a personal connection to China/Taiwan somehow? If not, then you really have to convince them that you will be able to learn the language well and that you will be more successful than other prospective scholars. The best types of personal connections don't always have to be through interactions with the host country, but it can use a moment from your past that inspired you to learn that language.
6. Attend the webinars that Boren hosts.
Boren provides many opportunities for students to ask questions during their online informational webinars that are not on the website. I'm sure you'll have many questions as you prepare your application, and if you can ask it early (two or three months before the deadline) you'll be able to focus on content rather than wonder what they're looking for.
7. Quantify your experiences.
In the 2016-17 application, there is not a lot of room to write your great experiences, so you may want to write about some impactful experiences in your essays. If you do, make sure to write how many people you helped personally, or how many hours you put into the position, if it was paid/volunteer, and other information that will delineate what your involvement level was. Fluffy language and buzzwords will most likely be ignored, and especially if there are too many experiences on the page with no distinct theme, that may also work against the applicant.
8. Have someone else edit your essay who is not afraid to be critical, but avoid having too many eyes on it so that you lose your voice.
One of your best resources will be the writing center at your school. When I apply for fellowships, I spend almost 10 hours with someone else to help critique my ideas and to help me cut out the fluff. My first draft of my Boren essay was very technical and straight-forward, but after reading it out loud to someone, I felt like it was too sterile and it didn't summon up any emotions. That helped me change it to insert some of my personal story into it, and I believe that this was one of the reasons that helped me earn the scholarship.
When I was writing, I thought that I should be creative and draft up this dramatic story where I would slowly lead the reader up into a climatic moment to leave a big impression. That may work for many people in many situations, but the Boren Scholarship essays are not it. Read some Press Statements from the U.S. Department of State or Defense, and you will start to understand some of the language and form that you may want to imitate.
2a. It is a personal statement, so make it about you.
I came from a science writing background where we are taught to reference past published works and to avoid being personal (since science in amoral and nothing but data and interpretation), but I learned that this is not true for this situation. I tried to strike a balance between professional and personal through pulling my family background and my personal interests in the language and region. Many applicants have been taught to write about the background of a situation or to explain a political history that is related to the target country—but not to them. This may work for some, but overall have things bolster your own story instead of trying to write an article for Wikipedia.
2b. Do not make your application a research application or a report of what you did in class.
I'm currently a reader for an undergraduate conference scholarship, and I have seen a number of otherwise great applicants write about their research topic in a seminar or in their lab without connecting it back to themselves. Sometimes students want to write about their analysis of current world affairs, but that may not be what admissions committees want to read--they want to know how you will contribute to U.S. national security after learning the language, and to make that connection clear. If by the end of your application I cannot pinpoint a couple quotes, themes, or insights, then that means the applicant may have to get a second opinion that is strong enough to pull them into the selected pool.
3. Show you’ll continue to engage in your target language in the future.
What type of career do you want to pursue after college? How can you fit in your language abilities to enhance that career? And how does that career relate back to U.S. national security? These questions can be answered with fairly trite responses such as, “In the future, I want to work for the United Nations to develop relationships with Japan, and through engaging with Japan I will have a better understanding of their language and culture.” I mean, sure. It may sound good enough, but what does “relationship” or “understanding” mean? Does relationship mean that you’ll help public natural gas companies connect with the Philippines to help secure a source of energy in the future, or does it mean you’ll use your language skills to help develop evidence-based infrastructure planning in rural Laos to boost economic activity to secure a political relationship with the U.S. to offset China’s soft-power? Whatever it may be, show that you’ll continue to use that language to advance U.S. interests.
4a. Have recommendation letter writers who can speak to your experiences outside of class.
When I was applying to fellowships, it was helpful to have some guides on how the committee will rank you (and yes, they will rank you). The recommendation letter form for the Rangel Fellowship was useful for me because your writers can actually mark in what percentile you are in terms of interpersonal, oral communication, writing, organizational, and analytical skills along with how often you show initiative. Oftentimes you will have already been showing these characteristics throughout your time in college, and so pick a professor who have seen you in the best light and persuade them to give you high marks when they're writing your letter.
4b. Sometimes a recommender does not know the student very well, and it shows in the letter.
When selecting a recommendation letter writer, please choose a professor unless there are substantial circumstances where another person may be better to speak to your experience. As an undergrad, our full-time job is to be a student, and so people expect for most of our letter writers to be our professors or advisers. If there are no professors that know you outside of class, that will be a problem because they may only write about what they see in class and fill the rest with generic comments--that is not what you want. My approach for good recommendation letter writers is to be genuine, and to open up about your background and why you want to pursue this opportunity, and if you can, tell them how they have impacted your academic or career trajectory (but don't force the connection).
5. Show your readers that you have a vested interest in your language both professionally and personally.
It's great to want to learn Chinese because of the changing economic climate in Southeast Asia, but why are you more worthy of receiving the scholarship than the next applicant who also wants to learn Chinese? Do you have better language acquisition skills? Do you have a personal connection to China/Taiwan somehow? If not, then you really have to convince them that you will be able to learn the language well and that you will be more successful than other prospective scholars. The best types of personal connections don't always have to be through interactions with the host country, but it can use a moment from your past that inspired you to learn that language.
6. Attend the webinars that Boren hosts.
Boren provides many opportunities for students to ask questions during their online informational webinars that are not on the website. I'm sure you'll have many questions as you prepare your application, and if you can ask it early (two or three months before the deadline) you'll be able to focus on content rather than wonder what they're looking for.
7. Quantify your experiences.
In the 2016-17 application, there is not a lot of room to write your great experiences, so you may want to write about some impactful experiences in your essays. If you do, make sure to write how many people you helped personally, or how many hours you put into the position, if it was paid/volunteer, and other information that will delineate what your involvement level was. Fluffy language and buzzwords will most likely be ignored, and especially if there are too many experiences on the page with no distinct theme, that may also work against the applicant.
8. Have someone else edit your essay who is not afraid to be critical, but avoid having too many eyes on it so that you lose your voice.
One of your best resources will be the writing center at your school. When I apply for fellowships, I spend almost 10 hours with someone else to help critique my ideas and to help me cut out the fluff. My first draft of my Boren essay was very technical and straight-forward, but after reading it out loud to someone, I felt like it was too sterile and it didn't summon up any emotions. That helped me change it to insert some of my personal story into it, and I believe that this was one of the reasons that helped me earn the scholarship.
Additional Advice Update (2021)
Welcome to everyone who's reviewing this page for advice to best showcase your experiences, goals, and story to gain this prestigious and generous scholarship/fellowship. I earned my Boren Scholarship in 2012 to study in Taiwan, and in 2017 while studying at the Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government, I also successfully earned the Boren Fellowship to study in Thailand. These two Boren awards were significant contributors to my personal, academic, and professional development and I want each and every one of my readers to also have that opportunity.
As I went through my application for the Fellowship, I followed much of the advice I provided from above. With more years of experience under my belt, I also have some additional advice that may benefit you as you're drafting your applications.
9. Lead them to the big picture.
America's image and role in the world has changed and is evolving rapidly before our eyes. Efforts from scholars and professionals like you will help our country shape its future, and it's a topic that many government leaders are interested in and are investing in at this moment. For your two essays, make sure to connect what you're doing to the "bigger picture" and how it contributes to America's foreign affairs initiatives or how it will further our national security interests. In my Boren 2017 essay, I wrote about how viruses can threaten the economic and political security of Southeast Asia, America's fourth largest trading partner and the impacts of failing countries to U.S. national security. (This is more relevant than ever with COVID-19 and other emerging diseases decimating entire government budgets.) Your topic does not necessarily have to be health related, but it can be almost any topic as long as you can make a reasonable and logical connection for how your language studies can contribute to Boren's ultimate goal.
10. Plan on being an active member of the foreign affairs community.
Many applicants will focus on working with a U.S. agency that has a foreign affairs focus, or at least an office that works on international issues. If that is the goal, making a case for being engaged and active in international relations will be natural. However, if that is not your goal, it will be critical for you to connect your immediate career after the Boren to how you will be involved with our partner countries and allies. I am currently working in international development and am based abroad, and so most of my time is spent on coordinating and contributing to the health investments of the host country. You can find something similar to write about and integrate it into your Boren goals.
11. Showcase your diversity and how it is an asset to your experience and America's image abroad.
It is no secret that many people who have not been in America or have had limited experience with Americans still believe that people from the U.S. "look" a certain way. I have experienced this several times especially because I have mostly studied and worked in countries in the Asia-Pacific, and many times people think I'm a local. I take this is stride and have always been extra attentive to being kind and explaining my story, and many of those times I make new connections with people I otherwise would have just small talk with. Additionally, eyes are on our country because of the many issues surrounding race that makes it into international news. It is now critical for Americans who are from diverse backgrounds to build relationships with those from abroad to show them the America beyond the television screen and media. It is also important to recognize the diversity of the country you will be going to, to come in with an understanding that communities are not homogenous and it takes time and effort to learn about different groups of people.
As I went through my application for the Fellowship, I followed much of the advice I provided from above. With more years of experience under my belt, I also have some additional advice that may benefit you as you're drafting your applications.
9. Lead them to the big picture.
America's image and role in the world has changed and is evolving rapidly before our eyes. Efforts from scholars and professionals like you will help our country shape its future, and it's a topic that many government leaders are interested in and are investing in at this moment. For your two essays, make sure to connect what you're doing to the "bigger picture" and how it contributes to America's foreign affairs initiatives or how it will further our national security interests. In my Boren 2017 essay, I wrote about how viruses can threaten the economic and political security of Southeast Asia, America's fourth largest trading partner and the impacts of failing countries to U.S. national security. (This is more relevant than ever with COVID-19 and other emerging diseases decimating entire government budgets.) Your topic does not necessarily have to be health related, but it can be almost any topic as long as you can make a reasonable and logical connection for how your language studies can contribute to Boren's ultimate goal.
10. Plan on being an active member of the foreign affairs community.
Many applicants will focus on working with a U.S. agency that has a foreign affairs focus, or at least an office that works on international issues. If that is the goal, making a case for being engaged and active in international relations will be natural. However, if that is not your goal, it will be critical for you to connect your immediate career after the Boren to how you will be involved with our partner countries and allies. I am currently working in international development and am based abroad, and so most of my time is spent on coordinating and contributing to the health investments of the host country. You can find something similar to write about and integrate it into your Boren goals.
11. Showcase your diversity and how it is an asset to your experience and America's image abroad.
It is no secret that many people who have not been in America or have had limited experience with Americans still believe that people from the U.S. "look" a certain way. I have experienced this several times especially because I have mostly studied and worked in countries in the Asia-Pacific, and many times people think I'm a local. I take this is stride and have always been extra attentive to being kind and explaining my story, and many of those times I make new connections with people I otherwise would have just small talk with. Additionally, eyes are on our country because of the many issues surrounding race that makes it into international news. It is now critical for Americans who are from diverse backgrounds to build relationships with those from abroad to show them the America beyond the television screen and media. It is also important to recognize the diversity of the country you will be going to, to come in with an understanding that communities are not homogenous and it takes time and effort to learn about different groups of people.