Essays

These two community impact essays are equally important in the selection process. Carefully review your essays, read the Selection Criterion Community Impact Abroad & Upon Student’s Return Home, and ask an advisor to proofread your essays for spelling, grammar, and content prior to submission.

1. Building Mutual Understanding Essay

Gilman scholars represent the United States as citizen diplomats in their host communities; they reflect a broad range of values, beliefs, and opinions that is fundamental to providing a balanced representation of the United States abroad. Gilman scholars are expected to contribute to the goal of building mutual understanding by sharing their own background and experiences as a U.S. citizen as well as learning about and building meaningful connections within the host community. Please address ALL of the required prompts below: (max of 3,000 characters)

• Thinking ahead to your experience abroad, how will you represent the United States and share your own background and experiences as a U.S. citizen during your program?
• What opportunities will you seek to engage in the culture and build meaningful connections within your host community?

2. Follow-on Service Project Proposal

Gilman scholars are expected to complete the Follow-on Service Project, which should aim to increase awareness of study abroad and the Gilman Program among their peers in their home or campus communities. Please address ALL of the required prompts below: (max of 3,000 characters)

• In no particular order, describe your Follow-on Service Project in more detail.
• What is your project and how will it increase awareness of study abroad and the Gilman Program among your peers in your home or campus community?
• Identify and explain why you chose the specific community you will be reaching.
• How will you integrate the impact of your experience abroad into your project?
• With which campus departments, student organizations, or community organizations will you collaborate?

Examples of Follow-on Service Projects

Gilman scholars have proposed and carried out a wide range of Follow-on Service Projects. As long as the applicant’s proposal will meet the goals of the Follow-on Service Project, there are no right or wrong projects. However, we encourage all applicants to propose a unique Follow-on Service Project that highlights their individual background, experiences, talents and skills. Listed below are some examples of projects Gilman scholars have carried out. This is by no means an exhaustive list and we look forward to continuing to receive unique, individual proposals from all applicants. Remember, all projects must promote international education and the Gilman Program.

K-12 Outreach

• Conducting presentations on their country of study to local classrooms.
• Working with a local teacher to connect with a U.S. classroom while abroad, via photos, letters, emails or Skype sessions, sharing information about their host country, experience abroad and the Gilman scholarship.
• Organizing and/or working with their university K-12 outreach program, to present and share information on their experience abroad and the Gilman scholarship.
• Participating in their local high school College Night to share information on study abroad opportunities and scholarships.
• Working with/giving presentations on study abroad and the Gilman scholarship to high school language or area studies classes.
• Working with/giving presentations on study abroad and the Gilman scholarship to programs that mentor high school students, such as Upward Bound.

Academic Department Outreach:

• Development of a study abroad information page for the department or major website that lists a suggested academic timeline encouraging students to incorporate study abroad into their degree, in consultation with their department and study abroad office.
• Organizing information on study abroad programs that offer coursework and academic credit in their field of study and links to Gilman and other scholarships and financial aid information that support these opportunities.
• Presentations on study abroad and the Gilman scholarship at academic club or honor society meetings.
• Development of a brochure or informational flyer specific to the student’s academic department or field of study that is then posted in the study abroad office.
• Serving as a mentor/peer advisor to potential study abroad students in their field of study.
• Submitting an article to their academic department newsletter on their experiences abroad and the Gilman scholarship either while the student is still overseas or upon their return.

Campus Office Outreach:

Students often propose to work with a specific on-campus office including the Diversity/Minority Services offices, Disability Services offices, Career Centers, Financial Aid offices, Student Leadership offices, and other campus offices. Examples of these projects include:

• Promoting and encouraging study abroad opportunities and the Gilman scholarship through presentations to student clubs and organizations and through office organized events
• Posting information on the Gilman Program in specific campus offices
• Adding a web page to the official website that highlights study abroad opportunities, the Gilman Program, and information that would be of help/interest to students
• Serving as an official representative at campus fairs and events by sharing information on study abroad and the Gilman scholarship

Study Abroad Outreach:

This is the most common type of Follow-on Service Project students propose and can be very beneficial to increase study abroad participation at your home institution. Consider consulting with the study abroad office to address any challenges or needs your home institution faces in order to offer support through your project and positively impact your campus and peers.

• Volunteering or working in the study abroad office as a Peer Mentor/Advisor to potential study abroad students, sharing information about the Gilman Program.
• Representing the study abroad office and the Gilman Program at presentations/information sessions on study abroad.
• Ensuring the study abroad office website has a Scholarship Information page and that a link to the Gilman Program’s website is provided.
• Submitting an article on their experiences abroad and Gilman Program to the Study Abroad office newsletter for distribution or publication, either while they are still abroad or upon their return.
• Developing an informational flyer/brochure on university-specific financial aid procedures for study abroad and available scholarships, including the Gilman scholarship which is then housed in the study abroad office.
• Participating in/organizing a Study Abroad Alumni society which assists returned and potential study abroad students, sharing information about the Gilman scholarship.
• Serving as a resource person for a specific country/program/field of study that would advise/assist potential study abroad students, sharing information about the Gilman Program.

Other Outreach:

• Submitting a weekly or monthly article on their experiences overseas to their campus or hometown newspaper while the students are abroad, thereby sharing information with a wide range of readers and including information on the Gilman Program
• Submitting an article or series of articles on their experiences abroad and the Gilman Program to their campus or hometown paper upon their return to the U.S.
• Working with another local organization to share information on study abroad and the country they studied in with their members
• Presenting on study abroad opportunities and the Gilman Program at Freshman Orientation or in First-Year Experiences courses thereby encouraging students to consider study abroad earlier rather than later.
• Hosting a photography exhibit on their campus or in their community, sharing about their experience abroad, international opportunities that exist and the Gilman Scholarship
• Presenting art created in or focused on their host country on their campus or in their community, including information on international education and the Gilman Scholarship.

Applicants who are studying a critical need language while abroad in a country or location in which the language is predominantly spoken can apply for a supplemental award of up to $3,000. Critical Need Language Awards for a country or location where a language is not predominantly spoken may be considered for applicants who make a strong case for their desired location in the application essay. As only a limited number of Critical Need Language Awards are available, not all students who are studying the identified languages will receive a Critical Need Language Award.

Critical Need Language Award recipients who complete their Gilman requirements may take the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), which demonstrates language proficiency for educational, professional, or other purposes. The OPI is offered at no cost to all Critical Need Language Award recipients.

In no more than 2,000 characters, including spaces, please address the following questions:

• What are your motivations for improving your language proficiency academically, professionally, and personally?
• How do you intend to improve your language skills while studying abroad? How will you increase your proficiency in the language inside and outside of the classroom setting?
• How do you intend to use the language after you study abroad, and how will the Critical Need Language Award prepare you for this?
• If you would like to be considered for an exception to our policy of studying a language in a country/location where it is predominately spoken, please explain why you chose your particular location and the benefits and resources for studying the selected language there.

Languages
Arabic
Azerbaijani
Bahasa Indonesian
Bangla
Chinese (Mandarin)
Hebrew**
Hindi
Japanese
Korean
Persian
Portuguese
Punjabi
Russian
Swahili
Turkish
Urdu

This information is correct as of September 23, 2024.

You may also use the Critical Need Language Award to study a foreign sign language. Apply for the target language (for instance, Japanese) and explain in your application that you will be studying reading, writing, speaking, and/or Japanese sign language.

**The CNLA for Hebrew language is offered through the generous support of our partners at the Embassy of Israel to the United States. At this time, Israel is not an eligible location for Gilman applicants due to the current Travel Advisory level. 

The U.S. Department of State is dedicated to supporting students who are focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematic (STEM). The STEM Supplemental Award is for students conducting research that is already formally integrated into their credit-bearing program abroad and that is related to STEM fields (defined as agriculture, engineering, health professions, math and computer science, and physical and life sciences).

Please address ALL of the required prompts below: (max of 1,000 characters)

• Please summarize your STEM-related research component and your overall motivation toward this STEM field.
• Please also share how this will contribute to your future academic and/or career goals.