BC Remains a Top Producer of Fulbright Scholars

This year, Boston College will send 21 graduates and graduate students to countries around the world in the name of education and research thanks to the J. William Fulbright Grant program.

BC usually ranks among the top producers of Fulbright scholars, and the 2011-2012 school year is no exception. BC congratulated five more winners this year than last year, keeping up its trend of steadily increasing the number of Fulbright scholars over the years. Seventy-three students applied to the program this year, and over 160 BC graduates have participated in the program in the past decade. The University ranks eighth among research universities in The Chronicle of Higher Education's list of top Fulbright producers, outranking several Ivy League universities, including Harvard University, who had 20 winners. BC also ranked 18 spots ahead of the University of Notre Dame, who had 12 winners.

"It is really a combination of bright and well-rounded students that apply, dedicated faculty who work with them both in classes and on their applications, and an excellent system of Fulbright advising by a very dedicated group of faculty Fulbright advisors," said Paul Christensen, Fulbright Program administrator, of BC's consistent success.

"BC students continually impress me with their verve, imagination, cultural openness, and dedication to achieving their goals," said Margaret Thomas, a professor in the Slavic and Eastern languages department and director of BC's Fulbright program for the past 15 years, in a release by the Office of News and Public Affairs. "The entire BC faculty and University community take great pride in their accomplishments."

Students are going to countries such as Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Korea, Nepal, Poland, Spain, and Vietnam. Of the 21 Fulbright scholars this year, seven are using their grant to study in Germany, and, in recent years BC has sent more Fulbright scholars to Germany than any other American university.

"The German Studies Department here tends to draw the top students to its ranks of majors and minors," said Michael Resler, chair of BC's German department. "There has long since been in our little department … an intellectual culture that strongly encourages long-term mentoring and preparation for the Fulbright application, preparation that very often spans the entire four years of a student's time in my department."

However, BC's success may soon be curbed by forces beyond its control.

According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, President Barack Obama's administration has asked for a $1 million cut to the Fulbright program for the 2012 budget. Last year, the program suffered a $16.4 million decrease in funding and had to cut the number of grants it awarded for foreign-language study and for international students to complete their science or technology doctorate in the United States. As an American university, then, BC may not feel the pain of the proposed budget cut as acutely.

"In terms of the direct effect of any such funding cuts for Boston College, my own rather optimistic expectation is that we would still continue to perform very well vis-a-vis other American colleges and universities," Resler said. "I certainly don't foresee any diminishment in our commitment to preparing our students for the Fulbright competition."

Christensen offers a less optimistic view, saying that, "if funding for Fulbright scholarships is cut, it would almost certainly affect BC and its student applicants. Budget cuts would mean fewer fellowships overall…. That in turn would make what is already a very competitive process even more so. It could also theoretically reduce the number of countries to which students could apply."

Despite economic troubles around the world, foreign countries have been increasing their funding for the Fulbright program. Contributions increased by a total of $10 million in 2010 alone.