"Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air." -John Quincy Adams
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, provides fully-funded opportunities for American students to participate in intensive summer language institutes all over the globe. The program has been in existence since 2006, and has sponsored over 3,000 students to pursue the study of thirteen critical languages. This year, I have the honor of being a CLS participant and will be traveling to Malang, Indonesia in only a few days!
I remember the nerve-racking application process--the pressure to get pristine letters of recommendation, to have outstanding essays, to prove to an admissions committee that I could survive in an intensive environment, and agonizing wait for my application results. Applying to CLS is in no means easy, but it can be far worth it in the end. Here are a few tips I have put together for future CLS applicants:
1) Don't let age or experience scare you away--GO FOR IT!
I myself am just finishing up my first year as an undergraduate. And while the majority of CLSers are in their last few years of undergrad or are grad students, there are always a couple of youngsters who are accepted. Also, don't think that you need to have started a non-profit or traveled to globe to be a CLSer--if you truly have a passion for other languages and cultures, your application will show it. So don't shrink away because you don't think you'll match up to other applicants (I had a lot of friends who dropped their application when they started comparing themselves to older, more experienced students), just go with your gut and let your own story come through.
2) Find out what makes you STAND OUT
CLS, like many other scholarship programs out there, are looking for diversity. From different people I've talked to, it seems that a majority of CLS applicants are linguistics, poly sci, or international business majors. If you fall into one these categories--that's great--but it just means that you have work even harder to stand out. People who apply to CLS are ridiculously smart and accomplished, and making yourself memorable among the best of the best is definitely a challenge. I myself am a biological sciences major--which is a less-common CLS major. If you're in the STEM fields, embrace it! The US government is trying to increase STEM-majors in their exchange programs, so really make sure you passion for STEM comes out in your essays. I talked specifically about the Indonesian healthcare system, and how I am personally interested in international healthcare policy. Which brings me to my next point....
3) Make clear connections to your CAREER PLANS
CLS aims to equip its students with languages they can use in their future careers. If you want to become a CLS finalist, you have to connect your target language to your career plans. As I mentioned earlier, I talked about international healthcare in my application. I detailed my aspirations to get a dual MPH/MD and work in third-world countries to better create a patient-focused healthcare policy. I talked about the currently Indonesian healthcare system and how it is deeply flawed. I also talked about my own internship experiences, both at NASA and NIH, and how these experiences had taught me to work with people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. By bringing in your own work experience, you may be better able to convince a review committee that you're a perfect candidate.
4) Start EARLY
The CLS application isn't due until mid-November, but you should start waaaayyyy before that. Remember that you not only have to write 4 essays, but you also need 2 letters of recommendation, a transcript, passport, wavier, and several other demographic forms to fill out. You should start thinking about what professors to ask in late September. When I started my application, I had only been in college for 6 weeks, so finding professors who I thought could write me good letters was certainly not easy. CLS weighs your letters very highly in their selection process--so try to ask someone who can talk about your academic and professional potential. By mid-October, you should have a pretty good idea of what you want to put in your essays. I sent off my first draft to my university's scholarship office about 1 month before the application was actually due. The earlier you start, the more work you can put into your application--and the less daunting it will seem.
5) Get ADVICE from your university's scholarship office
Your university's scholarship office is there for a reason--so use this incredible resource! I first found out about CLS through this office, and the staff there were so helpful! The lady I worked with had been a CLS selections reader before, and therefore knew EXACTLY what CLS was looking for. She read countless versions of my essays, helped me think of specific experiences to highlight, and helped me draw clear career goals. If you school doesn't have a scholarship office, ask you advisers and professors to look over your essays--you'd be surprised how flattered faculty can be when you ask for their advice. All in all, don't do this application on your own. The mores perspectives you can gather, the better.
6) If you're an alternate, don't give up HOPE
I was originally selected as an alternate, and after watching alternate after alternate be promoted to finalist, I had pretty much given up hope for CLS. But, just as I was about to pull my CLS application, I got a notification that I had been promoted to finalist status in mid-April. So don't give up after the initial wave of alternate decisions have been announced--there is always still hope.
I hope these quick little tips will help you in your application! I never in a million years thought I would have the opportunity that CLS is giving me. This will truly be a life-changing summer, and I wish all future CLS applications the best! If you have any more questions about the CLS process, I'd be happy to answer them in the comments below :)Labels: applications, CLS, funding, scholarships
