The URI Campus Process for the Boren Scholarship and the Boren Fellowship

The following items are due via email to ​​kmaher@uri.edu​​ by the official URI Campus Deadline: ​​Tuesday, January 2, 2025​​. ​​You are advised to begin exploring and planning your application in November and drafting by December. Applicants are encouraged to watch multiple (live or recorded) webinars provided by the Boren Awards administrators at IIE and DLNSEO so that your drafts for the campus deadline will be strong. This will allow our feedback to push you to have an excellent final product.  For the 2025 application cycle, your application mentor will be Professor Richard McIntyre. All materials should be sent to him via email: mcintyre@uri.edu 

Solid drafts of both essays (name as such: Essays_Boren2025_LastName)

  1. PDF of all college transcripts with fall grades (Transcript_Boren2025_LastName)

Online Application, including Budget and Language Self-Assessment​​: ​Monday, January 6, noon​​.
Letters of Recommendation​​ and ​Language Evaluation ​​must be received by ​Friday, January 17.

  1. Register Online
    If you have not yet done so, ​right now​ is the time to ​register for an account via the Boren portal​​. Get familiar with the online application. ​Do not enter your letter writers’ emails yet!
  2. Identify a Program, and an Alternate Program
    If you have not already done so, it is now urgent that you identify a program ​(and ideally an alternate program). You cannot effectively write essays or properly prepare your letter writers without this information. The advisors in the Office of International Education can assist you, as can I. Some factors to consider:
    Program Location​​: Refer to travel.state.gov to ensure that this a safe location to travel to. How big of a city? How central to the city do you want to be? Is the program housed on a university campus?
    Course Offerings:​​ Will you be able to ​focus​ ​on language learning​ as your primary pursuit? What is the course format? If you need credits to count towards your degree, will they fulfill the requirements you need
    Other programmatic features which appeal to you​​: Conversation partners? Excursions? Strong in-country program support?
    Housing:​​ Do you wish to live with students on the program, with local students or with a host family?
    Board:​​ Is board included? Is it for 1, 2 or 3 meals a day? Do wish to do your own cooking?
    Ground Transportation:​​ How will you get around? Is class location easily accessible from where you will be living? Who are the other students on the program? ​​US undergraduates, students , integration with local students, etc. Cost: ​​If the program will cost more than the Boren, will you be able to pay the difference?
  3. Determine Letter Writers and Make the Request​ (Letters due January 17)
    Review Boren website info on recommenders. Graduate students (fellowship applicants) must submit three letters of recommendation. Undergraduates (scholarship applicants) are required to have two academic (faculty) letter writers. While optional, you are strongly advised to get a third if possible, which can come from another professor or from a non-college level language instructor, such as a high school language teacher or a private tutor, relevant work or internship experience. There is actually way to end up with four advocates if you also have a language evaluation completed (see 4b below for more details). Included with this document is a letter to share with your letter writers regarding the Boren and how to write an appropriate letter for this award. When you ask for a letter be sure to:
    · Explain the goals of the Boren Awards program.
    · Provide a printout or link to the program you are proposing to attend.
    · Provide a copy of your transcript and your resume.
    · Explain the type of federal service you are interested in.
    · Explain what your ultimate career aspirations are and how it relates to the Boren.
    · Let them know you what you plan to write your national security essay about and offer to share a draft.
    As a courtesy you should give letter writers a month’s notice. ​Do not enter your letter writers’ emails in online app yet! Once I have reviewed all letters and your entire application we will work on that piece.
  4. Language Evaluation
    1. Language Self-Assessment :​​ ​​ ​You must fill this out for the target language even if it is to say that you have zero ability. If you are a native speaker of a language other than English, be sure to complete one for that as well. You may submit a language self-assessment for ​up to three languages​ other than English.
    2. Language Evaluation ​(due 1/17):​​ If you have already begun the study of your proposed language it is STRONGLY recommended (but technically optional) to include a language evaluation. Ideally this is not a person who is already providing one of your three recommendation letters, but if necessary it can be.
  5. Draft Essays​​ (due January 2)
    Be sure to preview multiple webinars for essay guidance.
    For Both Essays​: Send as ​Google Docs​​ or ​Word​​ documents using the standard titles provided above. Keep both essays ​in one document​ during the revision phase. Write in straightforward English! Be sure to proofread these before you send them on to me on the deadline. We will not review your essays unless you have submitted both of them. After the campus deadline, expect to draft multiple revisions of your essays (three or more between the national deadline) based upon our feedback. Expect that it will take several days to hear back after you submit a revision.
  6. While waiting to receive essay feedback, work on the Online Application, which is due internally on January 13. Complete (but do not “submit”)​ by no later than noon on Monday, January 13.​ **We will be able to review it on our end and provide feedback. **
  7. ****Final NATIONAL Deadline ​​(Wednesday, January 22, 5pm for Fellows and Wednesday, January 29, 5pm for Scholars) *​***. These are the firm, official national deadlines.  Keep in mind that this is peak winter storm season; we have had blizzards and electrical outages from wind or snow coincide with the deadline before, and it can get ugly! To avoid all of this unneeded stress, we expect you all to finalize and upload your entire application ​by noon on Tuesday, January 21st (Fellows) or Monday, January 27 (Scholars).
  8. Post-Submission
    Once the application is submitted, it is time to follow through on applying to the proposed program. You will also need complete paperwork through the URI Office of International Education. Ask if you are not sure how to proceed. You can expect to hear the final results of the sometime in April, however sometimes IIE reaches out to verify information. When/if this happens, ​touch base with us before you respond.