My COMEXUS Interview Experience
After months of wondering about the Fulbright decision timeline, many hopeful applicants are receiving the long-awaited news in the coming weeks. Huge congrats to this years’ applicants and semi-finalists on your accomplishment!
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One year ago this week, I received news that I was a semi-finalist for a Fulbright grant to Mexico. This meant it was time to prepare in earnest for a remote interview with COMEXUS, the country’s Fulbright commission. (Mexico is among the countries whose Fulbright commission conducts semi-finalist interviews, though not all do this).
Preparing for this interview was both exciting and exhausting. It’s incredible to be a contender for a spot as a Fulbrighter. At the same time, I was in the dark about what exactly the interview would look like. I scoured the internet in search of experiences from previous Fulbright-COMEXUS semi-finalists, but I found very little.
This is the post that I wish I had found last year when rummaging through Google and Reddit for information on the Fulbright scholarship timeline and COMEXUS interview. In it, I will share about my experience through the entire process, from notification dates to live interview questions and award notification. I hope my experience is informative for current semi-finalists, and perhaps it will even make its way to some of this year’s semi-finalists to Mexico!
First, an important note: I am in the Fulbright U.S. Student program and received an All Disciplines - Independent Study/Research Award to study classical music in Mexico. This post relates my experience and may not apply across programs. While I hope Fulbright scholar and Fulbright ETA applicants can benefit from my experience, all semi-finalists should rely on official information from Fulbright, their host country commission, and campus advisors.
As a two-time Fulbright semi-finalist, I bring a unique perspective to the COMEXUS interview process. My first interview was eye-opening and helped me prepare for a successful 2023 interview - though that was certainly hard to see when I found out I was not a 2022 grantee. (More on my Fulbright application timeline HERE.)
Now let’s get to the interview details!
Leading Up to the Interview
Announcement of semi-finalist status: I was notified that I was a semi-finalist during the first week of January both years I applied to Mexico (2022 and 2023). I received the news via an email directing me to open a letter in the Fulbright application portal. Notification varies by country and program, with some being announced as early as December, others as late as the end of January.
Interview notification: In 2022, I received an email from COMEXUS in mid-January notifying me of my scheduled Zoom interview. The next cycle, I received the notification in early February 2023.
Interview Date: Both years, my COMEXUS interview was in March. (First year: March 3rd, 2022; Second year: March 14th, 2023)
The Interview Itself
Length: My 2022 interview was in the early afternoon. My 2023 interview was mid-morning, beginning about 10 minutes late and lasting exactly 20 minutes.
Logistical note: Be aware if daylight savings time affects your scheduled time! I noted my 2023 interview appointment in my planner a month ahead, carefully noting the time difference of two hours between Mexico City and Pacific Standard. But DST began a few days before my interview, changing my scheduled time by an hour! Thankfully I checked the time difference the night before.
Language: The interview was conducted 100% in Spanish. As I understand, this is the case with all COMEXUS interviews.
Panel: my interview panel was made up of 6-8 people, including a number of specialists in my field (the arts and classical music). Additionally, there were several COMEXUS employees who, as I understand, participated in every interview. (Naturally, the specialists on the panel vary depending on the program/field.)
Agenda: A COMEXUS employee opened the meeting by welcoming everyone and introducing each panel member. She told me I would be asked one question by each panel member and could take up to five minutes to respond. After the panel members asked their questions regarding my project, the interview concluded with a final general question from another COMEXUS employee.
Questions: To avoid making this post too lengthy, click over to this blog post for a list of questions from my COMEXUS interviews.
Award Notification
2022: I learned I was a grant alternate via a letter in the Fulbright application portal at the end of March (3-4 weeks after the interview).
2023: I learned I was a grantee (!) April 5th, just over three weeks post-interview.
Thank you for reading! I hope these details are helpful and make their way to this year’s semi-finalists. If that is you, please drop a comment!👇 I will be happy to address your questions about the COMEXUS interview process in a future blog post.
This blog (www.melissaterrallpiano.com/blog) is not an official site of the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State. The views expressed on this site are entirely those of its author and do not represent the views of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State, or any of its partner organizations.