Stages of the Competition

The competition for the Fulbright Program consists of 3 rounds.

First Round:

All applications are reviewed and evaluated by Russian and American experts from the respective fields of study.

Second Round:

Candidates who have successfully pass the first round are invited for interviews to evaluate the candidates' ability to communicate and adaptability. The interviews are conducted in English by a Russian-American commission and will be held in Moscow in October. At this time, candidates will also take the Institutional TOEFL exam or Internet-Based TOEFL.

Tests taken during the competition will be paid for by the Fulbright Program.

During this round the Fulbright Program pays nonresident candidates’ transportation to Moscow and back. If necessary, the program also makes hotel reservations and pays for the candidates stay during the second round.

Third Round:

The third round takes place in October with a Russian-American evaluation commission including employees from the US Embassy in Moscow. Using the results from the first and second rounds, they select those candidates who will be recommended to receive a grant. Once the results have been decided, sometime in November, all participants in the competition will be informed by emailof their status.

The application materials of those candidates will be sent to the Institute of International Education, IIE, in New York. IIE-NY will then place the candidates in corresponding universities and scientific centers in the USA. The Institute of International Education reserves the right to choose a university for each Fulbright-funded fellow, even if a candidate has specific preferences.

The finalists of the competition become official participants of the program only after:

1. Results of the TOEFL have been considered.
2. The Institute of International Education has confirmed his/her acceptance in a university in the USA.
3. The nominee has been approved by The J. William Fulbright Scholarship Board.