🚨 Reminder: The application to the Rangel Graduate Fellowship Program closes this Thursday, September 19! 🚨 While we don’t endorse specific advice on how candidates should approach their application, our Fellows sure do offer thoughtful suggestions on how they approached their applications. The post below by our outstanding 2023 Rangel Fellow, Rafael L. Gonzalez is a terrific example!👏 We'd also like to shout out all of the advisers, Fellows, faculty, DIRs, FSOs, and others who support our efforts to reach excellent and diverse candidates!✨
With less than a week remaining to apply for the #RangelFellowship (and two for Pickering!), I woke up this morning and remembered how nervous I felt during my application process. Today, I’m happy to share five tips I wish I’d known then, especially after discussing them with friends this summer at the U.S. Mission to the European Union: 🤟 Be Uniquely Y.O.U., Right from the Start: Open with a personal tale, a thread from your life that may stretch back before your own time. What ignited your passion for public service? Was it a specific moment or a gradual realization? Let your story be so distinct that it lingers with the panel long after they've read it. Oh yes, you’re already so cool as you are—don’t shape yourself into someone you’re not. 🏗 Forget the Trophy Shelf, Embrace the Journey: Just like a math problem, it’s not the final answer that counts but how you got there. The panel cares less about the stack of accolades and more about your path—the obstacles you faced, the pivots you made, and the growth you experienced along the way. 🧭 Anchor Yourself in the 11 Dimensions: Keep the State Department’s 11 dimensions by your side as you write—they’re the compass guiding what the panel values most. Pay close attention to their language. Leadership, for instance, might mean something different to State than it does to you. Weave your experiences through the fabric of these dimensions. 👣 Tell Them Why You Chose This Path: There are infinite ways to serve our country, but you've chosen this very specific one. Avoid clichés and instead, connect your personal narrative to the mission of the Department of State. What’s the purpose pulling you toward this particular life path? 🤝 Avoid AI, embrace Collective Intelligence (CI): Your voice, tone, and personal story are the heartbeats of your application, things no algorithm can replicate. AI might flatten your uniqueness, but feedback from those who truly know you will sharpen it. Seek out friends, mentors, or fellow public servants. The more perspectives you gather, the more your story will take flight. You will be surprised by what others notice. The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program, along with the incredible people I've met, the friendships I've built, and the experiences I've gained, have completely transformed my life. If there's anything I (or we) can do to support you, we're here for you. Sharing some great photos to spark some inspiration! You’ve got this, you really do!