Office of Fellowships CLS Application Steps

NATIONAL DEADLINE: NOV. 14, 2023 AT 8:00 PM EST

Since you apply directly to the CLS program, the process to apply for the Critical Language Scholarship is a little different than some other opportunities that our office supports. Even though there is no internal deadline for application, you will want to adhere to the following steps in order to present the most polished application possible. Don’t worry, even though we don’t have to formally endorse you, we will still provide a lot of feedback on your essays (but only if you send the materials to us!).

So, let’s dive in and see what you need to do.

You don't want to craft your application and perfect your essays, only to find out you do not qualify for this scholarship. So, what should you do? You need to vist the CLS Eligibility Requirements page to make sure you can apply for this scholarship. 

There may be some confusing elements to this process, especially if you are studying abroad or taking time off from college. So, if you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. 

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When you apply to CLS, you have to make a decision about your language selection. While some languages do not require any prerequisite study, you will need one year of study for Arabic, Korean, and Russian and two years of study for Chinese and Japanese.  

You will want to consider that CLS uses the following terminology:

• Beginning Level: No previous study of the language, or less than one academic year of study or the equivalent.
• Advanced Beginning Level: At least one academic year of target language study or the equivalent.
• Intermediate Level: At least two academic years of target language study or the equivalent.
• Advanced Level: At least three academic years of target language study or the equivalent.

When you are trying to decide what your language level is, remember that you will apply to the next highest level. For instance, if you are taking your first Arabic course in the fall and another in the subsequent spring semester, you would be considered to be at the “Advanced Beginning Level.” Also, it is important to remember that you may also have experience outside of coursework that will help you develop your language skills.

You will need to ask a professional to assess your skill level. To do this, you can ask a faculty member at Amherst College to assess your language level and determine where you would be placed in the target language curriculum at your school. For instance, if the instructor would place you in second year Arabic at your school, you would apply for the Advanced Beginning level of Arabic on the CLS application.

Is it also important to note that you cannot select which country you wish to study in during the program. CLS staff will place your in a location that meets your lanaguage ability and their resources. As such, you should not list a location preference anywhere in your application materials. 

If you have questions about what language you want to study, you can always discuss this with our office staff by requesting an appointment. 

Once you have your language selected, it's time to open an application.

You will need to create an account to begin your application. In the upper righthand corner of the page, you will see a “Create an account” link. Use this link to input a username, password, your name, and email address. A verification email will then be triggered to your account.

Once you verify your account, you can start working on your application. You will have access to your application as often as necessary until the national deadline has passed. CLS will not accept edits or new materials after that date. Click “Start” next to CLS Application for Summer 2024 to start the application process. Remember to save your work as you enter information into the CLS application system, make sure to click the “Save changes” button at the bottom of each page frequently. The system will time you out after 60 minutes of inactivity and will not save your work unless you click on the “Save changes” button. Unsaved work will be permanently lost and cannot be retrieved by CLS Program staff.

There are many components to the CLS application. You do not need to answer all of these questions at one time (you can build your application over several weeks). You will answer questions in the following categories:

• Eligibility 
• Biographical information
• Current academic information
• Transcript and grades
• Previous academic information
• Previous programs, activities, honors, and fellowships
• Language choice
• Language study and travel
• Essays
• And Statistical Information (this isn’t shared with your reviewers)

Once you create an account and start working on your application, you can move onto Step 4.

Within the short essays section, you will need to respond to four prompts that will gauge your ability to successfully complete the CLS program. The prompts require you to think about your own preparation for the program and what your ability to adapt to an immersive, language program will be within the host country.

Your prompts deal with the following issues and ask you to address these questions/prompts:

1. Citizen Diplomacy and Mutual Understanding (300 words allowed)
   1. How might your experiences, perspectives, and/or background contribute to your role as a citizen diplomat and the overarching mission of building mutual understanding in your host community? 
   2. How do you plan to contribute to the mission of building mutual understanding and represent your host community upon returning to the United States?
2. Preparation for the CLS Program (300 words allowed)
   1. What challenges do you anticipate while participating in an intensive language-focused program, living in an overseas host community, and learning in a cohort-based environment?
   2. What knowledge, skills, and experiences will you draw on to meet these challenges? 
   3. Give an example of a situation that required you to interact with people who were different from you or a situation that was unfamiliar in the past. Please explain what knowledge, skills, and experiences you drew on to navigate the challenge and what you took away from the situation?
3. Commitment to Language Study (300 words allowed)
   1. What opportunities, if any, have you taken advantage of in pursuit of studying your target language?
   2. How does CLS fit into your plan to develop proficiency in your target language?
   3. How will you continue to study and engage with your target language after the CLS Program?

Write the first draft of your essay responses and send it to Eric as a Google or Word doc for feedback; you'll then be sent feedback on these drafts.

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The last piece of the application asks you write your personal statement. You have 500 total words to address to following questions:

1. Why are you interested in your target language and the region where it is spoken? Why is CLS the best avenue to pursue these interests?
2. What are your academic and professional goals? How will you make the most of your CLS experience to reach these goals?
3. What qualities, perspectives, and/or experiences do you bring to the program and to your cohort? Why do they make you a good candidate for the CLS Program?

You want to make sure that you don’t repeat the information you used in response to the other essay prompts. This is a relatively short application (even if it doesn’t feel like it!); so, you want to make sure you use all of your word count wisely. Make sure you think about every line you write and whether or not it adds to your candidacy for the CLS program.

As with the essay responses, write the personal statement as early as you can and send it to Eric as a Google or Word doc for feedback. Eric will then send you feedback. You'll revise and re-send until you both agree it is ready for national submission.

Got the essays in good shape? On to Step 6!

The CLS program requires you to submit your transcript(s). Though you can submit an unofficial copy of your transcript with your application, you are REQUIRED to submit an official copy if selected as a finalist. Therefore, we encourage you to submit an official copy for the national deadline. 

Request your official AC transcript and study abroad or transfer college transcripts early enough to get them in the portal by the national deadline. While CLS says they allow unofficial transcripts, because the name of the college must appear on it, AC students must use an official version. To aid you in this process, complete an “Electronic Transcript Request” and enter Eric Myers (ermyers@amherst.edu) as the recipient. Eric will convert the file to a CLS-approved format and send it to you to upload to your application. More information on transcripts can be found on the CLS FAQ page. 

Got your transcript ordered and uploaded? You're ready for Step 7!

• Proofread everything you've written for the application - biographical information, short entries, small paragraphs, and essays for typos. We suggest you print the app and read it out loud to yourself, word for word. (We promise you won't catch errors if you review the app on your phone.) Upload your essays.
• Submit by the national deadline!  
  
  All done? Yippee! That's it! 

Once the national deadline has passed, the waiting begins. Your application will be reviewed by experts and academics on behalf of the U.S. State Department. This national review normally takes several months, but if all goes according to plan, you should now about the status of your application in March. 

If you are selected to participate in the CLS program, you will complete the necessary steps coordinated through the program. And then you're off to your host country sometime in the subsequent summer!

If you were not selected, you can apply again during another cycle, or you can apply for one of the other fellowships our office supports. 

Have questions? Please contact us.

Mailing address: Office of Fellowships, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002

On-Campus Mailing Address: AC # 2214