“That interview didn’t go so amazingly, so I was a little bit worried about my application after that interview, but I guess that’s what they’re trying to do, they’re trying to make your application stronger by pointing out weaknesses in it,” Mehta said.

According to Mehta, she was nervous to send in her application after the interview.

“At the end of the day, you are you, and there’s only so much you can change to make your application stronger,” Mehta said.

Guinigundo said most students apply during the fall semester of their senior year.

“If students want to do a Fulbright, they want to do it right after graduation as sort of a buffer between either graduate school or finding a job,” Guinigundo said.

Recruitment for next year’s applicants is going on right now, which Guinigundo attributed to the long application process.

“During spring semester students generally start formulating their projects and their proposals, then, hopefully over the summer, they start working on their essays, and when we come back in the fall, they finalize their essay and do the final editing in order to be able to submit for our campus deadline in mid-September,” Guinigundo said.

According to Guinigundo, this year’s finalists were competitive because of their backgrounds and previous experiences.

“They’re all such unique individuals, and one of the things that makes them competitive is that they all have a very compelling case for the country where they’ve applied,” Guinigundo said. “It’s a really good fit for them.”

Guinigundo also attributes the students’ successes with their applications to their international interests and academic successes.

“With each of our finalists it’s a combination of having a fantastic academic record combined with demonstrated international interest that pertains to the country where they’ve applied,” Guinigundo said.

Final decision announcements will be made from mid-March to July, though most finalists expect to hear back from their countries by April or May.