<p>Hello. I have been a lurker of CC for a while and have found the info very helpful. Now, I come to you smart folks with some help making a difficult decision.</p>
<p>I started applying to the Peace Corps before I graduated last year. I was told that I would probably be getting a December 2012 invitation. I didn't want to wait that long, so I decided to apply for a Fulbright ETA (teaching) as back up.</p>
<p>To my amazement, I got the Fulbright! Then a week later, Peace Corps suddenly sent me an invitation for this summer. I am so happy to have been awarded both, but now I am extremely stressed about which to pick. I have thought about doing both, but I simply can't predict that it will work out: for example, I can do Fulbright, then return and do Peace Corps, but for the latter I have to redo medical paperwork and hope that another invitation is issued soon (and with the amount of people applying, one can easily wait months and months for an invite!). Or, I can do Peace Corps, but then to do Fulbright, I would have to apply all over again and I hope I get in. And being gone for 3+ years doing both programs, to return and start gaining job experience and networking contacts from scratch, far later than my peers, seems daunting... </p>
<p>Both fit with my values and career goals (I want to work in govt, something internationally related, and related to education or development). Both are in a region that I love. Both are solid, prestigious programs. What should I do?!</p>
<p>I would do whichever is harder to get into. I somehow doubt that they’re equally selective.</p>
<p>If they ARE equally selective, I would do the Peace Corps program because the Fulbright program is academic. I don’t know about you, but if I graduate from college, I would want a break from academics!</p>
<p>I would also recommend trying to do both. You worry that being gone from the job hunt “game” is going to negatively affect you, and it’s true that it might. But having done the Peace Corps and having done the Fulbright program is going to be impressive for any resume.
Furthermore, you have 40+ years to work. Nobody on their deathbed says “I wish I entered the work force earlier” or “I wish I had worked more” (LOL). People DO say “I wish I had traveled more and explored more”</p>
<p>I believe that the Fulbright is more prestigious and only one year. Why not do the Fulbright and then reassess afterwards whether you want to subsequently join the Peace Corps or enter the work force. Only if you have a burning desire to work in Emerging Markets would I recommend the Peace Corps.</p>
<p>^I’d say that the experience of the Peace Corps is going to be more novel and more eye-opening and more perspective-widening than doing another year of academic-related stuff.</p>
<p>terenec - I don’t doubt that your statement could be true, but on the flip side, the fullbright is really a very prestigious award. It is not an easy decision at all - but its a great problem to have so congratulations!</p>
<p>thanks for the replies. I am more inclined to do PC. the fulbright I was given is not academic, it is for teaching. Truly, PC is my main dream: Fulbright is something extra. I just don’t know if that extra is worth the time and delaying PC…</p>
<p>I’d be curious to hear what you ended up doing. As a current PCV about to return stateside, hoping to do graduate school and thinking about applying for Fulbright, I’m much more inclined towards Fulbright. Then again, I did just spend two years in Morocco…</p>