Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program: Tips for Applicants

It’s that time of the year again. Tunisian higher education students can apply to the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program, consisting of one year of full time studies, cultural engagement, and an internship in a U.S. university or community college. This article lists practices aimed to maximize one’s chances when applying. It’s based on my personal experience and the info provided by IREX; please contact me if you believe I should edit, update or add something.
Start early.
A TJSP staff member once mentioned the number of incompleted applications, and it’s in the hundreds. It could be intimidation, self-doubt or unability to collect the needed information by the deadline. The point here is that the application is not trivial and some time-management will go a long way.
Check out the application page and figure out what you need to have it completed. It doesn’t need to be perfect. You might leave some fields empty if it’s allowed–for instance, not everyone has work experience. The essays will be time-consuming, and you’ll need two references. Make sure you contact them and get their approval early. The application is quite some work. Make time for it, and ask for help if confused.
Information is your best friend.
IREX provides some information officially. But that might not be enough for you, so look for more resources. Do you know a TJSP alumni? Nicely approach them and ask about their experience. Maybe a friend of a friend is an alumni: ask for an introduction. As a student, it’s likely that someone from your school was part of TJSP. Look for the Facebook group of your cohort of applicants and join. Ask good questions and make friends with fellow applicants. Send a thoughtfully drafted email to the program’s organizers and you’ll surely get the guidance you need. Moreover, it’s likely that info sessions will be set up by the program organizers in your school, a neighboring one, or the local American corner. Attend and ask questions.
Don’t be too anxious about your English level.
The program is not designed for those excellent in it. Can you communicate your thoughts in English? That’s what it boils down to. The people reviewing your application will not care much for your grammar mistakes–you should aim to minimize them still. The interviewers at the second round couldn't care less about your heavy accent, as long as what you’re saying is comprehensible.
If you make it to the second round, you’ll be taking the TOEFL test and you’ll have some time to prepare. Previously, those scoring in the lower percentiles might be placed in language classes upon arriving in the U.S. This year, this might have changed and the minimum score mentioned is 500. It’s noteworthy that performing well in TOEFL has a lot to do with test taking skills and being strategic, which can help boosting your score regardless of your skills. The YouTuber Linguamarina made several videos about this.
You make yourself even more likable when you’re comfortable with your own deficiencies in the language. When you’re trying to deliver a complex idea with a less than perfect English level, it shows resourcefulness and perseverance. An application reviewer will think that, if you were in the U.S., you’d be socializing unhindered by your language skills, as opposed to hiding in your dorm room, terrified. That’s who they’re looking for. Be brave! If you’re Tunisian and reading this, you probably speak at least three languages. It’s not as common as some of us may think.
Your grades aren’t a focal point.
You’ll be prompted to report your grades in the initial application, and if you make it to the second round, you’ll be asked for official transcripts. But they’re not as important as you may think. In Tunisia, we have an odd history of obsessing about testing, grades and yearly averages, or even that little meaningless comment that comes with the baccalaureate degree. Let me break it for you: it doesn’t matter that much. Your average grades won’t wreck your application if you have strong extracurriculars. Similarly, an outstanding academic track is not a ticket to the U.S.
Storytime: It’s early spring of 2017 and I’m standing in a long line in which bright, energetic young people held their transcripts in their hands, waiting to have them scanned by the TJSP staff. This was the elite of Tunisian youth. My heart was racing. People discussed their grades: some were unhappy with their 16/20 averages, and many had yearly scores well above 15/20. I made some friends and I found them impressive. To my bewilderment, many of those academic high achievers didn’t make it to the next round, and people with weaker grades qualified. It’s because way more items than your grades are taken into consideration. TJSP is primarily an exchange, with a focus on leadership and cultural engagement.
Don’t underestimate your “little” achievements.
Did you create a weird robot in high school that’s now collecting dust? Wrote articles for an underground publication? Worked odd jobs? Find a way to talk about these activities. Explain how they generate meaning, for you and/or others. The outcome doesn’t matter as much as you taking the time to learn, create and improve.
Personally, it was my freelance career as a translator and writer that caught my interviewer’s attention. I documented the reviews my clients wrote for me, and that lead to an interesting discussion during the interview. My work didn’t make me much money; it was one of those “race to the bottom” freelance websites where international clients paid as little as they can get away with. There was no prestige about it. However, in talking about it, I was able to show that I was a problem-solver (the problem being scarcity of jobs in Tunisia), a decent time manager (freelancing while being a full-time student) and a resourceful person (leveraging my language skills to make a living). Take what you do, talk about it in terms of the aspects of interest to the program, and you’ll be sure to make an impression.
A little something about quotas and affirmative action.
A look at the group pictures of the previous cohorts will show they’re consistently equal parts in terms of male and female representation. This is not arbitrary. Added to that, the TJSP info page features this quick fact:
“Participants represent communities across Tunisia, with nearly 70% coming from outside of the capital area, and more than 30% from the interior governorates along the Algerian and Libyan borders.”
It’s important to be aware of this. You may have your own opinions about quotas and their validity as an equalizer of society. But the history of regional systematic discrimination in Tunisia is indisputable. The selection committee is aware of the stark disparities between coastal and inner regions, between the capital and the rest of the country. They recruit accordingly. This means that the region you grew up in will have some effect on your candidacy. It also means that the bar set for students coming from cities on the privileged side is higher than that set for those from marginalized areas. The odds disparity is also amplified by the fact that way more people apply from the coastal areas and the capital than from the remainder areas–this fact alone is demonstrative of the unequal access and exposure different Tunisian students have. This is not to say that applying is useless for one group, or should be effortless for the other. It’s something to navigate. It’s also a huge motivation source for those born into historically disenfranchised places.
Your Hijab won’t play against you.
I’ve heard it time and again: young women who wear the hijab can be terrified of having their candidacy affected by it. This is not a wild idea given our national context. Women have been terribly discriminated against by the Tunisian government for religious wear. But here you’ll be dealing with a different mindset. Ladies, please prioritize good faith and consider a couple facts: so many women with hijab made it into the program. I don’t have the statistics, but I would say around a third of the women in my cohort wore it. Another fact is that the U.S. is not Europe. American institutions permit way more freedom of religious wear, even in public service jobs, than most European countries. Also, religious wear will have very little to no bearing on your exchange experience. The vast majority of Americans accept the right to wear religious symbols as protected by the constitution. So, be yourself!
Remember, you’ll be assessed as an entity, not parts.
In other words, and at the risk of using dehumanizing language, it’s about “the package”. You will be judged on multiple levels that you can find here. That terrible math grade you received will not jeopardize your candidacy. Your extracurriculars being 1 or 2 items is sufficient if what you did was of high value. Your leadership experience being short can be balanced with a strong presence and great communication during your interview. You maximize your chances when having multiple interesting facets, not a single outstanding one.
Good luck! Ask me anything TJSP related on my email: far3986@calu.edu

