Boston College students have received the eighth-highest number of J. William Fulbright awards among research universities in the United States, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education's annual tally, released October 24.

Twenty-one BC students out of 73 who applied for Fulbrights last fall were awarded the prestigious scholarships, which support a year’s post-baccalaureate study abroad. The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor had the most with 29, followed by Northwestern (27), Yale (26), Stanford and University of Chicago (25 each), University of Washington (24) and Columbia (23). (View the full list here.)

The news was welcomed by Boston College’s Fellowship Committee, which assists BC students in competing for Fulbrights and other notable undergraduate and graduate fellowships and scholarships.  “BC students continually impress me with their verve, imagination, cultural openness and dedication to achieving their goals,” said Slavic and Eastern Languages Professor Margaret Thomas, who directed BC’s Fulbright program for the past 15 years. “The entire BC faculty and university community take great pride in their accomplishments.”

BC students have won more than 160 undergraduate Fulbright awards over the past decade. This year’s scholars are studying in such countries as Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Germany, Korea, Nepal, Poland, Spain and Vietnam. The University’s Fulbright winners are teaching English, examining Poland’s efforts to halt human trafficking, exploring Spain’s arts communities, and learning about perceptions of immigration and ethnic heritage in Argentina, among other projects.

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