Q & A

If you are unable to complete an online application, e-mail to [email protected] or [email protected].

The deadline for the application and supporting materials is in March 31st 2023. Check the timeline of the Fellowship section for the exact date. By this date you must have completed an online application and should have already begun preparing for the TOEFL and other standardized exams.

The selection is a three-step process. First, all applications are reviewed by U.S. admissions experts and AADF staff. Second, highly-ranked candidates are interviewed and tested in Tirana, Albania. Finally, the applications, test scores, and interview results of highly-ranked candidates are reviewed by U.S. admissions experts and fellowship awardees are selected.

Yes. Individuals who have applied to U.S. institutions independently are eligible to apply for the master’s degree fellowship. However, there is no guarantee that if you win the master’s degree fellowship you will be placed at the same university you wish to attend independently. Submit copies of any letters of acceptance with your MIP application.

For the initial application process, simply fill in and submit your online application. If you are selected as a semifinalist, you will be required to submit physical documents verifying the information you provided in your online application. In the event that the information you provided in your online application does not match the information contained in the physical documents you provide at the semifinalist stage, you may be disqualified from the competition. If you become a semifinalist, you will need to submit the following before your interview:

• Online Application
• General Essay
• Field Specific Essay
• Resume/CV
• Two recommendations from employers or professors – provided through the application or in separate letters. Letters of recommendation must be signed and must include the name, address, and telephone number of the person providing the recommendation. Letters of recommendation must also have the stamp or seal of the organization at which the person providing the recommendation works (or be written on the organization’s official letterhead). Applicants submitting letters of recommendation in the local language must submit certified English translations of these letters. Translations must have the stamp or seal of the English language department or translating service confirming the accuracy of the translation. Applicant may not certify his/her own translation.
• Official copies of all university transcripts in the language(s) in which they were issued – One transcript from each institution of higher education attended must be attached. Each transcript must bear the stamp or seal of the department of the university that issued it. For the purposes of this program, a transcript is a listing of every course you took to receive your diploma and the grade you received in each course.
  Certified English translations of your university transcripts – Each English language transcript must bear the stamp or seal of the department of the university that issued it. Also, each English language transcript must have the stamp or seal of the English language department or translating service confirming the accuracy of the translation. Applicant may not certify his/her own translation. Official copies of all diplomas you have received in the language(s) in which they were issued. Each diploma must bear the stamp or seal of the department of the university that issued it.
• Certified English translations of your diplomas – Each English language diploma must bear the stamp or seal of the department of the university that issued it. Also, each English language diploma must have the stamp or seal of the English language department or translating service confirming the accuracy of the translation. Applicant may not certify his/her own translation.
• Copies of TOEFL, GRE, and/or GMAT score reports (if taken previously).
• Photocopy of the picture page of your Albanian passport (if you have one).

MIP is eligible only to Albanian citizens who currently live in Albania, and plan to live in Albania in the future. Please remember, however, that all applicants to MIP must convincingly demonstrate their devotion to the long-term, economic development of Albania; and that, therefore, your status as a dual-citizen will be a subject of inquiry during the application process.

Yes. MIP will provisionally accept all diplomas from all universities. Having said that, the question of whether a diploma is valid is ultimately up to our partner institutions. They will ultimately make such decisions after a thorough review of the circumstances. So, while we will accept an application and put a candidate through the application process regardless of where they got their diploma, we may not be able to place them at a U.S. university. Additionally, the U.S. Embassy may issue rules restricting J-1 visas to individuals holding an unaccredited diploma. Both of these factors – university acceptance of Albanian diplomas, and Consular granting of J-1 visas – are beyond AADF’s control.

The fellowship does not support financially the stay of spouse and children of fellowship holder throughout the academic study period.

MIP Fellows are required to return to Albania after their studies and apply their skills to the economic development of the country. Failure to return will result in the full repayment of the participant’s program costs.

In case of technical problems with online application, please contact the project staff at [email protected] to discuss for other arrangements if possible. We highly encourage not to wait for the last day to apply because the system may encounter problems.

Please submit your inquiry to [email protected]