This article presents a qualitative study of Chinese scholars’ Fulbright experiences in the United States and factors influencing the outcomes, based on interviews with 32 Chinese professors who were visiting Fulbright scholars during the period between 2001 and 2012. The purpose of the study is to shed some light on US public diplomacy programs to suggest improvements for their efficacy benefitting all parties concerned, and ultimately to further relations between the US and the rest of the world.