perplexedpenguin

cwd-- As someone who applied for the GRF last year and (miraculously) got one, I would recommend giving it a shot. I'm not sure how heavily GRE subject tests are weighted (there isn't one for my area of study, so it wasn't an issue for me). I suspect, however, that they are probably ranked considerably lower than the written parts of the application. As for applying to a master's program rather than a doctoral one, it shouldn't hurt you at all. If I remember correctly, you aren't required to specify that on the application, so unless you mention it in your statement, the judges won't know. babaababo-- I definitely don't think that writing the extenuating circumstances essay would automatically get your application thrown into the garbage pile. If you can convincingly show why you made the switch and that you are committed to and prepared for research in your new field, I don't think it would be a problem at all. Hope this helps. EDIT: I should add that I think the GRE scores almost certainly count for something in whatever magical formula it is the NSF uses to select their fellowship recipients, but what is most important is the overall picture your application presents, rather than just a single aspect of it. You might, however, be able to get away with not sending the subject scores at all. Do the instructions specifically say they're required, or are they just recommended?