Monochrome Spring

I also want to point out that a year-long project could actually be a substantial major project in different fields. I don't think I'll have a single project over 1.5 years during my entire PhD, but that doesn't make them non-substantial. That means that my projects have a different time frame than yours. I am proposing a 1-1.5 year project in my GRFP, and even then, it is difficult to fit everything in, including introduction/background and broader impacts.

I am of the opinion that YES this should go on your CV, and you can talk about it in your SoP in a limited sense.
 
It's true that in general, you shouldn't put things that happened before college on your CV.  However, I think that doesn't necessarily apply to research-related things.  "A research assistant who did minimal things" describes almost everyone's first experience as a research assistant; you just happened to have yours earlier than most people.  As someone said, a CV is a historical record of your professional life and you record things that happened professionally since you started; you started your research career in high school, so include it.  If you had published in Science in high school you wouldn't leave it off just because it was HS, right?  So IMO, put it on there.  (Same thing about honors - large national honors or prestigious awards, I would leave.  If you won the Intel Science competition in HS, I would put that on my CV in grad school applications, although I might remove it after I was in grad school.)
 
And yes, I think that you can spend 1-2 sentences talking about how you first got interested in science in HS as an RA.  Most statements are looking for some information about when you got interested in research, and by talking about it in this context you show that you've had a longstanding interest in the field that has persisted over the course of the last 4 years.  It makes a stronger case for you being truly invested in the idea of scientific research.

The research proposals I've been reading (which is A LOT, I think I'm obsessed!) tend to lay out a long-term project.  By long-term, I mean longer than a semester or a year.  NSF may fund the person and not the project, but I don't see the logic in funding a person who can only propose a short-term project.  I also don't see a short-term project as proof that you can "plan feasible and significant research projects".  There are always exceptions, of course.  But I think generally, longer term projects tend to be more significant. 
 
I don't see the distinction beyond the fact that your research can change over time.  NSF funds the researcher for 3 years which in my mind means you need to BE a researcher for 3 years which includes time to write it all up as well. 
Either way, I'm not encouraging anyone to try to outline their dissertation. 
 
I've never been a reviewer for NSF so all of this is opinion mixed with things I've read. 
 
Edit: I love this website: http://www.alexhunterlang.com/nsf-fellowship

Geopraphyrocks, the distinction is huge: for example, if you fund the person, that person can bring money with them where ever they go. If you fund the project, the project pays for overhead (thinking of different NSF Grants), and most if not all that money is immobile. Thats why professors who bring in money have to think very carefully about jumping ship, and why its often a big financial commitment to steal a professor. It is nothing to take lightly.
 
On the other hand, I do not think the length of the project (in terms of time) matters. What the NSF GRF must be is a well constructed plan to fill a meaningful gap in literature. If that takes 3 years, so be it, but its much easier to write a 2 page proposal that outlines half a year to a year, in my opinion. Seeing as most people who apply for the GRF haven't even worked on a project for that long.  

It depends on the programs you apply to and the professors you are interested in working with. A few professors I talked to said that they would be concerned with a score below 50th percentile. The GRE writing section is a standard five paragraph essay for basic argumentation, which is something you'll use in your research writing, even if it isn't as simplistic. So, I think you should "study" in the sense that you read through higher scoring essay examples from the ETS website. I think it is the easiest section to study for, if you are a native English speaker and have a basic grasp on the five paragraph essay format.

I think educational BI stuff makes more sense in the personal statement than the research statement, but I guess it depends on what you say. You've got plenty of time to mull it over. Hope all this helps.

The purpose of the research proposal is not to lay out an entire dissertation but to prove that you can think critically, logically, and plan feasible and significant research projects.

We had panel reviews of our GRF proposals in class today and I got a great review from my classmates! So, any guilt I had about not working as many hours as my classmates is gone, because I am still producing high quality work. Great way to start the weekend.

I'd also suggest that even though you might complete a PhD in 3 years; you might not be intellectually ready for the rigors of what comes next. Doing and PhD and running your own research program both have their difficulties, but its important to remember that you will not have your advisors guidance when running your own program. Often, advisors at my school(earth science) will offer their students a 1 year research assistantship after the end of their 5 year degree to let them work on getting top post docs/ faculty positions. Its important to remember that the progress/intelligence/craftness of a PhD student over the years does not increase linearly, but exponentially: students who spend 5 years in graduate school will tend to be better trained than students who only spend 3. Of course, there are exceptions (and you may very well be one, I am not placing any kind of value judgment), but think about what you want to do at the end if raise this concern with your advisors/future advisors. 

It's Max Planck, for God's sake.

1-2 sentences is fine. I included an entire paragraph (about 7 sentences if I remember correctly) on events prior to college and how they shaped my motivation to pursue research as an undergraduate. One of the first conversations my current advisor and I had was about those experiences, because he likes to see a lifelong drive. Especially since your experience is research at a well known university, I think it is fine to include it. We have high school students in our lab every once in a while; the entire goal is to inspire them to continue research, not to get advanced lab help. I would refrain from spending more than a few sentences, unless you produced something substantial, however.

You can include this. It is still research experience and it influenced your decision to pursue a higher research degree.

First off, anything optional you submit should strengthen your application. If it adds nothing (or worse, if it would hurt your application) then don't submit it. Now, you need to decide if you could create a website that would be impressive and convince the adcom that you have acquired these new skills. It sounds like you're not so sure you could do that. You could try to put something together, but get a professor to look at it and only submit a link if the professor tells you it's impressive enough.
 
Second, I think the best way to show the adcom that you're learning these new skills is to talk about it in your SOP and to ask one of your recommenders to mention it in their letter. A website could support that, but I think you'll be fine without it too.

I pay for 50mbps internet through Comcast and it has been below 1mbps consistently today and I've had issues the past couple days on top of that. I went through all of their advice to get my internet back up, but all I get when I call customer service is "We can't tell you why you have this problem because we are having trouble getting into our system". Well, I'm so glad you're incompetent; I want money back for my lost work time.

puhleaze

Join a club on campus (or off) for a hobby not related to your research. I joined a League of Legends club on campus, and even though we only meet once a week, it makes me feel more connected with other students on campus outside of my lab group. You need to have a hobby that you can hold onto when your research gets rough.

Classes and grades in classes are the least important part of a PhD program. They exist to make sure that everyone in the cohort has roughly the same level of knowledge...but it is the research that people will care about once you're done with the PhD. Besides, they only last for 1 year, and you'll have to take coursework & classes where-ever you do your PhD. Are you concerned that your aren't coming across as super-intelligent in front of your classmates, because you don't know the material as well as they do? Sod 'em. I doubt anyone cares.  
 
If the first year courses are the only reason you want to leave the program, I'd strongly advise you to stay. There are plenty of reasons that you should leave a program (bad fit with PI, lack of research opportunities/funding, crappy location, change of mind about career path)...the coursework is not one. 

Did you not know this going in? Why not?

I had a stretch a few weeks ago when I felt really lost in my program. I seem to have more free time than everyone else in my cohort because I don't TA and I don't have to run experiments until summer because of the nature of my research. I have to go to Costa Rica to do anything, so of course I can't be there while I'm taking classes on campus.

I finally realized that it doesn't matter what other students in my program are doing. My job for now is to read and think. I don't have a lot of work that has a tangible result, but who cares?

I'm starting to recognize that it's okay to not always be busy. I get my work done in about 40-50 hours per week and then I relax by playing video games for hours upon hours in my free time. I think one of my best choices this semester has been to join a game club on campus that meets from 8 until midnight on Thursdays. I've made some good friends who will hang out with me when I need to relax. I am also producing work equal to (or greater than in some cases) my peers' work when we do have proposals due, and my plans are still on track for graduation in 5 years even allowing for unexpected problems. As long as I'm not falling behind, I'll keep letting myself enjoy my free time.

To anyone else who was in my situation a few weeks ago, remember to enjoy grad school. Remember to live your life and not treat this as years of torture before you begin your real life with a job. It's okay to have free time and not always be busy. Take a few minutes at the end of each day to be proud of where you are and your accomplishments.

Also, as a side note, don't overload yourself because you think it's what you're supposed to do. And don't worry about perfect grades. In most cases, your program is about research more than courses. So stay focused on that. In my case, I give myself a certain number of hours for a course task and whatever I end up with is what I submit even if I get a B instead of an A.

I had a stretch a few weeks ago when I felt really lost in my program. I seem to have more free time than everyone else in my cohort because I don't TA and I don't have to run experiments until summer because of the nature of my research. I have to go to Costa Rica to do anything, so of course I can't be there while I'm taking classes on campus.

I finally realized that it doesn't matter what other students in my program are doing. My job for now is to read and think. I don't have a lot of work that has a tangible result, but who cares?

I'm starting to recognize that it's okay to not always be busy. I get my work done in about 40-50 hours per week and then I relax by playing video games for hours upon hours in my free time. I think one of my best choices this semester has been to join a game club on campus that meets from 8 until midnight on Thursdays. I've made some good friends who will hang out with me when I need to relax. I am also producing work equal to (or greater than in some cases) my peers' work when we do have proposals due, and my plans are still on track for graduation in 5 years even allowing for unexpected problems. As long as I'm not falling behind, I'll keep letting myself enjoy my free time.

To anyone else who was in my situation a few weeks ago, remember to enjoy grad school. Remember to live your life and not treat this as years of torture before you begin your real life with a job. It's okay to have free time and not always be busy. Take a few minutes at the end of each day to be proud of where you are and your accomplishments.

Also, as a side note, don't overload yourself because you think it's what you're supposed to do. And don't worry about perfect grades. In most cases, your program is about research more than courses. So stay focused on that. In my case, I give myself a certain number of hours for a course task and whatever I end up with is what I submit even if I get a B instead of an A.

I had a stretch a few weeks ago when I felt really lost in my program. I seem to have more free time than everyone else in my cohort because I don't TA and I don't have to run experiments until summer because of the nature of my research. I have to go to Costa Rica to do anything, so of course I can't be there while I'm taking classes on campus.

I finally realized that it doesn't matter what other students in my program are doing. My job for now is to read and think. I don't have a lot of work that has a tangible result, but who cares?

I'm starting to recognize that it's okay to not always be busy. I get my work done in about 40-50 hours per week and then I relax by playing video games for hours upon hours in my free time. I think one of my best choices this semester has been to join a game club on campus that meets from 8 until midnight on Thursdays. I've made some good friends who will hang out with me when I need to relax. I am also producing work equal to (or greater than in some cases) my peers' work when we do have proposals due, and my plans are still on track for graduation in 5 years even allowing for unexpected problems. As long as I'm not falling behind, I'll keep letting myself enjoy my free time.

To anyone else who was in my situation a few weeks ago, remember to enjoy grad school. Remember to live your life and not treat this as years of torture before you begin your real life with a job. It's okay to have free time and not always be busy. Take a few minutes at the end of each day to be proud of where you are and your accomplishments.

Also, as a side note, don't overload yourself because you think it's what you're supposed to do. And don't worry about perfect grades. In most cases, your program is about research more than courses. So stay focused on that. In my case, I give myself a certain number of hours for a course task and whatever I end up with is what I submit even if I get a B instead of an A.

I had a stretch a few weeks ago when I felt really lost in my program. I seem to have more free time than everyone else in my cohort because I don't TA and I don't have to run experiments until summer because of the nature of my research. I have to go to Costa Rica to do anything, so of course I can't be there while I'm taking classes on campus.

I finally realized that it doesn't matter what other students in my program are doing. My job for now is to read and think. I don't have a lot of work that has a tangible result, but who cares?

I'm starting to recognize that it's okay to not always be busy. I get my work done in about 40-50 hours per week and then I relax by playing video games for hours upon hours in my free time. I think one of my best choices this semester has been to join a game club on campus that meets from 8 until midnight on Thursdays. I've made some good friends who will hang out with me when I need to relax. I am also producing work equal to (or greater than in some cases) my peers' work when we do have proposals due, and my plans are still on track for graduation in 5 years even allowing for unexpected problems. As long as I'm not falling behind, I'll keep letting myself enjoy my free time.

To anyone else who was in my situation a few weeks ago, remember to enjoy grad school. Remember to live your life and not treat this as years of torture before you begin your real life with a job. It's okay to have free time and not always be busy. Take a few minutes at the end of each day to be proud of where you are and your accomplishments.

Also, as a side note, don't overload yourself because you think it's what you're supposed to do. And don't worry about perfect grades. In most cases, your program is about research more than courses. So stay focused on that. In my case, I give myself a certain number of hours for a course task and whatever I end up with is what I submit even if I get a B instead of an A.

I had a stretch a few weeks ago when I felt really lost in my program. I seem to have more free time than everyone else in my cohort because I don't TA and I don't have to run experiments until summer because of the nature of my research. I have to go to Costa Rica to do anything, so of course I can't be there while I'm taking classes on campus.

I finally realized that it doesn't matter what other students in my program are doing. My job for now is to read and think. I don't have a lot of work that has a tangible result, but who cares?

I'm starting to recognize that it's okay to not always be busy. I get my work done in about 40-50 hours per week and then I relax by playing video games for hours upon hours in my free time. I think one of my best choices this semester has been to join a game club on campus that meets from 8 until midnight on Thursdays. I've made some good friends who will hang out with me when I need to relax. I am also producing work equal to (or greater than in some cases) my peers' work when we do have proposals due, and my plans are still on track for graduation in 5 years even allowing for unexpected problems. As long as I'm not falling behind, I'll keep letting myself enjoy my free time.

To anyone else who was in my situation a few weeks ago, remember to enjoy grad school. Remember to live your life and not treat this as years of torture before you begin your real life with a job. It's okay to have free time and not always be busy. Take a few minutes at the end of each day to be proud of where you are and your accomplishments.

Also, as a side note, don't overload yourself because you think it's what you're supposed to do. And don't worry about perfect grades. In most cases, your program is about research more than courses. So stay focused on that. In my case, I give myself a certain number of hours for a course task and whatever I end up with is what I submit even if I get a B instead of an A.

My labmate and I aim for 4 papers each day. At 30 minutes each (assuming a more thorough skim), this should only take 2 hours. This is excluding papers assigned to us for courses, unless they are also very closely related to our research interests. If you read 4 papers every day, including weekends, you could have almost 30 each week, or about 120 per month.
 
Edit: I should clarify that this is for us to get more ideas about what we want to do our research in, as well as for general ideas about research in closely related fields. You don't need to thoroughly read every paper. Just get an idea of what they found or think is important.

When I had informal Skype interviews with POIs, we talked about everything you've mentioned. Even though it was redundant information, the Skype meeting was a good way to gauge how we interacted "in real life". There was a lot of small talk, and we discussed how the interview process at the university would work if I was invited. I was a lot more stressed out and prepped much more than I needed to. It was very friendly and less formal than I expected.