Teaching Faculty Wannabe

@Moods I would contact the GEM rep and ask them how to proceed they may have a better understanding of what to do. Well at least I would hope so. They could always contact the department or give you their information to contact them. The only fear that I have with contact specific departments is that they may not know what the GEM Fellowship is.

Excellent recap of the discussion covered during the call. There's another one tomorrow at 2pm (EST) if you didn't have a chance to attend today. I counted about 25 or so students who dialed in.

Hey everyone I’m super excited to say I’ve been selected as a fellow. I didn’t get any correspondence or anything I just happened to check the gem portal and it said I was selected. I got a follow up email the next day. For those of you still waiting I was on “matched” till now, so don’t loose hope!

It was mostly a Q&A call, but at the beginning they mentioned the things you need to do in order to confirm yourself as a GEM Full Fellow, such as send in your transcript, post the professional photo, get a letter from your employer and give it to GEM, and accept a university. All of that stuff you can find in the email they send a few weeks ago. Also, a couple answers they gave that I found useful.
1. If the schools that you applied to haven't verified that you are an applicant by Feb. 1st, contact GEM and let them know. They will try to get you verified, but there are no guarantees. Also, a week or so before this due date, you can contact the GEM Rep for that specific school to ask about your application's verification.
2. GEM is stackable with other fellowships. You have to ask the other fellowships you may receive if they can be combined with the GEM Fellowship.
3. The only way you can become a full fellow is that you have both a employer sponsor and a university sponsor. If you don't have an employer, then you still have a chance of getting the other two fellowships. However, if you don't have a university sponsor, you can't get any fellowship and have to give up your internship.
4. For the first year, PhD students get a $16,000 stipdend from GEM, which will be given directly to the university and will be paid out to the student in two terms. The university gives you the money the form they want, such as cash, check, or direct deposit. The university can give you more money than that stipend amount your first year, but it all depends on the university and your agreement with them. Years 2-5, you will receive a stipend from the university only. If your a full fellow,  tuition and fees will be paid for those fives years.
5. Make sure that you stay in good standing with your university. For PhD students, the minimum GPA you need in order to keep the GEM Fellowship is 3.0, however the minimum GPA you need to stay in good standing with your university may be higher. If you aren't in good standing with the university, you can't keep the fellowship.
I hope this helps!

Aww thanks, that really means a lot to me!! Go materials science nerds!!!

It was mostly a Q&A call, but at the beginning they mentioned the things you need to do in order to confirm yourself as a GEM Full Fellow, such as send in your transcript, post the professional photo, get a letter from your employer and give it to GEM, and accept a university. All of that stuff you can find in the email they send a few weeks ago. Also, a couple answers they gave that I found useful.
1. If the schools that you applied to haven't verified that you are an applicant by Feb. 1st, contact GEM and let them know. They will try to get you verified, but there are no guarantees. Also, a week or so before this due date, you can contact the GEM Rep for that specific school to ask about your application's verification.
2. GEM is stackable with other fellowships. You have to ask the other fellowships you may receive if they can be combined with the GEM Fellowship.
3. The only way you can become a full fellow is that you have both a employer sponsor and a university sponsor. If you don't have an employer, then you still have a chance of getting the other two fellowships. However, if you don't have a university sponsor, you can't get any fellowship and have to give up your internship.
4. For the first year, PhD students get a $16,000 stipdend from GEM, which will be given directly to the university and will be paid out to the student in two terms. The university gives you the money the form they want, such as cash, check, or direct deposit. The university can give you more money than that stipend amount your first year, but it all depends on the university and your agreement with them. Years 2-5, you will receive a stipend from the university only. If your a full fellow,  tuition and fees will be paid for those fives years.
5. Make sure that you stay in good standing with your university. For PhD students, the minimum GPA you need in order to keep the GEM Fellowship is 3.0, however the minimum GPA you need to stay in good standing with your university may be higher. If you aren't in good standing with the university, you can't keep the fellowship.
I hope this helps!

It was mostly a Q&A call, but at the beginning they mentioned the things you need to do in order to confirm yourself as a GEM Full Fellow, such as send in your transcript, post the professional photo, get a letter from your employer and give it to GEM, and accept a university. All of that stuff you can find in the email they send a few weeks ago. Also, a couple answers they gave that I found useful.
1. If the schools that you applied to haven't verified that you are an applicant by Feb. 1st, contact GEM and let them know. They will try to get you verified, but there are no guarantees. Also, a week or so before this due date, you can contact the GEM Rep for that specific school to ask about your application's verification.
2. GEM is stackable with other fellowships. You have to ask the other fellowships you may receive if they can be combined with the GEM Fellowship.
3. The only way you can become a full fellow is that you have both a employer sponsor and a university sponsor. If you don't have an employer, then you still have a chance of getting the other two fellowships. However, if you don't have a university sponsor, you can't get any fellowship and have to give up your internship.
4. For the first year, PhD students get a $16,000 stipdend from GEM, which will be given directly to the university and will be paid out to the student in two terms. The university gives you the money the form they want, such as cash, check, or direct deposit. The university can give you more money than that stipend amount your first year, but it all depends on the university and your agreement with them. Years 2-5, you will receive a stipend from the university only. If your a full fellow,  tuition and fees will be paid for those fives years.
5. Make sure that you stay in good standing with your university. For PhD students, the minimum GPA you need in order to keep the GEM Fellowship is 3.0, however the minimum GPA you need to stay in good standing with your university may be higher. If you aren't in good standing with the university, you can't keep the fellowship.
I hope this helps!

It was mostly a Q&A call, but at the beginning they mentioned the things you need to do in order to confirm yourself as a GEM Full Fellow, such as send in your transcript, post the professional photo, get a letter from your employer and give it to GEM, and accept a university. All of that stuff you can find in the email they send a few weeks ago. Also, a couple answers they gave that I found useful.
1. If the schools that you applied to haven't verified that you are an applicant by Feb. 1st, contact GEM and let them know. They will try to get you verified, but there are no guarantees. Also, a week or so before this due date, you can contact the GEM Rep for that specific school to ask about your application's verification.
2. GEM is stackable with other fellowships. You have to ask the other fellowships you may receive if they can be combined with the GEM Fellowship.
3. The only way you can become a full fellow is that you have both a employer sponsor and a university sponsor. If you don't have an employer, then you still have a chance of getting the other two fellowships. However, if you don't have a university sponsor, you can't get any fellowship and have to give up your internship.
4. For the first year, PhD students get a $16,000 stipdend from GEM, which will be given directly to the university and will be paid out to the student in two terms. The university gives you the money the form they want, such as cash, check, or direct deposit. The university can give you more money than that stipend amount your first year, but it all depends on the university and your agreement with them. Years 2-5, you will receive a stipend from the university only. If your a full fellow,  tuition and fees will be paid for those fives years.
5. Make sure that you stay in good standing with your university. For PhD students, the minimum GPA you need in order to keep the GEM Fellowship is 3.0, however the minimum GPA you need to stay in good standing with your university may be higher. If you aren't in good standing with the university, you can't keep the fellowship.
I hope this helps!

@sgaw10 So, I have some advice from my experience with visiting the University of Michigan in October. It wasn't an interview, just a visit weekend, however I still had many awkward moments.
The first hour is going to be awful because you have to continuously convince yourself to interact with people. You don't have to be the person talking all the time, but engaging in conversation can be tough since you barely know anyone. However, once you get over that, I feel like it gets better. You will start finding people to connect with, and wouldn't mind being quiet around, especially if they are introvert themselves.
As people said, it will be exhausting. When in Michigan, grad students took visitors to a bar after dinner and some ice cream. Once we arrived, I was really not feeling it, especially after waking up at 6:30am that morning, visiting various labs, talking with faculty, touring the campus, meeting a lot of new people, and going to presentations. I was exhausted, but then these two other visitors I had talked to throughout the day asked if I wanted to head back to the hotel. I was like, "yes!". However, I feel like since where you are going to is an actual interview, I would have stayed for a little bit before heading back to connect with grad students and other applicants, if I was in your position. Don't push your limits, though. If you are tired, go to bed. It's good to make connections, but you also want to be well-rested during your interview weekend.
Also, remember that you aren't the only one who won't know anyone nor the only introvert that will be there. Everyone has to get over that initial hump of introductions, and sadly extroverts seem to have an easier time at this, but you totally got this! Good luck with the interview!!!

See title.

@Moods I joined in today! It was very informative! Asked some stuff that was on my mind lol

Thanks! Interested in batteries, thermoelectrics, solar cells.

It's been silent treatment for me from most schools. It's strange and unsettling, but you're not alone. 

i just heard back from a school today for the first time. it seems a lot of places are behind this year compared to last, especially for bioe

Feels like lots of news should come out this week...

GA Tech in December, and UMich around Jan 9.  UMich has already had a couple rounds of acceptances and there will likely be more.  GA Tech second round should be at the end of January.

Hi people! 
Undergrad Institution (approx. rank/reputation in STEM): Top 5 public, prestigious for both physics and MSE
Major(s): Physics 
Overall GPA: 3.48/4.00
Demographics/Background: US citizen, female

GRE Scores:
Q: 160 (74%) 
V: 154 (84%)
W: 5.0 (92%)

LOR: 2 Professors & 1 staff scientist (national lab) all from different research projects, though one prof is from research project in a different STEM field. 

Research Experience:  2 years research experience.
current project (2 years long): materials characterization using tomography, writing first author paper on this project but not published yet.
current project(2 years long): non-related STEM field project (started before i decided my career path)
1 REU this past summer, very energy materials focused super relevant
 
Publications/Abstracts/Presentations:
4 presentations (posters not at major conferences except for one)
1st author paper in progress
3 publications for non-related STEM project. 6th author on one (submitted), others much lower on author list (submitted).
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 
Prestigious scholarship for women in science at my home institution.
Best poster presentation award 
Fellowships/Funding:
applied for NSF GRFP
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 
2 part time jobs (non related)
Other Miscellaneous Accomplishments:
lots of diversity in STEM outreach!
Anything else in your application that might matter (faculty connections, etc.):  have contacted some profs (met/skyped with 2) but no promises!
Research Interests:
Energy materials
 
Institutions/Programs:  all MSE PhD's 
APPLIED (12)  - Northwestern, Berkeley, UCSB, UCLA, UCSD, Columbia, Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Uni of Washingtion, Oxford, EPFL 
didn't apply to safeties but hoping for at least one... will let you guys know

Thanks!!!!! ? Feeling a tiny bit better about life. Just a micron. 

My employer finally contacted me! Yay!

Thanks!!!!! ? Feeling a tiny bit better about life. Just a micron. 

ME TOO!!! ME TOO!! I hope to hear back very soon.. I'll probably give up after January though.. This impostor syndrome of mine is getting out of hand soon. 

"It's lame compared to a city, but it's not lame compared to a non-city."
The campus looks nice, and it's a party school, so "how lame could it be?"
^^ From my bf. I'm just itching to get out of town, lol. I don't really party or drink (turned 21 recently), so I thought the town was just so-so. My bf says there's lots of good places to eat, but I would say there are isolated great places to eat and no really good sushi joint in town, which is a crime. But there's an Indian place, an Afghan place, a Vietnamese place (soon two), and two really authentic Chinese places in town. (Also a family-run but only mediocre Japanese place). There's also several chain burrito and pizza joints, as well as an authentic Mexican place and other upscale dining establishments.
He's right that the campus is very pretty. The street layout is weird in that Main St. is a one-way street. As the university expanded I think they had to make new traffic patterns that are weird. The town is dominated/defined by the University, in my opinion. Makes sense to me, as the population of undergrads alone is like, ten times that of my puny home town. 
I'm not sure how to feel about our 'dance floor' restriction, but basically there's only one bar/restaurant where you're 'allowed to dance', which is because the town wants to lower the party-school reputation, I think. 
Anyway, there's more to say about UD but that's all I have in me for now.

@Moods That is awesome!!!! Congrats!

My employer finally contacted me! Yay!

Thank you @Moods! Your application profile looks great too, good luck!