kcola

Do they publish # of applicants per discipline? I had never heard of NSF fellows until I was researching grad school I assume just about every grad student is interested in this, which makes one want to scurry away with tail between legs.

On the new exam we expect blank answers to be counted the same as incorrect answers." So doesnt that mean that blanks are not a good idea?

The Revised GRE. It is not CAT? I have Barron's New GRE (2011) and it says it is still CAT.?

So basically after talking with 2 postdocs and 1 advisor, i was told the nsf scholarships are a waste of time - its good practice to better understand/communicate the material you will potentially be working on but other than that- chances are slim amd you'd be better off working on gres, apps, etc.

Thanks! Do people apply before they are admitted to school?

is there a breakdown for how many awards they give our within a discipline and breakdown of applicants within discipline? Also, could anyone direct me to example essays, I;m a not sure how specific proposals have to be. I'd assume as specific as possible but still being able to link to the "broader impact"/picture.

Can you apply to more than one program in a school? How does that work? you mean something like Molecular Bio vs. Genetics?

Im a little confused at how they score the GRE. 1 book said you dont need to finish ALL the questions to get a good score. So why take only 1 min/question/time yourself? Another said you need to get through ALL the questions because the score is based on this. I understand the test builds off of easier questions gotten correct, but what is the correct strategy??

waht is considered early?

i have a similar post earlier... not much response

well i dont know if i have a poor probability of winning.. what are average stats for successful candidates?

I'll add that the 10% acceptance rate doesn't really explain the true competitiveness of the award... There's a lot of self-selection in who applies." Hm you mean that it attracts the best of the best?

Hmm. Thank you. Two reasons I am not applying (or shouldn't) to MD/PhD/MSTP is that they are super competitive and my stats are just not up there (think 3.8, ~35mcat), and I don't think I could handle 8+yrs in school. Otherwise, I would totally go for it as it aligns with my interests. But all power to those who do!

Oh: what is the difference bw MSTP and MD/PhD?

Hmm. I dont have the time or inclination to do a post bac since i really just want a masters. But thank you for the advice. Should I not apply to the masters, am I a poor candidate? I know i dont have my GRE so hard to say..

I meant those programs are not for someone like me who DOES want a graduate degree. The graduate degree will allow me to pursue research on top of clinical.

just curious, were there other options for you as far as other schools giving more money, or is it basically NONexistent for masters students?

yeah, Im just kind of confused, as there is no guarantee (I work in a lab and most post docs cant find jobs!!) at finding well paid jobs, how can they leave you out the dry like that? i def do not want to rely on loans, and searches for scholarships have come up short... >:

can you elaborate on this "1. the research proposal is not something you actually have to do, so yes."

I have some Q's regarding the NSF GRFP fellowships: 1. I am not even in grad school yet (did not apply yet), should I be thinking this far ahead for planning projects if I'm not even admitted? I know it's for admitted students, but if i get in, should I be hacking away at a proposal with my current PI this early? I'm confused about the timeline here... 2. How competitive are they per field? I would assume some fields are more competitive than others. Say, biological sciences? 3. What other grants/fellowships/scholarships have people pursued for master's programs? Thank you!

can you rewrite that?..

I'd like both worlds, research + clinical but i really do not want a PhD (thats insane amounts of time imo) like 20% research, 80% clinical if i can swing it. Also, having an MS (according to my parents) is a good parachute to catch me if I never achieve MD/DO. I have considered SMPs/post baccs..but i feel those are waste of time for someone who does not want to redo premed classes and also have a graduate degree.

Its in biology.

Ive done a bit of digging, sorry if this has been over done: I know phDs get funding, but what options are there for the "already in student debt up to my eyeballs from undergrad" masters student? I cannot seem to come up with too many google hits for "Graduate scholarships" that are NOT for Phds. I had such an easier time in undergrad finding scholarships. Whumphhh.. You'd think there'd be some kind of safety net for something that usually does not have internal funding?