Pitangus

It certainly doesn't hurt to take the test and submit your score if you do well. My undergrad classes were my prep, and after taking the test I felt I was pretty well prepared. From what I remember, many of the test questions I encountered were covered in my Intro Biology classes. I remember Ecology and Cell Biology also being important. Following those intro bio lectures should give you a solid background. Also, you should get a practice test booklet in the mail after you sign up for the test, as Biohopeful said, or you can download it from the ETS site. You could use the practice test results to decide if you need to spend more time on certain topics. When taking the actual test, remember that your score is based on the number of questions you answer correctly minus one-fourth the number of questions you answer incorrectly. It's better to leave a question blank than to guess randomly if you are really unsure or are running out of time. I know I left quite a few questions blank, yet I still scored in the 95% overall.

Yep, I took the general GRE after the subject, and when I sent the general scores I just requested that the subject score be sent too.

I took the Biology subject test because I attended a relatively unknown undergrad school and thought the test might add some support to my biology background if admission committees doubted the value of my GPA. I don't think the test ended up being much of a factor though, at least not for me. I didn't study for it because I had to take the Biology Major Field Test (also produced by ETS) at my undergrad and figured it would be a similar test (it was). I have read though that quite a few people have used the Campbell's biology textbook to prepare.

I think what confuses people is that "deferred" and "reserved" are two different terms according to the NSF GRFP. What most people refer to as "deferring" is really called "reserving" by the NSF (accepting the fellowship when you win it, but not taking the funding for a year in order to use some other funding source). As guttata explains, you are allowed two reserve years within a five year award period. Deferring means putting off your entire five year award period, and that is generally not allowed except in extreme circumstances (e.g. serious medical problems or military duties).

My proposal last year was clearly meant to be carried out in a particular lab within my proposed program and institution (I mentioned the study site and the lab's previous work with the study system). Like dendy, I had worked for the lab previously. None of my reviewers expressed any concerns about this in their comments. Also, I used "I" throughout my proposal. I didn't think to use to "we" at all, perhaps because I designed a project that was different than any of the lab's current (or previous) projects, so I wouldn't have used data or methods from anyone else in the lab.

I followed listervs and boards related to EEB, like the ECOLOG listserv and the TAMU WFSC Job Board. There are also narrower listservs if your interests are taxon-specific. I found plenty of open positions and sent out quite a few applications. Connections are helpful for actually getting the job, especially if you don't have experience with all of the skills/techniques listed in the ad. I worked two really great field jobs that each had many applicants, and I'm certain I got those jobs in large part due to my references' connections to the people/group doing the hiring. Presentations and publications/submitted manuscripts definitely help. That's actually another reason why I waited a year to apply: I knew I would be presenting my senior thesis project at a national conference and preparing a manuscript in the spring of my senior year, so by waiting until the following fall to apply I was able to list that presentation and submitted manuscript on my CV. If I had applied during the the fall of my senior year, then the most I could have written was that I was finishing my thesis and planning to present it. I had a couple of other poster presentations to list, but they were at regional conferences and unrelated to my thesis work.

I took a year between graduating with my B.S. and starting graduate school to work some field jobs relevant to my research interests. It was definitely not a waste; in fact, I think my applications were much stronger than they would have been if I applied my senior year of undergrad. Unless you have a lot of relevant undergrad research experience, or are considering a non-thesis M.S. program, I think it only helps to spend a year working in your field. Of course, you can still try to apply to programs this year if you can get your GRE scores sent in time (I'm assuming you are planning to take them very soon). I just don't think you need to despair at the thought of having to work for a year.

I interpreted the short research title as being equivalent to the running title of a publication (the shortened title found at the top of every or every other page of the paper). For example, from the paper I have open right now: Paper title: A demographic model for a population of the endangered lesser kestrel in southern Spain Running title: Demographic model of lesser kestrels You can look at other papers for more examples. I think the goal is just to describe the main gist of your proposal in a few words. I can't remember what my short title was, but I know I tried to make it like a running title. I would guess that the short title is more important for the searchable database than the actual application.

The successful proposals on Rachel Smith's page (http://rachelcsmith....ademics/nsf.htm) all include titles, and most include the keywords. I included both in mine last year; I think they were required then (see screenshots of a previous year's application form here: http://courses.physi...astLaneHelp.pdf). But it looks like this year's form does not require you to include them. If I remember correctly, you enter the title and keywords in the application form so that they can be included in some searchable database of research topics. Presumably the reviewers will see your entire application form, so they will see the title and keywords on the form printout. I'm not sure about this though.

I just looked at my essays from last year, and I also put my name and the name of the essay in the header. But who knows if these little rules change from year to year. If I was applying again I probably would remove the header just to be safe.

Thanks for the quote vertices. True, I had assumed when I applied that reviewers on the Life - Ecology panel(s) were all ecologists in some capacity. It certainly makes sense, but I couldn't remember if I had actually read it somewhere. The program solicitation says "Applications will be reviewed by panels of disciplinary and interdisciplinary scientists and engineers and other professional graduate education experts," which I suppose is a bit confusing because it's missing the "relevant" aspect mentioned in the FAQ.

If you choose Life Sciences - Ecology, then all of the applications reviewed by your panel will be about ecology, so I can't imagine there being a bias against you based on field. Are panels actually made up of people from different disciplines? I assumed panelists were in that discipline, but I don't remember reading anything that clearly explains.

I don't think you need to cite an honors thesis itself as a publication, especially if you have journal publications or manuscripts submitted/in review/in press etc. Of course, you can still mention in your essays that you wrote the thesis, but I don't know if it's necessary to cite it in the same way as your in review/under revision manuscripts. I had submitted a manuscript based on my thesis research, and I did cite that and list it in the part of the application form that asked for publications, but I didn't list the thesis itself.

I did the same thing: I modeled my citation format after a "Brief Communications" paper in Nature, and put the references in a block. Also, I used 10 pt font for the references. I was not disqualified and I did not receive comments about my reference list, so I'm assuming it was not a problem.

This is my view as well. I'm a reserved person, and I'm really only comfortable with socializing occasionally on a one-to-one level (meeting one or two people for a snack or to discuss a class, that sort of thing). It's not just a case of shyness; I really don't need or want much interaction. So I'm not really out there attending big social events or trying to be friends with everyone. But I don't think I'm being exclusionary by not wanting to socialize at that level. Nor do I think I would be a bad research collaborator. I don't believe that socializing and collaborating are the same thing, and that you can't do one without the other. Like lewin00 and ktel suggest, it's possible for people to be professional and friendly without being friends.

I had a labeled "Significance" section for my proposal and for each research experience/job described in my previous research essay. I didn't have any titled sections in my personal essay because I figured a narrative approach would be ok for that one, but I did still have a small paragraph near the end dedicated to general broader impacts (basically the outreach goals for my career, not the specific plans for my proposal project). I think it helps to have broader impacts (past, present, or future) in each essay if you can manage it. I chose to include labeled sections for two of my essays because I wanted to really spell everything out for the reviewers and make it easy for them to remember stuff from my essays. One of my reviewers wrote that s/he liked how I identified and explained the significance (both personal and BIs) of each of my experiences in my previous research essay, so I guess it worked in that case.

I agree with guttata. Section headings are important, along with judicious use of bolding, underlining etc. I don't think every proposal needs to contain the exact same sections, but each should have some sectioning. No one likes to read a big block of uniform text, especially when they have a limited time to do so. I also think it's harder for reviewers to miss important aspects of your proposal if you have appropriate headings. That said, I would recommend a section for Broader Impacts also. My proposal last year had a section called "Significance" that described the importance of my study, including a subsection for scientific merit and another for broader impacts.

People who have graduated from undergrad but have not yet started a grad program fall into group 1 as well.

I have not seen this before, but I really like that she distinguishes between high and low hip. I never know what to measure/consider when guidelines just say "hips" or "hip region." So with that I think I'm a subtle A shape since my low hip is just a bit wider than everything else, and my waist is a bit too small for an I. I already considered myself slightly pear-shaped, so it looks like I've been following some of the suggestions already. Like longer tops/tunics. And belts. Belts on dresses, belts on pants... I belt everything. I still wear skinny jeans though (and not just with tunics); I think I'm close enough to an I shape to get away with them...

Haha, I'm 5'4"but my legs have always seemed a bit short to me. I can go about 4 1/2 to 5 inches from the top of my knee with the fingertip rule, but that is a little more than halfway up my thigh, so I usually aim for a couple of inches lower than that. As long as I'm touching fabric, and not just the hem, I figure I'm being reasonable. I also tend to prefer things with a bit of ruffle, pleating, or layering, so that they don't look too tight. Then I go out on campus amongst the denim diapers and feel pretty safe!

Me too, but then I remember why my closet is full of these skirts and shorts in the first place: anything that goes lower than the top of my knee makes me look like I'm a 7-year-old kid wearing her older sister's skirt. I'm probably close to the average female height in the US, but my legs aren't very long, and longer skirts and capris just don't flatter me at all. Most skirts/dresses I own hit 1 1/2 to 2 inches above the top of my knee, which seems modest enough and keeps me from feeling stumpy. I'm really just looking forward to fall weather though. In addition to my dislike of the heat, I also prefer pants or tights/leggings (under my skirts/tunics). My fall/winter items easily outnumber my summer ones, so I'm not loving the continued hot weather into the school year. I'll never give up my white shirts! I don't own any white skirts or pants, but I think I'll be keeping that tunic out until October...

I can't stand feeling hot, so I'll probably be wearing dresses, skirts, and shorts until the weather gets cooler. But whenever I wear something short I still follow the "fingertip rule" from junior high: when you stand up straight with your arms held at your sides, your fingertips should touch fabric. For tops I follow the "three finger" rule: if the sleeve/strap is narrower than the width of three fingers, then I bring a light button-up or something to put on when I go inside for a class or something. I have very small fingers, so this rule is pretty forgiving for me! Funny how I am old (and young?) enough to wear whatever I want, but I still find myself following "rules" like that. Speaking of rules: what do you all think of "no white after labor day"? I know it was still a rule for my mother's generation, but do young people today still uphold it? I think it's a little silly to have to put away a white sundress or skirt in early September, especially when it's still 80 degrees F outside until October in many places (even places that do get cold eventually), and of course white fabric is cooler than darker colors. I personally have a slightly-off-white tunic that I love and is easily wearable in fall weather, so the thought of leaving it in my closet until spring is a bummer. Maybe if I tell myself it's a "winter white"...

Yes, you should ask your professors now if they will write LORs for you. Once they agree, give them your list of schools and tell them you will be updating them on how to submit (even if the update is just to say "I have submitted my application to school X; you should receive an email with instructions on how to submit your letter online"). That is what I did, since I had one school that wouldn't send the LOR emails without a complete application. None of my letter writers indicated that this was unusual. I'm sure most professors just write their letters in Word or whatever, save them, then upload or mail them as needed.

Yes, the NSF GRF is external and not the same as fellowships that you get nominated for by your prospective department/school. You do need three recommendation letters, but you write the essays and submit the application yourself. And yes you can apply after undergrad without being in an MS/Phd program already. I graduated with my B.S. in Spring 2011 and applied for the GRF during the 2011-2012 cycle (at the same time I was applying to PhD programs).

For the past four years I've been using a Timbuk2 messenger bag that I received as a gift, and I plan to keep using it for now. It's got a variety of useable pockets, so it holds a lot, yet even when full it's not huge or in the way. Plus the back is padded so it rests against me comfortably. I've been able to carry my laptop (and power cord), a few notebooks and folders, pens etc., graphing calculator, umbrella, water bottle, and all my purse items at once. Mine is all black, which is versatile and professional looking, though I might have customized it with another color/pattern if I had picked it myself. It looks similar to this one (mine is probably an outdated model by now): http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/products/commute-messenger-2012/2238636