snowblossom2

@sheet_music, You absolutely need to get an LOR from your undergrad advisor. There is no two ways about that. You can always write about your outreach activities in your personal statement mentioning the name of the CS faculty you are working with and the kind of work you are doing.

Your advisor would probably suggest you take the Fellowship since he/she does not need to pay for you out of his own funding. Fellowships like NDSEG are also prestigious awards and help with receiving future funding.

You can also continue working your current project if you receive the fellowship.

sje: It's perfectly normal. One of the goals/benefits of the NSF program is to give younger students more practice at this. Think of it as a learning process. Get help from your mentors on how you can narrow your idea down into a proposal. The reviewers divide the applications by year and are definitely expecting less sophistication from undergraduate seniors than they are from second year graduate students. The program also understands that your proposed project may not be what you're actually doing, so don't feel like you're being locked in. As long as you stay in the same major field, you're fine. So try your best, it won't hurt and it's a great learning opportunity and a potential funding opportunity

SeriousSillyPutty: For the NSF GRFP, your last chance to apply is in your second year of graduate school. They know that students in this phase have classes, so don't worry about that, it's perfectly normal. Also, with the GRFP you can choose 3 years out of the next 5 to take the fellowship -- so if you have other sources for funding for 'class mode,' you can apply the funds later. Don't feel that you have to though. The NSF GRFP is about funding the future scientist/professional and your coursework is part of that. I urge you to start applying now. As for other NSF grants, some of those may come when your research is ready for it or at other points in your career.

I'm curious to know if any alternates have heard back....?

It seems like you are basing a lot of your assumptions of the program and how it's run by the "tone" of the faculty member. As previously mentioned, often faculty members aren't in a position to offer funding (especially in the social sciences, whereas in the natural sciences, faculty often support grad studnets via work in their lab). That doesn't seem like credible evidence. Once you are accepted, faculty want to recuit you to pick their university. That's part of the prestige of the program, not only in the number and level of talent of their applicants/admits but also in the percent of admits who actually matriculate. Your offer letter should have mentioned something about funding. And it seems like they said you were being nominated for a prestigious fellowship. As others have mentioned, that doesn't mean you automatically get it. I also am less inclined to think that you saying "no" to the question about other schools heavily recruiting you made much of a difference. The faculty on the admissions committee read through all the applications and often go through multiple rounds to whittle it down to the admits - they talk about each case. For you to be admitted means they wanted you and thought you were a good fit for the program.

To answer the question from your original post - I've never heard of a program being unethical in funding offers (of course that doesn't mean it doesn't happen, just I don't think it's in the program's best interest to do so for their own reputation).

Also, I agree with previous posters re: dealing with the situation. Posting the detailed information you did would make it very easy for faculty at Temple or at your own university (if they read here, I don't know if they do) to know who you are. Just a consideration as you move forward. Good luck with grad school, and I'm sorry that funding at Temple didn't work out.

It seems like you are basing a lot of your assumptions of the program and how it's run by the "tone" of the faculty member. As previously mentioned, often faculty members aren't in a position to offer funding (especially in the social sciences, whereas in the natural sciences, faculty often support grad studnets via work in their lab). That doesn't seem like credible evidence. Once you are accepted, faculty want to recuit you to pick their university. That's part of the prestige of the program, not only in the number and level of talent of their applicants/admits but also in the percent of admits who actually matriculate. Your offer letter should have mentioned something about funding. And it seems like they said you were being nominated for a prestigious fellowship. As others have mentioned, that doesn't mean you automatically get it. I also am less inclined to think that you saying "no" to the question about other schools heavily recruiting you made much of a difference. The faculty on the admissions committee read through all the applications and often go through multiple rounds to whittle it down to the admits - they talk about each case. For you to be admitted means they wanted you and thought you were a good fit for the program.

To answer the question from your original post - I've never heard of a program being unethical in funding offers (of course that doesn't mean it doesn't happen, just I don't think it's in the program's best interest to do so for their own reputation).

Also, I agree with previous posters re: dealing with the situation. Posting the detailed information you did would make it very easy for faculty at Temple or at your own university (if they read here, I don't know if they do) to know who you are. Just a consideration as you move forward. Good luck with grad school, and I'm sorry that funding at Temple didn't work out.

@danmacg--
That you consider my response an exercise in "tough love" adds evidence to my interpretation that your situational awareness is the central cause of your dilemma. As for your perception of my tone as "patronizing," I think you should take the chip off your shoulder and do a better job of engaging with those posts in this thread that do not agree with your positions.

Moreover, I think you should consider the utility of:
STFU and not arguing with, or trying to correct, everyone who doesn't see the situation the way you want. You believe that you're a victim of "unethical" conduct. Others aren't so sure. How about that.
Working to understand the answers that you've received from the department in question. (And these answers include the silences.)
Doing the necessary introspection to accept those answers in the spirit they were given--like it or not. (The bottom line is that the department in question--for what ever reason or reasons--just wasn't that into you.)
Taking another look in the mirror and figure out the mistakes you have made and continue to make.
IMO, the mistakes center around unvetted (if not also unsustainable) assumptions about:
Your understanding of how an academic department works.
Your understanding of the "ethics" of the Ivory Tower. (Have you received formal training and/or informal mentoring on how things get done in an academic department? Do you have work experience that would give you insight as to the ethical issues involved?)

[*]Focusing on how you might handle similar situations in the future. This process includes:

[*]Being better prepared to answer questions like "What kinds of other offers have you received?" (Why weren't you ready to answer this standard question in a way that advanced your interests?)
[*]Understanding better that there's a big difference between interacting in a way that is "friendly, patient, and polite, and so on" and actually being "friendly, patient, and polite." (IMO, "so on," as well as some of your other word choices and turns of phrases--to say nothing of this thread you've started--are tells. There's nothing wrong with not being a "people person." However, difficulties and confusion can follow when a person who isn't a "people person" thinks that he/she is.)
[*]Understand better the differences among a promising conversation, a verbal commitment, and an executable contract.

[*]Not making allegations of "unethical" behavior on an open internet forum.
[*]Confining one's ranting to a password protected document on your personal computer. Or a journal. Or both.
[*]Erasing your posts in this thread, asking an administrator to deactivate your account, coming back with a different username, and then using the advanced search function to study the posts by experienced graduate students in your field as well as the posts of Eigen, ktel, Sparky and fuzzylogician.
[*]Scrubbing the internet so that a cached version of this thread can not be tracked back to you. (A great way to beat the competition is to find ways to hoist them on their own petards. Or so I've heard.)
[*]Accepting the idea that sometimes the best revenge is living well.


Later, I suggest that you consider the feasibility of reaching out to the department in question and the scholar in question and mending fences. As things stand, you have nothing that they need or want. Down the line, you might need their help. In subsequent conversations about the institution in question, I recommend that you phrase your experiences with the kind of understatement that screams "trouble" to those versed in the hidden language of the academic world.

As others have said, I'm very sorry this happened to you. It's basically an applicant's worst nightmare. You are now wiser, though, and learned a few lessons the hard way (i'm reiterating them for the benefit of all on this forum, especially 2013 applicants):

1. No matter what it seems like, I think it's pretty much always the case that programs mean more to applicants than applicants mean to programs. They probably did have fierce competition for that fellowship. Unfortunately, they have many "all-star" applicants to choose from and applicants only have a few (at best) programs to choose from. For this reason, I think it's safe to say that enthusiasm shouldn't be read into until you have a hard copy of your award/offer in front of you.
2. Financial aid could be a fuzzy area: what do programs GUARANTEE and to WHOM (everyone? some?) How many years? Some programs guarantee 1 year and then "unofficially" say that they have never denied funding anyone for subsequent years...ask around and see if this is true...ask this in interviews... get it in writing if possible WITH THE OFFER! It's strange to me that the financial award wouldn't be made with the offer. Though maybe I'm wrong.
3. Sometimes people are just shady. Even professors.

Again, I feel your pain. I would be outraged. But this is a forum where people learn from each other, so I'm just pointing out these lessons for others to weigh in and hopefully for all of us to learn something from this.

As you sort through the "whys" and "why nots" of your predicament, don't neglect the opportunity to take a long look in the mirror. From the information you've provided in this thread, your situational awareness and your ability to navigate the human terrain may doing you a disservice.

IME, if a graduate program wants an applicant to attend, it will find a way to fund that student. Is it only because of the alleged ethical defects of others that you went from having an opportunity--not a guarantee nor a promise--to receive a prestigious fellowship to being the guy who can't get his calls and email returned, or did you play some part in the dynamic? You assumed. You inferred. You concluded. You surmised. You planned. All without documentation that made it clear that you indeed had received the fellowship you wanted. So, is your dilemma the department's fault? Or did you simply make a terrible (and avoidable) series of miscalculations?

In post #16, you make a point about career management. You say political science is a "VERY competitive and difficult field." Okay. How does drawing a bull's eye on your back by airing a department's (allegedly) dirty laundry help you manage your risk and advance your career?

To be clear, I get it. You are frustrated. You feel like you've been burned. You want answers. You want vindication--if not also justice. However, having been around the block a few times in both the Ivory Tower and the private sector, it is my view that this angle of approach (i.e. venting in a public form and offering specific characterizations of established professional academics) may not be the way to go.

My $0.02.

Perhaps I am missing something, but it does not seem like you were misled here. I see that the professor said he was nominating you for a fellowship but it doesn't look like you were selected. I was nominated for a fellowship as well and unfortunately did not get selected. I got my financial offers in writing from my programs. I hate this is happening to you but it sounds like miscommunication more than deception.

Last year's forum has two posts on May 28th from alternates saying they ended up getting a Boren...I'm definitely still checking in here for updates...

I'm with yah, snowblossom2, but still having high hopes. Thanks for still using this venue to communicate

Brownwyed girl, where can I see that information? I haven´t found any such categorization in my fastlane account. Also, my external review is set to meet in a week from now? Should I take that as an indication that I will not get it?

I am in your boat, I applied for non-trad country and language. Let's just think good thoughts.

Hold that thought! I literally *just* found out I got a Boren!! Yay!

I think you got it wrong my friend. That is NOT, based on my understanding, what Fulbright is about. Your vision of Fulbright's mission is selfish. Fulbright is not about US as researchers or foreigners. The program is about others and our ability to interpret their vision of the world; our ability to put ourselves in their shoes in an effort to project another side of the story. As a prospective Fulbrighter, my mission is to listen, learn, and admire my population of interest. My mission is certainly not about me learning a new language or becoming less racist.

The spreadsheet shows two people have gotten "NO" answers... can somebody confirm that rejection emails are being sent out?

Someone named Jill just filled out the form. Jill, did you already hear your results? You said that no, you did not receive the award. Did you get a rejection, or are you just saying "haven't heard back yet"?

On another note, I'm fascinated that you picked Afghanistan as one of your countries. I didn't know that was possible. Can you talk a bit about your application? I guess it is good news to me that no Tajikistan fellowship applicants have so far posted that they received a budget email.

Sounds like all this waiting drove you crazy.

"Boren Scholarships and Fellowships provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to add an important international and language component to their educations. We focus on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study that are critical to U.S. national security."


Osama bin Laden = a significant player in U.S. national security interests.

Suck it up and deal with people talking about current events in a field that you SHOULD be interested in if you're applying for a Boren. Get out if you can't "stand" the discussion.

No. Just your yearly Fellowship Activities Report

Do you know when their review panel met? (the people who have already heard)

Reviewers read hundreds of these applications. Your take away from this is for next time, make the connection that much more obvious. It needs to stick out. Another thing that may have happened is that one of your reviewers is in the field you are proposing and you did not include his/her work. There is also probably a section in the reviewer's comments that are only to NSF (e.g. not available to the applicant) that may have other comments. They recevie thousands of apps and many of them are good. The job of the applicant is to make your proposal stand out and make each section and its connections obvious and clear.

Has there ever been a case where a person received a budget email and then didn't get the scholarship at all and was rejected?

I received a notification by email today that I am an alternate for the ETA in Ecuador.