redeye

A former GRF reviewer in our department said that each panelist's scores are standardized based on how lenient or difficult they are overall. So, if your application is being reviewed by a hard ass as "good" or "very good", that might mean "excellent" to another reviewer and it is weighted accordingly.

Have you read the essay advice from Philip Guo? It's an excellent resource, and he addresses your question: http://www.stanford.edu/~pgbovine/fellowship-tips.htm "I would strongly suggest writing a proposal that's somehow based on work that you have already done, so that you can tie it in with your Previous Research essay (cross-references!!!). In other words, don't just make up some cool topic out of thin air. If you're not that excited about your current work and desperately want to switch to something completely different once you start your Ph.D., now is not the time to express your discontent. It's dangerous to propose a research project that's not related to what you've already done because it dampens your credibility. Show, don't tell."

Yup, I took 2 years off and worked in a lab (on a grant tied to what I'm doing now). I was eligible and I got an award.

I think the results would have to come out by May 1st at the latest...it's the deadline for acceptance, deferral, and declaring your intentions for the next year. I agree with jeeves also. I don't think GPA/GRE scores matter too much- it's not what'll make or break your application. I spent the most time on my personal essay.

Sure, I'm game. I've would rather send a PM than post about it for all to see...my story is long and winding, and I had to think carefully about how to address some issues in my essays. I'm in life sciences, if that means anything to you...

I got an award and did not send them my GRE scores. A professor here was reviewer for NSF GRFP a couple years ago and he said that most people leave them out...if you're not 85 or above percentile, they would probably hurt you rather than help you.

I'll send you a PM to talk to you about my strategy...

Let it be known that, even with an undergrad GPA of 3.3, I got an award. It is possible. Oh happy day!

**YAWN**

At least you had two HMs to build off of for this year, a good indication you're on the right track. This is my last shot I'm afraid, so an HM won't help me.

Word.

You know, I was trying to explain the same thing to someone today. Such a small, small distance between $0 and $120,000 with an HM...it would get to me.

I really have no idea. I have a strong publication/collaboration record (so strong recommendation letters also), worked in managerial role after undergrad, and I am proposing further collaboration with scientists in Latin America...BUT I went through some growing pains as a young undergrad, and I'm afraid that my old GPA and GRE scores will come back to haunt me. It seems like winners have flawless backgrounds. My goal was just to throw my hat into the ring and see what happened...no expectations. But after investing *so* much time on crafting those essays, I can't help but want it badly.

It's all in how you spin it, I guess, but I'm not holding my breath. Meh.

I don't know how they account for it. I changed fields from my undergrad as well (and took a couple years off to work), but I was told that "science is science" and that it was up to me to spin it to my advantage. So, I tried making a point that my experiences draw from two separate fields, I'm merging ideas, well-rounded, blah blah.