Brad Miller Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 So when I was an undergrad, I joined a few different volunteer tutoring groups that helped underrepresented and disadvantaged students. I was part of each one for about a semester each. However, I did not make any friends with the fellow tutors so only a few of them even remember me. When you submit the NSF fellowship application, don't you need to provide the contact info of an officer from one of the volunteer groups? How else can they verify that you were even part of that group? fluffy and Damis 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t_ruth Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 I've never heard that you have to do that. I have volunteer experiences listed on my CV and I didn't provide any of that info... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Miller Posted April 30, 2011 Author Share Posted April 30, 2011 I've never heard that you have to do that. I have volunteer experiences listed on my CV and I didn't provide any of that info... well its nice that I don't have to go thru the hassle of listing the contact info from any of my old officers. But if thats the case, then anyone can just lie about having prior volunteer and outreach experience, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKJen Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 well its nice that I don't have to go thru the hassle of listing the contact info from any of my old officers. But if thats the case, then anyone can just lie about having prior volunteer and outreach experience, right? Well, sure they can. Anyone can do that for anything. But just like any other application, there are consequences if you are found out; sometimes many, many years after the fact when careers have been established. And in the case of an NSF fellowship, if they were to find out, it'd probably a literal federal offense what with the defrauding funds from the government and all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnpull2 Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Also, I think the purpose of the broader impact is not volunteer work that you have done in the past but how your research will impact society. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Miller Posted May 1, 2011 Author Share Posted May 1, 2011 Well, sure they can. Anyone can do that for anything. But just like any other application, there are consequences if you are found out; sometimes many, many years after the fact when careers have been established. And in the case of an NSF fellowship, if they were to find out, it'd probably a literal federal offense what with the defrauding funds from the government and all. I see. I didn't fill out any paperwork or contracts, for some of those volunteer groups, that provides proof that I joined some of those groups. So I guess the only 'proof' I have will have to rely on previous members remembering me or someone still having copies of the email messages I sent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
husky Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 They don't ask for proof, but if one of your recommendation letters makes mention of your volunteer experience, then that goes a long way. When I chose my recommendation writers I chose a research adviser, a professor, and the supervisor of the outreach program that I am a member of. It's a good idea to show IM an BI in both your essays as well as in your recommendation letters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Miller Posted May 1, 2011 Author Share Posted May 1, 2011 They don't ask for proof, but if one of your recommendation letters makes mention of your volunteer experience, then that goes a long way. When I chose my recommendation writers I chose a research adviser, a professor, and the supervisor of the outreach program that I am a member of. It's a good idea to show IM an BI in both your essays as well as in your recommendation letters. I see. There wasn't really any supervisors of the volunteer gorups I was in, as they were all student-run, I think. Should I ask one of my profs who I did research projects with to mention this in their LOR? They'll just have to take my word for it as I don't think I can provide them with any proof of my involvement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
husky Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 I see. There wasn't really any supervisors of the volunteer gorups I was in, as they were all student-run, I think. Should I ask one of my profs who I did research projects with to mention this in their LOR? They'll just have to take my word for it as I don't think I can provide them with any proof of my involvement Normally, your professors will ask you to first write your personal statement and give it to them so they can better write about you. If you mention your volunteer work in your personal statement, then chances are they will mention it. I'm not sure how well you know your professors, so it may not be a good idea to ask them to say specific things. Most likely, they will just naturally do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jendoly Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 So when I was an undergrad, I joined a few different volunteer tutoring groups that helped underrepresented and disadvantaged students. I was part of each one for about a semester each. However, I did not make any friends with the fellow tutors so only a few of them even remember me. When you submit the NSF fellowship application, don't you need to provide the contact info of an officer from one of the volunteer groups? How else can they verify that you were even part of that group? You may be thinking about NDSEG, where it asks for name and contact info for everything you list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t_ruth Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 I gave each of my LOR writers a list of topics I wanted them to cover (so there was little overlap between them and I got stuff I wanted out there out) They all said they found this extremely useful. I didn't see their actual letters, and they weren't mentioned in my reviews, so I'm not sure whether it helped in the end or not... And BI is about your research, yes, but it should be a common thread throughout your application, including in your background. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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