NDSEG 2013-2014

[krahill]

Not sure how they view disabilities. Their initial reviews are all point based out of 100 total points. GPA/GRE's are lumped together and represent 25 points. I heard from a past reviewer that GPA of 3.7 and GRE's in the 80th percentile would get approximately 20/25, but that was from a different pool of applicants. The next biggest point items are scientific or research experience (20 points), research goals (15 points), and then references (10 points) and publications/presentations/patents (10 points), everything else is 5 points. If you leave a certain field empty, then you automatically receive 0 points…so helpful to put something in each field, even if minor to get 1 point. Now what I just said pertains to the initial cut-off (first-round) that are sent to the DoD agencies. I don't know how the individual DoD agencies look at and review the applications. They may just be looking for strong candidates doing research that is pertinent to their agency's current research interests. 

 

Thanks! That was helpful. I guess it's just a matter of playing the waiting game at this point.

[HERDERRCHEMISTRY]

Anyone hear anything today, just out of curiosity?  I too got the "you're still being considered!" email yesterday.

[shanks.k]

Nothing today. It seems to be based on academic field. I applied to the Aero/Astro engineering discipline. Anyone else also apply there?

[rightleftmiddle]

Nothing today. It seems to be based on academic field. I applied to the Aero/Astro engineering discipline. Anyone else also apply there?

I also applied Aero/Astro and got the mysterious waiting email but nothing else yet.

[Alikat380]

 I'm fairly certain that it is based on what DoD agencies have put forth the names of the applicants that they want to fund. It just so happens that many times one agency will select a handful of applicants from the same field because that is the area of research that the agency believes is pertinent to its current area of research. 

[bluebla]

 I'm fairly certain that it is based on what DoD agencies have put forth the names of the applicants that they want to fund. It just so happens that many times one agency will select a handful of applicants from the same field because that is the area of research that the agency believes is pertinent to its current area of research. 

 

When you're awarded, do they tell you which agency funded you? If there's been positive results from only a single agency then that would confirm this..

[Sawyer_Ford]

I am from the Aero/Astro field and heard back with a yes.  I was wondering with this scholarship is it worth it to make the jump to an elite school for engineering (Stanford, Mit, CalTech) to further your career?

[SirCar2017]

For those who still have their hopes up....

 

I was wait listed last year (as well as this year).  Last year they wait listed the same number of people that they awarded offers to... ie.  getting wait listed is almost meaningless, and it is highly unlikely that we will be given an offer.... :-/

[shanks.k]

For those who still have their hopes up....

 

I was wait listed last year (as well as this year).  Last year they wait listed the same number of people that they awarded offers to... ie.  getting wait listed is almost meaningless, and it is highly unlikely that we will be given an offer.... :-/

 

How do you determine if you're on a waitlist? I only received the 'still in consideration' email earlier this week.

[jeffleung1992]

How do you determine if you're on a waitlist? I only received the 'still in consideration' email earlier this week.

The consensus here is that this email implies that we're on the waitlist!

[StrandBeast]

The consensus here is that this email implies that we're on the waitlist!

Having gone through this last year as well, I don't think this is correct at all.  (That's not to say the situation is any better than a waitlist.)

 

We know there is an initial screening stage done by NDSEG to weed out candidates before the DOD sees the applications.  I think this stage is mostly formulaic and is the easy stage to make it through.  Then it gets to the DOD where they take a much closer look at each candidates.  This stage is not formulaic and is more of a holistic process.  This is the tough stage.  

 

The most likely scenario I have heard is that the "maybe" email means you have made it past the first stage into the hands of the DOD.  The fact that some acceptances have gone out means that one or more branches have gotten back to NDSEG with their selections.  In other words, it's not a waitlist and NDSEG is truly waiting to hear back from the DOD. 

 

But this is not an optimistic scenario.  I'm guessing the first stage filter doesn't weed out that many applicants.  Assume half.  If you knew you made it past the first stage filter and no DOD branches had gotten back with acceptances then the chance of award given this information would be double the normal NDSEG rate (10%), so 20%.  In other words, there are ~1000 applicants competing for 200 spots.  Now assume a branch of DOD has gotten back with their choices and they took up 200/3 ~= 66 spots.  Then we have (1000-66) candidates competing for 200-66 spots so that puts us at a 15% chance of success.  If on the other hand, 2 branches have gotten back then we're looking at (1000-133) candidates competing for 200-133 spots or a 8% chance of success.

 

Obviously these numbers are rough, but they give an order of magnitude idea of what this "maybe" email means for your chances and it's not something to get your hopes up about.  The fact that only one person reported receiving a fellowship from the legions of maybes list last year corroborates these ballpark numbers

[jeffleung1992]

Having gone through this last year as well, I don't think this is correct at all. (That's not to say the situation is any better than a waitlist.)

We know there is an initial screening stage done by NDSEG to weed out candidates before the DOD sees the applications. I think this stage is mostly formulaic and is the easy stage to make it through. Then it gets to the DOD where they take a much closer look at each candidates. This stage is not formulaic and is more of a holistic process. This is the tough stage.

The most likely scenario I have heard is that the "maybe" email means you have made it past the first stage into the hands of the DOD. The fact that some acceptances have gone out means that one or more branches have gotten back to NDSEG with their selections. In other words, it's not a waitlist and NDSEG is truly waiting to hear back from the DOD.

But this is not an optimistic scenario. I'm guessing the first stage filter doesn't weed out that many applicants. Assume half. If you knew you made it past the first stage filter and no DOD branches had gotten back with acceptances then the chance of award given this information would be double the normal NDSEG rate (10%), so 20%. In other words, there are ~1000 applicants competing for 200 spots. Now assume a branch of DOD has gotten back with their choices and they took up 200/3 ~= 66 spots. Then we have (1000-66) candidates competing for 200-66 spots so that puts us at a 15% chance of success. If on the other hand, 2 branches have gotten back then we're looking at (1000-133) candidates competing for 200-133 spots or a 8% chance of success.

Obviously these numbers are rough, but they give an order of magnitude idea of what this "maybe" email means for your chances and it's not something to get your hopes up about. The fact that only one person reported receiving a fellowship from the legions of maybes list last year corroborates these ballpark numbers

Thank you for that explanation; I think you are on to something. So there are four DoD agencies that are part of NDSEG. Which of them have gotten back thus far? Do the accepted people mind sharing which agencies are sponsoring them?

[troopiedoop]

Thank you for that explanation; I think you are on to something. So there are four DoD agencies that are part of NDSEG. Which of them have gotten back thus far? Do the accepted people mind sharing which agencies are sponsoring them?

We weren't told, or at least it wasn't in any of the documents I received. That information may only be released after accepting the fellowship.

[roboticsapplicant]

So....

 

Any idea when NDSEG will release more information?

[violtabletter]

I would have hoped today, being the day by which most grad programs require you to make a decision... but history, as written in thegradcafe results section, would suggest otherwise.

[nazema]

National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship Hello everyone,

Please note that the award process has already begun! However, we are still waiting on the list of remaining awarded applicants from the Department of Defense. Once we have this information, we will be sure to let all applicants know of the final decisions via e-mail.

We greatly appreciate all of your patience and cooperation on this matter! Please don't hesitate to contact us via email at ndseg@asee.org or telephone at 202-649-3831.

Have a great day,

The NDSEG Program Team

On the NDSEG Facebook page yesterday so it seems we could be waiting for who knows how long

[picabo]

I would be ok with waiting if I knew how to interpret the wait and the "you are still being considered" email. Is it just that some of the DoD offices/people are late in turning in the lists? (which means I have a chance) Or is it that all of them sent their lists of top choices (the folks who received the acceptance emails) and rejections (did people receive rejections?) and are ranking the remaining "meh" choices? (which means I need to abandon all hope).

 

*is getting more neurotic by the day*

[Alikat380]

I would be ok with waiting if I knew how to interpret the wait and the "you are still being considered" email. Is it just that some of the DoD offices/people are late in turning in the lists? (which means I have a chance) Or is it that all of them sent their lists of top choices (the folks who received the acceptance emails) and rejections (did people receive rejections?) and are ranking the remaining "meh" choices? (which means I need to abandon all hope).

 

*is getting more neurotic by the day*

 

It means that the funding agencies have not given them their list of "first choices" for their allotment of awards. I was specifically told when I asked about it that not all of the awards have been given out yet. So, the "you are still being considered" means being considered for 1/200 of the initial awards given. Obviously, it isn't 1/200 anymore because some of the awards have been given out, but you get my drift. It isn't a "wait list" scenario yet. This is a prime example of how the government works. ;-) Everything is monumentally slow!

[IA_ME]

Has anyone out there actually received a delayed offer after getting the "still being considered" email? In looking through threads from previous years, I have never come across anyone that actually received an award after receiving this email.

 

The ASEE sent an email in early April stating that the DoD would make offers by the 2nd week of April, but now the ASEE makes it sound like the DoD has not made their decisions yet. I am coming the the conclusion that the previous email is more of a delayed rejection that anything else. Does anyone have any insight?

 

Thanks!

[StrandBeast]

I seem to remember one person reporting receipt of an offer from the 'maybe list' last year.  It was mostly rejections.  It would probably be wise of NDSEG to remove the "we are pleased to inform you..." wording from their update email because it is often interpreted as "I am on the cusp of receiving the award".  I don't think there would be such hub bub surrounding the email without that wording.

[IA_ME]

I seem to remember one person reporting receipt of an offer from the 'maybe list' last year.  It was mostly rejections.  It would probably be wise of NDSEG to remove the "we are pleased to inform you..." wording from their update email because it is often interpreted as "I am on the cusp of receiving the award".  I don't think there would be such hub bub surrounding the email without that wording.

 

I agree with you completely. The vague communication by ASEE is very confusing and frustrating. I received an "honorable mention" for the NSF GRF, which is a bittersweet designation, but at least they only sent one cut and dry email and do not string you along.

 

I am also in the next state of the SMART application. I have had a phone interview, but I am wondering if I should expect to go through this same drawn out process with that program as well.

[karth]

Question: If I've already got the NSF (about to finish the 2nd year) and just received the NDSEG, do you know if it's possible to put the NSF on hold for a couple of years and accept the NDSEG?

[loginofpscl]

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/nsf12062/nsf12062.jsp

 

139. I received a GRFP Fellowship Offer and currently have a Federal Fellowship (DOE, EPA, etc.); may I accept the GRFP Fellowship?
     No. Starting with the 2011 Fellows forward, GRFP Fellowships cannot be concurrently accepted or combined with another US Government Federal Fellowship, irrespective of the Fellow's Status.

140. I received a GRFP Fellowship Offer and currently have a Federal Fellowship (DOE, EPA, etc.); what are my options?
     Starting with the 2011 Fellows forward, GRFP Fellowships cannot be concurrently accepted or combined with another US Government Federal Fellowship, irrespective of the Fellow's Status. You must decline the GRFP Fellowship Offer or terminate your current Federal Fellowship prior to accepting the GRFP Fellowship.

[greenparker]

I got the offer from NDSEG today, and I am definitely going to accept! I am in Statistics. I was curious about a couple of things, and was hoping somebody could help me out

 

1) Is it now necessary for me to continue research in what I proposed to do? How flexible are they about changing research (still working with the same advisor and at the same school)

 

2) Is it possible for me hold a teaching assisstanship at the department simultaneously. The NDSEG mention that they encourage students to pursue teaching resposibilities, but I am not sure how that is even possible for under 5k/year of their allotted money

 

Thanks guys, and good look to everyone else!

[smb888]

I got the offer from NDSEG today, and I am definitely going to accept! I am in Statistics. I was curious about a couple of things, and was hoping somebody could help me out

 

1) Is it now necessary for me to continue research in what I proposed to do? How flexible are they about changing research (still working with the same advisor and at the same school)

 

2) Is it possible for me hold a teaching assisstanship at the department simultaneously. The NDSEG mention that they encourage students to pursue teaching resposibilities, but I am not sure how that is even possible for under 5k/year of their allotted money

 

Thanks guys, and good look to everyone else!

Congrats, greenparker!