NSF GRFP 2016

[gansito]

11 minutes ago, sierra918 said:

I'm fairly certain that only US institutions can accept the GRFP. I would consult with the NSF to be certain.

Thanks sierra, good luck! 

[VulpesZerda]

I hope it's tonight! This is by far the longest I've ever waited for a decision on something. I got accepted to my grad program in January after applying in December! That did not properly prepare me for this torture! Good luck everyone

[sierra918]

11 minutes ago, gansito said:

Thanks sierra, good luck! 

Same to you!

[otherss]

I wake up and this thread has exploded. Only 10 more hours!

To address the earlier comments, I feel like my personal was way more polished than my research proposal, granted I wrote the proposal a couple weeks before the deadline. I actually had to scrap the one I was wanting to do due to feasibility and I wasn't able to send the newest proposal to my letter writers. I also feel like I didn't connect my proposal and personal enough (or at all). I won't go back and read it before the announcement happens. Oh well

[mobilehobo]

Just now, otherss said:

I wake up and this thread has exploded. Only 10 more hours!

To address the earlier comments, I feel like my personal was way more polished than my research proposal, granted I wrote the proposal a couple weeks before the deadline. I actually had to scrap the one I was wanting to do due to feasibility and I wasn't able to send the newest proposal to my letter writers. I also feel like I didn't connect my proposal and personal enough (or at all). I won't go back and read it before the announcement happens. Oh well

I think it is important to try to connect both essays into one cohesive story, but more important to make sure each essay addresses intellectual merit and broader impacts enough. Your signature says you did the peace corp. That had to make for some interesting broader impacts!

[cwr]

4 minutes ago, otherss said:

I wake up and this thread has exploded. Only 10 more hours!

Just to clarify, how sure are we that it's tomorrow morning? 

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

1 minute ago, cwr said:

Just to clarify, how sure are we that it's tomorrow morning? 

Wow, long time no see!

The maintenance notification went up today, says it will be down between 11PM tonight and 6AM tomorrow morning. In previous years, it's always been down between 11PM and 3AM from Monday-Tuesday or Thursday-Friday, so we're pretty sure that it's tonight.

[cwr]

1 minute ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

Wow, long time no see!

The maintenance notification went up today, says it will be down between 11PM tonight and 6AM tomorrow morning. In previous years, it's always been down between 11PM and 3AM from Monday-Tuesday or Thursday-Friday, so we're pretty sure that it's tonight.

Hey stranger

Okay, cool. This gives me something to look forward to tomorrow morning, since I have to be up super early for a flight. It'll be nice to know, because I'll either get it and be done, or know that I didn't, in which case I can start working on the GRFP and CSGF for next year. Good luck, even though we both know you'll get it! 

[Neist]

1 hour ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

So here's a question to you all: do you prefer waiting for admissions when you don't know when results are coming out, or for the GRFP (for at least the past 24 hours), when you do know when it's coming out?

I'd much rather wait when I know.  

1 hour ago, pterosaur said:

Part of a figure and they get authorship?? That's crazy to me! Also sounds like advisors trying to make sure their undergrads have publications in matter what. 

Yeah, the chances of there being a lot of history of science people who are already published is ludicrous. How many humanities students are published? I grade undergrad papers. They are nearly always terrible!  

[CreamyDog69]

1 hour ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

So here's a question to you all: do you prefer waiting for admissions when you don't know when results are coming out, or for the GRFP (for at least the past 24 hours), when you do know when it's coming out?

When I hear back from Grad schools, I have a general idea from the results page, but it's a pleasant surprise. For this? This is torture. I know I'll hear back tomorrow and I have no idea what kind of news it'll be. 

[cwr]

Just now, Neist said:

I'd much rather wait when I know.  

Yeah, the chances of there being a lot of history of science people who are already published is ludicrous. How many humanities students are published? I grade undergrad papers. They are nearly always terrible!  

This goes for my field (experimental high-energy physics) as well. You either work on a major experiment (CMS or ATLAS) or potentially have publications in major journals, but not both, and you certainly didn't write the paper even if you're listed as an author on something in JHEP or PRL (two huge journals).

The rules concerning who gets author status on big experiments like this are so stringent that there are virtually no exceptions (save for an extremely small handful that are literally considered on a case-by-case basis and require all sorts of senior people attesting to how much work this person did, so these happen probably fewer than a handful of times each year). 

[Pitangus]

1 hour ago, pterosaur said:

I wouldn't worry about a lack of publications, honestly. I have none, but I've had pretty great success with fellowships and admissions. I talked to a lot of top notch professors about this when I was preparing to apply, and they said they put very little stock in publications for phd admissions (and I'm assuming it's similar here.) Their reasoning is that it's impossible to tell, from an author credit on a paper, what the student actually did. Some professors are more willing to give students authorship, and some research takes a long time to publish (or advisors are slow to publish, for whatever reason). So they all put way more stock in lettersf recommendation to judge an undergraduate's research ability then any publications they may or may not have. So don't  sell yourself too short!

It probably varies among reviewers, and I'm sure some think that any publications are automatic signs of significant involvement, but in my experience at least some of them do take the time to consider all indications of the extent of a student's research experience. When I applied I had no papers published, but I did have one sole-authored manuscript submitted, and my letter writers confirmed that I conceived and conducted the project myself and wrote the entire manuscript. Two of my reviewers said this was impressive, so it seems that just having that evidence of independent research was enough.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

4 minutes ago, cwr said:

Hey stranger

Okay, cool. This gives me something to look forward to tomorrow morning, since I have to be up super early for a flight. It'll be nice to know, because I'll either get it and be done, or know that I didn't, in which case I can start working on the GRFP and CSGF for next year. Good luck, even though we both know you'll get it! 

Yeah, I guess that's one way to get you out of bed

And I highly doubt I'll get it. I made a lot of crucial errors in my application and ended up submitting it the day of the deadline anyway, just so I can say I applied. Which is fine with me... I'm attending a well-funded program, so I'd rather see the award go to someone who needs it financially, y'know? You're probably saying that because I had such good luck with admissions, but I put my everything into grad school apps, but not the NSF...

Anyway, best of luck to you

[mobilehobo]

1 minute ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

Yeah, I guess that's one way to get you out of bed

And I highly doubt I'll get it. I made a lot of crucial errors in my application and ended up submitting it the day of the deadline anyway, just so I can say I applied. Which is fine with me... I'm attending a well-funded program, so I'd rather see the award go to someone who needs it financially, y'know? You're probably saying that because I had such good luck with admissions, but I put my everything into grad school apps, but not the NSF...

Anyway, best of luck to you

Have you thought about whether to submit next year or wait until year two? I'm curious on how people are going to make this decision.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

Just now, mobilehobo said:

Have you thought about whether to submit next year or wait until year two? I'm curious on how people are going to make this decision.

I haven't the slightest clue! What is everyone else planning on doing?

 

[CreamyDog69]

1 minute ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

 

4 minutes ago, mobilehobo said:

Have you thought about whether to submit next year or wait until year two? I'm curious on how people are going to make this decision.

I haven't the slightest clue! What is everyone else planning on doing?

 

Next year! 

[Neist]

Welp. Time to nab a drink while I wait. #BeerOClock

[chaparral]

1 minute ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

I haven't the slightest clue! What is everyone else planning on doing?

 

Two years from now. By then I should have 3 publications, at least. Also, I will have time to implement some of the broader impacts I proposed this year. That is the ultimate support for broader impacts, stuff you've already done!

Also I think this is a crucial transition time. Next year, I will be competing against 2 classes of grad students, whereas in 2 years there should be about half as many grad students.

Do y'all agree?

[Neist]

7 minutes ago, mobilehobo said:

Have you thought about whether to submit next year or wait until year two? I'm curious on how people are going to make this decision.

I'll probably wait until year two. At this point I have two extra presentations, and by year two I might have a pending publication on the exact topic I proposed.

[CreamyDog69]

2 minutes ago, chaparral said:

Also I think this is a crucial transition time. Next year, I will be competing against 2 classes of grad students, whereas in 2 years there should be about half as many grad students.

Do y'all agree?

I don't understand this logic

[mobilehobo]

1 minute ago, chaparral said:

Two years from now. By then I should have 3 publications, at least. Also, I will have time to implement some of the broader impacts I proposed this year. That is the ultimate support for broader impacts, stuff you've already done!

Also I think this is a crucial transition time. Next year, I will be competing against 2 classes of grad students, whereas in 2 years there should be about half as many grad students.

Do y'all agree?

Hmm, I think it also depends on how strong your undergrad app is. If you get HM this year then maybe next year is better. If you're like me with less experience from undergrad, waiting til year two and really working hard is better, I'd think.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

1 minute ago, Ignis said:

I don't understand this logic

Because only half as many grad students will be applying, probably.

[chaparral]

5 minutes ago, Ignis said:

I don't understand this logic

well next year, the first year graduate students from this year AND the undergrads from this year can apply (then they will be 1st and 2nd year grad students). For the sake of argument, let's say that all the 2nd year grad students apply. Why wouldn't they? Some of the 1st years will apply, and some will wait.

In two years, people will have to chose. The people who chose to wait (now 2nd year grad students) will apply, and some of the 1st year students will apply.

Edit: So next year, I will be competing against 1.5 classes of grad students, and in 2 years it should only be 1 class, lets say 1/2 1st year and 1/2 2nd years.

Edited March 29, 2016 by chaparral

[CreamyDog69]

3 minutes ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

Because only half as many grad students will be applying, probably.

As far as I know, you're still in the same pool of applicants regardless. Even if fewer 2nd years apply, you're still competing against the first years as well. So, with everything else being the same, your chances don't change. 

Edited March 29, 2016 by Ignis

[gliaful]

What time do you guys think the awards will be posted?

Last year Fastlane went down at 9pm and was back up at 12:42am (Mountain). I don't know what the stated "down for maintenance" notice was last year, though.