NSF GRFP 2009-2010

[Steven]

I can see putting refs in past research experience if you've got publications... but why do you have refs in your personal statement? I only put references in my research proposal.

In describing my "big picture" research interests and career goals, I refer to a couple of results that had a big influence on me and wanted to cite them.

I also make a couple of statements that might seem overly bold to a non-specialist without a literature citation. In other words I wanted to make it clear that it's not just me saying these crazy things.

As far as research experience, yes, my name is in each of those references.

[dalzir]

I thought the same as you when I first saw this thread - but I think they're talking about citations, not letters of recommendation.

Whew! I feel much better now ! Too bad your last writer backed out. That seems a little irresponsible on their part..

I included 4 citations/references that referred to a talk, poster, submitted manuscript, and manuscript "in preparation". My future research had 8 citations.

[iheartchembio]

So I am probably reading too much into it, but the website to view your rating sheets, which used to say something about being closed until results are available, now says "page not found" when you try to go there. Does this mean they are uploading the rating sheets to it?

[Krypton]

Or they just don't want people trying to log-in anymore when rating sheets are not yet available.

[bolani]

Does anyone else go to their status page(showing dates they received items) and their items were received AFTER the deadline? Like...transcripts and GRE scores.

I saw a few months ago that they didn't have my GRE scores and thought "WTF"...so emailed them. Then they told me that they just hadn't retrieved them from the GRE people yet....the next day it showed up in the system, but as "Received Jan 29th". I guess that isn't my fault, so not a big deal, but what do you guys think?

Also, my transcript is shown as "received on December 4th" even though I called them 2 days before the deadline and verified that they had my transcript. The woman I talked to ( I didn't tell her what school I sent it) said " Yes, We have a trancript on file from School X".

Is this just a "we didn't put it into the system until that date" type of thing/does this happen to other people?

Thanks!

[geodrake]

I had paranoia about my transcripts getting their late and called ahead of time. The lady I spoke with said they're used to getting the transcripts late, up to a week, and to not worry about it. Same is true for GRE scores, since NSF is pulling them, not us sending them. Though, since I didn't try very hard on my GREs to get into a Masters program, I'm thinking I probably shouldn't have sent them =P

Does anyone else go to their status page(showing dates they received items) and their items were received AFTER the deadline? Like...transcripts and GRE scores.

I saw a few months ago that they didn't have my GRE scores and thought "WTF"...so emailed them. Then they told me that they just hadn't retrieved them from the GRE people yet....the next day it showed up in the system, but as "Received Jan 29th". I guess that isn't my fault, so not a big deal, but what do you guys think?

Also, my transcript is shown as "received on December 4th" even though I called them 2 days before the deadline and verified that they had my transcript. The woman I talked to ( I didn't tell her what school I sent it) said " Yes, We have a trancript on file from School X".

Is this just a "we didn't put it into the system until that date" type of thing/does this happen to other people?

Thanks!

[Language Lover <3]

Who wants to make a guess about announcements? This coming week or next? I'm going to guess it'll be next.

[DrBones]

I'm sticking with this Friday. Here's hoping...

[iLikeTrees]

I'm hoping for Friday but really expecting next week.

I'm growing really impatient and anxious to find out and being disappointed with how some of my current work has turned out is not helping my optimism. :-( At least I'm already in a program with a great advisor and have a guaranteed TA slot as long as I need it. But I'd rather not need it and could really use some sort of ego boost right now. Darn thesis writing...

[Pavilion]

The longer I waited, I feel my chance is getting smaller...

[Rails111]

yeah...there's this little part of me that doesn't even want to find out.

[idontknow]

The longer I waited, I feel my chance is getting smaller...

Totally. Last year, they released some in mid-April and the rest of them in mid-May. I waited until mid-may to find out that I didn't get it.

Does anyone have a sense of what else actually goes into deciding one's chances of winning, other than the stuff they tell you they're looking for? I feel like my portfolio doesn't exactly stand out amongst the applicant crowd.

[Pavilion]

Totally. Last year, they released some in mid-April and the rest of them in mid-May. I waited until mid-may to find out that I didn't get it.

Does anyone have a sense of what else actually goes into deciding one's chances of winning, other than the stuff they tell you they're looking for? I feel like my portfolio doesn't exactly stand out amongst the applicant crowd.

That's bad...

I really hope I can get it; so that I can go where-ever I want... But I saw that there were only like 20 awards in my category last year, I felt like my chance is close to 0.

[Language Lover <3]

Yeah, last year my category only had 7, and they were all in the concentration I don't work in. Normally there are only 4 for my discipline.

I keep wavering between feeling like my application is strong and feeling like I don't really have a chance because of my concentration and other smaller things... We'll see, I suppose! The announcement can't get here soon enough!

[frenchpress]

I only had one reference. If there's some secret formula that decreases one's score based on paucity of referenced works, then I guess I'm effed

[kogia.breviceps]

Ugh- my boyfriend got one last year (and I have two other friends who have one).

I have a snowball's chance in hell at this point (besides, I was already rejected to the school where I based my proposal on anyway...)

[cogneuroforfun]

I have a snowball's chance in hell at this point (besides, I was already rejected to the school where I based my proposal on anyway...)

That doesn't matter at all. As long as you are in the same general field as you applied to do, they're happy. So if you don't get it, you at least know its something besides that that you can improve for next year!

[UnlikelyGrad]

At least I'm already in a program with a great advisor and have a guaranteed TA slot as long as I need it. But I'd rather not need it and could really use some sort of ego boost right now.

You took the words right out of my mouth.

[Language Lover <3]

These last few days of March are dragging by soooo slowly...

[meankney]

So I am probably reading too much into it, but the website to view your rating sheets, which used to say something about being closed until results are available, now says "page not found" when you try to go there. Does this mean they are uploading the rating sheets to it?

Last year they said this:

"Trying to logon to the rating sheets (or requesting a lost password) goes to a 404 [page not found?] now, rather than going to "Access to rating sheets is now closed"."

right before they found out about awards a couple days later.

[meankney]

These last few days of March are dragging by soooo slowly...

I agree! I just want to know, even if I didn't receive an award. I'm the most impatient person ever!

[DrBones]

So it has begun. Last night I had, albeit about two weeks later than last year, my first dream about the award notifications. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to see if I received one. The list was posted, but I couldn't get to the right page of the list in time. I woke up, promptly to realize that I don't have ESP. Oh well...

[UnlikelyGrad]

So it has begun. Last night I had, albeit about two weeks later than last year, my first dream about the award notifications. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to see if I received one. The list was posted, but I couldn't get to the right page of the list in time. I woke up, promptly to realize that I don't have ESP. Oh well...

I had one of these about a week ago...read here:

http://unlikelygrad.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/fellowship-decisions-must-be-coming-up/

[idontknow]

I agree! I just want to know, even if I didn't receive an award. I'm the most impatient person ever!

For sure. I want to know already so I can move forward on deciding a lot of things. Like how I'm going to go about my living situation for next year, among many other things.

[iLikeTrees]

For sure. I want to know already so I can move forward on deciding a lot of things. Like how I'm going to go about my living situation for next year, among many other things.

Same here, except I've already signed a lease for a new apartment that will require me to be a lot more frugal if I don't get an NSF or DOE fellowship. I had hoped to wait until I'd knew more before making a decision, but circumstances wouldn't let me wait. I'll just have to make it work somehow one way or the other. I won't be eligible for the GRFP next year, but I guess it'll be an extra incentive for other fellowships if this year doesn't work.