Fellowships and Acceptance Rates..

Post Reply
bibimbop
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 1:16 pm

Fellowships and Acceptance Rates..

Post by bibimbop » Mon Nov 09, 2009 1:18 pm

So I'm hosed for the NSF app (due tomorrow) and if I finish it, it probably won't be as well-polished as I would like. However, on most grad apps they ask what fellowships you are applying for. Does it make any difference in terms of acceptance rates whether they see NSF there or not?

edit: I'm a domestic

User avatar
grae313
Posts: 2296
Joined: Tue May 29, 2007 8:46 pm

Re: Fellowships and Acceptance Rates..

Post by grae313 » Mon Nov 09, 2009 2:14 pm

I'm not sure what kind of a difference it makes on your application, although I think it can't hurt but also won't make a large difference if it does make any difference... however you should apply anyways because three times as many awards are being given out this year and the number of awards given in each discipline is related to how many people submit applications, so even if yours sucks you'll help some other person in physics get the award ;)

kroner
Posts: 217
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2009 1:58 am

Re: Fellowships and Acceptance Rates..

Post by kroner » Mon Nov 09, 2009 7:26 pm

Does the NSF really give fellowships to first year students? They ask some pretty specific questions about your planned research project, but it seems like without having started school yet or even knowing where you'll be attending it would be pretty impossible to give a good answer. Are the grants aimed primarily toward people who are settled in already, or is it ok to be extremely vague?

User avatar
grae313
Posts: 2296
Joined: Tue May 29, 2007 8:46 pm

Re: Fellowships and Acceptance Rates..

Post by grae313 » Mon Nov 09, 2009 8:16 pm

kroner wrote:Does the NSF really give fellowships to first year students? They ask some pretty specific questions about your planned research project, but it seems like without having started school yet or even knowing where you'll be attending it would be pretty impossible to give a good answer. Are the grants aimed primarily toward people who are settled in already, or is it ok to be extremely vague?
http://www.physicsgre.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2753

Yes, most applicants are senior undergraduates or first-year graduate students without a research group. No, it's not OK to be vague. See the linked thread.

nathan12343
Posts: 249
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 9:34 am

Re: Fellowships and Acceptance Rates..

Post by nathan12343 » Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:49 am

However, if you actually WIN the fellowship it might be worthwhile to contact departments you get rejected from since you will be free at that point.

That's how Sean Carrol (a Caltech professor) got into Harvard astronomy after being rejeced from Harvard's physics program.

User avatar
zxcv
Posts: 402
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:08 pm

Re: Fellowships and Acceptance Rates..

Post by zxcv » Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:36 pm

nathan12343 wrote:However, if you actually WIN the fellowship it might be worthwhile to contact departments you get rejected from since you will be free at that point.
Note that this still works. I know people at both Berkeley and Harvard who were rejected prior to winning the NSF.

terrence
Posts: 61
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:59 pm

Re: Fellowships and Acceptance Rates..

Post by terrence » Sat Nov 21, 2009 12:42 pm

A question somewhat related to this thread:

I am an international student, and I could apply for an external
scholarship. Unfortunately, the deadline is in February 2010, and
I will not know if I am selected for the scholarship before May 2010.
If I mention that I will apply for the scholarship in my applications,
could this help increase my chances of being admitted?

User avatar
grae313
Posts: 2296
Joined: Tue May 29, 2007 8:46 pm

Re: Fellowships and Acceptance Rates..

Post by grae313 » Sat Nov 21, 2009 3:30 pm

terrence wrote:A question somewhat related to this thread:

I am an international student, and I could apply for an external
scholarship. Unfortunately, the deadline is in February 2010, and
I will not know if I am selected for the scholarship before May 2010.
If I mention that I will apply for the scholarship in my applications,
could this help increase my chances of being admitted?
Probably won't make much of a difference but it can't hurt, right?

nathan12343
Posts: 249
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 9:34 am

Re: Fellowships and Acceptance Rates..

Post by nathan12343 » Sat Nov 21, 2009 10:06 pm

terrence wrote:A question somewhat related to this thread:

I am an international student, and I could apply for an external
scholarship. Unfortunately, the deadline is in February 2010, and
I will not know if I am selected for the scholarship before May 2010.
If I mention that I will apply for the scholarship in my applications,
could this help increase my chances of being admitted?
Again, if you actually get the external fellowship, then let the schools which rejected you know (if you haven't already accepted an admissions offer), this might put you over the top since you will be free.

terrence
Posts: 61
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:59 pm

Re: Fellowships and Acceptance Rates..

Post by terrence » Sun Nov 22, 2009 6:10 am

.
Last edited by terrence on Sun Mar 07, 2010 6:04 am, edited 2 times in total.

terrence
Posts: 61
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:59 pm

Re: Fellowships and Acceptance Rates..

Post by terrence » Sun Mar 07, 2010 6:01 am

nathan12343 wrote:
terrence wrote:A question somewhat related to this thread:

I am an international student, and I could apply for an external
scholarship. Unfortunately, the deadline is in February 2010, and
I will not know if I am selected for the scholarship before May 2010.
If I mention that I will apply for the scholarship in my applications,
could this help increase my chances of being admitted?
Again, if you actually get the external fellowship, then let the schools which rejected you know (if you haven't already accepted an admissions offer), this might put you over the top since you will be free.
As far as I understand, the NSF fellowship pays for 3 years, while the one I have applied to covers only the first year.
Do you think it would be worth to contact the schools which rejected me, if I get the fellowship? Perhaps admissionprof could give an insider's view on this matter.

Edit: I should know if I am selected for the fellowship in April, not in May; hopefully before April 15, but I can't be sure.

johnpauljones
Posts: 23
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:32 pm

Re: Fellowships and Acceptance Rates..

Post by johnpauljones » Sun Mar 07, 2010 9:48 am

I was wondering a similar thing; I was rejected from my first choice school (you can spoil the generalities of my question if you want by looking at my profile), but I'm still waiting to hear back about a fellowship application. If I don't end up getting it then this is a moot point, but if I do end up being selected for it, would it be considered tacky to contact the university I was rejected from and ask them to reconsider the decision since I would then have outside financial support (for three years, at least)?

I wasn't waitlisted, I was just flat out denied, so I'm not sure if it's an issue of funding or them feeling like I really just wouldn't do well in their program. Either way, insights from any actual faculty members who roam these boards would be appreciated.

mobytish
Posts: 102
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 3:44 pm

Re: Fellowships and Acceptance Rates..

Post by mobytish » Sun Mar 07, 2010 3:36 pm

If you've already been rejected, I'm not sure why you're worried about coming off tacky.

User avatar
grae313
Posts: 2296
Joined: Tue May 29, 2007 8:46 pm

Re: Fellowships and Acceptance Rates..

Post by grae313 » Sun Mar 07, 2010 6:22 pm

I've heard of this actually working before. Anyways, it can't really hurt.

admissionprof
Posts: 369
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 7:50 pm

Re: Fellowships and Acceptance Rates..

Post by admissionprof » Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:30 am

Hi. If someone has applied for a fellowship, it won't affect the decision very much. If they GET it, though, then it is a big, big difference, since funding is a major reason for limiting the class size. If you get a fellowship, contact the schools where you've been rejected and tell them. If you were "on the bubble", you'd have a good chance.



Post Reply