Tips & tricks- semi finalists & accepting the award

[Phase3]

Hi Scholars-to-Be!

I’m a Phase 3 scholar, popping in here with a few tips for semifinalist notifications and award acceptance.

Semi Finalist:
- Check the spam folder of your email! In almost every year past, my year included, basically everyone’s notifications went to their spam. If you were selected , there should be an email (or at least say so in your scholar portal!). They historically haven’t sent notifications for those NOT selected.

- Once you’re selected, the facilities interested in your discipline & degree level get names/resumes/whatever. The facility will then rank their preferences. Each facility gets a limited number of scholars (sometimes none), and it’s totally just up to funding.

- SOMETIMES semifinalists get interviews. Interviews aren’t necessary, or guaranteed! *If you don’t get an interview, you definitely can still be selected for the scholarship.* Similarly, you can get multiple interviews and not end up at those facilities, facilities that you didn’t put on your preferences can interview you, and you might find something you’re more interested in originally but usually there’s not an option to re-rank facilities.

-Occasionally if you’re selected for multiple facilities, SMART will contact you to ask your preference.

ACCEPTING THE AWARD:

- I didn’t get an email at first, but I did log into my scholar portal and saw the offer! I checked here for people talking about it, and eventually I got an email to my SPAM folder.

- Historically SMART doesn’t take well to requesting to transfer facilities. It’s very much a case by case basis and from my experience (I had to transfer facilities about half way through Phase 2/post school), SMART will want you to at least try out your facility. I say this as a warning- DO NOT accept the award if you really hate your facility.

- Go through this forum and look at the debtors discord. If you’re on a thesis-based program, ENSURE you can finish within time. You do not want to be 4.5 years into the program, and end up owing back your tuition and stipend for the past 5 years due to not graduating on time. SMART can grant extensions but they aren’t guaranteed! And 5 years is the MAX. If you’re at risk of GPA slipping, don’t accept the award. If you’re going to hate your facility and not want to move to Oklahoma, Alabama, Nebraska, Ohio, or wherever, don’t accept the award. Or do, but remember what you have to pay back if you leave!



I’d love to answer questions!

[Guest]

What was the timetable like? When did you hear you had been selected or moved up?

[Phase3]

It’s been a while so give or take a week or two.

Applied August 2018, heard I was a semifinalist in early 2019 (I think February).

Award notifications went out the first week of April 2019! We had a few weeks to accept, DO NOT MISS THE ACCEPTANCE DEADLINE. It will say when you need to accept in the award portal.

There was a second round of awards after round 1 accepted/rejected their awards. This was late May.

Funding started in August of each year for the stipend and for the whole school year. Since my internship was across the country, they gave extra $$ month by month (it’s like $1,000/week for housing). It was NOT upfront so budget for housing.

After graduation most folks had to wait a month or two for placement, my year being weird with COVID. Some struggled more than others.

Your service commitment is X amount of years from the day you START at your facility.