The Unofficial SMART Scholarship Forum

But out of curiosity, how important is work experience?

I actually called the panelist for smart on accident while trying to discuss internships, and she recommended i apply for the smart scholarship.
I have tried to meet with them but have been unsuccessful in my attempts. I hope you are right my friend, as this scholarship and the guarenteed internships would make my life.

Some of the statistics you're looking for are on the SMART website (or at least they used to be) in the same section as the acceptance statistics.

Here's a better tip for you. Instead of worrying about if you'll be accepted or not based on your credentials, TRY TO MAKE CONTACT. If you have a facility pushing for you, then you're pretty much in. Contact your selected SFs, and find out who's over the SMART selections. This can be a massive pain in the ass, but it can be done. Once you make contact, tell them you'd like to come in and introduce yourself, or at least set up a phone call. You can be statistically-mediocre and have a huge advantage over the other applicants this way.

From the employer perspective, the face you know is always better the one you aren't sure about. Plus, some of the old school guys appreciate the hustle.

Hey everyone. For those engineering and cs recipients, what were your qualifications at the time you recieved the award? Its always nice to get a standard of comparison. Id like to know your
1. Major
2.gpa
3.work experience
4. Veteran status
5. Phase two duration requested
6.anything else relevant.
I think it would help a lot for those of us waiting to find out if we will recieve it, and i feel it would give a glimpse into exactly what the DOD and smart are looking for.