2012 Applicants

[Guest4Today]

LOL...

Figure we'll hear back just before the start of Spring 2013 Semester...

[SongEmu]

Whatever budget issues there are, I hope congress doesn't act moronic. The budget for SMART and NDSEG are less than single digit percentages of the overall DOD budget, and they're making a guaranteed investment in their workforce/technical capabilities in the future. Call me selfish, but I think we (collectively) are a more reasonable investment than some DARPA programs... and others... *coughJSFcough*

[SadlySmart]

I got a call from my DoD contact today. Seven people were recommended; five were supposed to be taken. There were major budget cuts and the facility ended up only getting one student. That one was not me :( Guess I need to find another way to get funding. Cross your fingers!

[Guestes]

I got a call from my DoD contact today. Seven people were recommended; five were supposed to be taken. There were major budget cuts and the facility ended up only getting one student. That one was not me :( Guess I need to find another way to get funding. Cross your fingers!

Which facility if you don't mind me asking?

[smart_hopeful]

I got a call from my DoD contact today. Seven people were recommended; five were supposed to be taken. There were major budget cuts and the facility ended up only getting one student. That one was not me :( Guess I need to find another way to get funding. Cross your fingers!

Yikes, those odds are no fun at all. I'm sorry to hear you weren't the lucky one; I really hope some good doors open for you in the future. In any case, if you're still going to be in school you might as well give it a try again next year. (If I get SMART or not, either way I'll be graduating in 2013 so I won't be reapplying next year regardless.)

If your DoD contact was right though, it does sound like the powers that be have finally come to a conclusion. Possibly an unsatisfactory one, but at least we'll all be hearing something official soon. Maybe.

[SadlySmart]

I would rather not say which facility, but I'm thinking surely most other facilities will be letting other applicants know something soon. Unfortunately, if I don't get funding I won't be going to grad school. I'm waiting to hear back from 1 more funding source. I did get to start a program through the school and DoD facility, but it's def not as helpful as smart would've been!

[Guest]

I got a call from my DoD contact today. Seven people were recommended; five were supposed to be taken. There were major budget cuts and the facility ended up only getting one student. That one was not me :( Guess I need to find another way to get funding. Cross your fingers!

I've heard a similar story, prepare for a MASSIVE budget cut.

[Realtalk]

I would rather not say which facility, but I'm thinking surely most other facilities will be letting other applicants know something soon. Unfortunately, if I don't get funding I won't be going to grad school. I'm waiting to hear back from 1 more funding source. I did get to start a program through the school and DoD facility, but it's def not as helpful as smart would've been!

What were your stats? I.e. field of study, how many years of support were you asking for, was your preferred SF local?

[smart_hopeful]

With the bad news trickling in, I think I'm now past the denial and anger stages of the last few weeks and am settling into a fidgety version of depression. Let's just get the stupid notifications out so we can get into acceptance. I'm willing to accept a good notification or a bad one, just as long as this waiting is done.

[me123]

With the bad news trickling in, I think I'm now past the denial and anger stages of the last few weeks and am settling into a fidgety version of depression. Let's just get the stupid notifications out so we can get into acceptance. I'm willing to accept a good notification or a bad one, just as long as this waiting is done.

Make sure you are speaking for yourself. If waiting means I get it, I'll wait.

[smart_hopeful]

Make sure you are speaking for yourself. If waiting means I get it, I'll wait.

Oh, of course. I just mean I'd prefer a "no" now to a "no" a month from now. But of course a "yes" a month from now would be vastly preferable to a "no" now. A "yes" a month ago would have been ideal, but c'est la vie.

Here's some trivia I just learned - maybe it will help us not die of boredom as we wait! The golden ratio (1.61803...) raised to a power is "almost" an integer, and it gets closer as the power gets larger. For example:

(1.61803...)^10 = 122.992...
(1.61803...)^20 = 15126.99993...
(1.61803...)^30 = 1860497.9999994...

[Guest]

Make sure you are speaking for yourself. If waiting means I get it, I'll wait.

This. Maybe it's selfish, but I can't help but thinking that the more time goes on and the more people say they've had to accept or decline offers due to the lack of notifications, the more I can't help but think that it gives me a better shot because the pool of those able to accept the award narrows every day. I'm currently funded through my university, but would like to have the scholarship because government work is my ultimate goal and I would love to not have to worry about finding employment while writing my dissertation next year. On the other hand, no interviews, no phone calls, no contact aside from the general mass emails from ASEE doesn't have me very hopeful. In my case, I'm funded and employed either way and this would just be a nice bonus and would take a lot of stress about the future off my shoulders. We're all just getting a taste of the major "hurry up and wait" atmosphere of working for the DoD. It's just more stressful because I'm getting a double dose with my husband's upcoming deployment that keeps getting pushed back, too.

In any case, if some of the applicants are starting to hear negatives from their contacts, maybe we'll get something from ASEE relatively soon. "Relative," in this case, of course meaning 2-3 weeks.

[dnagirl712]

This. Maybe it's selfish, but I can't help but thinking that the more time goes on and the more people say they've had to accept or decline offers due to the lack of notifications, the more I can't help but think that it gives me a better shot because the pool of those able to accept the award narrows every day. I'm currently funded through my university, but would like to have the scholarship because government work is my ultimate goal and I would love to not have to worry about finding employment while writing my dissertation next year. On the other hand, no interviews, no phone calls, no contact aside from the general mass emails from ASEE doesn't have me very hopeful. In my case, I'm funded and employed either way and this would just be a nice bonus and would take a lot of stress about the future off my shoulders. We're all just getting a taste of the major "hurry up and wait" atmosphere of working for the DoD. It's just more stressful because I'm getting a double dose with my husband's upcoming deployment that keeps getting pushed back, too.

In any case, if some of the applicants are starting to hear negatives from their contacts, maybe we'll get something from ASEE relatively soon. "Relative," in this case, of course meaning 2-3 weeks.

Yes. Exactly. I'm in the same exact position as you are (though my husband is just finishing up BCT, but of course deployments are in our future). I have a year left of my Ph.D. and I've got an RA but I'd like to work for the government and it would be great to bring in some funding for myself in the meantime. I haven't gotten anything but the standard emails either.

[SadlySmart]

I was an undergraduate math major, but I am in a masters program in computer science/engineering. I've had previous experience in government.

[AZGeologist]

How many of you used veterans preference points? The numbers reported to some veteran friendly sites showed a >85% awardance rate to veterans who made it into the final cut, and was curious on how many of them there were this year.

[Guest2day]

How many of you used veterans preference points? The numbers reported to some veteran friendly sites showed a >85% awardance rate to veterans who made it into the final cut, and was curious on how many of them there were this year.

My husband has 10 veterans preference pts.

[bulldog]

My husband has 10 veterans preference pts.

But did your husband apply or did you apply? Too bad the DoD Veterans' Spouse's preference doesn't apply here. Too bad it also doesn't apply to National Guard spouses, but that's a different story altogether.

[Guest2day]

My husband has 10 veterans preference pts.

But did your husband apply or did you apply? Too bad the DoD Veterans' Spouse's preference doesn't apply here. Too bad it also doesn't apply to National Guard spouses, but that's a different story altogether.

He applied.

[miked]

How many of you used veterans preference points? The numbers reported to some veteran friendly sites showed a >85% awardance rate to veterans who made it into the final cut, and was curious on how many of them there were this year.

I used them, used to be in the Navy. Where did you get that statistic from?

[AZGeologist]

I used them, used to be in the Navy. Where did you get that statistic from?

I found it back in Nov while searching for more information about the scholarship. Probably can google something like "veteran awardance rate + smart scholarship". Makes sense though with the hiring process for fed.

[smart_hopeful]

I wonder if the veterans preference is applied to SMART's list of students as a whole or on an SF by SF basis. None of the people my SF interviewed were vets, so if the latter the veterans preference won't bump my poor civilian butt down, but if the former it might.

Which would be a bit disappointing to me personally, but objectively I think veterans preferences are a fine idea for DoD. It makes sense to hire people who have experience in the field. Well, I guess we'll see.

[AZGeologist]

I wonder if the veterans preference is applied to SMART's list of students as a whole or on an SF by SF basis. None of the people my SF interviewed were vets, so if the latter the veterans preference won't bump my poor civilian butt down, but if the former it might.

Which would be a bit disappointing to me personally, but objectively I think veterans preferences are a fine idea for DoD. It makes sense to hire people who have experience in the field. Well, I guess we'll see.

In some ways yes, some ways no. Buddy of mine got hired on at a NWS outpost in AK, first day of the job his supervisor told him that there were three applicants better suited for the job but since he was the only veteran and he qualified he got the job. Basically he got put at the top of the list, granted as a veteran I am not complaining too much but I could see people getting angry and would not blame them.

[guest01234]

I don't think anyone should get mad over that- Veterens deserves all the help people can give them especially the government. Thats what preferance is for. Maybe he didn't have years of research under his belt but if he was good enough to make the cut and qualified, than just because he wasn't the perfect match- its good he was a match and given the job. Its hard for veterens to get jobs in the civilian world because people shy away from hiring them even if they say they give veterens preferance it doesn't usually happen. I would hope and expect that the federal government would lead in their example of hiring veterens, some who have 12 of more years of leadership experiance under their belts and just got their degree!
=)

[guest01234]

oh I'm not checking for typos lol =) Okay I'll come out- Navy Veteren, 12 years, still in reserves, used my preferance and my family and I are still hoping ( even though I havn't been contacted by a SF) that I'll be awarded this! I was a seabee for 12 years active duty and now and on my last year of a civil engineer degree =)With a family, Its hard to not know if I'll have a job or not after graduation. This would give us peace of mind and security. My GPA is 3.7 though so I think I'm a good candidate plus have the vet. pref. I used 5 pts pref.

[guest01234]

oh nope- I meant 9 years active 3 reserves so far.