The Unofficial SMART Scholarship Forum

Hello,

I'm a high school senior graduating this June who is trying to figure out my college plans. I got into MIT, but with 4-year costs upwards of $220,000, I need some serious scholarship money to be able to go there (despite what the financial aid office gives me).

My prospective majors are Chemical Engineering and Spanish (double), so I would be eligible to apply for the SMART Scholarship.

I just read the topic "Does anyone else feel duped?" and am worried that those testimonies represent the majority of SMART Scholars' experiences post-graduation.

Is it a good idea to look into this any more? Or would it be a waste of my time? I would appreciate any insight you guys have.

Thank you.

I am a recipient who is currently in post-graduation employment who has had a very negative experience. Based on my experience and those of others I've read on this forum, I have come to the conclusion that the SMART Program is really suited for students who either:

1) Do not have any other option to pay for school, or
2) Expect to be desperate to find a job after they finish school.

Based on what you've stated, you might be in the first category. However, given that you are planning to attend MIT, I suspect that - assuming you graduate with an engineering degree - you will have no trouble at all finding an interesting job with a good salary.

To determine your best option money-wise, it would probably be good to figure out what the average salary is of engineers who graduate from MIT. I imagine that this number will be much higher than what the DoD will pay you. (My current salary with the DoD is not competitive at all. I have a PhD, and some colleagues with whom I worked in graduate school are making around 50% more than I am with other employers.)

However, if you really have no other financial assistance and will be $220k in debt after you graduate, the tuition alone is a major consideration. On the other hand, since you were accepted to MIT, I imagine that you are highly motivated and want to be using your education when you get a job. I can say that most of the work I've done with the DoD has been a waste of time. I am not looking forward to the time when I look for another job and have to explain to prospective employers why I've been working on tasks unrelated to my field for 3 years. Obtaining a job in which you are working on projects in which you are interested should be a serious consideration for a highly motivated individual such as yourself.

If I were you, I would definitely make an effort to talk to current students at MIT and also MIT alums for their advice on comparing your options. I would definitely consider options other than the SMART Program. I would hate to see an engineer from MIT waste a quality education doing paperwork and menial tasks for four years after graduation.

And, of course, I have to be honest and say that there is a chance that you may have a completely different experience from mine and others on this forum. The DoD might be able to put you in a position where you are working on exactly what you want and are making a very high salary. However, I would advise you not to draw this conclusion based on what they tell you prior to signing - unless it is given to you explicity in writing. Looking back, I think that the scholarship program made some very misleading claims prior to commitment.

Best of luck.