2020 Semifinalists

[tacoguest]

Hi! I'm a freshman studying mathematics. No interviews yet either but staying positive. Pray you all are staying safe and healthy!

[bbanks00]

Has anyone ever heard of people being chosen without any interviews. 2nd year CE ton of experiences, great recommends, and 3.87 GPA with no interviews.

[mediumsnowman1]

The blocked 'selections' tab on the SMART website is gone. I guess that lends credence to the rumor selections closed today. I said it before and I'll say it again... I'm nervous.

[Jakey]

Last week of March. It is my understanding that the first week of April is when finalists are notified (much like first week of February was when semi-finalists were notified).

I was told the last day that SFs had to make their selections was today March 18. Unless that has changed due to corona? I had one early interview in February and another first week of March. Both were casual 30 min interviews- one by a SF that I didn't select in my application, and another by my top 3. I'm a 2nd yr CS student. I actually applied last year and got no interviews so things are looking up!

I also heard March 18th from my interview! That’s wild.

Maybe March 18 is the last day for some SFs, but not all? The semi-finalist email suggests we have more time: "You may be contacted anytime between now and the end of March. It is also possible that you will not be contacted, and you should not consider that an indication that you have not been selected." That last sentence is my personal saving grace right now...

[JDetwiler]

I'd like to remind Ph.D. applicants:

DO NOT APPLY TO SMART FOR FUNDING.

It will screw you over. You can read through horror stories logged deep in this forum, or you can skim the SMART handbook to see how badly things turn if you simply don't graduate in time (spoilers: they put you in default on every bit of money they gave you).

To others, please remember this is not so much a scholarship program as it is a service program. Their goal is to get you into the government and keep you there. The management historically doesn't care about you individually, your education, or how they treat you. Their goal, their measurement of success, their entire operation, is for the Sponsoring Facility you work at and providing them a means of procuring labor. They serve the SF, not you. If all of that still sounds good, best of luck in the application process.

[Guest]

I'd like to remind Ph.D. applicants:

DO NOT APPLY TO SMART FOR FUNDING.

It will screw you over. You can read through horror stories logged deep in this forum, or you can skim the SMART handbook to see how badly things turn if you simply don't graduate in time (spoilers: they put you in default on every bit of money they gave you).

To others, please remember this is not so much a scholarship program as it is a service program. Their goal is to get you into the government and keep you there. The management historically doesn't care about you individually, your education, or how they treat you. Their goal, their measurement of success, their entire operation, is for the Sponsoring Facility you work at and providing them a means of procuring labor. They serve the SF, not you. If all of that still sounds good, best of luck in the application process.

I don’t understand the point of this. If you were even only halfway attentive during the application process all of this information should be apparent?

[coastie]

Despite the original semi-finalist email stating that the SF's had until the end of March, I am fairly certain their selections were submitted by March 18th. Also indicated by the 'selection' portal being closed now. Probably still won't hear the results until the second week of April, but I am still checking every day! best of luck to everyone! I am a 3rd year CS major and applied for and interviewed with Tinker, AFB.

[Guest]

Also indicated by the 'selection' portal being closed now.

What portal is that? How do I get to it?

[sokes1]

How are you guys finding all of this on the Smart page when you log in? I can only access just the profile page.

[shyboy]

Ya'll are smart (no pun intended)! The selection tab that used to be on their website is gone now! I remember seeing it a couple days ago and not having correct access (of course), but now that tab is completely gone! For those asking where it was- it was a button along with their tabs FAQ, Media Room, Apply, etc.

Now comes the real nail biter. Last year all the selection/rejection emails came in on April 5th on a Friday. So hopefully we'll get put out of our misery soon!

[Coastie]

When awards come out, is it a matter of signing in and seeing something under the notifications tab or is it an email?

[Guest]

The selection tab that used to be on their website is gone now! I remember seeing it a couple days ago and not having correct access (of course), but now that tab is completely gone!

Now for all you hackers out there, can you do some computer voodoo to determine who was selected? Even some simple "inspect element" voodoo.

[shyboy]

The site is newer. I hope there is still a way to still check in and see the rewards

[rocknrollguest]

I'd like to remind Ph.D. applicants:

DO NOT APPLY TO SMART FOR FUNDING.

It will screw you over. You can read through horror stories logged deep in this forum, or you can skim the SMART handbook to see how badly things turn if you simply don't graduate in time (spoilers: they put you in default on every bit of money they gave you).

To others, please remember this is not so much a scholarship program as it is a service program. Their goal is to get you into the government and keep you there. The management historically doesn't care about you individually, your education, or how they treat you. Their goal, their measurement of success, their entire operation, is for the Sponsoring Facility you work at and providing them a means of procuring labor. They serve the SF, not you. If all of that still sounds good, best of luck in the application process.

Hey, so I had a facility offer to sponsor me on the *spoken* condition that I would apply as a retention scholar through a PhD afterwards. Have you had personal experience with this? How screwed am I?

[JDetwiler]

Have you had personal experience with this? How screwed am I?

I don't have experience with that, sorry. Try using the forum's search engine or try asking some of the other past scholars who have left SMART. There's a Discord server here for those who are paying back SMART right now: https://discord.gg/8fhUDke

My understanding of retention scholars is that you're applying for the scholarship during an existing position with a facility. I'm confused by what you mean about "sponsoring" though. My educated guess is that neither the retention scholar or sponsoring situation will change the SMART deadline of funding. They set a max number of years for funding and if for whatever reason you don't finish the degree by then (PhD's are naturally unpredictable, but the government has no concept of such a thing), they put scholars into default. They look at it as "we paid for you, we deserve to get what we paid for," which is word for word what one of the SMART office people said to a previous PhD scholar. In short, there's a nontrivial number of people very upset with the management of this program---it has escalated to contacting senators and trying to get investigations on SMART started (I never followed up whether the attorney general's office did or not).

[Smrtguy20]

Hi everyone and congrats on being Semifinalists for the SMART Scholarship! I’ve seen posts saying that SMART only covers the cost of tuition and other “education expenses” but not room and/or board. My in-state tuition is only $8k for the whole year and room/board is worth almost double that. Considering some students attend schools where the tuition is $60k+, is there any chance that SMART would be able to make an exception and fund my room and board as well (since it would be ~25k total for the year)? Thanks for your help!

[coastie]

They won't cover room and board directly. You'll get the 25K a year stipend, and you will have to meter that out towards your living as you need. So if that covers your room and board, then great. otherwise, there would be some out-of-pocket expenses, unless you can be released from campus living and live out on the economy that would work with the 25K stipend.

[Guest]

On Twitter I’m seeing that a couple of students were notified that they won???

https://nsspi.tamu.edu/nsspi-students-c ... s-program/

[Coastie]

That’s unfair!!! This is the link to the award portal once it goes online. I’m always checking it to no avail lol.

https://smartscholarshipprod.service-now.com/awardee

[Guest]

I’m wondering if they were actually notified for this year or if they applied and won in a previous year?

[Guest]

That’s unfair!!! This is the link to the award portal once it goes online. I’m always checking it to no avail lol.

https://smartscholarshipprod.service-now.com/awardee

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[Coastie]

That’s the message i get. Because it’s not activated yet for us to check, that’s the typical message. Once the awardee portal goes online, we will get permissive access to check.

[Coastie]

Also, they’re PH.D students, so maybe those applicants hear back before undergrad?

[Guest]

I’m a PhD student so I hope not

[Coastie]

Lol from all the forums I’ve read over the last two years after discovering this scholarship, there’s no rhyme or reason to how SMART operates. No one knows what’s going on.