Pre-emptive SMART Interview E-Mail Discussion

[UF_ME]

AMEN!! To the last poster. I am going nuts. I was also wondering if at the end of March if they will be nice enough to send out a nice rejection email.

[matt]

I'm worried that if it's a mass email and I'm supposed to be contacted that I won't get the email. I never got the email saying I was accepted as a semi-finalist until I contacted them asking.. I kind of hope they send an email to everyone letting us know if we have an interview or not..

[Guest]

I was selected as an alternate last year and they kept us going until July! Never did receive a rejection email even though I was never officially selected. My name was submitted by an agency but I was unfortunately not selected by ASEE.

[Guest]

I received the email at 5:58(eastern) today

[Matthew]

Well there are many factors to this award and Im guessing the paperwork is not finalized until orientation so that means anyone who has received an award has right up until they sign their name to change their mind, so I would see why they would lead on the alternates that long. I sent an email in to the SPO to basically ask whether or not all the emails had been sent out yet. I don't know if they will respond but we'll see.

[Matthew]

I received the email at 5:58(eastern) today

when is your scheduled interview?

[Guest]

Well there are many factors to this award and Im guessing the paperwork is not finalized until orientation so that means anyone who has received an award has right up until they sign their name to change their mind, so I would see why they would lead on the alternates that long. I sent an email in to the SPO to basically ask whether or not all the emails had been sent out yet. I don't know if they will respond but we'll see.

Did you also ask them if it was possible to get an award without being a "Recommended Semi-finalist?" Basically asking them that if we didn't get this email if we should just give up and not expect to get an award.

[Matthew]

Did you also ask them if it was possible to get an award without being a "Recommended Semi-finalist?" Basically asking them that if we didn't get this email if we should just give up and not expect to get an award.

No, I just knew they would counter with the fact that we may be named alternates on the 31st.

[Guest]

So... We have one poster who got the email at 4:59 EST and another who got it at 5:58 EST? Maybe they did send out individual emails and didn't have time to send them all out? Hence the "on or around the 19th" part of the email. Thank you all for your information!

[Guest]

Those that have been selected for an interview -- can you tell us what degree and major you are working on?

[Guest]

I have been reading this forum quite a bit but have yet to post. Here is what I think is going on:

They might have all the semi finalists divided up into three or so groups. One group could be the definite finalists, those who don't need any more scrutinization. By that I mean people who surpassed their expectations, received good reviews from an agency, and appear to be highly compatible with the program.

The next group might be the potential finalists/alternates, the people that were recommended by a laboratory but need to be looked into a bit more. I believe this is the group of people who have received the current interview requests from SMART. Maybe those who don't make the cut after the interviews are deemed alternates.

The last group might be those not chosen for SMART. They were recommended by an agency but maybe they don't appear to be as compatible with the program or are too early in their education careers. Since SMART has to make so many cuts at this point, they are probably going to have to cut people from their semi-finalists list without giving them a second chance.

Keep in mind guys that this is a choice made by a human being. Just because you might not make it in the end does not mean that you don't have excellent credentials. It is absolutely impressive to have made it this far, and there are plenty of opportunities left. If you have the ability to, you can apply next year and your resume will be further developed at that point. Also, if you were able to talk to someone at a research facility, they may have chosen you and you still could push for an internship with them outside of SMART.

In the end these are just my opinions. I could be wrong, but I wouldn't start to worry if you haven't gotten an email.

[rmw228]

Well put, Guest.

This is the reason I'm still holding out hope. I think my resume is fairly decent and compatible with the DoD (I work on body armor! It doesn't get any closer!).

We'll see.

[Guest]

I thought the same thing, except the email sent out today says: "NEXT STEP: Each Recommended Semi-Finalists is required to complete a phone interview with a SMART Program Office representative. This interview is mandatory. Candidates that do not complete the interview will be disqualified and removed from award consideration."

This makes me think there MUST be a phone interview in order to be selected.

[Guest]

The email states that each recommended semi-finalist has to do the SPO phone interview. So I don't think that there's anybody who will get the award without this interview, though I'm sure the interview is just a formality for some of the people.

[Guest]

The e-mail was sent at 3 (not sure what time zone), and was addressed specifically to me by name not e-mail. The interviews appear to be for those that are on the top of the list for the award. This isn't to say that if you didn't get e-mail that you are out of luck. As the SPO moves down the list numbers change and needs get filled. As they fill those needs they will start moving into the alternates and interviewing them as needed. Like several have mentioned they were naming finalists up until July last year. I hate to say it but I wouldn't count yourself out until orientation officially starts. I will post after my interview Monday and let everyone know what they say.

[lastname]

one thing we all forgot to consider... the letters of our last name. I didn't receive an email but at the same time my last name begins with a W. So if the people who got the email can post the letter (for privacy issues) of their last name.

[guest]

I received two interviews with two different labs, and both notified me that I would be their #1 recommendation to the SPO.

I also got the first email saying to expect the second email, but I haven't gotten an interview time yet! I'm quite surprised at this, because I was expecting an interview, if only to make me choose between the two labs! I've sent an email to the SPO requesting information, and will report back when (if) I get a reply.

[Guest]

It looks like the people who were emailed on Friday have phone interviews on Monday (could be wrong). My last name is in the middle of the alphabet, and the time for my interview is near the close of business on Monday. If they scheduled all the interviews already, it would be hard to request another time. Just a thought.

[Guest]

It appears that maybe they only emailed the people they intended to interview on Monday, going down an alphabetical list?

[guest]

It appears that maybe they only emailed the people they intended to interview on Monday, going down an alphabetical list?

Two defense lab interviews and no email--my last name starts with a Y. I'd like to hear from others who did/didn't get the email.

[Guest]

My last name starts with S. No interview scheduled yet, even though I was selected last year by a facility but not by SMART.

[Guest]

I didn't get an interview from a lab, and I didn't get yesterday's email. My last name starts with an M. I am a first year graduate student in Experimental Psychology, six year Air Force veteran with an Honorable Discharge, 3.69 undergraduate GPA, 1420 GRE score, one third-author publication, four conference poster presentations, three sterling letters of recommendation, currently on an university fellowship that only 30 students out of the entire R1 university's incoming graduate students were awarded. If I don't get an offer, then I'm not sure what they expect out of psychologists in their labs. I'm not sure if there simply aren't as many slots for psychologists, or if it's the fact that I still have four years of school left. My research is in an area of Social Psychology (social influence on the internet), and their labs lean more toward Cognitive Psychology. However, the research methodology and statistical analysis skills are the same across all areas of Experimental Psychology. Suffice to say that I'm going to be disappointed if I don't get an offer because I really want to go back to work in the DOD as a civilian.

[Follow-up]

P.S. My apologies if that last post sounded really whiny and petulant. I didn't mean to come across as a bratty kid stomping their feet at a disappointment.

[guest]

I didn't receive an email my last name begins with C (Not Good)

[Matthew]

My last name starts with an S and I received an interview from a facility and was pretty confident they submitted my name, yet no email so far. I have contemplated emailing the guy that interviewed me and asking him point blank did he recommend me for a scholarship but I probably shouldnt. It looks like there are about 3 people we know of that have gotten the email so who knows......here is my guess. I know in the past people who have won an award get assigned a "contact" so to speak at the SPO. I believe that the "recommended applicants" were divided up according to major and assigned to a "contact" that is scheduling and conducting the interviews. Just a guess though, we all just have to sit and wait. I doubt any emails will be sent out today but who knows. We can hope for Monday.