Physics GRE Discussion Forums

Just wanted to let you know that you can see your NSF result by logging into the same page you applied to. They have not posted the general list yet, maybe tomorrow. Hope you guys got it!

where exactly do you see it? my status just says "submitted"

Gah! I'm scouring over the site and can't find any changes since I looked it over earlier today.

Okay, time to stop procrastinating and finish revising my thesis so I can turn it in tomorrow before I fly to Berkeley.

anybody get this thing? i got honorable mention but didn't win it. which is consider more "prestigious" - the NSF or the NDSEG?

Nope, I'm not even an honorable mention. I guess I'll try again next year.

I missed the application deadline, but I applied to NDSEG. I was awarded one of these fellowships and I'm still in shock. Anyone else get one?



Edit: Ok, I'm an ass; I see there is already a thread for NDSEG. I've away visiting schools and haven't really been reading this...

I don't see a link to it on the main page, but if you go to https://www.nsfgradfellows.org/ you can login to access your rating sheets, the evaluations of your application. It's a nice way to see what you can improve on for next year's application.

How did you login to that site to see your rating sheets? My username/password from the application doesn't work, and that "forgot your password" link seems broken, too.

yo luke, i got the NDSEG one too. considering that less than 20 in physics get it between both first year grad students and undergrad seniors, it's pretty ironic that me and you would both end up with it...maybe they like NIST. but i'm shocked...i thought i had a much better app for the NSF one and would be a sure loser for NDSEG. these things are so unpredictable...

zxcv wrote:How did you login to that site to see your rating sheets? My username/password from the application doesn't work, and that "forgot your password" link seems broken, too.

It's not the password for the application, it's a randomly-generated password just for the rating sheets. I still had the password from last year's rating sheets (I'm a first-year grad student) and it now shows me the rating sheets for this year. I guess you'll just have to wait for them to fix the password page, or for them to send you your password. I can't remember how I got mine last year.

ho hum, honorable mention. better than i expected.

no money, but does this count for moderate cv padding?

vroomfondel wrote:ho hum, honorable mention. better than i expected.

no money, but does this count for moderate cv padding?

I think so, it is pretty good to get honorable mention

So I looked at my rating sheets, and apparently although my Intellectual Merit was "excellent" or "very good" my Broader Impact was only "good." So clearly I need to figure out how to talk that up when I apply again. I thought I addressed it, but I guess not enough. Anyone have specific ideas how to do that?

i got "excellent" on all 3 of the rating sheets for intellectual merit, but i got two "very goods" and somehow a "poor" (with a "fair" marked earlier and crossed out) by the third guy...what an ass. i really have no idea what this "broader impact" thing is anyway - my graduate research really isn't going to affect the world...i should be rewarded for having the realism to understand that. zxcv, i guess they want you to bullshit about how you will progress science to a new stage with your research

nvanmeter wrote:got "excellent" on all 3 of the rating sheets for intellectual merit, but i got two "very goods" and somehow a "poor" (with a "fair" marked earlier and crossed out) by the third guy...what an ass.

ouch, got demoted. That's ridiculous. That reminds me of back in 9th grade. We had these biweekly writing assignments called "themes" that were graded by a third party (someone other than the teacher). One day I was handed back a paper that had check marks in the "A" column for every category (organization, style, clarity etc...). That would've been my first time running the table and I would've been so excited... but the teacher crossed out one of the checks and marked it a B. I went to him asking what happened and he said he didn't agree with the grader... what a prick.

nvanmeter wrote:i really have no idea what this "broader impact" thing is anyway - my graduate research really isn't going to affect the world...i should be rewarded for having the realism to understand that. zxcv, i guess they want you to bullshit about how you will progress science to a new stage with your research

That broader impact *** kills so many applicants. Based on what I heard from a talk by someone on that committee, they basically want you to go way out of your way to do something that, in my opinion, clearly shows you're trying to play games to win an award like the NSF, such as run programs that bring science activities to disadvantaged inner city kids. As if, for instance, becoming a fusion scientist doesn't show concern for humanity and have broad impact, they want us to distract ourselves with petty games.

Congrats on NSDEG though!

I felt the same way about the Goldwater scholarship, after realizing you're disqualified if you haven't done independent research. I should be praised, not disqualified, for realizing I won't be creating original work in physics as a second year undergraduate.

zxcv wrote:So I looked at my rating sheets, and apparently although my Intellectual Merit was "excellent" or "very good" my Broader Impact was only "good."

Ouch, they pwned you too.

vroomfondel wrote:no money, but does this count for moderate cv padding?

no, only the winners can be successful in life, listing an hon mention on a CV is as bad as saying you came in second place in a duel...

(just kidding )