Freshman Year Update/ Smart Scholarship

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a freshman college student's inquiry about the SMART scholarship, its potential for securing a government or civilian military contractor internship, and the implications of accepting such a scholarship. Participants share their experiences and opinions regarding the scholarship application process and its impact on future academic and career choices.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses optimism about their freshman year and interest in the SMART scholarship, questioning their chances of being accepted and seeking alternative options.
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of personal belief in one's chances over external opinions, encouraging the original poster to apply.
  • A participant warns that accepting the SMART scholarship may limit options for graduate school, suggesting it is better to let the scholarship fund graduate studies instead.
  • One contributor shares their past experience as a finalist for the scholarship, noting that it is not solely based on accomplishments but rather on applicable skills for sponsoring locations.
  • Another participant clarifies that the scholarship involves a commitment to work for the sponsoring organization post-graduation, highlighting the financial benefits of the program.
  • The original poster mentions receiving assistance from their physics professor on the scholarship application.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that applying for the SMART scholarship is worthwhile, but there are differing opinions on the implications of accepting it, especially regarding future academic plans and job commitments.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying levels of certainty about the scholarship's requirements and implications, with some emphasizing the importance of personal circumstances and goals in the decision-making process.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering the SMART scholarship, those interested in internships with government or military contractors, and individuals exploring funding options for graduate studies may find this discussion relevant.

Codyt
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I'm only about a month into freshman year at college, but everything has been going great so far. I resurrected SPS at my school and am about to start some research with my professor on scientific reasoning and optics, which will hopefully get published when we finish. My classes are going good and with some studying and good luck I should be able to get mostly A's this semester. My question is does anyone think I have a shot at the smart scholarship. I really want an internship of some sort this summer with the government or a civilian military contractor. From what I've looked at the smart scholarship seems perfect, but they don't accept many people into the program and even fewer freshman. If you don't think I have a shot at it then what are some other options.
 
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Whether you think you've a shot or not matters far more than what a random person on the Internet thinks. Go for it.
 
I know, but I like to hear the opinions of others. I guess my real question is would that be the best internship as far as pay and experience?
 
If you want to go to grad school do not go with a SMART scholarship. They will want you to work for them after you finish school. Let SMART pay for your grad school, if you want to go. The pay is very good. Plus a federal job after you finish.
 
It won't hurt anything to apply. I applied for it last year and made it through to a finalist but stalled after that, I will probably give it a shot again this year. The SMART award is a bit different than a standard scholarship because from what I understand, its not accomplishment based neccessarily. i.e. They don't just give it to whoever has the most gold stars. Its more important that you have a skill that would be applicable at a sponsoring location. It seems to be rare, but not unheard of, that a freshman is awarded it. But heck, go for it. And even if you aren't sure about the whole scholarship for service deal, you can decide on that if you actually are offered the award. There's a bunch of info about the scholarship at http://thesmartforum.org/ I would strongly recommend searching around there.
 
in addition to my previous post...

Codyt said:
I know, but I like to hear the opinions of others. I guess my real question is would that be the best internship as far as pay and experience?

You can't think of it as just an internship. I assume you've read a bit about how it works, but if you get the award, you agree to intern over the summer, and then work for them for a couple of years. To answer your question, I don't know many ways to beat the pay ~20k a year in monthly stipends if I remember right. And its not as much about experience as it is preparation for a job you have already accepted come graduation.

And once again, you have nothing to lose and quite a bit to gain by applying.
 
Thanks everyone, my physics professor is helping me on the application now.
 

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