Will a mediocre GRFP proposal hurt my Grad admission chances

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around concerns regarding the impact of a potentially mediocre NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Proposal on graduate school admission chances. Participants explore the relationship between fellowship applications and graduate admissions, considering both the timing of results and the implications of proposal quality.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses anxiety about the plausibility of their NSF GRFP proposal due to a rushed preparation process and questions whether this could negatively affect their graduate school admission chances.
  • Another participant clarifies that the timing of graduate school admissions and NSF fellowship announcements are unrelated, suggesting that the fellowship outcome does not influence admission decisions.
  • A third participant posits that while a mediocre proposal might affect fellowship chances, it is unlikely to impact overall graduate school admissions, especially if the candidate is otherwise strong.
  • A later reply acknowledges the concern about the review panel potentially including faculty from the applicant's target schools, but reassures that a poor proposal should not adversely affect admission prospects.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that a mediocre GRFP proposal is unlikely to harm graduate school admission chances, though there is some uncertainty regarding the implications of faculty involvement in the review process.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the importance of timing in the admissions process and the potential disconnect between fellowship outcomes and graduate school decisions, but do not resolve the implications of proposal quality on admissions.

Who May Find This Useful

Prospective graduate students concerned about the relationship between fellowship applications and admissions, particularly those applying for NSF Graduate Research Fellowships.

PeanutButterPuffin
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Hi All.
I was pretty idiotic and waited until last minute to prepare my NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Proposal. In under 2-weeks time, I 'slapped together' my application, figuring that even if I didn't win, I would at least obtain valuable feedback. I just submitted it. The problem is, I am not sure that my proposal is entirely plausible, since I didn't have the time to read extensive literature on the subject. Now I am wondering if a mediocre GRFP application could hurt my chances of graduate school admission.
 
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Grad school admissions results start coming out in January and the open houses are in March. The NSF winners are not announced until the very end of March, like the 30th or so. They aren't in any way related.
 
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Might hurt your chances for the fellowship, but not for admission itself. Odds are if you would otherwise be a strong candidate for an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, you should get into a few good grad schools and likely be offered RAs, TAs, etc.

For most folks who win one of the big fellowships (NSF, etc.) it is like icing on the cake that makes a good opportunity even better.
 
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@radium and @Dr. Courtney
Thank you both for your replies! My primary worry was that the review panel may contain faculty members of the schools I'm applying to. It is relieving to hear that a bad proposal should not impact graduate school admission chances. Thanks for clearing this up!
 

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