<p>getting tense....</p>
<p>blah! i have this thread bookmarked</p>
<p>does anyone know if they increased the amount of awards they'll be distributing this year from 1000 they received so many apps</p>
<p>I dunno. I certainly hope so, because there we SOOO many apps this year. Sometimes it sucks to be the class of 08.</p>
<p>i called them and they told me they received 20 000 applications. oh well i pray i get it too in Jesus name.Amen.</p>
<p>20,000? I thought it was 60,000! </p>
<p>Did anyone call them to find out when they will contact the semi-finalists?</p>
<p>yeah....someone in the earlier thread said 60,000....can someone call to verified the number!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>yeah ... i was the one who said 60,000 applicants applied in jan 10th alone ... some lady who I talked to over the phone told me that. </p>
<p>Maybe ... out of the exorbitant number of applications, they have selected only 20000 to advance to the next stage (throwing out the ones they deemed 'inadequate')?</p>
<p>Nail biter...</p>
<p>I would be more inclined to believe that 20,000 people applied and not 60,000. That number seems highly unlikely since 11,000 applied during my year in 2006 and maybe 1,000-2,000 more in 2007. </p>
<p>Also, the Horatio Alger Association Scholarship, which is considerably easier and shorter to apply for, had about 20,000 applicants in 2006 and definitely did not have 60,000 applicants in 2008. I don't think more students applied for the GMS than Horatio Alger Scholarship since the GMS app was so intensive in comparison to the Horatio Alger requirements, so I'm skeptical that 60,000 applied for the GMS.</p>
<p>I also wouldn't expect them to select 20,000 applicants for the second phase of the GMS since second phase screening and selection process consists of submitting (1) an acceptance letter to any college or university, (2) a copy of your most recent high school transcript, and (3) a copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR). To select 1,000 Gates Scholars from 20,000 finalists based on these is a little unlikely.</p>
<p>Anyway, when I applied in 2006, I received my second phase letter from GMS on March 10, 2006, so you should hear back sometime in the next two or three weeks!</p>
<p>Maybe I should actually call Gates instead of relying on this secondhand information--no offense. I'm sure people are only posting information they believe is true, but the conflicting information is a little distressing. I, though, would be very glad if our chances upped from 1.6% to 5%.</p>
<p>I have called Gates TWICE ... and both times they have confirmed to me the 60k figure...one lady even told me, and I quote, "I haven't seen anything like this before in the three years I've been with Gates." </p>
<p>Don't get me wrong, I hope they are WRONG WRONG WRONG. And I hope proud Husky is right...but I am just telling you guys what I've been told :(.</p>
<p>and BTW Proud Husky ... regarding the second phase ... If I am selected as a semifinalist, I have to show them the acceptance letter of the college I intend to attend in mid March? I get my decisions early April...</p>
<p>and since Husky is a recipient, I'd like to know how the scholarship works :). The term "full ride" is tossed around a lot when speaking of Gates ... but what EXACTLY does it mean?</p>
<p>Hey electrequiem--I appreciate your insights into this year's GMS application process. If what you say is true, then that is quite a phenomenon. In any case, let me answer your questions.</p>
<p>The acceptance letter can be to any college or university. Sorry, I should've clarified that the first time around. You DO NOT have to be going to that school. All it is meant to do is show them that you've been accepted somewhere. However, if by that time you have not received any admissions letters, you should contact them before the deadline (which in 2006 was April 7) to let them know of your situation as they will be able to best direct you in that case. Let me know if you need me to clarify this more.</p>
<p>Now, about the scholarship. The GMS is hands-down the most generous scholarship ever. Here's how it works: what they mean by "full ride" is that the GMS will cover any unmet need and self-help. Unmet need means the difference between the cost of attendance (COA) at your school and the financial aid package awarded to you. Self-help means any part of your financial aid package that isn't a grant, scholarship, or fellowship (i.e. loans and work-study).</p>
<p>So, basically, your educational expenses outside of your EFC and any institutional awards should be covered by a combination of grants, scholarships, and the GMS award. That's just for starters though. The GMS will pay for any costs that are listed on your official tuition statement, so it's important to work closely with the financial aid counselor who is the GMS point person at your school's financial aid office. If you need a laptop/computer, GMS will cover up to the amount allowed by your school's policies for laptops/computers one time during your undergraduate career. GMS will also cover study-abroad (including housing, food, airplane ticket, and other related program costs) that occur during the academic school year (excluding summer programs). Other possible items that could be included are student insurance and off-campus housing (up to the amount designated for a normal on-campus resident). </p>
<p>That's not all though. The GMS covers up to five years of undergraduate study, up to two years for a master's degree, and up to four years for a doctorate degree. The graduate work has to be in one of the seven fields they cover: education, engineering, public health, library and information services, mathematics, science, and computer science. They DO NOT cover study in areas like medicine, law, business, social sciences, humanities, and theology. </p>
<p>I hope this gives you a better sense of what this scholarship entails. Honestly, not every Gates Scholar even realizes just how much the GMS will do for them. I feel extremely blessed to even be in this situation. It's definitely worth it to keep applying for scholarships and casting your net wide though. Good luck!</p>
<p>I have a quick question..
will everyone be notified at the same time?
or will the semi-finalists get notify first? and then later the ones who do not get selected..?</p>
<p>Also, if you are selected as a finalist, are you guaranteed to have at least some money?
Bc I heard that one of my friends got it but its not full ride, I think its like around $3000.</p>
<p>I posted this earlier in the thread, but DD was also told the 60,000 applicant number.</p>
<p>melodiekid--I only know that if you're selected for the second phase in the GMS screening and selection process, you should receive a letter sometime in March. Of those, they will select the 1,000 Gates Scholars. Everyone should get a letter by mid-April letting them know whether or not they've been selected.</p>
<p>If you're selected a Gates Scholars, you will receive only what you need as determined by your tuition statement. If you read what I posted above about how the scholarship work, you'll see that the amount awarded varies from scholar to scholar. Your friend's tuition statement for this year probably only reflected around $3,000 financial need while the remaining costs were probably covered by other scholarships and grants. The GMS is not exactly a typical "full-ride" but rather covers all unmet need and self-help on your tuition statement.</p>
<p>Very helpful, Proud Husky! Thanks!</p>
<p>Semifinalists should be announced soon...</p>
<p>I called Gates just a sec. ago and they told me 17,000 people applied, and that semi-finalist will be notified by the end of this month via snail mail. :///</p>
<p>Thanks Mika08 for the latest update. I'm thinking they are so tired of people calling and asking, that they decided to just mess with people, and tell them random #'s! JK :(</p>