<p>Did any of you receive an application for the Stokes Educational Scholarship Program? It basically pays for your entire college tuition, but in return, you have to work for the NSA for six years after you graduate. Sounds like a great deal.</p>
<p>You don't receive an application. You apply online and then send in the supporting papers by mail. The last date was Nov 30, so you should have already applied. Apparently it is very competitive. I have sent in my application but I think committing to work for 6 years after graduation is a bit tough. Especially if you have half-hearted plans for professional school (MBA, Law, MD), grad school or setting up business, you will be regretting taking this up. If you are academically good, you may get merit scholarship from your Univ and you don't have to commit to anything.
Reading previous year posts about Stokes, it appears that they won't tell you the results till May 2007. By that time we may have lined up other alternatives, hopefully.</p>
<p>Has anyone heard back since sending in their application?</p>
<p>Looks like the semifinalist notifications are already out. A friend of mine says she heard back. Now she has to fill some forms and compete for the finalist. I am waiting for mine. How many people do they take?</p>
<p>I got a semi-finalist notification. I wonder what disqualifies people at this point?</p>
<p>Did you find the wording to be funny. I interpreted it to mean you are getting it if you pass through the psych eval, the security checks, etc.</p>
<p>The reason is, it said something like it was a conditional offer of employment. Then it went on to say semifinalist. Very confusing, in my opinion.</p>
<p>How do you guys interpret it?</p>
<p>Also wonder if any other nonminority kids made semifinalist like my kid. He declined to answer the race question.</p>
<p>Yeah i thought the workding was funny too. If its only a security check and a psych eval doesn't that mean that i've got the scholarship? I don't know. But I need to start filling out all those security forms!</p>
<p>I am of indian descent but i don't consider myself a minority.</p>
<p>Search on "stokes" and read last year's thread. Apparently, it truly is not an offer yet. I think the background checks remove a lot of kids, then those who make it through those get invited as finalists to come and interview in MD. Then they choose about half, from what I remember reading.</p>
<p>I hope when they find out my S is white, they won't eliminate him. He actually wanted to work for the NSA when he graduates from college, whether he gets the Stokes or not. It would just be so cool if he could get the financial aid.</p>
<p>Oh please-answer the race question-don't make the mistake we did.</p>
<p>it's too late, he got selected as a semifinalist without answering the question.</p>
<p>By the way, care to elaborate on the effects of your mistake?</p>
<p>i havent heard back yet, but i am hoping that me being a white male isnt too big of an issue, but idk what i answered for the race question, it was so long ago i filled all that out...</p>
<p>We got the letter, but the people keep not calling for the phone interview. We have emailed a couple of times and set things up, and then they don't call.</p>
<p>It's frustrating. </p>
<p>The big thing now is S having to fill out the reams of paperwork by the due date!</p>
<p>when did ppl start hearing back about semifinalists?</p>
<p>about the 5th of march is when we heard</p>
<p>Son finally talked with the NSA for his 30 minute phone interview.</p>
<p>There are 118 semifinalists for 22 spots (may not have the numbers exactly right, but close).</p>
<p>Not sure if that's just in the discipline area he applied for, or overall.</p>
<p>He doesn't even remember which discipline he put down: languages or computer science.</p>
<p>Do you know when the final decisions will be made? Will they tell us before May 1?
I'd like to know before May 1 because that'd influence my decision about the college I choose. I don't qualify for need-based aid, so Stokes can make it easy for me to choose an expensive private U.</p>
<p>I am not sure. Are you a semifinalist as well?</p>
<p>I can try to check with my S, and see if they told him.</p>
<p>Hopefully at least half of the semifinalists will either drop out, or get cut through the background check/lie detector testing.</p>
<p>Yes, I made it to the semifinalist stage. I am yet to do the phone interview.</p>
<p>i called nsa a couple months ago, and the lady who i talked to said they try to let people know if they are getting the scholarship before may 1 in case it affects your college decision.</p>
<p>im just anxious to hear back from them one way or anouther about being a semifinalist or not. i live like 2 hours away from fort meade so you'd think id hear back from them sort of quickly</p>