NHSC Scholarship 2017-2018

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Alright I wanted to make a thread for us who are applying for the NHSC Scholarships. We can work together and answer any questions we may have and keep each other updated. SDN was a valuable source during this year's application cycle. Let's apply this advantage and get this scholarship!

1st question, if we attended multiple schools, do they still only want the transcript from the university that granted our degree?

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Alright I wanted to make a thread for us who are applying for the NHSC Scholarships. We can work together and answer any questions we may have and keep each other updated. SDN was a valuable source during this year's application cycle. Let's apply this advantage and get this scholarship!

1st question, if we attended multiple schools, do they still only want the transcript from the university that granted our degree?

I found this on the application "Please enter the cumulative GPA for your most recently completed undergraduate or graduate program". So I'm not entirely sure if it means the institution you are about to graduate from or the last institution you have completed/graduated from. I graduated from my community college a long time ago with a terrible oGPA, but I've been at my current university for almost 4 years with a 3.85 oGPA so it would be nice if I could just include the latter lol. I would email or call them to make sure. It seems like the tiniest discrepancy could sink your app:scared:.
 
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I found this on the application "Please enter the cumulative GPA for your most recently completed undergraduate or graduate program". So I'm not entirely sure if it means the institution you are about to graduate from or the last institution you have completed/graduated from. I graduated from my community college a long time ago with a terrible oGPA, but I've been at my current university for almost 4 years with a 3.85 oGPA so it would be nice if I could just include the latter lol. I would email or call them to make sure. It seems like the tiniest discrepancy could sink your app:scared:.
Thank you! That would be nice, but if we interpret this wrong it's repeatedly written that our applications will be dismissed.
 
Thank you! That would be nice, but if we interpret this wrong it's repeatedly written that our applications will be dismissed.
I'd call them up tomorrow. It does seem like they are nit picky about the application.

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Yea please let us know about the GPA. Good luck to everyone this year!
 
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hey, I was just wondering how will you guys go about entering the dates of starting and ending of program and each year? Thanks in advance
 
Are students who are undergraduates (graduating in May 2017) allowed to apply?
 
If you're going to dental school next year, yea.

What do they mean by this?

  1. Applicants are ineligible if they are:

    (2) In the pre-professional phase of their health professions education. (For example, taking undergraduate pre-requisites for admission to a health professions training program.)
 
hey, I was just wondering how will you guys go about entering the dates of starting and ending of program and each year? Thanks in advance
Good question, do our schools even have those dates? I can only find the start and end dates for the upcoming year online.

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What do they mean by this?

  1. Applicants are ineligible if they are:

    (2) In the pre-professional phase of their health professions education. (For example, taking undergraduate pre-requisites for admission to a health professions training program.)
You must be accepted to dental school already.
 
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hey, I was just wondering how will you guys go about entering the dates of starting and ending of program and each year? Thanks in advance
My school provided us with a schedule including dates that had start/end dates for all the classes for 2017-18. I'm just going to use those dates and apply them to my four years. Maybe email your admissions office? I am sure it's not that important to get it 100% accurate.
 
I found this on the application "Please enter the cumulative GPA for your most recently completed undergraduate or graduate program". So I'm not entirely sure if it means the institution you are about to graduate from or the last institution you have completed/graduated from. I graduated from my community college a long time ago with a terrible oGPA, but I've been at my current university for almost 4 years with a 3.85 oGPA so it would be nice if I could just include the latter lol. I would email or call them to make sure. It seems like the tiniest discrepancy could sink your app:scared:.

In their "Appliction & Program Guidance" packet they listed this:

"Transcript. Each applicant must submit transcripts from the last degree earned and the current degree program. An unofficial transcript is acceptable as long as the applicant name, school name, and grade point average (GPA) is also provided."

So maybe in your case you will have to include both? For myself I would assume I submit my graduate transcript since it is my "last degree earned". (right?)
 
In their "Appliction & Program Guidance" packet they listed this:

"Transcript. Each applicant must submit transcripts from the last degree earned and the current degree program. An unofficial transcript is acceptable as long as the applicant name, school name, and grade point average (GPA) is also provided."

So maybe in your case you will have to include both? For myself I would assume I submit my graduate transcript since it is my "last degree earned". (right?)
I think that sounds right. I transferred after sophomore year so I'm just going to submit my transcript from the school I graduated from.
 
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In their "Appliction & Program Guidance" packet they listed this:

"Transcript. Each applicant must submit transcripts from the last degree earned and the current degree program. An unofficial transcript is acceptable as long as the applicant name, school name, and grade point average (GPA) is also provided."

So maybe in your case you will have to include both? For myself I would assume I submit my graduate transcript since it is my "last degree earned". (right?)

So I'm guessing I would have to put my AADSAS oGPA since there's only one box for the GPA on the app? Also I saw this "Please upload the most recent undergraduate or graduate degree transcript (i.e. the transcript which reflects the entered GPA) on the Supporting Document page" on the degree information tab page. Is it just me or does that seem like they are suggesting that they just want the most recent transcript (singular) that represents whatever you put into the GPA text box?

Gawd this application is already starting to make me frustrated:bang:.
 
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So I'm guessing I would have to put my AADSAS oGPA since there's only one box for the GPA on the app? Also I saw this "Please upload the most recent undergraduate or graduate degree transcript (i.e. the transcript which reflects the entered GPA) on the Supporting Document page" on the degree information tab page. Is it just me or does that seem like they are suggesting that they just want the most recent transcript (singular) that represents whatever you put into the GPA text box?

Gawd this application is already starting to make me frustrated:bang:.

Based of their site yes BUT based off of their guide you would have to include both lol. They seem to be contradicting themselves. "Each applicant must submit transcripts from . . .".

If only someone with experience could chime in.
 
Based of their site yes BUT based off of their guide you would have to include both lol. They seem to be contradicting themselves. "Each applicant must submit transcripts from . . .".

If only someone with experience could chime in.
The guide says: "Each applicant must submit transcripts from the last degree earned and the current degree program." I feel like they just want the transcript from the last place you got actually received a degree and if you are currently enrolled in a program, a transcript from that school too.
 
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Discrepancy in essay length?

On page 40/51 in the manual it reads: "Essays. Applicants are required to respond to the following three essay questions. Responses to essays must be uploaded as three separate documents, one document per essay. Each response should be limited to a 250 word count or less (about a half of a page with spacing)."

However on the actual application it reads "Essays should be limited to 2,500 characters or less in Times New Roman 12 font."

2500 characters is about 400 words, which is a large difference from 250. What do you all think? My essays are below 2500 characters, but they have more than 250 words.....
 
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Discrepancy in essay length?

On page 40/51 in the manual it reads: "Essays. Applicants are required to respond to the following three essay questions. Responses to essays must be uploaded as three separate documents, one document per essay. Each response should be limited to a 250 word count or less (about a half of a page with spacing)."

However on the actual application it reads "Essays should be limited to 2,500 characters or less in Times New Roman 12 font."

2500 characters is about 400 words, which is a large difference from 250. What do you all think? My essays are below 2500 characters, but they have more than 250 words.....
Wow, they actually shortened it. Last year the manual said 2,500 characters (one and a half page with spacing). Great, going to have do some serious revamping.

250 words is nothing... lol.
 
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What do they mean by this?

  1. Applicants are ineligible if they are:

    (2) In the pre-professional phase of their health professions education. (For example, taking undergraduate pre-requisites for admission to a health professions training program.)

You are ineligible if you are going to be a pre-dent/pre-med NEXT year.
 
FYI, I called to ask about using a committee letter for the academic LOR. They OK'd it.
 
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What do they mean by this?

  1. Applicants are ineligible if they are:

    (2) In the pre-professional phase of their health professions education. (For example, taking undergraduate pre-requisites for admission to a health professions training program.)

I think it means you cant be a pre-med waiting to be accepted. You have to be accepted somewhere
 
Hello everyone! So glad this thread exists! I just started my application today and am stuck on the academic LOR part because the person I want to write my letter is not directly affiliated with the university (she got her phd from there and now works for the government) but she is my advisor for my masters internship and is my advisor for my masters thesis. I am not close with my actual academic advisor and I dont really want a letter from her. When I called NHSC today to ask about it, they said they cant promise that I wont be disqualified based on that...so now I'm looking into how complicated it would be for her to become an adjunct faculty member of the department. Anyone else have an unusual case with their academic LOR?
 
FYI, I called to ask about using a committee letter for the academic LOR. They OK'd it.
Does anyone know if we can use our dental school application LORs, or do we have to get new letters specific for the NHSC scholarship?
 
Anyone know if you can ask an instructor who has known you for a while at your university to write the non-academic letter?
 
I have transcripts from undergrad & post-bacc program & open university. I called to ask if I should just include the transcript where I received my bachelor's degree. I was told to include all transcripts.

I also mentioned to the lady that the GPA I enter in the NHSC application will not exactly match any GPA on my transcripts since it's an average. She told me the AADSAS gpa calc should be fine to use. She didn't seem too stressed about being critical.

I also asked if I could ask a faculty member from my post-bacc or open U program for a letter. She said that it was fine.

I hope this helps someone out

If we use the AADSAS GPA do we check the "this is a non-standard GPA" box?
 
Just remember that it restricts your post-doctoral education to certain specialties or general dentistry if you do decide to pursue it.
 
Kind of obvious but for non-academic you can't ask anyone in your institution or if they are part of another one. They said asking a friend or family is fine but I highly doubt that...
 
Kind of obvious but for non-academic you can't ask anyone in your institution or if they are part of another one. They said asking a friend or family is fine but I highly doubt that...
LOR from a friend or family? That doesn't sound right. Honestly I called them today and asked a few questions, I feel like the person answering my wasn't as informed as he should be. It really sounded like he was just guessing with his answers.
 
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I think they limit you to pediatrics, public health, or a GPR.

So, if one wanted to specialize in something other than what you mentioned, then this scholarship wouldn't be ideal, correct?
 
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LOR from a friend or family? That doesn't sound right. Honestly I called them today and asked a few questions, I feel like the person answering my wasn't as informed as he should be. It really sounded like he was just guessing with his answers.

From my experience they just read the guide and guess from there.
 
So, if one wanted to specialize in something other than what you mentioned, then this scholarship wouldn't be ideal, correct?

Correct. Oral surgery, orthodontics, endodontics and others are out the window.
 
So, if one wanted to specialize in something other than what you mentioned, then this scholarship wouldn't be ideal, correct?
If you're that adamant on specializing you can return to specialize following your commitment with NHSC.
 
If you're that adamant on specializing you can return to specialize following your commitment with NHSC.

It really depends on the specialty if it's a good call. For ortho and oral surgery, I'd say not. Endo picks residents who have experience so it would be alright for endo residency. I don't know about perio.
 
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How much do they pay you after coming out of dental school working in those underprivileged areas?
 
I'm so confused with the documents. When it says to be completed by school official only, does that mean my undergrad school I'm currently in, or do I have to send it to the dental school I got accepted into? I'm talking about the document titled, "Acceptance report/verification of good standing"

Edit: i just called, and it should be signed by the dental school official.
 
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If one actually receives the scholarship, is one legally bind to it? Or can one reject it after receiving it?
 
If one actually receives the scholarship, is one legally bind to it? Or can one reject it after receiving it?
If they offer it to you you have the opportunity to decline it. But once you accept, you're bound.
 
I'm so confused with the documents. When it says to be completed by school official only, does that mean my undergrad school I'm currently in, or do I have to send it to the dental school I got accepted into? I'm talking about the document titled, "Acceptance report/verification of good standing"

Edit: i just called, and it should be signed by the dental school official.
I just called them today and asked the same question. They told me to have it filled out by my undergrad office because I havent started dental school yet LOL. I've never dealt with a more inconsistent office.
 
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.............. wow these inconsistencies are making this process really stressful lol
 
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LOL so the forms such as the disadvantages student and others are required to be filled out by the school official. Is this the dental school official from the dental school financial aid office? Is it find to get it filled by an undergraduate school official?

I ask because I'm an undergraduate starting dental school next year. I can definitely get these forms filled by my undergraduate financial aid office.
 
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I just called them today and asked the same question. They told me to have it filled out by my undergrad office because I havent started dental school yet LOL. I've never dealt with a more inconsistent office.

LOL so the forms such as the disadvantages student and others are required to be filled out by the school official. Is this the dental school official from the dental school financial aid office? Is it find to get it filled by an undergraduate school official?

I ask because I'm an undergraduate starting dental school next year. I can definitely get these forms filled by my undergraduate financial aid office.
Same, i asked because I can go to my financial aid office and get it done in minutes
Lool, I got so confused too! because I called them twice with two difference people answering and got some inconsistent answers too. i think i'm going to get everything from the dental school just incase, i just hope it wont take a long time.

The first call, the lady said the paper about the financial aid can be from my undergrad office. Then when I hung up, I realized I didn't ask which form specifically because theres one about EFN and another about disadvantaged background. and i forgot to ask about the acceptance form. and she was really broad about just financial aid.
so i called again, and I first asked about the acceptance verification form, and i was told it should be from the dental school. then i asked about financial aid, he said also from the dental school, then i was like but i called earlier and i was told it can be from the undergrad office, so i asked which form can be signed by my financial aid office (EFN or disadvantaged)? he said the one with the financial aid (EFN) should be signed by my accepted dental school, and the one about the verification of disadvantaged background status can be from my undergrad office.

so I guess we just need to be specific about the questions, but then again yalls answers were different about the acceptance form :/
 
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