Question concerning acceptance letters… does anyone know whether they have to be official letters or it can be an email?
@Alegator I think it has to be an official letter. I scanned my acceptance letter and uploaded it to the system.
Question about uploading documents - when the guidance counselor uploads all the information, do they have to add stuff like my application id or anything like that?
@2ne1islife I believe that your counselor has to email the information, so he/she has to fill out the form about your unweighted GPA (scan it and attach it to the email) and attach the other necessary components in one email. If everything is in one email, I don’t think he/she should worry about your application ID. However, make sure that he/she includes the initial document that has your:
Name
Registration ID
Address
City, State, Zip
Phone
Email
High School
Mk thanks a lot @Ifeanyi1 because she told me she sent it today and my status remains the same. I was wondering if it would take a couple of days or something?
@2ne1islife It should take a couple of days. Since it is an email as opposed to an upload into the main system, GMS representatives have to sort through the information from all 2000 applicants (or those that have submitted the additional documents), so it should take a while. If you notice (at least for mine), when you check your current status for the College Acceptance Letter/SAR, it still says processing. If those documents are still processing, it is more than likely that the information that your counselor sent is still processing and making its way through the system. Try calling GMS this Friday to see if it has received your documents.
Asian finalist from Minnesota!
Shocked, as I sort of expected to be rejected like I had been during my senior year. I only just checked my email last night at midnight, and I stayed up until 2 AM reading through some of the GMSP threads here. This really is such an incredible opportunity and I was (figuratively :P) dying as I went through 10 pages of the 2013-2014 finalists worrying about the final decisions. THAT’S ME, LIKE RIGHT NOW. I don’t know if I’ll survive the next month and a bit, guys!
Anyway, really appreciate all the information @northernAZ and @ScubaMom9026 have been able to provide to us. Thank you!! I feel both calmed and more worried about where I might fall on the ranking, knowing that it’s already been determined. How much do the nominator/recommender essays count for? I know my community service/leadership one was terrible, as it was done last minute… Good enough to become a finalist though I guess?
Also, northern, out of curiosity, how do you know the numbers for selection? Are you sure that about twice the amount of finalists are selected for each ethnic group? I’m a little surprised at the lower number for Asian students, though I guess that would be fine as long as the ratio between finalists selected in an ethnic group and the set amount of scholars for that group is consistent. It would be pretty unfair, otherwise!
Also, GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE, finalists or not! It’s tough not being selected. I know I was devastated last year when I was a non-select. My circumstances made taking a gap year probably the best decision for me, though, and I had the opportunity to apply again because of that. Very glad now, because things might just turn around for me, and I believe the same is true for others. Where one door closes, another may open, and I’ve been able to experience that firsthand given my relatively unorthodox decision to delay college.
For the finalists, congratulations! This is so surreal to me, and we don’t even know who will ultimately be selected as scholars yet… :P. On that note, I’ll be around to sob or laugh (or both) with all of you through the waiting game, and the time afterward.
@awkwarddork Congratulations!! I’m so glad to have you in thus extremely nerve-wracking process! Lol
I love your optimism. With or without the GM scholarship, that type of attitude will undoubtedly lead you to achieve great things. :-bd
In last year’s class, they accepted a larger number of Hispanic students. They made this statement at the September conference.
The college you go to (letter you submit) has no bearing on whether or not you are accepted. If you win a scholarship, you are asked at that time to confirm the university you will be attending.
To those who were not selected, remember there are other scholarships out there (like those awarded by the Hispanic Scholarship Fund). According to last year’s award letter, the 1000 scholars were selected from over 52,000 applications.
Did anyone get a call from Gates today? Weird number called my son, but no one ever said anything, no automated message, etc. He called the number and it was the Gates headquarters (automated system). He had to get to class and couldn’t wait to be connected.
@Alamom My mother told me that she got a call from Gates, and the lady on the phone told her everything that I needed to do by April 8th. Oh, and that if we had any questions, we should call that number.
We have submitted everything! Now it’s all just a waiting game X_X
I submitted everything from my end and it has all been verified. However, my counselor sent the documents on Monday and they haven’t been received. I have to talk to her tomorrow to see if there was an error in the e-mail address or something.
@CheyenneAllen Does your status indicate that all of your required documents have been submitted and verified?
Where can you go on your portal to check if verification of the documents is still pending?
@brendalil When you log in to the portal, click on “View My Status” under Make a Request. Then click on View Details and Activity History. For each document requested, there will be a status. If it has been verified, it will state: “Document Received & Verified.”
Be forewarned: it can take quite a while for the portal to be updated, so don’t worry if your documents don’t show up right away. I speak from experience…