DoW STEM Scholarships - SMART Scholarship vs Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams
Comparing two highly competitive STEM opportunities. DoW STEM Scholarships - SMART Scholarship is a scholarship while Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams is a competition.
| DoW STEM Scholarships - SMART Scholarship | Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams | |
|---|---|---|
| Prestige Tier | Tier 2 — Highly Competitive | Tier 2 — Highly Competitive |
| Type | Scholarship | Competition |
| Organization | Department of Defense (DoD) | Lemelson-MIT Program at MIT |
| Acceptance Rate | Approximately 8-18% depending on year; recent data shows ~600 awards annually from ~4,000-5,000 applicants | Approximately 8-10% (based on 8 teams selected annually; suggests 80-100+ applications per year, though exact applicant count not publicly available) |
| Applicants | 2024-2025 cycle: estimated 4,000+ applicants; historically 2,000-2,655 per year | Estimated 80-100+ schools apply annually (extrapolated from 8 selections) |
| Deadline | Rolling | Rolling |
| Award | — | $7,000 |
| Cost to Apply | Free | Free |
| US Only | Yes | Yes |
| Grades | Currently enrolled undergraduate, master's, or doctoral students (NOT high school students) | High school students (9-12) |
| College Impact | SMART Scholarship is HIGHLY REGARDED in college admissions and professional circles. For undergraduates: Demonstrates exceptional STEM commitment and achievement; counts as major merit-based scholarsh... | Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams is viewed very favorably in college admissions, particularly for STEM programs. Selection as an InvenTeam demonstrates: (1) exceptional innovation and problem-solving ability; ... |