Q: Can I apply to BLAST again if I participated last year?
A: No. To offer the BLAST experience to as many Virginia students as possible, participation is limited to once per student.
Q: I applied to BLAST last year but was not selected. Can I apply again this year?
A: If you meet the qualification requirements this year and have not participated in BLAST before, you may apply.
Q: What does “rising high school freshman or sophomore” mean?
A: BLAST takes place during the summer after a student’s 8th or 9th grade year. Students apply during the school year as 8th or 9th graders but are considered “rising” 9th and 10th graders, respectively, during the summer before the next school year begins.
Q: How will I know you received my application?
A: The application system automatically sends an email to confirm each step of the process, so check your email frequently to be sure the student portion of the application, as well as the recommendation form and counselor verification form, are all received on time. You may also log in on the application system anytime to check the status and see what is missing. Your application is not eligible for review until its status in the system is marked “complete.”
Q: What does the “status” of my application mean?
A: Status refers to which step of the application process you’re in. Your BLAST application may show as registered, saved, submitted, or complete. If you submit your application and then log in later to check on its status, you will also see a status for each supporting document (recommendation and counselor verification.) Each term is explained below.
Registered– You have set up a log in and can use the application system, but you have not started your application.
Saved– You have started answering prompts and saved your work, but you have not turned in (submitted) your application. The recommender and counselor have not been notified about the forms they need to fill out. If you log in to check on your application after submitting it and find that one or both supporting materials are saved, it means the recommender (or counselor) has opened the form they received via email and begun to complete it, but they have not turned it in (submitted).
Submitted– You clicked the Submit button to turn in your student portion of the application, and your recommender and counselor have been sent an email with the online forms and instructions for completing them. Your application is not complete until both forms are finished and submitted.
Complete– All required components (student portion of the application, recommendation form, and counselor verification form) have been received through the application system and your application package will be reviewed by the review committee.
Blank– This status only applies to supporting materials from the recommender and counselor. The item will have a blank status if the supporter has not started working on the form yet, which was sent to the email listed in your application (system emails will arrive from notices@spacegrant.net).
Q: I registered but never received an email with a password so I can’t log in. What should I do?
A: Check your spam or junk folder for an email from notices@spacegrant.net (you can enter that email address in the Search area of your email). If you still do not see the registration email, you may have registered with an email that blocks external domains, such as a school email address. Return to the application page and click New User Registration to register with a personal email address.
Q: I finished my application, but I received a notice (or saw a status) that it is not complete. What should I do?
A: First, log in on the application page, check to be sure all prompts are filled in, then click Submit. If the status is “submitted,” then one or both of your support documents may be missing. Gently remind your recommender and counselor to submit the form that was sent via email from notices@spacegrant.net. It was sent immediately when you submitted your application and may have gone to their spam or junk folder.
Q: My recommender (or counselor) said they finished their form, but my application is still not complete. What should I do?
A: Please ask your recommender or counselor to open the form and be sure they have checked the certification box, then ask them to click Submit. A confirmation email will be sent to their email address immediately, so please have them check it to confirm their form was received.
