The Solastra Fellowship
Tips and Tricks
How do you best prepare to apply and for the interviews? What questions are most likely to come up? What do you need before ever opening the application?
How to Present Your Resume
In the header:
Full name
Phone number
LinkedIn link
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In the body:
Objective of the resume you are submitting
relevant skills
relevant courses
experiences and awards
***If you have prior internship and research experience divide the two, a section for research and a section for internship/work experience***
What You Should Include
Feel free to play with margins, word spacing and word size to make sure it all fits within one page, making sure it is legible. If you are a junior or older, and have multiple experiences, feel free to eliminate the relevant courses section.
"Don't use the quirky word templates!"
"Make sure the resume fits in one page."
"Get feedback from trusted friends and mentors."
"The people you ask cannot be friends or family."
"Be clear about what's expected to be in the letter."
"Be proactive in reminders about the deadline!"
How to Ask For Letters of Recommendation
What Should Be Considered
The type of recommendation letters that we'll ask for will be announced in the Fall when we launch our application. Make sure to keep an eye out for that and any future Q&A's!
Make sure they know they'll be receiving a link to submit the letter through beforehand but do not be shy to ask them for it to add to your portfolio!
Tips for Your Long Essay
Know What Your Writing
To do before you start:
Make sure to understand the prompt you've chosen
Brainstorm about how you want to tackle it
Make sure you have enough ideas for an intro, body and conclusion
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During the essay:
Don't overthink the first draft
Edit thoroughly and make sure it's coherent
Peer review your essay with someone who will be honest
Get feedback once you're done
Not all the prompts will be the one for you and that's okay, that is why there is more than one so choose the one that works best for you and follow the steps. Once you feel it is ready, do not touch it! Do not second guess what is most likely an already bomb essay.
"Choose the right prompt for you."
"Organize your thought and ideas before you start."
"Do peer reviews and get feedback."
"Don't second guess the finished product!"
"Don't overthink it too much, follow your instincts"
"If you love doing it and feels like it represents you, we want to see it!"
"Have fun while you're doing it, and make something you like first and foremost."
"Make sure you show us what you are all about as a person."
Tips for Your Multimedia Essay
Things To Brainstorm
What could you do?:
A painting or drawing
A video or photograph
Poetry or a story
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Things to ask yourself:
What are you passionate about that you feel hasn't been highlighted in the rest of your application?
What are we missing about you that you feel is important we understand?
What is an important part of your identity that isn't showcased in your application yet? ​
These are just suggestions! If you have some other creative outlet or if you have some other way you want to tell us what you want to tell us, go crazy! Surprise us and blow us away.
What to Look for in a Host Company
Look Past the Big Names
What to research:
Company values and if they align with your own
Make sure their mission and vision align with what you want to do in the future
Look at their website and what they're doing in the moment
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Questions to ask yourself:
Space or Aviation?
Big company or small company?
Start-up or well established company?
Defense or commercial?
Make sure that you look at the whole list of host companies once you've done all this. Always remember to keep an open mind, you might not get matched with the companies you prefer, but you never know if that's for the best.
"Understand what the company is about and what their mission is."
"Know what you want professionally for your future, so you can full think of the best fit for you."
"Always keep an open mind, you never know if you'll fall in love with the work of a company you didn't expect."
SMART
PECIFIC
EASURABLE
CHIEVABLE
ELEVANT
IME-BOUND
Preparing to Interview
What to Know Beforehand
Be prepared:
Read the fellowship and company websites and check out the social medias
Check out your interviewers LinkedIn
Practice your elevator pitch and know the SMART method
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Dos and Don'ts:​
Don't go over two minutes with your elevator pitch​
Don't be afraid to ask for clarification
Don't go on tangents
​Do dress appropriately
Do prepare questions for your interviewer beforehand
Do answer the questions
You don't have to be nervous! If you are though, take a breath and take your time, remember at the end of the day interviews are just conversations and you have those all the time.
What Do You Need to Know for After You Apply?
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There will be three elimination rounds for candidates:​
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Application review
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Fellowship team interview round
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After you pass this round you will be matched with anything from two to five host companies​
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3. Host companies interview round
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The companies have the final say on who is chosen for the fellowship and internships​
Know What Comes Next
Applying to a fellowship is not like applying to an independent internship, it is a fairly long and involved process. Be patient. The first step is submitting the application, but there's a lot that happens after with a lot of moving parts.
