Gateway Scholars Research Program
By: Lilly Kate Diaz ‘20
Ever wanted to conduct research on a subject you are interested in with a faculty member? Are you currently interested in pursuing a Masters or PhD.?
Then maybe the Gateway Scholars Research Program is for you!
The Gateway Scholars Research Program is designed to prepare and nurture undergraduate students for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities.
The program helps students be competitive applicants for graduate school, as prior research experience is often something that graduate application committees look for in potential candidates for their programs.
The USC Gateway Scholars Research Program is a 10-week summer program that is designed to help students prepare for the graduate application process. Students are able to participate in a GRE Prep course (valued at $1,200) and various workshops to prepare their statements of purpose, personal statements, CVs, and resumes that they will use for their graduate school applications. During this time, students will also have the opportunity to conduct their own research project. On-campus housing is completely covered and GatewayScholars receive a $2,800 stipend to use on any additional cost that they may have. The focus of the program is on the student’s research and graduate school preparation.
Getting paid to conduct research? Yes, please!
The ultimate goal of the Gateway Scholars Program is to increase graduate degree awards for students from underrepresented segments of society.
Being the first person in your family to go through the graduate application process can be overwhelming. Many of us know this.
This program provides first-generation college students with the support and guidance that is needed throughout this process.
Whether one has a lot of experience in research, or if one has little to no research experience, the coordinators of the program strongly encourage all to apply! Throughout the entire research process, there will be faculty and staff from the program to help one from start to finish.
The program is research driven and the scholars benefit from competitive stipends/scholarships, faculty mentorships, research experience, conference exposure, graduate school preparation, publishing opportunities and much more!
This program honestly sounds like a dream! However, there are some requirements for this program.
Students must meet at least ONE of the following criteria:
- First generation college student
- From a low-income background
- From an underrepresented background in higher education:
- Black/African American, Chicano(a)/Mexican American, Latino(a)/ Hispanic American, Native American, Native Alaskan, and Asian Pacific Islander
Eligibility Requirements:
- USC undergraduates enrolled full-time with a status of a sophomore, junior, or senior (seniors that will not be graduating Spring/Summer 2019 are eligible)
- Completed minimum of 48 units
- At least 3.0 USC Cumulative GPA
- U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident status
- Strong desire to pursue graduate-level studies, especially at the Ph.D. level
- Participate during the Spring 2019 semester in a Research Methods Course (Tuesdays, 12:30-1:50pm) [This is when students will develop a plan of action of how to conduct a research project during the summer research institute]
- Participate in USC Summer Research Institute (2019) [Focuses on ResearchTraining, GRE prep and Professional Development]
To apply to the program and check out the application itself, click here and use the code GS2018.
The application deadline is coming soon! It is on Friday, Nov. 2nd at 11:59pm.
Good luck to you all that are applying or will be applying next year!
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