Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program

Image

Am I Eligible for the McNair program? 

Current Federal TRIO Low Income Levels

Application Form (to be completed online at the time of submission)

Eligibility Documentation

• Income Verification Form
  • All McNair applicants need to submit an income verification form with their application.
    • If your parent(s)/guardians are included in your FAFSA, you are considered a dependent student. Please have them fill out this form.
    • If your parent(s)/guardians are not included in your FAFSA, you are considered an independent student. Please fill out this form.
• Citizenship Documentation (if applicable)
  • Typically, this is an I94 or similar government approved documentation. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions! We're happy to support you as you gather your application materials.  

Required Essays

• Personal Statement (250-500 words):
  • We want to get to know you and how our programs could empower you to achieve your goals.
  • To support your writing, consider the addressing some or all of the following:
    • Why is the UROC program you’re applying to a great fit for you? How will it help you achieve your graduate school and career goals?
    • What unique skills and lived experiences will help you engage in research and graduate school?
    • What academic experiences have been the most impactful for you?
    • How will you contribute to the UROC Scholarly community?
• Research Internet Statement (250-500 words):
  • What is a research project you would like to explore during your UROC experience?
  • To support your writing, consider the addressing some or all of the following:
    • Why is research interesting to you? What excites you about your intended field of research?
    • What is a pressing problem you want to help solve or question you want to help answer?
    • Why is your discipline a good place to explore this problem or question?

All set? Apply now!

Connect with the McNair team if you need help with any materials! We're happy to answer any questions. 

Frequently Asked Mentor Questions

Our project won't be able to be finished in 10 weeks. Is that ok within the parameters of the McNair program? 

We understand most research projects are unable to be completed in such a short timeframe. Especially, when it might be a Scholar's first foray into research. In the past, scholars have done a scoping review, hopped onto a portion of their mentor's research, and/or analyzed results. At the end of the summer, scholars will present on what they've done, where they are now, and what the next steps are. 

How many hours a week should a McNair Scholar be conducting research? 

Scholars are expected to have 30 hours/week of research during the 10-week summer program. There are 10 additional hours of classes and UROC programming. The beginning of the summer is frontloaded with more UROC programming than 10 hours. Typically, students are adjusting in the first week, so there's not as much research happening. Organizing the calendar this way ensures students are freer of UROC programming later in the summer when their research is likely to gear up. 

What are the expectations of me as a mentor? 

For McNair, mentors are expected to sign off on multiple assignments in the Spring and Summer to ensure Scholars are communicating with their mentors and giving their mentors enough time to review the materials. Mentors are also expected to attend, or a graduate student in their place, their Scholar's last mock presentation before the final presentations at the end of the summer. This is to provide last minute feedback to their Scholar and other McNair Scholars, if they would like. 

Is it ok to sign off on an assignment if it still has work to be done? 

Yes! The McNair courses take a draft approach to all assignments except the final ones. The draft approach teaches Scholars how to draft, receive feedback, and integrate feedback in future assignments. The main goal of faculty signing off is to make sure Scholars are in communication with their mentors. 

The assignment feedback contradicts the expectations within my research field. How do we progress with the McNair Scholar? 

McNair is an interdisciplinary program. Therefore, we are unable to know the structure of every field in our program. We try to familiarize ourselves, but we trust the faculty mentor to share with their Scholar the norms within their field. We tell the students to listen to their mentors on formatting and content. McNair's feedback focuses on clarity, organization, flow, and writing quality. 

Please refer to the McNair Mentor Handbook for an overview on mentor expectations, supplemental compensation, curriculum and program timeline, and mentoring best practices.