Pre-REU Mentoring Program
We are Piloting a new Pre-REU Mentoring Program!
Program Objective:
The goal of our mentoring program is to connect undergraduate students (mentee) who are majoring in a science or engineering discipline to a graduate student (mentor) from the University of Colorado Boulder.
The mentor will provide guidance on the summer research experience, how to write a competitive application, what to expect in a summer research experience, and answer questions about graduate school.
Our mentoring program is for undergraduate students who do not have access or the means to do research at their home institution or who are from underrepresented minority groups in science and engineering with no prior research experience. The long-term goal of our mentoring program is to give undergraduate students from marginalized backgrounds the tools needed to pursue a successful research experience.
Why apply to our mentoring program?
Research can be exciting and incredibly rewarding, it focuses on solving problems to advance science and technology that will improve lives and the world.
Beyond research, summer research programs are wonderful opportunities to explore a new area of the country, gain lifelong friends, and get paid (most programs provide a stipend, pay for travel to and from, and provide lodging at no cost to you). However, such programs are highly competitive. Our mentoring program will help students prepare a strong application to increase their likelihood of being accepted into a summer research program.
A research experience can open doors for new career opportunities upon graduation and prepare students to pursue an advanced degree (i.e., Masters or PhD). The mentoring program will also create a bond between the mentee and mentor that could last well beyond our mentoring program.
Eligibility:
An applicant must:
- Be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in a science or engineering discipline.
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- Have at least one semester, but no more than two years, remaining in their undergraduate degree after the current academic year (most students will be sophomore or juniors at the time of the application).
- Have no research experience.
- Be from a Minority Serving Institution or be considered an underrepresented minority in STEM as defined by NSF (Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, and American Indians or Alaska Natives).
Program Expectations:
The mentee and mentor will commit up to 2-years for the mentoring program. The mentee and mentor will meet virtually approximately seven times over the two years; the meetings do not need to be longer than 30 minutes each. At least three meetings will occur between November and April of year 1.
The mentee will submit at least three applications to summer REU (or similar) programs for the upcoming summer. Applications are typically due in February or March. The mentor will review the application in a timely manner and provide constructive feedback.
The mentor and mentee will meet after the summer research experience at least twice per semester for up to one year or shorter if the mentee graduates in the fall semester, to provide guidance on graduate school and other career opportunities.
Note: We will review applications on a rolling basis. You are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. We will not accept applications after November 30, 2023.