About the program

The goal of this program is to guide and support students who are applying to graduate school in the sciences. There are many components to the application process and we are here to help! Students interested in applying to graduate school in STEM are paired with a current UC Davis graduate student. Mentor/mentee pairs meet for six one-hour workshops spread over 10 weeks. 

Expectations

The main emphasis will be on PhD programs but this information is applicable to Master's programs. If you are interested in Master's, we will do our best to pair you with a grad student who is knowledgable about that process. We expect you to attend every workshop with your mentor. You should be prepared to discuss all of critical components of your application. You can expect to have a graduate student mentor who will give you constant encouragement and guide you throughout the application process. Sessions have typically been held on zoom.

About the workshops

The workshops will focus on several aspects of the graduate school application. Each workshop will be split into two parts. Part 1 will be a presentation that explains and gives examples of the respective topic. We expect this presentation to last around 20-30 minutes. Part 2 will be mentor/mentee time, where pairs are expected to work together to focus on the respective topic, such as reviewing, editing, or brainstorming. Part 2 should last around 30-40 minutes, until the end of the hour. We will provide a list of goals to guide Part 2. 

List of workshops offered:
Workshop 1: Creating a school list + where to find application waivers
Workshop 2: Letters of Recommendation & making a CV
Workshop 3: Writing a Statement of Purpose, Personal Statement and Diversity Statement
Workshop 4: Full application review: First draft
Workshop 5: Full application review: Final submission
Workshop 6: How to prepare for Interviews