Interested Students

Eligibility

• U.S. Citizen or meet the residency requirements for federal student financial assistance
• Current and continuing TWU undergraduate student enrolled at TWU in a bachelor’s degree granting program
• Goal of pursuing a PhD degree
• McNair Scholars Program follows federal regulations; students must meet the following requirements to be considered:
  • Income eligible AND First-generation college student (neither parent earned a bachelor’s degree) OR
  • Considered racially/ethnically underrepresented in graduate school (African-American/Black, Hispanic/Latin, Native American, Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian)

Application process

• Step 1: Review application requirements and the checklist
• Step 2: Complete the McNair Scholars Application
• Step 3: Ask two (2) faculty members, who possess a PhD, know you, and are familiar with your academic progression at TWU, to complete the Faculty Recommendation Form
• Step 4: Write and then email your Personal Statement (see below for suggested personal statement content) to TRIOMcNair@twu.edu
• McNair Scholars staff will contact eligible applicants to schedule an interview with our staff.

McNair Application Instructions

With the exception of the McNair Scholars Application and Faculty Recommendation Forms, the Personal Statement must be submitted from your TWU email to TRIOMcNair@twu.edu. Application materials sent from personal emails will NOT be accepted.

• Application
• Personal Statement (300 - 500 words in essay format)
  

  Please write a statement describing your educational and career goals from the completion of your undergraduate degree through the completion of your graduate/doctorate-level degree. Explain what you have done to prepare yourself to meet these goals (courses, work, extracurricular activities, etc.).

  As you write, be sure your personal statement answers the following questions:

  • • In what ways would you like the McNair Program to help strengthen your preparedness for graduate school?
    • What motivates you to pursue graduate studies (you may want to connect academic courses you have taken or will take and/or professional or volunteer work you have completed)?

  In addition to answering the questions above, outline one or more research interests you would like to focus on during the McNair summer research fellowship. Please be sure to respond to the following questions:

  • • What is your definition of research?
    • What topics of research interest you?
      • Why would you like to pursue a research project in this (or these) particular topic area(s)?
      • What experience do you have with your research topic(s) of interest?
      • How would research in these areas fit into your academic or career goals?

  We understand that writing is not a solitary task, in actuality no one writes alone: we bring communities who we have written to and for and various additional past and present experiences and knowledge with us when we write. What is more, McNair Scholars will be afforded workshops to compose a myriad of documents necessary for continuation as a McNair Scholar and for graduate school applications. That being said, we encourage you to take advantage of the TWU Write Site (writing center) to compose the personal statement.

• Recommendation Forms (2)

• Two (2) completed recommendation forms are required in your application packet (forms are provided). These forms must come from faculty, preferably in your major.
• It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that both recommendation forms are submitted to McNair Scholars staff. Please remember to contact your recommenders early so they can return forms in time for inclusion in your application packet.

Page last updated 9:53 AM, August 11, 2023