McNair Scholars FAQ
The program is designed to prepare undergraduate students for doctoral studies. Any student who intends to earn a PhD will be eligible for the program. If your academic major and post-baccalaureate interests would lead to a professional school like medical, law, pharmacy or business school after graduation, you will not qualify.
No, this is an undergraduate research fellowship rather than a traditional scholarship. Our program does not provide money to pay for tuition that a traditional scholarship would. There is a stipend associated with completing a research project.
Seniors are accepted on a very limited basis. In order for the program to assist you the way it was meant to, having multiple semesters would be most beneficial. Research is done over the summer before your junior or senior year. We are open to supporting senior students and exploring your future. Visit the staff to explore your options before determining your eligibility, especially seniors who will be graduating in December.
No, the program is designed for students who are working on their first bachelor’s degree.
No, only US Citizens or Permanent Residents are eligible at this time since it is a federally-funded US Dept of Education program.
To access a copy of your Student Aid Report you must first log on to the FAFSA website as if you were going to fill it out or make a correction. From there, you need to click on the relevant application year, which should be the most recent information you've sent to FAFSA. After that, you should have the option to view or print your SAR.
The program is designed to prepare undergraduate students for doctoral studies. Only students who intend to earn a PhD will be admitted to the program.
No, we will work with you to secure a faculty mentor once you are accepted into the program. If you do have a faculty mentor then just mention it on the application.
That is okay, however, we suggest you pick a topic that interests you and is related to your field. Your faculty mentor and McNair Director can help you shape the topic once they know what is of interest to you
Research experience is not a requirement for entering the program. In fact, the McNair Scholars program will provide you with the opportunity and guidance to conduct research.
On the McNair Website and in the online application, you will find the link to provide your recommender. All letters of recommendation must be submitted within one week of a submitted application for it to be considered complete. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure their letters of recommendation are submitted on time. Applicants should work with recommenders to ensure timely submission of letters. Contact our office if you know your recommender will not be able to meet the deadline.
The McNair application requires two (2) letters of recommendation submitted on your behalf from faculty members familiar with your academic and research experience and whom can speak to your academic potential, motivation, curiosity, and fitness for graduate school. These letters can come from non-TCU faculty members if you are a transfer student. An additional third letter (optional) can be submitted by a non-faculty member.
A 3.0 GPA is typically the minimum for a competitive graduate school application. Students with a GPA lower than 3.0 will be considered as space allows.
Yes, this is acceptable and encouraged if they can speak to your academic potential, motivation, curiosity, and fitness for graduate school.
No; you must be available to conduct research from May through late July. If you have two summers before graduation, study abroad is encouraged during the summer you are not conducting research. If your research requires you to travel, then you must be granted permission. Contact our office to discuss your situation and what options are available to you.
The program runs from fall to summer over three academic years.
- During the fall semester of the first year, you will focus on orientating to the requirements of the program and understanding how to develop a scholarly mindset.
- During the spring semester, you will be enrolled in a 3-credit research seminar that will include assignments and help you complete your research proposal. The workload and time commitment are comparable to any other 3-credit class at TCU.
- The Summer Research Experience is an intensive research opportunity focused on completing a research project and understanding how to submit compelling applications to graduate and PhD programs.
- The following semesters will consist of regularly scheduled seminars on graduate school preparation and professional development. Scholars are expected to meet with McNair staff and faculty mentors each semester.
Each fall and spring semester, you should expect to dedicate two to three hours a week to McNair participation. During the summer semester, scholars participating in the Summer Research Experience will be expected to dedicate 30 research hours and on average six hours to professional development seminars.
It is expected that you commit 30 hours per week to research as well as on average six hours to weekly professional development workshops. We ask scholars not to work or to take academic courses during summer term in order to focus on their research projects.
All program participants have the opportunity to:
- Conduct summer research 30 hour per week for 8 weeks
- Participate in research writing and GRE preparation seminars
- Attend graduate school preparation seminars
- Meet weekly during summer research program with your faculty research mentor to discuss progress
- Meet weekly during summer research program with the McNair staff to discuss your progress
- Engage with current doctoral students
- Participate in cultural experiences
- Write and submit a scholarly paper of your research findings
- Prepare to present research findings at the fall research symposium
The stipend does not affect your financial aid.
Please visit our program page to see some of the many benefits our program provides.