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Pathways to Science: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Search for a program . . . find your future.


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General Student Resources


  • Student Information Form
    Use this form to sign up to receive notifications about programs and opportunities that match your interests and level of study.

  • Searching for a Program
    Watch this quick video on how to used our advanced search page to find programs.


  • Preparing Applications


    • Tips on Creating a Winning Application
      General tips to help you improve your applications — whether it be to scholarships, internships, or REUs (research experiences for undergraduates).

    • Getting Strong Letters of Recommendation
      The what, why, and how, of getting strong letters of recommendation.

    • Writing Strong Essays and Personal Statements
      Targeted toward undergraduate students, this handout provides detailed suggestions on strengthening your essays.

    • Enhancing Your Fellowship Application
      Tips for strengthening your graduate fellowship applications.


    • Summer Research Experiences


      • The Benefits of an Undergrad Summer Research Program
        By Diana Lizarraga, an essay describing the benefits a summer research experience can have on a student's career trajectory.

      • Discussing Summer Research with your Family
        Sometimes it is hard to explain to family why you want to leave home for the summer to participate in an internship or summer research program. This handout provides suggestions and examples to assist students in discussing their STEM aspirations with their family.

      • Applying to Summer Research Experiences (REU) and Internships
        The what, why, and how -- including a timeline for applying.


      • Graduate School


        • Applying to Graduate School: Tips Timeline, and Tools of the Trade (CIC)
          A thorough guide to the graduate school process including a detailed timeline that you can follow as you apply.

        • How to Find the Right Grad Program
          A checklist of questions to ask STEM graduate schools, departments, and programs. These questions will help you get the information you need to choose the right graduate program for you.

        • Grad School Tips on Applying
          How to find the right graduate department and advisor for you, how to find funding, and how to get organized to make the process as smooth as possible!

        • The Difference Between the Grad and Undergrad Experience
          What are the major differences between the undergraduate and graduate experience? A quick summary of how the two differ, including funding, relationship with your advisor, classwork and research, and independence.


        • Postdoc Experiences


          • Negotiating A Postdoc Position
            Why, what and how to negotiate the terms of a post doc position offer.

          • Questions to Ask When Choosing A Postdoc Advisor
            A check list of questions to use when evaluating a potential postdoctoral position.

          • Tips on Postdoc Placements
            Two Views from the field.

          • Postdoc Positions: What? How? Why?
            What are they good for? How does it all work? Finding and applying to positions.


          • General Faculty Resources


            • Resources For Faculty
              An overview of broadening participation resources for faculty available on PathwaysToScience.org

            • Designing for Success: Positive Factors that Support Student Success in STEM
              17 positive factors that the research says enable underrepresented students to succeed and persist in STEM fields

            • Tools and Resources for Practitioners - Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge Program
              Developed through the successful bridge program, this toolkit provides inspiration and concrete guidance for diversity practitioners looking to develop programming to support diversity and inclusion in STEM higher education.

            • Gender Bias Calculator: Letters of Recommendation
              Have you wondered if the letter you are reading -- or the letters you are writing -- are inadvertently perpetuating implicit biases that could reduce the likelihood of the candidate getting a fair chance at the new opportunity? You can put your own letters through this online gender bias calculator.

            • Using Social Media to Build Diversity in Your REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates)
              This handout presents a brief summary of how-to's and what-not-to-do's.


            • Diversity Awareness


              • Broadening Participation in Your Program: Growing the Diversity Awareness & Cultural Competency of Faculty and Partners
                Tips and resources for building diversity and inclusion awareness in an academic environment.


              • Recruitment & Retention


                • Broadening Participation in Your Program - Outreach: Recruitment & Retention
                  A checklist of action items to build your broadening participation strategy.

                • Inclusive Recruitment and Admissions
                  The process of selecting students likely to complete science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) doctoral programs has not changed greatly over the last few decades and still relies heavily on Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores in most U.S. universities. Results of this study suggest that GRE scores are not an effective tool for identifying students who will be successful in completing STEM doctoral programs. Considering the high cost of attrition from PhD programs and its impact on future leadership for the U.S. STEM workforce, the authors suggest that it is time to develop more effective and inclusive admissions strategies.

                • Make the Most of Conference Travel to Support Your Diversity Efforts
                  How to use conferences for recruitment and networking.

                • Recruitment Strategies to Promote Diversity
                  A 9-step checklist towards implementing a comprehensive recruitment strategy.

                • Template - Draft Recruitment Plan
                  Adopt and adapt this word .doc Recruitment Plan for your program.

                • Template - Draft Retention Plan
                  Adopt and adapt this word .doc Retention Plan for your program.


                • Maps


                  • Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) Map
                    A map showing the geographic locations of the historically black colleges and universities

                  • Tribal Colleges & Universities Map
                    A map showing the geographic locations of Tribal colleges and universities


                  • Presentations & Posters


                    • Building and Fostering Partnerships to Increase Participation and Diversity in STEM
                      IBP's mission is to increase diversity in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. This brief online prezi illustrates how IBP makes STEM opportunities more accessible to underrepresented students and faculty, as well as their mentors.

                    • The Diversity Briefing
                      A resource for faculty, administrators and program directors in STEM education offering an introduction to diversity concepts, why diversity matters & how to broaden participation and increase diversity. Produced by IBP.

                    • Pathways to Ocean Science: Broadening Participation in Summer Research Programs for Undergraduates
                      This poster covers the basics What is underrepresentation? Who is considered underrepresented in general and in the Ocean Sciences specifically? What is broadening participation, why does it matter, and how do you do it?