Resources for current McNair scholars

Additional resources are available on the McNair Canvas online platform.

Research tips

Personal development

Self-awareness tools

  • StrengthsQuest Assessment
  • SCARF Assessment
    SCARF stands for Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness and Fairness. The results of your assessment show you the order in which the SCARF elements matter to you. Understanding which of these five domains are key drivers for you helps you understand why you react so strongly in certain situations and why others don't seem to bother you so much. It will also help to explain the reaction of those around you!

Professional online profile

Words of wisdom

Skill awareness and development

Graduate school

Research programs

  • Research schools and programs you are interested in and visit petersons.com and/or gradschools.com.
  • Check schools and programs websites for information on how they support students from diverse backgrounds.
  • Determine what application materials are needed and look at program handbooks if available.
  • Go to graduate school fairs (but never pay to go to a fair).
  • If possible, visit the school. Sometimes, schools will pay for your visit, especially through diversity/outreach efforts.
  • Find out about specific courses offered.
  • Learn about specific research interests of individual faculty members.
  • Find out how long it takes to complete the program, and the program's attrition rate (how many students left the program and why).
  • Prepare for interviews (if applicable).
  • Prepare your resume or curriculum vitae [PDF] and personal statement [PDF].

Talk to people

  • Discuss your options with professors, advisors, current graduate students, or alumni of graduate programs to see how they found a good fit and what they wish they would have known about searching for graduate programs.
  • Ask them to recommend programs that may fit your needs (location, funding, faculty research).
  • Make contact with current students to find out what their experience has been like.

Research financial aid and funding

As you gather information on programs, create a list of potential schools to organize and rank schools based on your potential for being accepted (Safety, Good chance, Reach). Don't discard schools simply because you feel your changes of acceptance are slim.