Sponsored by the psychology departments at the University of Minnesota and Penn State University, NPSP is a virtual graduate student-led mentorship program for underrepresented (e.g., BIPOC, low-income, first-gen, LGBTQIA+) undergraduates and post-baccalaureates interested in applying to psychology PhD programs.
Description:
The goal of NPSP is to cultivate long-term support structures between current underrepresented graduate students and diverse undergrad or post-baccalaureate mentees to (1) embrace and celebrate the unique journeys that have led current graduate students to pursue a PhD and (2) inspire and empower the next generation of scholars while enhancing feelings of belonging in academia. Although the process of applying to graduate school will be outlined, we will spend a significant amount of time discussing how to both challenge and navigate the “hidden curriculum” (e.g., networking, advocating for yourself) of academia as well as the hardships experienced by underrepresented students.
Over the course of a year, the program will consist of a series of virtual panels and workshops such as:
-Individual journeys--highlighting both challenges and successes--that led current underrepresented graduate students to pursue a PhD
-Considerations for choosing a program
-The admissions process and application tips (led by faculty)
-Navigating the hidden curriculum
Fellowships and paid post-baccalaureate opportunities
-Misc professional development topics (e.g., building your program of research, R programming basics)
In small group and one-on-one mentorship, mentees are paired with current graduate students and postdocs to discuss their grad school plans and/or to workshop application materials. As a show of appreciation for graduate students’ time and to honor the diverse perspectives, 10-12 lead grad mentors and ~75 regular mentors are paid a consulting fee thanks to the generous support from UMN and PSU.
How To Apply:
Interested applicants (both mentees AND mentors) should fill out this form by 6/3/22. All are welcome to apply, but priority admittance to the program will go towards students from underrepresented groups. Please note this program is focused specifically on psychology PhD programs, so if you are looking for mentorship for a different type of program (e.g., MA or PsyD), then this program will likely not meet your needs.
For additional information, please see our website (nextgenpsychscholars.com) and follow us on Twitter (@NextGenPsych) for updates and announcements.
