Undergraduate Resources

Research is becoming an increasingly important dimension of graduate school preparation. As an undergraduate, you can become involved in the research endeavor in various ways. You may conduct a research project, either here at UW or at another institution, during the summer or over the academic year. You can also receive funding to do research. Some labs offer work-study positions to students. Also, programs around campus, throughout the Seattle area, and across the country offer research scholarships. You should speak with an EIP Graduate Advisor to find out more about these opportunities.

Here is a guide for all the details of making a good poster, what to do at a conference, and how to prepare a talk.

The University of Washington URP maintains an ongoing list of undergraduate research opportunities, listed by department. You should check their web site often for updated information. In addition, you should be in contact with your undergraduate advisor and professors about research opportunities in your department.

Drop by the Lounge anytime Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm to meet with advisors, chat with other students, read the paper (the PI and Times every week), use the computers, and access our library. We have GRE, LSAT, MCAT, etc books, as well as other resources. Here is a partial list:

Title	Author	Volumes
Academic Discourse	Gail Stygall
College Reading and Study Skills	Kathleen T. McWhorter
Discovering Academic Writing	Barbara Harris Leonhard
Gender-Responsible Leadership	Catharine Herr Van Nostrand
Great Jobs for English Majors	Julie De Galan and Stephen Lambert
Internships	Sara Dulany Gilbert
Making the Most of College	Richard J. Light
Reference Library of American Men		I-IV
Reference Library of Black America		I-V
Reference Library of Native North America		I-IV
Starting Out, Starting Over	Linda Patterson
The Academic Kitchen	Maresi Nerad
The American Collge and University	Frederick Rudolph
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States		I-IV
The Uses of the University	Clark Kerr
Up From Slavery	Booker T. Washington

The EIP Undergraduate Research Opportunities web page provides a comprehensive list of summer research opportunities, both here at UW as well as at other universities. Institutions throughout the U.S. sponsor 8-10 week structured research programs. These programs invite undergraduates from around the country to apply for a position in the program. Summer research programs often include generous stipends, presentation opportunities, and GRE preparation courses. While many programs are targeted to science and engineering majors, there are programs at various institutions for all majors. Application deadlines for summer research programs fall in January or February of that year. Each January, EIP hosts a "Summer Research Programs" workshop, in which we explain the importance of such opportunities and help you through the application process. Also, our Graduate Advisors spend individual time with you working on polishing your applications. Summer research programs are a wonderful way of spending time in another part of the country, visiting graduate schools, and getting paid to do research.

The Undergraduate Research Program offers Mary Gates Research Training Grants, two- or three-quarter grants for undergraduates to conduct a formal research project under a faculty member's supervision. There are other similar opportunities both here on campus as well as around the Seattle area. Speak with a Graduate Advisor to learn more about locating such opportunities.

We also encourage students to become involved with the University of Washington Honors Program (http://depts.washington.edu/uwhonors). Students can participate in either College Honors (a full, four-year program combining Honors core and Honors courses in the major) or in Departmental Honors (advanced Honors courses in the major department only). College Honors students satisfy the Areas of Knowledge requirements as they complete their Honors core curriculum. Students will commonly enter Departmental Honors after two years of college work, normally at the time they declare their major.

• If you have 0-45 college credits, contact the Honors Program directly about becoming a member of College Honors, the four-year course of study.
• If you have 45-90 credits, either path may be appropriate for you. Schedule an appointment with an Honors advisor by emailing uwhonors@u.washington.edu. Please bring a copy of your unofficial transcript to your advising appointment.
• If you have more than 90 college credits, you probably have the majority of your general education requirements met. If this is the case, Departmental Honors will be the most efficient route for you. Please contact your departmental advisor directly to discuss your interest in joining the Honors Program through the Departmental Honors track.

For more information, contact Julie S. Villegas, villegas@u.washington.edu, 206-543-7172, or come by the Honors Program office, 211 Mary Gates Hall.

The Undergraduate Scholarship Office (http://www.washington.edu/students/ugrad/scholar/) helps UW undergraduates find, apply for, and win scholarships. They have a large and continuously updated database of merit-based scholarships for undergraduates, and they offer workshops every quarter to help you through the often daunting process of locating appropriate scholarships for yourself. They also help outstanding undergraduates compete for large, national scholarships that require nomination.

You can contact the Undergraduate Scholarship Office at scholarq@u.washington.edu.

The EIP/McNair program has compiled a reading list aimed towards our students who are thinking about pursuing a graduate education. We have created this reading list for students from all backgrounds, but particularly for those we aim to serve, to assist them as they reach onward and upward in their pursuit of higher education. A very special thank you and note of sincere appreciation are extended to the members of the University of Washington Special Committee on Minority Faculty Affairs for their thoughtful contributions to this work.

The Haas Center at Stanford University maintains a Public Service Database of summer, one- or two-year programs that often offer compensation of some kind. Public service is another excellent way to build your resume.