Apply

Students can apply for the STAR Scholars Program in two ways: (1) as prospective students during the admissions process to the University and (2) as current students during the mid-year application process.

The STAR Scholars application for current students is now open!

Jump to the Application Guidelines

Prospective Student Application Process

Are you applying for admission to Drexel and looking to apply to STAR? Apply through the prospective student application in your Discover Drexel portal under the Enrichment & Scholarship tab. Please contact enroll@drexel.edu with any questions.

Launchpad to STAR

In an effort to support student engagement in early undergraduate research, Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Programs (UREP) is proud to announce Launchpad to STAR. Students are invited to participate in a variety of workshops designed to help them understand what research is and how to get involved. Many workshops will be offered in Fall Term (face-to-face); if students are unable to attend a given workshop or it is not offered, they will also have the option of asynchronously completing the workshop and an accompanying worksheet. Learn more about the program, eligibility requirements, and how to participate on the Launchpad page on the UREP Sharepoint.

Current Student Mid-Year Application Process

Current Drexel first-year or transfer students can apply for the STAR Scholars Program during the mid-year application process, which opens during the Fall Term and closes in the Winter Term. Current students interested in applying are encouraged to review the slides from our STAR Info Session (Drexel login required). Current students with questions about the application can email urep@drexel.edu.

Applications for the 2024-25 STAR Scholars Program are now open!

Application Deadline: Monday, January 27, 2025 at 12:00pm (noon)

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for the STAR Scholars Program, students must:

be a first-year student or a transfer student in their first year at Drexel
have an interest in research, scholarship, or creative work and be willing to commit to 35 hours/week for 10 weeks over the Summer Term

Mid-Year Application Components

Application: Each applicant must fill out and submit the online application before the deadline (no later than 12:00pm (noon) on Monday, January 27, 2025).
Statements: Within the online application, each applicant must respond to 2 very short answer questions, 2 of 3 short answer questions, and one personal interest statement which can be a 500-1,000 word essay or a 2-4 minute video.
1. Very short answer questions (max 100 words each)
  - Why did you choose your major?
  - Why are you interested in participating in research, scholarly work, or creative work?
2. Select two of the three following short answer questions (max 250 words each)
  - Reflecting on your first term at Drexel, tell us about a skill you've gained as a student and how this will help you in STAR.
  - Tell us about a time you worked with a team. Did your team work collaboratively? How did this impact your experience?
  - Tell us about one personal, professional, OR academic goal that you have set for yourself for your time in college. Why did you set this goal for yourself, and how would participating in STAR help you advance that goal?
3. Interest Statement (500-1,000 word essay or 2-4 minute video)
  - Using online resources (such as college/departmental websites, ForagerOne, or STAR abstract books) or previous interactions with faculty (such as presentations at Univ101), identify a faculty member or lab at Drexel doing research or creative work that you find interesting. Tell us about why you find this work interesting.
  - Guidelines for the Statement of Interest:
    - Please write between 500-1,000 words or submit a 2-4 minute video. Interest statements will be submitted through the online application as an uploaded document. Please only use the following file formats: .pdf, .doc, .docx, or for a video submission, please follow the instructions in the application to upload via YouTube.
    - We don't expect you to understand this area of work fully. This question is meant to show your curiosity about and interest in the topic you've selected.
    - You do not need any previous history with or connection to the professor or lab. The person you write about does not need to be in your college or department.
    - Please do not contact researchers to answer this question; you should be able to answer this question using the resources listed in the prompt.
    - Your answer to this question does not commit you to working with any specific professor or guarantee that you will have the opportunity to work with any specific professor for STAR.
Recommendation: Each applicant must obtain a recommendation from a Drexel faculty, staff member, or graduate student who has agreed to provide a recommendation. In place of a traditional letter of recommendation, recommenders will be asked to complete a recommendation form within the application portal. Recommendations will be due no later than Monday, February 3, 2025 at 12:00pm (noon). An application will not be considered complete without a recommendation.
1. While it is not required that recommendations come from the applicant’s college or discipline, it is helpful to obtain a recommendation from a recommender who can speak to the applicant’s academic ability within their discipline. The most important factor in selecting a recommender is how well they know you and are able to speak to your strengths. You should ask your recommender if they are willing to provide a recommendation well before the deadline.
2. How to Submit a Recommendation Request

Program Decisions: All applicants will be notified of decisions by the beginning of the Spring Term.

Apply for the STAR Scholars Program