McNair Scholars Preparatory Program

• Attend workshops that will provide students with skills that will help them succeed in undergraduate and graduate school. 
• Be paired with a McNair Scholar Peer Mentor that will provide guidance and support to help the student succeed academically and become eligible to transition into the McNair Scholar upon the successful completion of McNairPrep. 
• Students who successfully complete McNair Prep will receive preference when applying to the McNair Scholars Program.
• Students will discover the benefits of pursuing an advanced degree in their particular fields. 
• Students will learn about various types of research opportunities.
• Students will have the opportunity to create a community by participating in cohort building activities with current McNair Scholars.
• Students will meet with faculty once a quarter to check in and discuss on progress.
• Students will be able to participate in McNair Student Club activities. 

• McNair Prep students will meet at least two times per semester for two hours. These meetings will consist of various types of workshops that will help students succeed and learn about different opportunities, including learning about undergraduate research and applying to the McNair Scholars Program.
• McNair Prep students will explore possible research topics and graduate education opportunities that they would be interested in.
• McNair Prep students will maintain at least a 3.0 GPA.
• McNair Prep students will attend the cohort building activities with current McNair Scholars to build a community and create a support network.
• McNair Prep students will meet with their McNair Scholar Peer Mentor at least twice a semester.
• McNair Prep students will meet with McNair faculty/staff two times during the academic year to discuss any questions or concerns.

• U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Freshman or sophomore with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above
• And qualify as either:
  • A first generation college student [custodial parent(s) has not received a bachelor’s degree or higher] who also has a specified income level and/or
  • A member of a group underrepresented in graduate education; (American Indian, Black/African-American, Hispanic or Latino/a, Native/Pacific Islander, or Alaskan Native)

Transfer students are encouraged to participate in McNair Prep.  Transfer students who apply to McNair Prep during their first semester at CPP will have to participate in McNair Prep for the full academic year before they can participate in the full McNair Scholars Program.  However, transfer students have two options depending on the number of units they have left and their readiness to advance to the full McNair Scholars Program: 

1. Student can apply to the full McNair Scholars Program after participating in McNair Prep for one semester (during our spring 2025 recruitment).  Students who apply and get accepted into the McNair Scholars Program during the 2025 spring semester will still have to complete McNair Prep. However, they will be allowed to complete their summer research during the transitioning 2025 summer between McNair Prep and the full McNair Scholars Program.  For those students who apply and get selected during spring of 2025, the McNair Scholars Program will begin in the fall of 2025.
2. Students can also participate in McNair Prep for the 2024-2025 academic year before applying to the full McNair Scholars Program.  Students who choose to wait, will be able to apply to the full McNair Scholars Program during the spring of 2026 and if selected, start the full McNair Scholars Program during the fall of 2026.