Application Process and Expectations

The Summer Scholars Program is open to all currently enrolled, full-time undergraduates (and students in 5-year programs) who are not graduating in May or summer 2025.  Students in any college or school at Saint Joseph’s University may apply.

Given the level of creative and intellectual activity expected of participants in the SSP, students will normally be required to have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in the semester before they apply (i.e. a student applying for summer 2025 would need to have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher at the end of the fall 2024 semester).

Other requirements are as follows:

• You may not be enrolled in the HSB COOP program.
• You will register for SJU undergraduate coursework for the fall of 2025.
• There are no other issues (i.e. visa status) that prevent you from receiving payment for work.

You can find a list of faculty who have served as mentors in the last five years here. This list is not meant to be exhaustive. We recommend that you schedule an appointment to meet with a potential faculty mentor to begin the conversation about possible projects, their availability to serve as a mentor, etc.

While there is no limit to the number of students any one faculty member may mentor, it is important to keep in mind that the program is highly competitive and the number of spots available are limited. As such, not all students who apply will be selected for support through the program. Please discuss this with your potential mentor as you are formulating your proposal.

In order to apply to the program you must identify a faculty member who has agreed to serve as your mentor. As part of the application process, your faculty member must submit a letter of recommendation. You will supply the name and contact information of the person who will be serving as your mentor when you complete the online application. The mentor will then be contacted by us and they will be able to submit their letter to the selection committee electronically.

View the Faculty Mentor List

Faculty mentors receive a $600 stipend for each scholar, but no more than $1,200 for two or more students.

The application process is extremely competitive. Potential Scholars are encouraged to start early on their proposals and to spend time writing and revising with their mentors and with assistance from tutors in the SJU Writing Center. (Please visit the Writing Center website for hours, locations, and to make an appointment.) While you should work closely with your prospective mentor in formulating the proposal, the proposal is to be written by you, not your prospective mentor.

Once you have identified a faculty mentor, begin the process of formulating your proposal. Proposals consist of the following sections:

• Title of the proposed project
• Your name
• Any relevant courses you have already taken
• Background information for the proposal (one to a few paragraphs)
• A description of the proposed project, methods to be used, etc. This can be up to a page and is the most important section of the proposal.)
• A description of any work already performed by you on the proposed project.
• Name and contact information for your faculty mentor

The entire proposal should be no more than two pages in length.

You can download sample proposals from previous years using these links.

The application system will open on January 6, 2025, and will remain open until 11:59 pm on Monday, February 10, 2025: Once you have you have identified your prospective mentor, you have your application prepared as a word document, and you have the contact information for your prospective mentor, you may submit your application electronically through The Nest.

Login to your account and navigate to the “Classes and Registration” area. On that page you should see a “Summer Scholars” channel.

Click on the “Apply Now” link, fill in the required information and upload your application document.  Once you have everything in, click “submit”.

Please do NOT start submitting your application until you have all of the material ready.! You will not be able to return later to make change.

Once you submit your application you should receive a confirmation e-mail within 24 hours.

If you have any questions or do not receive this e-mail, please contact Donna Mandery.

Timeline

• Monday, January 6, 2025 – Electronic application system becomes activated.
• Monday, February 10, 2025 (11:59 p.m.) – Deadline for submission of completed application and proposal. All materials must be submitted using the electronic application system.
• Monday, February 17, 2025  - 1 letter of recommendation from your prospective mentor is due. We will contact the mentor you list on your application to request the letter.
• Mid-March 2025 – The Summer Scholars Committee will review the applications and make awards based on merit, departmental and faculty recommendations and the amount of funding available.

On or After Thursday, March 20, 2025 – Letters will be sent (by email only) to all applicants indicating whether or not they have been selected for the 2024 Summer Scholars Program.

Thursday, April 3, 2025 – Deadline for students offered 2024 Summer Scholars positions to accept or decline the position. In the event that positions are declined, positions will be offered to students on the alternate list.

Monday, April 7, 2025 – Deadline for alternates to accept or decline positions (if available)

Thursday, May 1, 2025 – Deadline for 2024 Summer Scholars to complete and submit all required paperwork for human resources (and Residence Life, if on-campus housing was requested). Failure to complete required paperwork by this deadline may result in withdraw of the award.

TBD  (11am-2pm)– Move in date for students granted on-campus housing. No other move in dates will be scheduled except by arrangement between the student and Residence Life. Housing is provided for 11.5 weeks.

May 19 – Formal start of the 2025 Summer Scholars Program (some scholars may start at other times as approved by their mentors); Summer Scholars and Faculty Mentors reception (TBD, Arrupe Jesuit Community)

August  8- Formal Conclusion of the 2025 Summer Scholars Program and last day to move out day for students with on-campus housing.

Learn More

The purpose of the Summer Scholars Program (SSP) is to offer students an opportunity to engage in experiential learning within an area of their interest. That scholarly engagement may take many forms, including independent research, the production of original writing or artwork, or research with the faculty mentor on a specific project relating to their discipline.

The nature of the work is open, but the project must be both creative and largely independent, in order to allow students to experience the process of scholarly exploration and development. As such, the project is expected to be student-centered with the faculty member serving as a guide and mentor in this creative scholarly process. Projects in which the Summer Scholar would act as an administrative assistant or “gopher” are thus not appropriate and will not be supported. It is important to note, however, that projects that form part of the faculty-mentor’s research or creative scholarly activities ARE acceptable.

As the program entails, by its nature, a formal mentoring relationship, Summer Scholars and their faculty mentors are expected to meet routinely throughout the course of the summer. The nature of this interaction is open but in most cases will occur via face-to-face meetings. This interaction is essential to the development of the student within the discipline. Students who fail to fulfill this obligation with their mentors will be liable to removal from the program.

This requirement does not mean that the work must occur at Saint Joseph’s University. A number of students have been supported to engage in work with an SJU faculty mentor at other institutions/locations both inside and outside of the U.S. The key requirements are that 1) there be sustained, direct interaction between the student and SJU faculty mentor and 2) while the student may be working at another academic institution, they are doing so under the direct supervision of an SJU faculty mentor. Summer Scholars funds cannot be used to support work at other institutions under the direction of non-SJU faculty.

One informal mechanism to foster the student-faculty interchange is through various events held during the summer for students and faculty. These events are both informal and voluntary and a schedule will be distributed at the start of the summer program.

Students being compensated for participating in the Summer Scholars Program are expected to engage in at least 400 hours of work relating to their scholarly activity. This is the equivalent of working ten weeks for 40 hours per week. Depending on the nature of the project and the source of funding support, students may be required to formally record their hours spent engaged in work. Any such requirements will be specified by the faculty mentors at the start of the summer program.

Students supported by the Summer Scholars Program receive a stipend of $4,000 in 2024 (the stipend is tax free) and the opportunity for on-campus housing at the greatly reduced cost of $1500 for 2024. Cost of food is NOT included. Housing is subject to the terms and conditions of Residence Life, and space limitations may apply, Stipends are broken down into six payments, which are made around the 16th and 30th of June, July and August.

A substantial body of work should be completed by the end of the summer period; it is this work that the student will summarize in a video presentation for a program celebration in September. Some students may also present their work at academic conferences or as co-authors or authors in publications. Requirements for completing and documenting the scholarly project are born equally by the student and the faculty mentor and will influence subsequent applications for support through the program. Students who are found to be non-compliant with these requirements will be removed from the program and required to repay all of the stipend received to that date.

Please note that given the magnitude of the work involved, students in the program may NOT hold a full-time job during the summer. Part-time employment of less than 20 hours per week may be acceptable, but it requires written approval, in advance, of both the prospective mentor and the program directors.  Similarly, students must obtain written permission from their mentor in advance of taking summer classes. Generally, given the nature of the workload for the program, Summer Scholars are discouraged from taking summer classes.

• During the application process, faculty should work with prospective scholars and help develop their proposals. A letter of recommendation needs to be submitted with each applicant. 
• During the 10-week program, faculty is expected to regularly meet with scholars and provide feedback on their projects. Faculty is strongly encouraged to participate in SSP-sponsored events during the summer and throughout the following academic year.
• Nearing the end of the program, scholars are expected to submit a 3-minute video summarizing their work. Mentors must give final approval for the videos and their contents. These videos will be published and accessed by the general public, particularly alums and potential donors.
• Faculty will be provided a stipend of $600 for each scholar, but up to $1200 for two or more scholars.