The NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program seeks students of the highest academic caliber who are committed to a career in biomedical research and who are ready to choose a research project during the first summer of their enrollment in the program. Some key points to note:
•The academic standards of the program are high. However, research experience and letters of recommendation area very important parts of the application, and the applicant is looked at as a whole.
•For those who have taken the MCAT, most have a score of 35 or higher.
•Even more important than grades or test scores, we are looking for students who have had one or more substantial research experiences. Success and satisfaction with laboratory research are the biggest predictive factors for success in our program. We look for students who are working in labs by their senior year or have done research after college. Many students started working in labs much earlier in their undergraduate careers and some have 3+ years of research experience at the time of application.
•Many students have published manuscripts in scientific journals and have given poster presentations at nationally attended meetings. They have often been honored by their universities for academic or research achievement or by outside agencies such as the Goldwater Scholarship, the Amgen Foundation, and the MARCS program.
•Outstanding recommendation letters, particularly those from mentors who have supervised an applicant’s laboratory projects, factor heavily into our decision making.
•Finally, we look at the personal statement to see whether the student has effectively explained his/her research interests to us.
•We encourage students to investigate potential mentors and projects prior to interviewing, and view this as a strength in an application. We do not require students to tell us exactly which area of biomedical research they wish to pursue, but we are wary when a student appears to be too generalized or unfocused.
This defines the criteria that we look for in the application. The interviews and informal interactions that the students have when visiting campus are also very important. We look forward to reviewing your application and encourage you to contact us via email or phone should you have any questions. Wishing you all the best in your current and future research endeavors!
How to Apply
IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THE INFORMATION BELOW BEFORE FILLING OUT AN APPLICATION. THE LINK TO THE APPLICATION APPEARS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.
Application Due Date, Fee, and Interview Dates
•Applications must be submitted electronically by 11:59 PM EST on January 3, 2011.
•There is no application fee for the GPP application. University partners may have an application fee, depending on how you apply.
•Interview dates for the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program are February 23rd and 24th, 2011. You must attend both days. The program will cover your transportation costs, lodging and most meals.
Applications Required for Admissions Consideration and University ChoiceOnly the NIH GPP application is required for admission consideration to the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program. University choices are collected at the time of interviews. Accepted students will submit their University applications to Oxford and/or Cambridge in early spring. Students may only establish a collaboration at a University to which they have submitted an application, but they may submit applications to both Universities if they are unclear at the time of admission which one they plan to attend. Students will generally be required to make a choice of Universities before the visit weeks to Oxford and Cambridge in June.
http://oxcam.gpp.nih.gov/prospectiveStudents/HowtoApply.asp