Graduate Student Recruitment

Graduate programs benefit from SGS initiatives to identify, recruit, and enroll students who contribute to inclusive excellence. We exhibit at multiple graduate fairs and conferences where research-active undergraduates from underrepresented groups present their work. At a well-developed network of Minority Serving Institution feeder schools, we lead workshops (in-person or virtual) on preparing for, applying to, and succeeding in graduate school. We guide prospective graduate students identified at these venues throughout the application process and share their profiles and contact info with GPDs.

SGS recruitment is most effective in partnership with graduate programs. We highly recommend that faculty members, graduate students, and postdocs work with us as Recruitment Ambassadors to identify, guide, and enroll a diverse graduate cohort. To learn more about the important role of a Recruitment Ambassador in identifying, guiding, and enrolling a diverse graduate cohort, click here. Ambassadors receive full travel funding and expense reimbursement, and graduate students may receive additional compensation. For more info and to volunteer for 2022-23, contact Associate Dean Evelyn Erenrich.

Program-specific recruitment: SGS can also assist faculty with their own program-specific recruitment. Faculty can draw upon SGS resources to add DEI focus to their efforts, i.e. promotional materials, best practices for recruiting students from the underserved background, contact lists of department chairs at Minority Serving Institutions, and prospect databases through SGS membership in multi-institutional consortia. We offer tailored support throughout the entire recruitment and enrollment process.

Among our most successful graduate recruitment vehicles has been an undergraduate research program, RISE (Research Intensive Summer Experience) at Rutgers, which brings rising seniors and juniors from across the nation to Rutgers to work with matched faculty mentors for 10 weeks. We have attracted many RISE alumni to apply to Rutgers for PhDs, and a number continued working with their summer mentors.

Admissions: We are active at the national level in collaborations to develop models for holistic admissions and assess predictors of graduate success. For a compilation of resources, visit here. We are happy to talk with Admissions Committee members about adapting these resources and best practices to fit program needs.