Application Instructions

In order to access the application, you must log in with a personal gmail account. If you are logged with your school gmail account, the application may not display properly.

Please access the application here

The application for Summer 2025 will open on Jan. 13th, 2025.

Application Components

• Contact information / Background / Demographics
• Current Resume / CV
• List of research topics of interest (you can find topics here)
• Personal statements on background, motivations, and goals
• A letter of recommendation from a reference who can speak to your academic and research capabilities

Personal Statements

These are the personal and background essays that will be found on the application. Each response should about 150-250 words. The essay questions are:

1. What are your previous experiences with the field of Psychology (coursework, research labs, volunteering, etc.)? What impact did they have on you? What areas do you wish to grow in?
2. What are you broadly interested in researching and studying within the field of psychology? This could be a particular question, topic, research area, population, and/or methodology that interest you. What makes you motivated and/or excited to study this?how 

3. One of the goals of the SURE program is to prepare undergraduate students for graduate school, and eventually faculty positions. Participating in this program will provide many exciting and rewarding opportunities in your research and professional development, but please be aware that not every day will be filled with big, new discoveries. It is often the case that day-to-day research activities can be be mundane, frustrating, and even disappointing. Research also involves a lot of self-directed work, and a lot of reading.

   Given the information above, please answer both of the following questions:

   1. What do you envision as your next step immediately after you graduate? Some examples of post-undergrad plans are going to graduate school (i.e., getting a master's degree, PhD, MD, or other graduate level degree; please be specific about your graduate school plans if you have them), working in a lab or an office, or traveling. Please be specific as you can, and note the list provided here is not exhaustive!

   2. Does research as we described in the first part of this question align with your post-graduation goals?

4.  What are your future goals and aspirations? What type of career or academic path are you interested in pursuing or learning more about? How might the SURE program help you achieve these goals? 

5. Research is often enriched by the perspectives researchers can bring from their different backgrounds. Given your own history and background, how might you approach your research questions? What unique perspective do you feel you would bring to your research experience and projects? Feel free to draw on your personal experiences and values.

Letter of Recommendation

Applicants should provide one letter of recommendation for full consideration into the S.U.R.E. program. If you would like, you may submit two letters of recommendation. Letter writers should be someone who is willing and able to speak to your academic and research potential (professors, instructors, mentors, or advisors are preferred options).

Letter writers can directly submit reference letters here. Please have your reference writers include your name exactly as it appears in your application. 

* Letters are due by March 31, 2025* 

Selection Process

Participant selection will be made by the Department of Psychology in consultation with prospective graduate students and faculty advisors to ensure optimal matching of participant interests to ongoing research projects.

We hope to inform applicants of decisions by late April 2025. All applicants should hear back regardless of being accepted or not.

Any questions about the application should be directed to sure.ut.austin@gmail.com or the S.U.R.E. program in general to marlone.henderson@utexas.edu.