Scholars Programs

Our scholar programs offer strategic support to students through academic coaching, professional development, and inclusive community building.
Office of Inclusive Excellence
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Robert L. Ryan Scholars and Bridges Scholars Programs

The Robert L. Ryan Scholars and Bridges Scholars Programs are academic initiatives designed to support student success. The programs foster a supportive community that emphasizes both individual achievement and the collective success of the group.

  • Advising and Mentoring 

    Throughout their undergraduate journey, Ryan and Bridges Scholars benefit from regular one-on-one meetings with Office of Inclusive Excellence staff, who collaborate closely with Engineering Advising and faculty advisors. These sessions provide comprehensice advising support, including formulating personalized goals and action plans for their academic, personal, and professional success.

    During their first two years, meetings may address areas that are crucial for early career success, such as major selection, study techniques, time management, wellness strategies, and building productive relationships with faculty. As they advance into their junior and senior years, Ryan and Bridges Scholars work with staff to develop tailored post-graduation plans.

  • Professional Development

    Ryan and Bridges Scholars are eligible to apply for up to $500 annually to support approved academic and professional enhancement opportunities. These activities may include attending conferences, participating in service-learning opportunities, securing personalized tutoring, or acquiring supplemental course materials and technical aids not covered by financial aid.

    Dedicated professional development programming is offered each semester to create a supportive community to foster Scholars’ academic and career growth.

  • Selection – Bridges Scholars

    The Bridges Scholars Program provides a pathway for economically disadvantages and first-generation college student to success at Cornell through strategic partnerships with select high schools, community-based organizations, and federal programs.

  • Selection – Ryan Scholars

    Each year, approximately 30 Engineering students are invited to participate in the Cornell Pre-Collegiate Summer Scholars Program (PSSP), a six-week summer academic residential program. Upon completion of their PSSP, they are confirmed as Ryan Scholars.

    In the engineering component of PSSP, scholars must take a spatial visualization development class. It is critical for students to attain familiarity and confidence in their spatial reasoning skills, particularly in engineering. Students also take math and computer science courses, participate in collaborative learning groups, and learn how to navigate the university and its resources.

    During PSSP, scholars live together in a community that integrates their academic and social experiences, fostering connections with other first-year Cornellians. Throughout the program, Scholars participate in community activities and engineering-specific events, laying a solid foundation for their university journey.

Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Scholars

The Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Scholars Program is a pathway program for undergraduate STEM majors seeking assistance with preparing for graduate school admissions and with obtaining strategies that maximize their competitiveness for Ph.D. graduate study.


The LSAMP Scholars Program offers a range of benefits, including a modest stipend for professional development, GRE preparation, and research materials. Participants receive graduate application waivers for Cornell and other universities. Additional benefits include reduced registration fees for the GRE for those who attend GEM GRAD Lab workshops, research internship opportunities, and access to the LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship, which provides up to $30,000 per year for two years of graduate study, covering tuition and fees. Scholars can engage in Upstate and National LSAMP events, participate in professional conferences and meetings, network with various professional opportunities, and receive recognition at the Office of Inclusive Excellence’s Annual Awards Banquet. 

As LSAMP participants, Scholars are expected to actively engage in various activities to enhance their academic and professional growth. This includes attending workshops, joining professional organizations within their STEM discipline each year, and participating in a GEM GRAD Lab and a professional or academic conference by their graduating year. Scholards should apply for research experiences both on and off campus, aiming to complete at least one term of research experience by graduation. In their senior year, Scholars are encouraged to apply for the GEM Fellowship and seek admission to at least one LSAMP Bridge to Doctorate institution, preparing them for their future academic and career endeavors. 

Participants attend workshops and events that cover essential topics, such as:

  • Graduate School Application Process and Timelines

  • Personal Statements

  • Letters of Recommendations

  • Curriculum Vitae

  • Graduate School Financial Support (Fellowships & Assistantships)

  • Getting Involved in Undergraduate Research

Eligibility for the LSAMP Scholars Program

  • An eligible participant must be:

    • Enrolled at Cornell University as an undergraduate
    • A U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident
    •  good academic standing and majoring in a STEM discipline while seeking a graduate degree, preferably a Ph.D. in a STEM discipline.

     

  • Additionally, LSAMP applicants should meet one or more of the following criteria:  

    • Experienced educational, socio-cultural, economic, personal, and/or identity-related barriers to your advancement or ability to advance in a STEM field, including but not limited to:
      • Being the first in your family to attend college
      • Managing a disability or chronic health condition
      • Experiencing significant insecurities related to housing, food, economic, or other life areas.
    • Demonstrated commitment to address the barriers that prevent participation of students from historically underrepresented groups in graduate STEM programs.
    • Demonstrated leadership potential to address the issues of underrepresentation of domestic minorities in STEM fields.

    Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to addressing barriers that hinder the participation of historically underrepresented groups in graduate STEM programs, along with leadership potential in promoting inclusion in STEM education and careers.

Application Process for the LSAMP Scholars Program

Applications are accepted in fall semesters. Applicants must upload the following through the online application portal:

  • Online Application

  • Resume

    (PDF or Word Doc)

  • Personal Statement

    (PDF or Word Doc) addressing:

    Career Goals and Aspirations

    • Explain your motivation for pursuing a Ph.D.
    • Outline your timeline for achieving this goal.
    • Provide an overview of your overall career aspirations.

    Understanding the Goals of the LSAMP Scholars Program

    Explain how this program aligns with your needs and goals.

    Discuss a lived experience that will contribute to LSAMP’s diverse scholarly community, considering:

    • Situations that impacted your advancement in a STEM field
    • Commitment to addressing barriers for underrepresented groups in graduate STEM programs
    • Leadership potential in addressing issues of domestic minorities in STEM fields

     

  • Transcript

    (sent via Student Center or Cornell Secure File Transfer)

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National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME) Scholars

Cornell is a NACME Partner Institution and participates in NACME’s scholarship programs which include the Renewable Scholarships, Corporate Scholarships, and General Scholarships. To be eligible for a NACME administered scholarship, Cornell students must be majoring in engineering or computer science, a US citizen or permanent resident, and meet the minimum GPA requirements of the relevant scholarship. NACME’s mission is to increase investment in the domestic workforce.

At Cornell Engineering, the Office of Inclusive Excellence partners with NACME to award scholarships to talented students enrolled in engineering programs as part of their financial aid packages.

  • NACME Scholar Support

    Along with the monetary scholarship, which is annually renewable, those selected as Cornell NACME Scholars receive access to NACME’s Career Center. This resource connects to you to companies and other NACME corporate partners who have contributed to the NACME Scholarship program. These companies are interested in your academic success as well as providing internship and full-time opportunities.

  • Student Eligibility

    To be eligible for the NACME Scholars Program students must:

    • Enroll at Cornell Engineering,
    • Be a US citizen or permanent resident
    • Maintain the minimum GPA required of relevant scholarship