The Meyerhoff Scholars Program offers a different emphasis that focuses on highly able students who aspire to become leading research scientists and engineers. The program is open to people of all backgrounds committed to increasing the representation of minorities in science and engineering.
In a proven formula for success, the program adheres to 13 key components. Where top scholars at other institutions are motivated by competition, Meyerhoffs rely on mutual support and continually challenge each other to do more, creating an environment that amounts to positive peer pressure. Students are encouraged to form study groups for particular classes within their majors, with Meyerhoff students, or with non-Meyerhoffs.
To help acculturate students in the program’s philosophy and provide them with the tools they need to succeed in their first college semester, all incoming Meyerhoff Scholars attend an accelerated six-week residential program, called Summer Bridge. Through for-credit courses in calculus and African American studies as well as non-credit courses in chemistry, physics, study skills, and time management scholars experience the rigors of college-level instruction and learn how to meet higher standards of performance.
The oversight of Meyerhoff Scholars is highly structured. In their freshman and sophomore years, students meet regularly with program staff for academic advising, while in their junior and senior years, sessions focus more on preparation for graduate and professional school applications.
Meyerhoff Scholars participate in research, conferences, paid internships, and study-abroad experiences that ground their knowledge and open their minds to other cultures and perspectives. They have studied in Paris at the Centre Interntionale de IEnfance; had internships in Brazil, China, Honduras, and Guyana; and participated in the International Research Training Program, funded by the National Institutes of Health, at the University of Lancaster in England.
These experiences not only help students to apply learning to the real world but also teach them how to find what they need to reach their goals whether it is a quest for funding, employment, internship opportunities, or academic pursuits. The message that scholars receive from staff, mentors, and advisors is that nothing is impossible if they try hard enough.