Application

The application for consideration for the 2025/2026 IRT cohort is now open.

All completed applications will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee and decisions will be sent in May.

Attention all prospective IRT Scholars – Please review these important IRT application updates!

The IRT has adjusted programming and processes to best support all of our scholars. All IRT Scholars will have access to our programming, including our summer curriculum, online. Scholars will have the opportunity to engage virtually with recruiters from our consortium of graduate schools in July.

More details about the IRT experience is included in the videos and links below.

The application is now open!

Once the application is open you may submit an inquiry to receive login credentials to access the application.

Application requirements and essay questions are listed below for your reference.
 

Application Requirements

All applicants must:

1. For undergraduates, have earned a grade point average of 3.0 or above (on a 4.0 scale); and for graduate students, have earned a grade point average of 3.5 or above (on a 4.0 scale).
2. Demonstrate a commitment to eradicating racial disparities in education;
3. Demonstrate a professional interest in teaching, counseling, or administration (K-12 or higher education)
4. Submit a complete online application by March 1st!
5. Either attend an information session on campus or online or watch the recorded webinar series (link is at the bottom of the page).

You are eligible to participate in our program if you are:

• A current undergraduate junior or senior
• A college graduate (recent or otherwise)
• Currently or previously enrolled in a Master’s degree program
• A working professional with an undergraduate degree

Get Prepared

1. Submission of three academic recommendation forms are required as part of your application. If you plan to apply to the IRT, secure your recommender’s commitment NOW so you will be ready to input their names and emails directly into the online application. Once you have submitted this information they will automatically receive an email from [email protected] that will include a link to access the form. The online form consists of 10 Likert scale statements and 6 questions, 2 of which are optional. If you are applying for a field in Education (such as Higher Education, School Counseling, etc.) you may request one professional, non-academic recommendation.
2. A series of essay questions are part of the IRT application and are listed below so you can begin crafting your essays early. Please observe word count limits where noted.

Arts & Social Sciences Application Essays

Essay 1
Please submit a brief essay describing three texts within your intended graduate discipline that are impactful to your understanding of social justice and diversity advocacy. At least one must be canonical (A group of literary works that are generally accepted as representing a field). At least two should be based in critical theory within your field of study. Cite your three sources in the appropriate text boxes below your essay response. Please reference this link for examples on how to cite your sources (MLA or APA).

Each citation should be 150 words, totaling to 450 words for this prompt.

Essay 2
Explain how and why the study of your intended discipline (American Studies, English Literature, Philosophy, History, Mathematics, etc.) has been personally meaningful regarding your academic experience.

This essay prompt should be around 150 words.

Essay 3
Please describe your current research interests and the specific schools of critical thought within your discipline that inform your approach and research methodology.

a. Social Science Applicants: Additionally, discuss the scope of a current project, (project focus, experience with research methodologies, survey sample sizes, project challenges, and insights gained).

b. MFA Applicants: Additionally, what elements of your craft do you wish to build upon through graduate study?

This essay prompt should be around 150 words or 300 words if you are answering the supplemental question.

Essay 4
Please describe a future research project within your intended graduate discipline that you would like to investigate upon entry to graduate study, including primary/secondary texts, theoretical frameworks, and scholarly arguments you wish to explore.

This essay prompt should be around 150 words

Education Application Essays

Essay 1
Please describe the graduate degree you are seeking, your chief motivations for graduate study in your discipline, and your short-term/long-term career goals.

This essay prompt should be around 150 words.

Essay 2
Explain how and why graduate study in your area of specialization (Teacher Education, School Counseling, Higher Education Administration, Educational Psychology, etc.) will be personally meaningful and additive to your previous work as an educator and scholar.

This essay prompt should be around 150 words.

Essay 3
Please describe a professional or volunteer experience in education you have had, and explain how that experience relates to or fostered your pursuit of graduate study in your area of specialization.

Doctoral Students in Education only: Additionally, describe a future research project in your intended graduate discipline you would like to investigate upon entry to doctoral study, including the project rationale, theoretical frameworks, and the methodological approaches you wish to explore within the project.

This essay prompt should be around 150 words or 300 words if you are applying for doctoral programs in Education.

Essay 4
Please submit a brief essay describing three texts within your discipline that are impactful to your understanding of social justice and diversity advocacy. At least one must be canonical (A group of literary works that are generally accepted as representing a field). At least two should be based in critical theory within your field of study. Cite your three sources in the appropriate text boxes below your essay response. Please reference this link for examples on how to cite your sources (MLA or APA).

This essay prompt should be around 150 words per citation totaling to 450 words.

Please note the application is now open and will remain open until March 1, 2025.

Email [email protected] with any questions.