Discover Purdue!

This Graduate Experience is an intense four-day, all-expenses-paid program that provides an opportunity for undergaduate students with diverse experiences, backgrounds, and goals to learn about and consider graduate education at Purdue University. You will meet with potential faculty mentors, key staff, and current graduate students in their discipline. You will also participate in professional development workshops and have the opportunity to tour the campus and to visit our five cultural centers, laboratories, libraries, and classrooms. 

Eligibility

• U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, Refugees, or Asylees and Canadian-born Native Americans who meet specific criteria under the Jay Treaty of 1794.
• Participation is limited to individuals who are likely to apply for Purdue graduate school during the current or next graduate school application cycle.
• Applicants who are first-generation, military veterans, Pell Grant recipients, were part of McNair, LSAMP or TRIO programs, or have attended a minority-serving institution are particularly encouraged to apply.
  

Application Overview

The portal will open on April 1, 2024 and close on August 30, 2024. Please answer all the questions on the application form and submit it before the deadline mentioned above. Applications that are incomplete or submitted after the deadline will not be considered. The application does not allow you to save progress. All materials must be submitted at once and can't be edited afterwards.

Application Components

An online application with the following attachments:

• Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV). Brief documents (no more than 2 pages) that summarize your qualifications and typically include information on your education, employment history, research experience, relevant skills, awards, and leadership activities. Please visit the Purdue Online Writing Lab for information on developing an effective resume or CV.
• Academic Transcripts. Include transcripts from all institutions you have attended. Unofficial transcripts are accepted.
• A ranked list of 3 to 5 Purdue faculty who you would like to meet with during your visit. Please review faculty webpages to identify faculty whose research interests are most closely aligned with yours.  
• Short essay questions. Please respond to the following essay questions (maximum of 250 words per question) .
  • What are your professional plans and career goals? How will attending graduate school assist you in reaching those goals?
  • Describe your research, scholarly, or creative interests. How have you prepared to pursue these interests in graduate school? You might discuss how you have prepared through coursework, research, employment, experience, etc.
  • Discuss how your life experiences might help you contribute to a campus community of scholars where diverse perspectives, abilities, backgrounds, and experiences are welcomed, respected, and valued.
  • Please describe how and why you would benefit from participating in Discover Purdue!.

Program dates

Program benefits

• Free travel to and from the West Lafayette, IN campus (Domestic flights only)
• Free lodging for the duration of the program 
• Network with Purdue faculty, staff, and graduate students
• Tour the campus, including your department of interest
• An exclusive applying to graduate school workshop
• Hands-on workshops and one-on-one application essay feedback session
• Individualized meetings with faculty of interest
• Purdue Masters or PhD application fee waiver
• And much more!

This is what former participants have to say!

About the program:

"Amazing visit, I feel like I had every opportunity to take advantage of the visit."

"I appreciate how flexible the program staff was with me visiting faculty and staff during the day"

About the Cultural Centers:

"LOVED THE CULTURAL CENTERS! I didn’t feel tokenized and got to speak with and surround myself with actual minorities in higher education."

"Getting to visit the Latino Cultural Center and Native American Cultural Center was a great experience"

"The Black Cultural Center was beautiful"

About the Graduate Students:

"I really appreciate how open and candid the faculty and grad students were."

"The grad students were the best part of the program"

Apply to Discover Purdue!