The Graduate Admissions Assistance Program (GAAP) is a student run (current graduate students of EPS/ESE, with the support of the EPS department) program created to address the inequity between those with knowledge of the graduate school application process and those without. The goal of GAAP is to connect current graduate students with prospective students who feel they could use help in preparing their graduate application. Graduate student mentors will be a resource for whatever application help program participants require: reading essays, offering advice, explaining the hidden workings of the application process, and more. If you are interested, please read the guidelines below and fill out the form. 

Eligibility

We have a limited pool of graduate students who can provide mentoring as part of this program. Out of respect for their time, we are currently prioritizing enrollment in the EPS/ESE GAAP to those who feel they are at a disadvantage when applying to graduate school. This may include, but is by no means limited to, students from non-R1 undergraduate colleges, first-generation students, low-income students, students from HBCUs and MSIs, LGBTQIA+ students, veterans or active service members, and students with disabilities.

Additionally, due to limited resources, we can only support students who are planning on submitting an application during this current admissions cycle (to begin graduate studies in Fall 2024).

Mentor-Mentee Matching:

Accepted applicants will be matched with a current graduate student mentors on a rolling basis but we will not accept applications after November 20, 2023 to allow enough time to work with your mentor. Please note that we may not have the resources to match all applicants with a mentor, however, this is not a reflection of the quality of your application. All applicants will be invited to attend a virtual open house hosted by the graduate students for general application advice and the opportunity for a Q&A, which will occur on December 4, 2023.

Confidentiality

We commit to keeping any personal information you provide to us confidential. The information you submit will be reviewed by a small committee of graduate students, but will not be shared with other graduate students or EPS/ESE faculty/staff. We will report aggregated statistics about applications, enrollment, and outcomes to the department, but we will protect the anonymity of individual students enrolled in our program. Additionally, it will not be noted on your application that you participated in this program.

Disclaimer

GAAP is a student-organized program with support from the EPS/ESE department at Harvard. Our aim is to connect you with mentors who can provide feedback on your application for graduate study in EPS/ESE. However, we cannot guarantee that any student will be admitted to EPS/ESE. GAAP mentors can provide advice and feedback on your application materials, but they cannot recommend you to Harvard faculty or admissions.

To apply, please fill out the GAAP Application