Horizon Fellows Program FAQs

Eligibility


Who is the Horizon Fellows Program intended to support?

The Horizon Fellows Program (formerly the Pre-Doctoral Program) is designed to increase access to promising graduate students. Horizon Fellows are regularly admitted graduate students who would benefit from an extra year of academic training.

Horizon Fellows will be given one extra year of regular enrollment that begins with their Horizon Fellowship year. In this first year of study, Horizon Fellows work directly with a faculty adviser to design an individualized academic plan to enhance research experience, language work, or theoretical training for graduate study.


Who is eligible to apply to the Horizon Fellows Program?

If you are applying to a Ph.D. program in a participating department, you are eligible to apply for the Horizon Fellows Program.


If I indicate interest in the Horizon Fellows Program, will I only be considered for this opportunity and not the regular-length graduate program?

Applicants will be considered for both regular admission and the Horizon Fellows Program. Indicating interest in being considered for the program will have no impact on the admission process for the department to which you are applying and does not finalize enrollment in the Horizon Fellows Program.


Where in the application can I address my eligibility and/or interest in the Horizon Fellows Program?

If you answer "yes" to the “Are you interested in being considered for the Horizon Fellows Program?”, you will then be prompted to briefly explain why you are interested in being considered for the Horizon Fellows Program [500 words max]. Please note that this question will only appear if you are applying to a participating program.

Your response can address any of the following questions:

How would you benefit from the program? What would you want to accomplish during the program? What skills would you want to enhance during the program?


How and when will I learn if I have been accepted as a Horizon Fellow?

Admission decisions for Ph.D. programs are released between February 1 and March 15. If you are selected for the Horizon Fellows Program, your Ph.D. Offer of Admission will include this information.

Additional Questions


How many Horizon Fellows will be accepted each year?

The cohort size is determined by the admitting departments and the Graduate School.


Will I take courses in my first year?

Horizon Fellows have the opportunity to develop an academic plan in collaboration with their department which may include graduate and/or undergraduate courses.


Will I be assigned an academic adviser or research mentor during the Horizon Fellowship year?

Each Horizon Fellow will be assigned at least one academic mentor.  The role of this mentor will be to assist the fellow in devising a plan of action for the academic year and to advise them as they implement this plan during their course of study.  Fellows will be expected to stay in regular contact with their mentors, and the mentor, for their part, will be expected to be readily available for consultation. Robust mentoring will be the key to the success of the Horizon Fellow.


What are some examples of the type of training, coursework, or experiences a Horizon Fellow may complete?

Each Horizon Fellow will follow an individualized academic plan/course of study as determined by the Graduate School and the admitting department that is meant to address areas requiring supplementary development. Some examples of possible activities could be language study, quantitative coursework, research experiences, or any other complementary activities that would be beneficial to a student.