Eligibility
The Nexus Scholars Program for Summer 2025 is available to Cornell A&S undergraduate first year, sophomore, or junior in the classes of 2028, 2027, and 2026. Students who are planning to graduate in the spring or summer of 2025 are not eligible to apply. December 2025 graduates may be eligible.
In order to qualify for the program, students must:
Be enrolled full-time at Cornell University as a matriculated student through the end of the Fall 2025 semester
Be an undergraduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences at the time of applying and at the start of the Nexus Scholars program in May 2025
Be in good academic and judicial standing
Students who find out they are on academic warning for spring 2025 after applying must communicate this to the Nexus Scholars Program Manager at nexusscholars@cornell.edu ASAP.
Be available in person in Ithaca during the course of the summer program from Thursday, May 29- Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Be able to work a full-time schedule (up to 40 hours a week) within traditional working hours
Not be enrolled in classes over summer 2025
Not be committed to work any other position at Cornell during the program dates
Not be committed to work in any other position outside of Cornell that will conflict with work hours during the program dates
Be 18 years old on or before May 29, 2025
International students studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa are typically eligible; international students studying on H-4 or other visas that do not permit work authorization and/or pay are not eligible
Possess or have the ability to possess a Social Security Number or ITIN
Program Details
Approximately 85-100 Nexus Scholars will be supported during summer 2025.
Students are expected to participate in research full-time (35 – 40 hours/week) with their mentor on the Cornell campus in Ithaca. There is no remote option for the program.
Along with their research, students will participate in weekly professional development workshops covering topics such as graduate school search, public speaking, and more.
Students will be compensated an hourly wage for their participation based on the student employment wages associated with the Classification Level of their project. In addition, up to $1,000 will be provided for travel to a research meeting after the program is over.
Students can only participate in the program once during their time as an undergraduate in the College of Arts & Sciences.
Students are responsible for making their own housing arrangements.
How to Apply
There are 2 parts of the application:
- Apply via Cornell Experience site
- Apply via Workday
Students, please read all the directions below before you apply in either system. Failure to complete both applications will result in you not being considered.
Before you apply, download the application guide that will walk you through the process and help you get all your application materials in order. To apply, you will need to be prepared to provide the following:
- Your resume in PDF format (please save with your first and last name in the file name)
- Essay question responses
- One or two faculty projects you’d like to work on and your reasoning - see the full list of projects and faculty mentors below.
- Note: students can apply for up to 2 faculty projects, but those who move on to the interview stage will only be invited to interview for one project. The faculty mentor you list as faculty mentor #1 will be considered your first preference, and faculty mentor #2 will be considered your second preference.
Tip: Our career advisors can help you prep your application materials. Schedule an appointment today!
The application process requires you to apply in two locations. You can read more about what is required for each portion of the application process below.
Step 1: Cornell Experience Site Application
Application sections and requirements:
Academic and Personal Information
Essay Questions – you will need to answer the following questions in under 1,500 characters (generally 210-380 words) for each response:
Why are you interested in doing research next summer at Cornell and what do you hope to gain?
What ideas do you have for your future career?
Tell us about a time you overcame an obstacle and what you learned through the process.
Think about a time when you worked on a group project that went well. What do you think was most important in achieving that success? Please explain.
- Faculty Selection: Using the faculty project descriptions listed below, choose 1-2 projects that align with the research and experience you hope to gain this summer. You will need to explain why you selected each faculty member and their project.
- You are highly encouraged to read through all faculty project descriptions in depth because some of them are looking for students with skills you might not associate with the faculty member's discipline.
- Resume Upload in PDF format (please save with your first and last name in the file name)
Step 2: Workday Application
You will need to apply to the Workday job posting that corresponds with the correct Summer Student Research level for the project(s) you wish to participate in.
For example, if one project is classified as a Level 1 and the other as a Level 3, you should apply to the two positions separately.
Workday application links:
Template and Resume Upload - you can upload both the below documents on the 'resume and cover letter' upload section of the Workday application.
Upload your completed application template as a PDF with your full name saved in the file name.
Tip: If you have to apply to two Workday postings, you can delete the project description for the other level. If they are both the same level, please keep both responses on the template.
Upload the same PDF resume you uploaded on the Experience site with your first and last name in the file name.
Timeline
2025 Program Timeline (dates are subject to change)
November 19, 2024: Virtual Info Session (*recording below)
November 19, 2024: Applications open
January 12, 2025: Applications close at 11:59pm ET
February 2025: Interviews for selected candidates
Early March 2025: Students will be notified of application decisions (accept, waitlist, declined)
March 21, 2025: Selected students must accept or decline offer
May 29, 2025: Program start date & Orientation
July 30, 2025: Program end date & Capstone Presentations