Application Process and Instructions
Stages of the Application/Selection Process:
The first step to being selected as a LA-STEM Research Scholar is being nominated by your school. If you have not already been nominated and you meet the eligibility criteria, you can print out a nomination form (see Required Application Forms section) and ask a counselor or principal to nominate you for this prestigious honor
Make note of the deadline located on the form and in the News section of our homepage. Your application will not be processed unless we have received a nomination form by this date.
Once you have been nominated for the program, you can submit an
application online. Please read the application instructions carefully and note that your application will not be reviewed until all required materials have been received. If you prefer to submit a paper application, please contact us at lastem.lsu.edu. The deadline is located on our homepage and on your application. We recommend that you submit your materials well before the deadline and verify that everything has been received by our office.
Once we have received all of your materials, we will review your application. A small number of students who meet the eligibility criteria and submit extraordinary application packages will be chosen to continue in the selection process.
If you are chosen to continue in the selection process, you and your parent(s) or guardian will be invited to the Louisiana State University campus for an intensive interview process, during which you will learn more about the LA-STEM Research Scholars Program and meet other applicants, current scholars, and program staff. You will attend several group interviews, participate in a group project, and familiarize yourself with LSU. You will have the opportunity to interact with some of the finest students in Louisiana and the nation as you decide if the LA-STEM Research Scholars Program is right for you. Selection Weekend dates can be found in the News section of our homepage. Because of the unique style of our interview process, we are unable to accommodate interviews at any other time.
After meeting the candidates at Selection Weekend, the Selection Committee will make its final decisions based on the candidate's applications and interviews. The committee will choose a group of scholars who are not only highly qualified, but well-rounded as a group and who demonstrate the potential to be happy and productive in the program. Because all of the candidates who attend Selection Weekend are extraordinary students with great potential for success, the decisions of who will be offered appointment are extremely difficult. The committee will select a number of students who will receive offers of appointment, as well as a waitlist of students who will be offered appointment if space becomes available. The final notification date will be posted in the News section of our homepage.
Candidates who receive offers of appointment will be given a deadline to decide if they will accept the offer and become LA-STEM Research Scholars. Students on the waitlist will be contacted as soon as further information is available. Offers of appointment for fall term are contingent upon the successful completion of the OSI Summer Bridge Program, receipt of candidates' final high school transcripts from their final academic year, and candidates' admission to LSU with intent to major in a STEM discipline.
The first step in applying to the LA-STEM Research Scholars Program is submitting an
application online. Take your time and work carefully. You will be able to save sections of the application as you work. You may wish to use a word processing program to prepare your answers for the Statement of Intent and Short Answer sections and then copy and paste your responses into the form.
To receive full consideration, you must also submit the following items, post-marked by the application deadline:
- Official transcripts from each high school and college attended, submitted in a sealed envelope originating from the school
- ACT or SAT score report (official copies are preferred, but photocopies are acceptable) - your score report must be submitted directly to LA-STEM as we do not receive score reports from the Office of Admissions
We also welcome supplemental material, such as a sample of research you have conducted as a high school student or undergraduate.
Please send the above items to:
LA-STEM Research Scholars Program
Office of Strategic initiatives, LSU
213 Hatcher Hall
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Important Notes
- Remember that you are responsible for applying for admission and housing at LSU, as well as submitting the $150 LSU housing deposit. Be sure to submit your immunization form to LSU Admissions.
- You must submit an ACT or SAT score report to LA-STEM in addition to the one you submit to LSU Admissions.
- Make sure that each of your recommenders submits both a completed recommendation form and a letter of recommendation printed on official letterhead, as we are unable to accept incomplete recommendations.
- All application materials become the property of the LA-STEM Research Scholars Program and will not be returned.