The 2008 RBSI application deadline was extended to Friday, February 29, 2008. All applications should have been postmarked by that date. Applications are currently under review. Thank you to everyone who applied.

Designed to introduce 20 students to the world of graduate study and encourage applications to Ph.D. programs in political science, the heart of the Ralph Bunche Summer Institute  (RBSI) is two transferable credit courses, one in quantitative analysis and one in race and American politics. The courses introduce students to the intellectual demands of graduate school and political science research methods. As a final project for both courses, students prepare original, empirical research papers and top students are given the opportunity to present their research at APSA's Annual Meeting, with all expenses paid by the Association.

Classes are held on the Duke University campus, where students have access to a fully equipped computer laboratory, library collections, and other university facilities. Educational activities range from formal classroom settings to informal dinners and lunches with prominent political scientists and Duke University faculty. A strong ethics component is included with readings, cases, debates, and lectures on issues within an academic setting.

RBSI Director Paula McClain, professor of political science and law at Duke University, teaches classes along with colleagues from Duke University and other major universities. Bunche students have uniformly praised the exceptional mentoring that they receive from Dr. McClain and other Bunche faculty.

Since good performance on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is key to admission to and funding for graduate school, Graduate Record Exam test-taking strategies are provided by Princeton Review.

At the end of the Institute, representatives from a number of leading Ph.D. granting institutions come from across the country to participate in a recruitment fair. They visit with Bunche students, provide information about their doctoral programs, and discuss admissions concerns with the students.

The Institute provides full support of tuition, transportation, room and board, books, and instructional materials. Participants will also receive a stipend of $200 a week.

The Bunche Program Goals
The Institute's goal is to encourage students to pursue academic careers in political science by helping to:

• Enhance participants' writing, research, and analytical skills and make them more competitive applicants for graduate school admissions and financial assistance;
  
• Improve the students' use of computers for statistical analysis of research data used in the study of political science;
  
• Expose interested and engaged students to issues in the discipline and profession of political science; 
  
• Introduce participants to leading political scientists;
  
• Inform promising students about political science career opportunities.

Who is Eligible for the Ralph Bunche Program?
The Ralph Bunche Summer Institute targets students from racial/ethnic groups that are significantly underrepresented in science in the United States, e.g. African American, Latino/a, Native American, and Pacific Island students. All students who are members of these groups, or who are interested in broadening participation in political science by students from underrepresented minority populations and pursuing scholarship on issues affecting under-represented groups, are eligible to apply.

All applicants must be:

• United States citizens
• Completing their junior year of undergraduate study
• Majoring in Political Science or a related discipline
• Have an interest in attending graduate school in political science

Application Process
The 2008 application cycle is now closed. Participants in the Ralph Bunche Summer Institute are drawn from a competitive national applicant pool. ALL APPLICANTS SHOULD HAVE SUBMITTED THE FOLLOWING IN ONE PACKET, postmarked by February 29, 2008:

• An RBSI application form (.pdf)
• Academic transcripts (including Fall semester)
• Three letters of recommendation -- one from department chair, and two more from other people who are familiar with the applicants academic qualifications
• A statement, not to exceed two double-spaced typed pages, stating the reasons for wanting to participate in the institute.