• Special workshops, events, activities, and mentorship to prepare undergraduates for possible future graduate study
• The opportunity to enroll in graduate-level courses (for students with at least a 3.00 GPA) either for undergraduate credit or to hold for future graduate credit
• The opportunity to complete the Graduate College Research Certification after you have fulfilled all Grad Rebel Advantage Program requirements
• $600 Grad Rebel Advantage scholarship for participants who fulfill all program requirements. ($300 will be dispersed after the Fall semester to all participants that complete the first half of the year-long program requirements; if Fall semester requirements are not met, students can continue in the program for Spring, but, then would only be eligible for the $300 in Spring.) Please note: You must have a current FAFSA form or the Alternative Need Determination Form on file. If you owe money for current or prior terms, the funds will be applied towards that balance. Disbursement of the scholarship can take between 4-6 weeks once we have confirmed program requirements for all participants have been met.
• Honor cord that may be worn at commencement to signify status as a Grad Rebel Advantage program graduate
• Grad Rebel Completion Certificate
• A Grad Rebel Advantage T-shirt
• Opening and closing events with meals
• Gain valuable skills associated with mentorship

This program is open to current UNLV undergraduate students who:

• Are currently enrolled during their Grad Rebel Advantage year
• Are in good standing with the University
• Have completed 60 or more credit hours at the time that they begin the program
• Have a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75
• Have a faculty member or academic advisor complete the bottom section of the Grad Rebel Advantage application prior to submission 
  • Applications can either be submitted by the student or by the faculty that endorses the application 
  • Please note that a Letter of Recommendation is not required

This program is open to current UNLV graduate students who:

• Have completed at least one year of graduate studies at UNLV by program start date
• Be enrolled in at least 3 graduate credits while serving as a mentor in both fall and spring semesters
• Be in good academic standing in a graduate degree program

Applications are only accepted once a year. We will accept applications between March 5 and July 15. There is no application fee.

The 2021-2022 Online Grad Rebel Advantage Mentee Application can be found here. The application cannot be saved and must be completed and submitted in one sitting.

Please be prepared to provide the following information when completing your Grad Rebel Advantage Mentee Application:

• Letter of Interest
  • The Letter of Interest should address the following statement: Describe your short- and long-term career goals and explain why you are interested in this program. Please limit the response to a single page.
• Endorser Name
  • You will identify the name and email address of a faculty member. They will receive a form to endorse your participation in the program.

Applications are only accepted once a year. We will accept applications between March 5 and July 15. There is no application fee.

The 2021-2022 Online Grad Rebel Advantage Mentor Application can be found on the Grad Rebel Gateway. Please log in to the Grad Rebel Gateway and click on The Grad Academy tab to apply.

Please be prepared to provide the following information when completing your Grad Rebel Advantage Mentor Application:

• CV/Resume
• Letter of Interest
  • The Letter of Interest should address the following statement: Describe why you are interested in serving as an Advantage Mentor. Please limit the response to a single page.
• Endorser Name
  • You will identify the name and email address of a faculty member.They will receive a form to endorse your participation in the program.

Students will have two semesters to complete the following program requirements:

• Attend the four (4) mandatory cohort group mentorship sessions:
  • Grad Rebel Advantage Kick-off (Friday, September 17,  9 - 11:30 a.m., via Webex)
  • Grad Rebel Advantage Commencement (Monday, May 2, 9 - 10:30 a.m.)
  • Fall Cohort Meeting (Date set by Mentor)
  • Spring Cohort Meeting (Date set by Mentor)
• Attend one (1) mandatory workshop each semester (2 total):
  • Everything You Need to Know About Academic Options After Your Bachelor's Degree
  • Strategies for Graduate Success: Applying to and Thriving in Grad School
  • Choosing and Being Chosen: How to Select a Graduate Program & Get Them to Select You (Only Available Fall Semester)
  • Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) Active Reading Workshop
• Attend two (2) elective workshops each semester (4 total): 
  • Visit the Elective Workshop Schedule Tab for semester options
  • Academic Success Center: Make an appointment to meet with a coach to help identify your needs or to work one-on-one with a success coach.
• Attend one (1) major campus research event
• Attend one (1) campus cultural event
• Attend three (3) Mandatory Campus Appointments:
  • Appointment with an Academic Advisor (discuss program completion)
  • Appointment with the UNLV Writing Center (work on a writing piece, writing sample, publication, etc.) 
  • Appointment with the Office of Undergraduate Research (discuss how to get involved with research on campus) 

Please note:

• Students must maintain a minimum 2.75 overall GPA throughout participation in the program. Failure to do so may result in removal from the program.
• Requirements used to fulfill one category may not be used toward another.
• Students graduating during the fall semester must email gradrebeladvantage@unlv.edu to obtain approval to complete the program in one semester.

Program Requirements

• Attend & participate in the Grad Rebel Advantage Program kick-off 
• Attend the Grad Rebel Advantage Commencement Event at the end of the spring semester
• Advise a cohort of 8-15 undergraduate students accepted to the program (send students emails regarding graduate education & the program, answer their questions, etc.)
• Host one cohort meeting in the fall semester & one in the spring semester with the undergraduate students

Attend 2 Mandatory Mentor Meetings: 

• Thursday, September 16, 4-5 p.m., via Webex
• Thursday, January 20, 4-5 p.m., via Webex

Program Scholarship

Graduate student mentors will each receive a $250 program scholarship each semester (pending funding approval). Please note: You must have a current FAFSA form or the Alternative Need Determination Form on file. If you owe money for current or prior terms, the program scholarship will be applied towards that balance. Disbursement of the program scholarship can take between 4-6 weeks after the Graduate College Student Services Team has confirmed that you have completed program requirements for the semester.

The workshops and events below will help fulfill the requirements for the Grad Rebel Advantage Program. You must RSVP for all workshops/events at least 24 hours in advance. To RSVP, please click on the workshop/event below. This will send you to the calendar entry page, which has the RSVP information. To determine which requirement the workshop/event fulfills, please click on it. The description will include this information.

Grad Rebel Advantage Program Events

Mandatory Workshops

• Everything You Need to Know About Academic Options After Your Bachelor's Degree (Thursday, Sept. 30, 12-1 p.m.)
• Strategies for Graduate Success: Applying to and Thriving in Grad School (Monday, Oct. 18, 3:30-5 p.m.)
• Choosing and Being Chosen: How to Select a Graduate Program & Get Them to Select You (Tuesday, Sept. 21, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.) 
• Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) Active Reading Workshop (Tuesday, Sept. 7, 1-2:15 p.m., OUR)
• Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) Active Reading Workshop (Friday, Sept. 17, 1-2:15 p.m., OUR)

Campus Research Events

• What is Research? Understanding the Research Cycle (Monday, Aug. 30, 1-2:15 p.m., OUR)
• How to Write a Research Literature Review (Wednesday, Sept. 8, 10 a.m.-11:15 a.m., OUR)
• A Guide to Research and Documentation (Thursday, Sept. 9, 10 a.m.-11:15 a.m., OUR)
• Introduction to Research Data Management (Monday, Sept. 13, 1-2:15 p.m., OUR)
• Research Ethics (Tuesday, Sept. 14, 1-2:15 p.m., OUR)
• Research with Human Subjects and the IRB Process (Thursday, Sept. 16, 2:30-3:45 p.m., OUR)
• Involving Students in Research with the Kerkorian School of Medicine (Monday, Sept. 20, 1-2:15 p.m., OUR)
• Writing Abstracts for Professional Conferences and Publications (Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2:30-3:45 p.m., OUR)
• Are You Research Ready for Graduate School? What to Expect (Tuesday, Oct. 26, 1-2:15 p.m., OUR)
• Nuts and Bolts of Writing Research Proposals and Grants (Wednesday, Oct. 27, 1-2:15 p.m., OUR)
• How to Effectively Create Posters (Thursday, Oct. 28, 10-11:15 a.m., OUR)
• All Things Lab Safety (Monday, Nov. 1, 1-3 p.m., OUR)
• Rebel Grad Slam: 3-Minute Thesis Competition - Semi-Final Rounds (Monday, Nov. 1, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Graduate College)
• Rebel Grad Slam: 3-Minute Thesis Competition -Finals Round (Tuesday, Nov. 2, 4-7:30 p.m., Graduate College)
• OUR’s Fall 2021 Virtual Undergraduate Research Symposium (Monday, Nov. 15, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., OUR)

Campus Cultural Events

• First-Gen Pathways & Journeys: First-Gen Friday Cereal Mixer (Friday, Sept. 10, 9-11 a.m., The Intersection)
• Rethinking Graduate Admissions (Friday, Sept. 24, 10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., Graduate College)

Please remember in order to receive credit you must write a one-page summary & submit it via Canvas. 

Mandatory Workshops

• Choosing & Being Chosen: How to Select a Graduate Program & Get Them to Select You
• Undergraduate to Graduate
• Grad School 101: Everything You Need to Know About Academic Options After Your Bachelor's Degree

Elective Workshops

• General Professional Etiquette
• We will also be providing you with the option to utilize the UNLV Graduate College Youtube Channel Professional Development Academy Playlist for your elective workshop requirements. Please watch any videos related to your program subject that are dated 2016 or later. There are more than 20 options available for you to watch.

Research Events

• Graduate Student Showcase
• Rebel Grad Slam Finals
• 6th Annual Inspiration, Innovation, Impact: A Celebration of Graduate Student Research (Available April 1, 2021)

Cultural Events

• An unsung hero of the civil rights movement (Ted-Talk)
• The importance of diversity in the comic book universe (Ted-Talk)
• The untapped genius that could change science for the better (Ted-Talk)
• What baby boomers can learn from millennials at work -- and vice versa (Ted-Talk)
• The power of diversity within yourself (Ted-Talk)
• How to get serious about diversity and inclusion in the workplace (Ted-Talk)

• These workshops and events are free.
• No campus workshops or events taken prior to admission to the Grad Rebel Advantage Program may be counted toward the program. All workshops and events that count towards the Grad Rebel Advantage Program must be completed within one year (program duration).
• Students may only get credit for Grad Rebel Advantage workshops and events that they RSVP for at least 24 hours in advance.
• Only workshops or events that are successfully completed in full will count toward the program. To successfully complete a workshop/event, Grad Rebel Advantage participants must arrive on time, stay for the entire session, and be awake and engaged throughout its duration. Any assigned work must be completed by the deadline.
• Grad Rebel Advantage workshops/events carry no academic credit and do not appear on student transcripts.

The Graduate College will be hosting Tuesday Talks: Your Questions Answered for current The Grad Academy program participants. Please drop by on any of the following Tuesdays, 4-5 p.m., to ask us any questions you might have or just to check your progress:

• Tuesday, September 7, 4-5 p.m., Webex Link
• Tuesday, October 19, 4-5 p.m., Webex Link
• Tuesday, November 9, 4-5 p.m., Inspiration (GTW 260)
• Tuesday, December 7, 4-5 p.m., Webex Link
• Tuesday, January 18, 4-5 p.m.,  Inspiration (GTW 260)
• Tuesday, January 25, 4-5 p.m., Webex Link
• Tuesday, February 22, 4-5 p.m., Webex Link
• Tuesday, March 1, 4-5 p.m.,  Inspiration (GTW 260)
• Tuesday, March 15, 4-5 p.m., Webex Link
• Tuesday, April 12, 4-5 p.m., Webex Link

For this year’s Grad Rebel Advantage Commencement event, we asked our 3-minute undergraduate presentation winners to share their elevator pitches for graduate school.

To participate, we invite you to watch one, two, or all of the short videos below in any order that interests you!

2020-2021

• Simon Lamsal
• Brittney Rench
• Ambree Schoetker
• Arissara Lavangnananda
• Alejandro Rodriguez Lambeida
• Yuria Mann
• Michael Saladino
• Nathalie Martinez
• Hannah Barti
• Tracy Fuentes
• Keva Francis
• Jennipher Chung
• Allen Lai
• Angelina Daniels
• Anne Savage
• Ruby Valencia
• Emily Carter
• Trinity Puno

2019-2020

• Corey Johnson
• Davenia Boothe
• Haven Neiman
• Judith Fuentes Retolaza
• Lidia Wossen
• Aaron Cheng
• Allison Crawford
• Drewmel Darby
• Sharon Williams
• Emily Gelbart
• Zantana Ephrem
• Alvaro Cabonero
• Nicholas Tower
• Bibiana Lopez

2018-2019

• Fatima Azari
• Rose Adkins
• Richard Van
• Marlena Gatlin
• Guadalupe Ortiz
• Serrina Nasrollahi
• Selena Sanchez-Giancola
• Anna-Lena Vigil
• Ingrid Zarate
• Mayra Arzate
• Caroline Farah
• Sarah Flood
• Phillip Edwards

This program is a collaborative effort between the Graduate College and a number of campus co-sponsors and partners. Co-sponsors include: Academic Advising, Financial Aid & Scholarships, and Student Engagement & Diversity. Partners include: Office of Undergraduate Research, Academic Success Center, Center for Academic Enrichment & Outreach, Graduate & Professional Student Association, The Intersection, University Libraries, UNLV Writing Center, and Career Services.