• 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
• $100 Grad Rebel Advantage scholarship for participants who fulfill all program requirements. ($100 will be dispersed after the Spring semester to all participants that complete the program). Please note: You must have a current FAFSA form or the Alternate 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 May 6 and September 15, 2024. There is no application fee.

Interested students should complete the 2024-2025 Online Grad Rebel Advantage Mentee Application (link to be provided on May 6). The application cannot be saved and must be completed and submitted in one sitting.

Please be prepared to provide a brief statement of interest when completing your Grad Rebel Advantage Mentee Application that covers why you are interested in the program and highlights your current grad school and career goals.

Applications are only accepted once a year. We will accept applications between May 6 and September 15, 2024. There is no application fee.

The 2024-2025 Online Grad Rebel Advantage Mentor Application will be available through 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 submit a Letter of Interest when completing your Grad Rebel Advantage Mentor Application. 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.

Students will have two semesters to complete the following program requirements. The typical time commitment per semester is 10 hours. Program requirements will be submitted through the Grad Rebel Advantage WebCampus Course. Participants will be added to the course in August.

• Attend the four (4) Mandatory Cohort Group Mentorship Sessions:
  • Grad Rebel Advantage Kick-off (Thursday, September 21, 8:30 - 10:30 a.m., Zoom)
  • Grad Rebel Advantage Commencement (Monday, April 29, 9 - 10:30 a.m., SU Ballroom)
  • Fall Cohort Meeting (Date set by Mentor)
  • Spring Cohort Meeting (Date set by Mentor)
• Attend one (1) Mandatory Workshop each semester (2 total; Mandatory workshops will be available for viewing via WebCampus):
  • 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 OR
  • 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. (This will count as 1 Elective Workshop.)
• Attend one (1) Major Campus Research Experience
• Attend one (1) Campus Cultural Experience
• 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 one of the following units: Office of Undergraduate Research (discuss how to get involved with research on campus); Graduate College Recruitment & Admissions Team (discuss prospective grad programs and application requirements); Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine Admissions Team (discuss medical school application requirements); Boyd School of Law Admissions Team (discuss law school application requirements)
• Complete all program assessments (surveys/feedback forms)

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
• Complete all program assessments (surveys/feedback forms)

Attend 2 Mandatory Mentor Meetings:

• Monday, September 18, 2023, 4-5:00 p.m., via Zoom
• Friday, January 5, 2024, 4-5:00 p.m., via Zoom

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.

Mandatory Workshops

Campus Research Experiences

Campus Cultural Experiences

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

Mandatory Workshops

• Grad School Prep Series: Mastering the Grad School Interview Process Workshop
• Strategies for Graduate Success: Applying to and Thriving in Grad School
• Everything You Need to Know About Academic Options After Your Bachelor’s Degree
• GRA Choosing and Being Chosen: How to Select a Graduate Program & Get Them to Select You
• GRA: Strategies for Graduate Success: Applying to and Thriving in Grad School
• GRA: Everything You Need to Know About Academic Options After Your Bachelor’s Degree
• Grad School Prep Series: Crafting your Letter of Intent

Elective Workshops

• How to Make Bad Plots
• Big Data & Sustainability: Research and Community Impact
• Where Does the Time Go: Managing Your Time while Harnessing Your Power
• Self-care, Balance and Resilience
• Post-Graduate School: Exploring Non-Academic Pathways + Translating Your Skill-set
• Strategies for Graduate Success: Applying to and Thriving in Grad School
• GRA Grad School Prep Series: Entrance Exams (GMAT)
• GRA Grad School Prep Series: Entrance Exams (GRE)
• GRA Grad School Prep Series: Finding the Right Program for You
• GRA Grad School Prep Series: The Application Process
• GRA Grad School Prep Series: Writing Your Personal Statement
• GRA Grad School Prep Series: Letters of Recommendation
• Medical School Application Prep
• The Future of Work
• Professionalism 101
• Managing Conflicts or Concerns in Mentor-Mentee Relationships
• Overcoming Writing Anxiety & Developing Writing Habits
• Credit Cards, Reports, and Scores
• Spring 2022: Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research: Which should you use?
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae: How to Create Them and When to Use Them
• Difficult Conversations & Conflict Resolution
• Find Your Leadership Voice
• Funding your Graduate Degree through a Graduate Assistantship
• Publishing Your Research in Graduate School
• How to Write a Conference Proposal
• Applying for Graduate College Scholarships
• Imposter Syndrome
• Public Speaking
• Research Poster Design
• Time-Management
• General Professional Etiquette
• Transitioning to Graduate School: Finding your Why
• Introduction to Mentoring: A Guide for Mentors and Mentees

Research Experiences

• Rebel Grad Slam
• President’s Innovation Challenge
• 7th Annual Inspiration, Innovation, Impact: A Celebration of Graduate Student Research
• Graduate Student Showcase

Cultural Experiences

• 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)
• The Importance of Gender Pronouns

• 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:

Co-sponsors: Academic Advising, Financial Aid & Scholarships, Consolidated Students of UNLV, Student Engagement & Diversity
Partners: Office of Undergraduate Research, Academic Success Center, Center for Academic Enrichment & Outreach, Graduate & Professional Student Association, The Intersection, University Libraries, Military & Veteran Services Center, UNLV Writing Center, Career Services, Involvement Center, Office of Admissions, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, Pre-Professional Advising Center