THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

Apply for SROP via the Big Ten Academic Alliance portal. Students who note Northwestern as one of their top three graduate school choices will be considered preferred candidates. The Northwestern Supplemental Application is required. Applications without the completed Northwestern Supplemental Application will not be reviewed. 

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• Undergrad Information (School, Location, Major, Specialization, Credit hours, GPA, and Academic Status 
• Relevant Completed Courses 
• Graduate Interests (PhD Interest, Field of Study, Specialization, SROP University Selection) 
• Three Statements 
  • University Selection Statement  
  • Research Statement 
  • Personal Statement 
• Two Faculty Recommenders for Letters and Evaluations (Uploaded via the BTAA Application)
• Transcripts (Uploaded via the BTAA Application)
• Northwestern's Supplemental Application 

The official BTAA application opens November 1, 2025 and closes Tuesday, February 10, 2026. Northwestern's application review and acceptance is conducted on a rolling basis. We will conduct 5 rounds of review for the 2026 cycle. Please see the table above for round review deadlines and acceptance notification dates. To be considered for a specific round, your application must be complete including 2 submitted letters of recommendation and all other required application materials. If you miss a deadline, that does not disqualify you. Your application will be reviewed in a subsequent round.  

Offers to participate in SROP will begin as early as December 2025 and will extend until the cohort is full. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. 

Applications from international students are not accepted for this opportunity. To be eligible, participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. 

Participants may not register for summer school classes or undertake employment during the program period without permission from the SROP Director. 

Recommendation letters are due ASAP with your BTAA application. Your application will not be reviewed without 2 letters of recommendation. We encourage all applicants to complete their application as soon as possible, as offers will be given on a rolling basis. It is the student's responsibility to ensure letters of recommendation are submitted in a timely manner. 

Northwestern's SROP works with a travel agency to help all students book their flights to and from campus. Booking will go directly through the agency and will work with the dates selected for student arrival and departure. The travel agency will charge transportation directly to Northwestern, so students will not be responsible for payment. Northwestern can not book international flights. 

Other travel expenses (i.e., baggage) will be reimbursed to the student up to $50 each way. Baggage fees exceeding this amount will be the student’s responsibility.  

We offer a partial meal plan. Student stipends include a partial meal plan allotment. We also provide a mini fridge for living quarters. It is the student's responsibility to budget monthly stipend payments accordingly. Please reach out to us if you need assistance with creating a budget.  

SROP will pay for transportation to and from the airport for SROP-funded flights. SROP collaborates with a travel agency that will pre-select your arrival and departure airports. 

Bedding will be provided for students staying on campus through housing. It is expected that the monthly stipend is used for all other expenses. Toiletries will not be provided. 

Each room is furnished with furniture including a twin extra-long bed, mattress, desk, desk chair, wardrobe or closet, dresser, trash can, and recycling bin.

Students currently living in the Chicago area may commute to campus if it is easier for them per approval from the SROP team. However, SROP will not cover commuting costs or living costs if this option is selected. Parking on campus is not covered by the SROP. Students are encouraged to walk, bike, take public transportation or utilize the free intercampus shuttle.  

Students not currently from the Chicago area are required to stay in the on-campus housing provided by SROP.  

Parking at Northwestern is very limited and costly. We will not cover parking costs. SROP participants are discouraged from keeping vehicles on campus during the eight-week period you will be here. Students are encouraged to walk, bike, take public transportation or utilize the free intercampus shuttle. 

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.  

Students experiencing a mental health crisis or distress can access Northwestern University's Counseling and Psychology Services (CAPS) Same Day Access (SDA) service for immediate triage and safety assessment. Alternatively, students can call the main CAPS phone number to schedule a care coordination appointment if they are enrolled as Northwestern students. For short-term therapy, students with insurance accepted by providers can consult care coordinators for assistance. 

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) provide medical and behavioral health support for students, even without insurance, but registration as a patient is required. Students in need of non-emergency medical attention can visit Northwestern Medicine's Immediate Care or Northshore's Immediate Care Center, where they may need to pay out-of-pocket costs if they lack insurance. In case of emergencies, students should call 911 or visit Evanston Hospital's Emergency Department. For mental health emergencies, the crisis number is 988. 

CAPS Same Day Access (SDA): https://www.northwestern.edu/counseling/clinical-services/how-to-access-our-services.html

• CAPS main phone number: 847-491-2151

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs):

• ACCESS Community Health Network: https://www.achn.net/  
• Erie Evanston/Skokie Health Center: (https://www.eriefamilyhealth.org/locations/evanston/
• Heartland Alliance (Uptown in Chicago): https://www.heartlandalliance.org/program/heartland-alliance-health-centers/  
• Tapestry 360 Health: https://tap360health.org/  

General mental health support:

• NAMI Chicago Helpline: 833-626-4244 https://www.namichicago.org/helpline  Unspoken: https://mentalhealth.chicago.gov/ 
• Crisis Lifeline: 988 https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=145089  

Northwestern Medicine Immediate Care: https://www.nm.org/locations/immediate-care-evanston

Northshore Immediate Care Center: https://www.northshore.org/apps/findalocation/locations/northshore-immediate-care-center-evanston_5384

Evanston Hospital's Emergency Department: https://www.northshore.org/apps/findalocation/locations/evanston-hospital-emergency-department_5120

All residence halls and residential colleges have wireless internet access, which is free. You can join the Northwestern network by logging in with your NetID & password.   

Many rooms have a deactivated wired Ethernet port. Anyone interested in having that port activated must request and pay for this service in their room. If you need access to a port please reach out to the office. Finally, a computer lab is available to Northwestern Students in the University Library. You will need your WildCARD and your NetID and password to access the computers. Please see the library schedule by scanning the QR code. 

Yes, there is a shared kitchen available for communal use in the residence hall.