City Colleges of Chicago Students
The application will open in January
City Colleges of Chicago Students
City College students who wish to participate in the Summer Institute in Social Research Methods take one methodological course, participate in the Practice of Social Science Research Workshop, and participate in the paid Research Assistantship program.
Eligibility and Participation Requirements
Eligibility
Participation
- 100–150 hours for coursework
Courses are condensed 10-week courses and meet all requirements for a standard 100 unit class. As such, students participating in SISRM coursework should expect to dedicate 6–10 hours per week to class time. In addition, we recommend allocating 2–4 hours per day to homework/study time. This time commitment will vary student by student.
- 55 hours for workshops and excursions
Workshops meet for the first 5 weeks of Summer Quarter for 75–90 minutes during the lunch hour (lunch is provided). Field trips typically take 2–4 hours and occur on Fridays.
- 160 hours for the RAship
RAships require a 160 hour commitment and can be divided up throughout the Summer according to the project’s needs and the RA’s schedule.
Application Requirements
Application Timeline
Students who wish to participate in the paid RA program will:
January–March
- Meet with SISRM to discuss the program requirements;
- Submit an application to participate in the program.
April
- Receive notification of RA awards (matches are made by SISRM)
May
- Register for one SISRM methodological course;
- Attend RA orientation
June–August
- Participate in the Practice of Social Scientific Research;
- Complete the summer methodologies course;
- Work on the Summer RA project
Starting Your Application
Please select “CCC SISRM” from the application menu to apply
Applicants must provide:
- A letter of support from your institution;
- A letter of recommendation from a professor (see notes about letters of recommendation);
- A CV or Resume;
- A Transcript from your home institution**Please note: We will accept an unofficial transcript. Additionally, we will also accept a progress report from a student portal that demonstrates the coursework and grades that the student has received thus far.
In addition, you will be asked to:
- Answer a series of short answer questions (100-300 words);
- Select 3 courses you are interested in taking during the summer.
Guidelines for Resumes and CVs
Your resume or CV should detail honors, awards, research, leadership/service, and other co- and extra-curricular activities you have pursued since beginning your undergraduate studies at City Colleges of Chicago.
If you possess proficiency in a language other than English, please make note of it. Please do not include details from high school—we’re interested in getting to know about you in this phase of your academic and professional development.
Need inspiration? Check out UChicago Career Advancement’s tips for resume writing.
Applicant Questions
All applicants must answer the following questions in 100-300 words:
- Describe your interest in participating in SISRM and in pursuing a research experience with a faculty mentor in the social sciences. What do you hope to learn and what kind of skills do you hope to develop through this experience?
- What are your research interests? Is there a particular field(s) in the social sciences that you are passionate about? You can be as specific as you would like.
- What are your academic and professional interests and aspirations? How does your current or planned major and interest in that field influence your reasons for pursuing an RAship? If you have not yet declared a major, how do you anticipate that participation in SISRM will influence your future academic decisions?
- Describe your previous experience with research (if any) and/or any existing skill set that you believe will be valuable in your role as a SISRM RA. This may include any experience designing surveys, using programming languages, conducting interviews, literature review, analysis, or anything else that you think would be relevant to research in the social sciences.
Guidelines for Institutional Letters of Support and Letters of Recommendation
Institutional Letter of Support
You will be asked to upload a letter of support from your institution. The letter must confirm your good standing in your program and support for your participation in SISRM. If you need any assistance identifying a good recommender, please contact Connie Rutledge (crutledge6@ccc.edu). It should be on official letterhead and include contact information for the letter-writer.
Letter of Recommendation
Please be prepared to provide the name and email address of somebody with whom you have a professional relationship. This person should be able to provide you with a recommendation for participation in this program.
Once you enter their email address into the application portal, your recommender will receive an email with further instructions.
Possible recommenders may include: your College adviser; your campus work supervisor; an instructor or TA from a course; a degree program representative. The College Center for Research and Fellowships has a helpful and in-depth guide available to help you as you choose a recommender.
Recommenders will be asked to answer the following questions:
- Please explain how you know and interact with the applicant;
- What makes this applicant a good candidate for our program?
- A successful fellow is a strong, thoughtful communicator. Please describe the applicant’s communication strengths and/or weaknesses;
- A successful fellow is able to meet deadlines in a timely manner, both in their coursework and with their RA position. Please describe your experience(s) with this applicant’s strengths and/or weaknesses in managing deadlines;
- Is there anything else—positive or negative—that we should know about the applicant?