FAQ

Eligibility Requirements

  • Applicants must be either a US citizen or have permanent residency status. Visa holders are not eligible. No exceptions can be made.
  • Graduate students are not eligible.

GPAs

  • The application requires two GPAs: overall GPA and STEM GPA.
  • A minimum of at least 3.2 or higher is required for each GPA

I won't be 18 years old by the first day of the program. Can an exception be made?

  • Due to facility policies, individuals under 18 years old are not permitted in clinical or operating room areas of the hospitals.
  • Because program participants will be present in these areas throughout the duration of the program, participants must be at least 18 years old by the first day of the program.
  • No exceptions can be made.

I will have graduated before the first day of the program. Would I still be eligible?

  • The NSSP is specifically for undergraduate students who will not have graduated yet before the program starts in June.
  • Interested students who will have graduated before the program's start date are not eligible.

 

Program Information & Timeline

  • Applications open October 31, 2025.
  • Applications close December 15, 2025.
  • NSSP administrative office located in the Ninth & Jefferson Building (908 Jefferson Street, Seattle, WA), across from Harborview Medical Center.

 

Application Process

  • There are no restrictions on the length of the letter of interest but keeping it to 1–2 page maximum is recommended.
  • Please upload your most recent transcript when applying.

Help! I'm unable to edit/change items/information on my application!

  • Once a task has been marked as Complete, applicants can continue to make edits to the task until the application is submitted.
  • After the application has been submitted, applicants will need to request that their application be re-opened (unsubmitted) in order to make any further edits.

Submitting Applications

  • In order to submit an application, all tasks must be marked as complete.
  • If you have finished your application but one or more tasks are not shown as completed, go to the task page and mark it as complete.
  • Once all tasks are marked complete, the system will allow you to submit your application.

 

Program Schedule & Work Hours
 

How many hours per week do participants work during the program?

  • Because the program runs full-time, Monday through Friday, applicants must be available to work a full-time schedule (approximately 40 hours per week) for the entire 8-week duration.

What hours should I expect on OR observation days?

  • On days when you observe in the OR, work hours may begin as early as 6:00 a.m. since OR case preparation starts early in the morning.
  • Cases may be short (1–4 hours) or longer (6–8 hours). Students may observe multiple cases each day, depending on scheduled cases.

I'm considering taking classes next summer

  • Because the program is full-time (Monday–Friday), participants are discouraged from taking classes while participating in the program.

 

Financial Aid

Merit-Based Aid & Need-Based Aid

  • Merit based aid is defined as academic scholarships.
  • Need based aid is defined as student loans.

 

Housing

Does putting 'Yes' to requiring program sponsored housing lower my chance of getting into the program?

  • No.

Is there a separate program sponsored housing application that I would need to complete as well or is it embedded into the overall program application?

  • There is a Yes/No question on the application that asks if the applicant will require program sponsored housing.

 

Labs

  • Students will be placed in various lab locations across Seattle:
    • UW Medicine:
      • University of Washington Medical Center – Montlake
      • Harborview Medical Center
    • Seattle Children's Research Institute
    • Allen Institute

If I am selected to participate in the program, can I select my lab?

  • Lab placements are determined by the program and are assigned based on mentor availability, research area alignment, and overall program needs.
  • While applicants may indicate a preference to be placed in a specific lab, such placements are not guaranteed.

I am currently a UW student and actively working as a student researcher in a UW-based lab. If I am selected to participate in the program, can I conduct my program project within my current lab?

  • Lab placements are determined by the program and are assigned based on mentor availability, research area alignment, and overall program needs.
  • While applicants may indicate a preference to be placed in their current lab, such placements are not guaranteed.

 

 

Letters of Interest

  • Letters of interest should be treated like cover letters.
  • Applicants should explain why they want to participate in the program, how their prior experiences make them a good fit, and what they hope to gain from the experience.
  • Personal stories are encouraged. Many past applicants and alumni have written about their own experience, a family member's experience, or friends' experience with medical conditions or events that sparked their interest in neuroscience, Alzheimer's research, medicine, or related fields. Others have shared experiences such as being the first (or one of the first) in their family to attend college.
  • The review committee looks for applicants with a strong interest in STEM.
  • There are no restrictions on word count, page length, or font.

 

 

Transcripts

  • Applicants should upload unofficial transcripts to ensure they can submit their applications on time.
  • For applicants who have attended multiple schools (e.g., multiple universities or colleges), please combine all transcripts into a single PDF before uploading them to the application.

 

 

Letters of Recommendation — Applicants

  • Letters of recommendation are due by December 15, 2025.
  • Letters of recommendation are requested via the online application.
  • Applicants may request up to five letters of recommendation.
    • Letters of recommendation may include a mix of STEM and non-STEM professors or teachers.
    • Letter writers may include current or previous professors, lab mentors, research mentors, and teachers.
    • Letters from previous instructors or from instructors at other institutions are also accepted.
    • Lab and research mentors are considered STEM recommenders.
  • STEM is defined as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (including Medicine).
  • Once an applicant submits a letter of recommendation request, the letter writer will receive an automated email containing a link to upload their letter directly to the applicant's application (example below).

 

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  • Please note that each letter writer's upload link is unique to each applicant, not transferable between applicants, and cannot be accessed by the program coordinator or IT.
  • Applicants should remind their letter writers to check their junk or spam folders for an email from NSSP Application (apply@nsssp-application.org).
  • If you need to resend a letter of recommendation request, go to Task 5 of the application and click "Resend" for the letter(s) you wish to resend.
  • Once an applicant has received at least one letter of recommendation (LOR), a note will appear in Task 5 of the application, indicating that the minimum number of LORs has been received and that the task can be marked as complete.
  • If multiple LORs have been requested, applicants can still submit their application once they have received the minimum of one LOR. Any additional letters uploaded by letter writers will automatically be added to the application by the system, so applicants do not need to wait for all letters to be uploaded before submitting.
  • If a letter writer is having trouble uploading a letter, ask them to clear their browser history, then press CTRL + SHIFT + R to clear the cache, and try again. Often, browser performance issues are caused by cluttered cache or outdated browser data.

Waiving right to see letters of Recommendation

  • For an application to be considered for the program, this item must be checked "Yes."
    • Applications missing this "Yes" response will be considered incomplete and will not be forwarded to the review committee.
  • Please review your application carefully to ensure this required item is checked before submitting.

 

Letters of Recommendation — Letter Writers

  • Letters of Recommendation are due by December 15th
  • Applicants will need to submit requests for letters of recommendation directly to letter writers on Task 5 of their application.
    • Applicants can also resend LOR requests, if needed.
    • The program coordinator and IT staff cannot submit LOR requests on behalf of applicants.
  • If you do not receive an email from NSSP Application (apply@nsssp-application.org) in your Inbox (delivery may take up to 30 minutes), check your junk/spam folders, as email filters may redirect it there.
    • A screenshot of the program's sample test email is included below for reference.

 

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  • Each letter writer receives a unique upload link specific to the applicant.
    • Links cannot be shared or used by other applicants.
    • The program coordinator and IT staff do not have access to these upload links.
  • Once uploaded, LORs are automatically attached to the applicant's materials by the application system—even if the applicant has already submitted their application.
  • If you experience problems logging into the system:
    • Refresh the web page.
    • Clear your browser history.
    • Press CTRL + SHIFT + R to clear the cache, then log in again.
  • Email Settings: Check that your junk/spam folder settings do not automatically delete emails. Some organizations' IT settings may auto-delete emails without notice.

 

Technical Troubleshooting

  • If applicants experienced long loading times when uploading documents or submitting letters of recommendation, or if the page crashed or froze during the process, they should:

    • Refresh their browser.
    • Applicants should also try clearing their browser's history.
      • Browser history/cache may need to be cleared, as not doing so regularly can cause the browser to become cluttered and run slowly.
    • Actively log out of the application and log back in.
      • If that doesn't work: Applicants should log out, then press CTRL + SHIFT + R (which will clear the cache/history), and then log in again.
  • Are you currently using a VPN on your computer?
    • An active VPN may interfere with programs and websites, including the NSSP application.
    • If you are using one, try turning it off while accessing the NSSP application, as VPNs can sometimes disrupt website functionality.
  • Do you see a reCAPTCHA like the one below?
    • It's there to protect the site from automated bots.
    • Simply click the reCAPTCHA box's login button to continue logging in.

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