MCORE Preview Visit

Explore your future in Chemistry at the University of Michigan

2026 Dates: Monday, November 2nd to Wednesday, November 4th

Applications due by 11:59 PM EST on Tuesday, September 29th, 2026.

Interested in applying? Apply here! (2026 Application will open in August 2026)

What is MCORE?

The Michigan Chemistry Opportunities for Research and Education (MCORE) program invites highly qualified prospective students to the University of Michigan Chemistry Department to explore the Chemistry graduate program.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or undocumented students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) who are recent college graduates or who will graduate no later than Spring/Summer 2027. Selection for MCORE will follow the eligibility guidelines of the Rackham Merit Fellowship Program.

All applicants must intend to apply for admission to the Chemistry P.h.D. program for the 2027-2028 academic year.

What can you expect during MCORE?

While in Ann Arbor, you will have the opportunity to:

tour our research facilities, campus and the city of Ann Arbor.
get to know our community by meeting faculty, staff, graduate students and so many others who make our department work.
learn about what cutting edge research is being done right here in Ann Arbor.
obtain advice from faculty and stuff on how to assemble a competitive graduate school application.

How much does it cost to attend MCORE?

All expenses are covered up front by the Department of Chemistry!

If not selected, does that mean I will be rejected during general admissions?

Absolutely not. Our MCORE Preview Event is highly competitive and we're only able to bring in a small group. That typically leaves out a lot of very good applicants. We absolutely hope you apply for admission to our program.

For more information on the application requirements, please click on the + below.

Application Instructions

Please make sure you carefully enter your email address in the application. All correspondence about the MCORE program will be via email.

To complete your MCORE application, you will need:

Applicant information
Areas of interest (e.g., analytical, chemical biology, inorganic, materials, organic, physical, etc.)
List of professors you would like to meet and/or work with
Three short essays (500-word limit per essay)
Transcripts
The names and email addresses of two references who can describe your promise and potential for graduate study.
Two letters of recommendation. The letters should be separately submitted by your references by the application deadline.

References

Please request your letters of recommendation well in advance of the application deadline. When your recommenders agree to write your letter of recommendation, please let them know they need to include the Reference Coversheet with their letter of recommendation. This needs to be uploaded as a single PDF file. Recommenders can submit their letters before your application is submitted. This step should be done with sufficient time before the application deadline for your letters to be written and submitted. Applications cannot be reviewed until both letters are received.

Essays

Three short essays are required of all applicants. You can type your essays in the space provided or paste your previously created essays into the appropriate textbox. The three essay questions are:

Why are you interested in attending a chemistry graduate program?
How do you expect participating in the MCORE program will help you achieve your goals?
Tell us about any previous research experiences you've had.

Transcripts

You will be asked to upload a copy of your unofficial transcripts to the application.

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