Summer Program Frequently Asked Questions

Do you offer scholarships?
I know that the application period hasn't started yet, but can I reserve a spot in a three- or five-day workshop? What if I pre-pay?
How do I know if I'm an ICPSR member?
Do you only offer courses during the summer?
Do you offer the same courses every summer?
The course description looked interesting, but where can I find out more about a particular class?
The course I'm applying for requires a vita and cover letter. What do I need to write?
If a Three- to Five-Day workshop is full, can I be placed on a waiting list?
What's the weather like in Ann Arbor during the summer?
What is the Summer Program dress code?
I have already registered for the Summer Program, but would like to change my course selection. What should I do?
Questions regarding The Summer Program vis-à-vis the Survey Research Center Summer Institute:
1. What is the difference between the ICPSR Summer Program and the Survey Research Center Summer Institute?
2. Can I also take courses in the SRC Summer Institute?

Do you offer scholarships?

In most cases, no. The vast majority of people who attend the Program secure their own funding. Some pay their own way, others are funded by their home institutions. While a few of our workshops each year do include stipends to those admitted, these are typically funded by external sources (NIMH, BJS, Ford Foundation, NACDA, etc.) and the application process for selection to those workshops is quite competitive.
I know that the application period hasn't started yet, but can I reserve a spot in a three- or five-day workshop? What if I pre-pay?

No, it's not possible to make early reservations in any of our classes, whether you pay or not. With enrollment in the short-courses limited to twenty, they could theoretically fill up before the general public even has a chance to learn about them. To keep everything fair, we don't allow anyone to register until the applications have been made widely available, which is generally in mid-February.
How do I know if I'm an ICPSR member?

Your membership in ICPSR is determined by your university or organizational affiliation. An up-to-date list of member institutions can be found on the ICPSR Web site. If you are a staff member or student at a member institution you will be eligible to pay member fees, which are much lower than those for nonmembers.

On site at each member institution there is an ICPSR Official Representative (OR)--usually a faculty or staff member. If you decide to attend the Summer Program, it would be helpful if you would contact the OR and indicate your plans. The OR may have advice about the Program or additional materials you might find interesting. If you do not know who your OR is, check the ICPSR Web site to see a list of Official Representatives.
Do you only offer courses during the summer?

Yes, our courses meet only during the summer--roughly mid-May through mid-August.
Do you offer the same courses every Summer?

For the most part, yes. The two four-week sessions look remarkably similar from year to year, with changes to the schedule being more evolutionary than revolutionary. We tend, also, to offer a very similar mix of short (three- to five-day) classes each summer, though the schedule can vary significantly. For instance, Hierarchical Linear Models may be in June one year, August the next.
The course description looked interesting, but where can I find out more about a particular class?

If we have offered the class before, you can read the syllabi from previous years. Most of our instructors return year after year, so the syllabi should give you an excellent idea of what to expect.
The course I'm applying for requires a vita and cover letter. What do I need to write?

The cover letter should include information on elements in your background that have prepared you for the workshop. Also cover your future research plans with the idea of providing the selection committee with some idea of how you will put to use what you will learn in the workshop.

Make the best case for yourself that you can. We do expect the participants to have a strong background in quantitative research methods and a strong substantive background. Play to your strengths.

The vita doesn't need to be anything special, but you may want to highlight elements that are relevant to this particular class. Obviously, anything extremely relevant can be elaborated upon in the letter as well.
If a Three- to Five-Day workshop is full, can I be placed on a waiting list?

Absolutely. We'll be happy to take your name and contact information and we will let you know right away if a space opens in the class. If you can't make it, we'll contact the next person on the list.
What's the weather like in Ann Arbor during the summer?

A better question might be, what isn't it like? It probably won't snow, and the temperature rarely goes over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but almost anything else is possible. Typically, the temperature is in the 80s in the daytime and the 60s at night. Bring a jacket in case it gets chilly, but plan on mostly warm, fairly humid weather.
What is the Summer Program dress code?

It's ultra-casual. You're welcome to wear whatever you like, but shorts and t-shirts are perfectly acceptable. You may want to pack a few nice things for a night on the town, but do yourself a favor and bring comfortable clothes for classes and studying. You'll find that Ann Arbor is a very relaxed place, and the Summer Program reflects this.
I have already registered for the Summer Program, but would like to change my course selection. What should I do?

First of all, please do not fill out a second registration form. If your course change involves dropping or adding 2- to 5-day workshops, please contact us as soon as possible to discuss your options. If your course change involves dropping or adding four-week courses, we encourage you to wait until you check-in with us in Ann Arbor to discuss the changes. The Check-in and Orientation process includes discussion time with the Program Director, and the opportunity to seek course selection advice. There will also be ample opportunity during the first several days of the session to make changes to your selections.
Questions regarding The Summer Program vis-à-vis the Survey Research Center Summer Institute:
1. What is the difference between the ICPSR Summer Program and the Survey Research Center Summer Institute?
  The primary difference between the two Program's is that SRC focuses on survey methodology, while ICPSR concentrates on quantitative methodology. Roughly, this means that they teach you how to design and conduct a survey, and that we teach you how to analyze and interpret the data. While the two programs complement each other nicely, and while they are both under the auspices of the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research, they are not in fact linked in any way.
2. Can I also take courses in the SRC Summer Institute?
  Yes, you may, if you can coordinate the scheduling of your classes. You must keep in mind, however, that the two programs really are separate. They have different application processes, different fee structures, different staffs, and are housed in different buildings. If you want to attend both Programs, you will have to apply to both separately and pay full fees to both programs.