Interested students may apply during Winter Break/start of Spring Quarter after Fall Quarter grades are released. Applications will be sent out to all eligible freshman with a major under the Division of Biological Sciences and a GPA equal to or greater than 3.7 when applications are released. Please see the Applications page for details.
Current UC San Diego Biology majors may apply if the applicant has at least a 3.7 GPA and fills out an application after Fall Grades are released. The application can be found on this website and on our social media when it is open. Though BioScholars is not an open organization, many open events and programs are held throughout the year in the hopes of fostering community and encouraging excellence within the Division of Biological Sciences and beyond.
The requirements to remain a BioScholar are attending 1 academic event and 1 social event per academic quarter, and attending all GBMs unless otherwise excused. A volunteer event counts as a flex event and can be applied to either academic or social credit. If you are unable to attend a GBM, you must email us 24 hours in advance or risk getting a strike. If you miss the GBM for any reason you must make up the GBM by attending an additional academic, social, or volunteer event (or you will incur another strike). Strikes are also accumulated by not showing up to events, failing to email ahead if unable to attend an event, and/or not meeting quarterly requirements. There is limit of up to two strikes per academic year before dismissal (strikes are reset every academic year). In addition, a 3.7 GPA must be maintained before the end of the academic year to remain in the program. If you have questions about these requirements please email bioscholars@ucsd.edu.
Below is more detailed information on membership requirements.
Membership Requirements
To maintain your membership:
- Attend 1 academic event per quarter
- Attend 1 social event per quarter
- Note: Volunteer events count as flex and can be applied either a social or academic credit.
- Note: Joining a Committee on BioScholars will earn you 2 credit per quarter you are a part of the committee.
- Attend the GBM each quarter (or if unable attend a make-up event)
- Maintain a 3.7 GPA by the end of the academic year (Summer Session II)
- Do not accumulate more than 2 strikes (3 strikes and you will be dismissed) by the end of the academic year
Additional GBM Rule
If you are unable to attend any GBM or event for which you have RSVP’d, you must email us with a valid excuse at least 24 hours in advance, otherwise it will be considered an unexcused absence. An unexcused absence for a GBM or for any academic and social event will earn one strike, with a limit of three strikes for dismissal. An excused absence will grant you absence from the GBM but you will have to make up the credit by attending an additional event. If you have questions about your status, please email us at bioscholars@ucsd.edu.
Strikes
Strikes are accumulated when you sign up for an event but do not show up and don’t email 24 hours in advance to notify us you are not showing up. This is enforced as we have a limited budget and with events that spend that budget we can waste money on those who do not show up. Moreover, some events are capped meaning that only a certain amount of people can attend (like lab tours) and not showing up or letting us know beforehand means a spot could have been open for someone else.