FAQs

There is no application or participation fee.

Freshman Bridge covers the costs for the following items - 

• Bridge summer course tuition & fees

• Meal points for UH Mānoa on-campus lunch (M-F) throughout the duration of the program

• Ground transportation for program site visits, activities, etc.

In addition, participants will receive an educational stipend upon successful completion of the program!

Yes, non-Oahu students are still eligible to participate. However, accepted applicants will need to arrange and pay for their own housing accommodations on Oahu. NHSEMP staff can work to assist students with this process.

Your are still eligible to apply for the Freshman Bridge program.

Participants must commit to the entire Freshman Bridge program; we encourage applicants to include all potential schedule conflicts in their application or in a separate document so program staff are aware and can review this information.

Freshman Bridge staff will begin notifying applicants of their application status in mid-April 2025.

The deadline to submit your Freshman Bridge commitment will be two weeks from your acceptance notification.

We expect all program participants to be on the UH Manoa campus and available from 9:00 AM-5:00 PM (Monday-Friday) to participate in Program research, workshops, site visits, courses, and other activities.

• Weekly schedules will be provided to all students throughout the duration of the program.

YES, all stated program activities are mandatory

• There may be times that additional opportunities are available to us with minimal notification and we will announce if participation is mandatory or optional

YES, this summer our program will be offered in-person at the UH Mānoa campus.

• You will be expected to participate in all program activities in person, unless stated otherwise

The more information you can provide us in your Freshman Bridge application packet, the better for our team to identify faculty/researchers to pair you with!

• Ex: Listing engineering does not provide us with enough information - try to be specific or include details on what interests you within this major

TIPS:

• Check the UH College of Engineering, College of Natural Sciences, or SOEST websites for more information

• Read through "Past Research Highlights" webpage

• If you are already interested in specific labs or faculty projects, please list them!

It is not required for you to have prior research experience.  However, we ask that you utilize:

• Critical thinking skills

• Ask questions

• Open and honest communication with your research mentors

• Jump in and demonstrate a willingness to gain new knowledge and learn new skills!

Research Mentorship: Each participant will have a designated research mentor (usually a graduate student) for their specific lab project.