The Graduate Application Assistance Program (GAAP) is a student-run initiative offered by PhD students in the MIT EECS department. We pair applicants with current student volunteers, who mentor them 1:1 through the graduate application process, meeting periodically with applicants all the way up to the deadline. Since 2020, GAAP mentors have helped over 1,000 applicants through the application process!
GAAP signups for applicants applying to graduate school in Fall 2025 are now open! Applications are due October 5th.
If you are a MENTOR, please see below for signups!
GAAP encourages students from underrepresented groups at MIT to apply for assistance. Underrepresented groups at MIT is defined as those groups for which representation in the EECS PhD program at MIT is significantly less than representation in the general US population.
For current MIT graduate students
Mentor for GAAP
For just a couple of hours of time commitment, you can make a lasting positive impact on a young researcher’s career. It’s also a special opportunity to gain valuable mentoring experience, which is an important part of any academic or industry CV. All current MIT EECS graduate students are eligible to mentor. We will provide you with mentoring resources! Mentor signups for Fall 2025 are now open! Please fill out this form here.
Join the GAAP Team
GAAP is run by a team of dedicated student volunteers. We could always use some help! To join the team, reach out to the GAAP team (see Contact).
For prospective donors
GAAP is funded by generous donations from organizations and individuals committed to promoting equity in the graduate school admissions process. If you would like to support our program to ensure its long-term continuity, please reach out to the GAAP team (see Contact). We would like to thank the MIT/IBM Watson AI Lab, MIT Quest for Intelligence, and MIT EECS Department for their support over the years.
Some more resources for applicants
- The official MIT EECS graduate admissions website
- Helpful information on statements of purpose from the MIT EECS Communication Lab
- Quotes from MIT faculty about what they are looking for in statements of purpose