Program – Page 9 – Institute for Recruitment of Teachers

2022 IRT Cohort Application

The IRT application is open and accessible to all prospective applicants. Application requirements, dates and recordings of the online webinar series “Demystifying IRT’s Admissions Process” are located on the IRT website. IRT staff will focus on specific IRT application components and provide clarity on questions. We encourage students to take advantage of these webinars.

The IRT application will close on March 1, 2022. There will be no exceptions or extensions granted.

Alumni Advisors Contribute to 2021 Cohort Success

by Brittany Zorn, IRT ’13, Arts and Sciences Specialist, IRT

One of IRT’s greatest assets is by far our expansive network of alumni. Since joining the IRT team in 2016, I have had the pleasure of meeting, celebrating, and working alongside so many incredible scholars, educators, leaders, and artists through the IRT alumni family. Engaging with alumni on social media, alumni who serve as Summer Faculty for our Summer Workshop, alumni who sit on the Advisory Board, and alumni who reach back out to the program for one reason or another has always been an enriching part of my experience as a staff-member-who-is-also-an-alum. In 2021, I had the opportunity to work with our alumni in a new way, through the External SOP Advisor role. We sent out an invitation to serve as an SOP Advisor in our blog, on the IRT Alumni Network, and on social media (FB, IG), and I was heartened to say we received responses from more than two dozen alumni with an interest in the role!

IRT External SOP Advisor Opportunity

Deadline to apply is Monday, July 5, 2021

Overview

The statement of purpose (SOP) is a significant component of any graduate school application. For IRT Scholars, who apply to upwards of seven graduate programs, writing and refining 7+ school-specific statements of purpose is a demanding process. Each year, the IRT provides the opportunity to a group of External (i.e. outside of the IRT office) SOP Advisors to assist current students in drafting, revising, and finalizing all of their SOPs, in addition to providing support on other written application materials such as the writing sample, resume/CV, personal history statement, diversity essay, and so on. External SOP Advisors are often IRT alumni, but also come from the Phillips Academy faculty pool and other partner organizations. External SOP Advisors work closely with IRT Scholars through the Fall SOP Advising period, which spans 8 weeks in September and October, hold weekly meetings with their advisees, review SOP drafts uploaded to Canvas on a weekly basis, and provide support for finalizing other written application materials.

IRT seeks External SOP Advisors from a variety of graduate disciplines and professional fields, but we especially welcome applications from folks with expertise in African Diaspora and African American Studies, Anthropology, Education, Philosophy, Political Science, and Psychology.

2020 Cohort Matriculation

Congratulations to all IRT 2020 Cohort Scholars on their future plans. We celebrate your accomplishments and perseverance during this incredible journey and welcome you as the newest members of the IRT alumni base! We are excited to share the list of colleges and universities the 2020 Cohort will be heading to in the coming months.

Welcome 2021 Cohort!

In a year of constant uncertainty, the IRT is happy to report that we’ve admitted a (more than full) cohort for 2021! Interestingly, there has been a noticeable uptick of nearly 10% for applicants interested in PhD Education/Higher Education and PhD African American Studies/African Diaspora Studies. We are honored to support a total of 150 scholars through their graduate school journey and contribute to making a meaningful impact in this world.