The Burchard Scholars Program 
Expand your horizons at dinner seminars with distinguished MIT faculty
 

Applications are not yet open for the 2021 Burchard Program.
Check back to this page in early Fall 2020.
Program open to MIT sophomores and juniors.
Application deadline: TBA
 

Expand Your Horizons at Dinner Seminars with Distinguished Faculty

The Burchard Scholars Program brings together distinguished members of the faculty and promising MIT sophomores and juniors who have demonstrated excellence in some aspect of the humanities, arts, or social sciences. About 35 MIT undergraduates are selected each year for the competitive program. Each cohort of "Burchards" participates for one calendar year, from February through December.

The format is a series of dinner seminars that reflect the vast range of inquiry and research in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Science. The Burchard Program consists of nine events throughout a calendar year — a large reception at the beginning of spring term, seven dinner-seminars, and one cultural event in the fall. Seminars are held monthly, on Wednesday evenings from 5-7pm, during the school year.

Application Information

The Burchard Scholars application must include the following materials:

• Curriculum Vitae or résumé
• List of HASS classes you have taken at MIT
• A letter of recommendation from a Faculty member who has taught you in a HASS course
• An essay on one of three essay topics in less than 500 words:

Students submit applications online here. You are expected to contact your HASS Faculty referee directly no later than the application deadline to make arrangements for them to supply a recommendation directly to burchard-scholars@mit.edu no later than one full week after the application deadline. (For 2019, the deadline for referees to submit recommendations is through Friday, November 22nd.)  You should supply them copies of your résumé and your list of HASS subjects. Please allow your referees time to do their job!

Applications are not yet open for the 2021 Burchard Program. 

Please note:

A Burchard Scholar can be a major in any department of the Institute; no preference is given to HASS majors. All sophomores and juniors in good standing are eligible to apply. If you have a question about the program or how to apply, please email burchard-scholars@mit.edu.
 

Information on the Burchard Program

Burchard Events
Past Burchard Scholars

Congratulations to the 2020 Burchard Scholars!

Paolo Adajar, junior
Mathematical Economics + Computer Science + Public Policy

Ifeoluwapo Ademolu-Odeneye, sophomore
Mathematics with Computer Science         

Boluwatife Akinola, junior
Mathematical Economics    

Anna Aldins, sophomore
Music and Theater Arts             

Isabel Barnet, sophomore
Mechanical Engineering

Israel Bonilla, junior
Aeronautics and Astronautics

Owen Broderick, junior,
Management

Kevin Costello, junior
Mathematics + Music                 

Hope Dargan, junior
Computer Science and Engineering + History            

Nadezhda Dimitrova, junior
Aeronautics and Astronautics        

Jade Fischer, junior
Earth, Atmosphere, and Planetary Science                

Rogerio Guimarae Jr., junior
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Madeline Holtz, sophomore
Chemistry

Lily Huo, junior
Biological Engineering

Aditya Jog, junior
Biology

Shuli Jones, sophomore
Computer Science and Engineering     

Melissa Klein, junior
Mechanical Engineering + Music and Theater Arts         

Maximillian Langenkamp, junior
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science                

Keiran Lewellen, sophomore
Physics

Bhavik Nagda, junior
Computer Science and Engineering             

Neosha Narayanan, sophomore
Materials Science and Engineering     

Avery Nguyen, sophomore
Materials Science and Engineering                  

Samuel Nitz, junior
Computer Science + Molecular Biology  

Isloma Osubor, junior
Mechanical Engineering and Management

Noopur Ranganathan, junior
Anthropology + Biology

James Santoro, sophomore
Management

Haniya Shareef, sophomore
Biological Engineering         

Aaditya Singh, junior
Brain and Cognitive Science + Computer Science and Engineering           

Nailah Smith, sophomore
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science              

Madison Sneve, sophomore
Biology

Edwin Song, sophomore
Mathematical Economics         

Sarah Spector, junior
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science + Latin American and Latino/a Studies

Shobhita Sundaram, sophomore
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science                

Sarah Weidman, junior
Earth, Atmosphere, and Planetary Science + Physics               

Alyssa Wells-Lewis, junior
Mechanical Engineering       

Kevin Wesel, junior
Biology

Carine You, sophomore
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Congratulations to the 2019 Burchard Scholars!