Learning about Laney Visitation

We invite you to apply to the fully-funded 7th Learning about Laney: Preview Visitation of Emory University, Laney Graduate School– a unique opportunity to experience the academic and community life of the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies. With more than 40 graduate programs spanning a wide range of disciplines, Laney fosters rigorous academic, intellectual exploration, interdisciplinary collaborations, and meaningful scholarly engagement. You can explore the full list of graduate programs here.

Hosted by the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement, this curated visit connects prospective scholars to our faculty, staff, and current scholars, offering an authentic glimpse into graduate life at one of the nation’s top research institutions.

What’s Included in Your Visit:

Selected participants will receive a fully funded experience, including:

  • Round-trip travel to Atlanta, GA (arriving on Sunday, Sept 28th)
  • Hotel accommodations for two nights
  • Welcome social event with bowling, games, and networking (Sunday evening)
  • Full day of workshops, program visits, and community exploration (Monday, Sept 29)
  • Departure on Tuesday, Sept 30, following your immersive visit

Meals will be provided during the welcome event on Sunday evening and throughout Monday’s programming. Additionally, all participants receive a waiver for the Laney Graduate School application fee.

Gain a competitive Edge with Laney Edge

Learning about Laney is more than a campus visit—it’s a glimpse into the full graduate experience. During the program, you’ll:

  • Attend workshops on crafting strong applications, securing funding, and accessing professional development resources
  • Connect with faculty, staff, and current graduate scholars from across disciplines
  • Explore student life at Emory, including wellness resources, housing, and academic support
  • Engage in conversations about inclusion, community, and building a sense of belonging in graduate school
  • Experience Atlanta, a vibrant city for innovation, culture, and community   

Eligibility:

Applicants must:

  • Plan to graduate no later than Summer 2026
  • Intend to enroll in graduate school by Fall 2026
  • Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or undocumented scholar

Learning about Laney is designed to be welcoming to scholars from a broad range of backgrounds, identities, perspectives, and experiences by providing an intimate opportunity to gain more experience about our graduate programs.

Apply Here!

Application Deadline: Thursday, August 7, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET
Decision Notifications: By Thursday, August 28, 2025
Click here to fill out the application form

The initiative, which is designed to be welcoming to scholars from a broad range of backgrounds, identities, perspectives, and experiences, provides an introduction to the many opportunities and resources available through Laney Graduate School and the greater Emory community.

  • All applicants must graduate no later than Summer 2026 and anticipate enrollment in graduate school in Fall 2026.
  • Applicants must be US citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients. Undocumented scholars are welcome to apply.
  • Prior research/training experience in one’s desired field is required.
  • Cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.

The strongest applications for this visitation program will have a clear sense of how and why each specific program is a good fit for their intended work. Learning about Laney is intended to help you gain a clearer picture of this, but as you prepare your application, we suggest looking carefully at our degree programs and faculty and indicating which you are most interested in. To that end, the application limits you to pick ONE graduate program of interest. 

Interdisciplinary work is encouraged at Emory University, but determining which academic program offers the primary methodological and research foci that best suit your interests will strengthen your application. In addition, it will allow LGS-EDGE to match you with the appropriate faculty and current scholars during your visit. If you have questions about our academic programs, we encourage you to contact us at laney.edge@emory.edu. 

2nd week of August: Application due

3rd week of August: Committee reviews applications 

Last week of August: Applicants are notified of their selection/denial 

1st week of September: Selected applicants must accept or deny offers 

Sunday, September 28 – Tuesday, September 30: 2025 Learning about Laney Preview Visitation 

  • A statement describing your current academic/professional goals as they relate to your interest in graduate study. This statement should specifically mention the programs of study at Emory in which you are interested, as well as faculty members whose work is of particular interest to you. (Max 500 words) 
  • A current CV/Resume 
  • An unofficial copy of your most recent transcript 

These items are uploaded through the application form. Please upload PDF documents only. 

Note: You will not be able to save this application before submitting it, so you will need to complete the application in one session. 

Submit your application in mid-August. 

We anticipate a remarkably high demand for this program. Not being admitted to Learning about Laney does not determine your admission to LGS. If the timing does not work out for you to attend, please consider applying to Laney Graduate School at Emory University. 

We anticipate an exceedingly high demand for this program. Not being admitted to Learning about Laney does not determine your admission to LGS. If the timing does not work out for you to attend, please consider applying to Laney Graduate School at Emory University.