ACCESS offers twenty young women unique experience and opportunities in science and technology.

An ACCESS scholarship recipient spends the summer of her freshman year with nineteen of the brightest young women entering the University of Utah in a specially designed course taught by some of the University's most enthusiastic and celebrated professors. The class is specially designed to give participants not only valuable laboratory experience, but also a taste of each of the major sciences.

During the following winter, the participant is lined up with a professor in a field of her choice, and given the opportunity to work as a research assistant.

On top of all this, the young woman involved receives a $2500 stipend in addition to any other scholarships or awards she may have received from other sources.

		ACCESS emphasizes testing new ideas rather than repeating proven techniques and strategies. Since hands-on research is the single most important factor in students' preparation in science, it is the cornerstone of the college's program. During an eight-week summer course prior to their first year at the U of U, ACCESS students get a feel for research by tackling real-world problems in a mentored setting that includes instruction, laboratory work, and team work on assigned problems. Supported by a stipend, ACCESS students are then placed in a science, engineering, or medical research lab in their freshman year. The large majority remain in research labs throughout their undergraduate careers.
"I have been able to participate in...research work I'm interested in now, instead of waiting for graduate school." Jessica Shepherd ACCESS, 1994

As word of the program's excellence spreads, competition to gain admittance intensifies. In 1995, the average high school grade point average of the 20 successful candidates was 3.96. Of the 100 women who have participated in ACCESS, 28 were first in their class, many at high schools with a student body numbering nearly 800. Not only are these women academically superior, but they also have strong commitments to their communities. Participants in ACCESS have served on youth city councils for U.S. senators, have been Special Olympics volunteers, volunteered at the Salvation Army soup kitchen, and much more. Their interests are broad and their commitment to both education and community service is proven.
		"I am so thankful I was a part of this program. The very best part was having met 20 other women who were pursuing studies in science. Before this program, I didn't know one other woman in the sciences." Kiri Wagstaff ACCESS, 1993

		Whether in business, research, medicine, or education, ACCESS produces graduates who become invaluable to the state and to the region. ACCESS also helps to enhance the quality of the student body at the University of Utah by attracting our most promising female science students. While most have opportunities to study at any of the nation's most prestigious institutions, they come to the U of U because ACCESS offers them a hands-on research experience unavailable anywhere else. "This summer (1995)," says Shepherd, "I will be participating in a summer computing program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York. I'm sure that one of the main reasons I was accepted was the fact that I participated in ACCESS. ... The fact that I had experience doing research work ... gave me a chance at being admitted."
"I have especially enjoyed meeting new friends who share similar interests and experiences. Those are the people I'll be able to turn to throughout my academic career--and beyond." Sara Hotchkiss ACCESS, 1995