NextGen Bio Student Applicant Eligibility
We are accepting up to 45 currently enrolled high school and community college students who meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Participants must be currently enrolled as juniors or seniors in high school or as students at a community college.
- A strong preference will be given to students who attend a public or private high school or community college within a 15-mile radius of Aggie Square (4480 2nd Ave., Sacramento, CA 95817
- Have availability ~9am-4pm on the days the program is planned to run (you are able to rank your ideal cohort).
- Have transportation to and from Aggie Square in Sacramento for the duration of the program (the program is exploring additional transportation options to Aggie Square).
Application Components
What does a complete NextGen Bio application include?
NextGen Bio selection will be made based on review of complete application materials submitted on time (no later than 11:59pm on January 18, 2026) via the online form, including:
Student Demographic Information
- Contact Email (including parent/guardian email if participant is under 18)
- Student First Name
- Student Last Name
- Student Birthdate
- Student Grade Level
- Student Cumulative GPA (preferred GPA is >2.5; screenshot or copy of unofficial transcript)
- Email of a teacher, school staff, community leader, principal, or similar that can serve as a professional reference (this individual cannot be a member of your immediate family)
- Name of Student High School or Community College
- Address of Student High School or Community College (for determination of eligibility within 15-mile radius of Aggie Square)
- Citizenship (U. S. Citizen, U. S. Permanent Resident or Other)
- Gender (Female, Male, Nonbinary, Prefer Not to State, or Other)
- Ethnicity (Note: NextGen Bio categories used by the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey: Hispanic/Latino; Not Hispanic/Latino; Ethnicity Category Unknown/Prefer Not to State)
- Race (Note: NextGen Bio categories used by the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey: American Indian/Alaska Native; Asian; Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander; Black/African American; White; Hispanic or Latino; Other Race; Race Unknown/Prefer Not to State)
Student Statement of Intent with Three Written Sections
Learning Section: What do you hope to learn through the NextGen Bio experience? What strengths will you bring to the program? How will this research experience further your academic and career goals? (300 words or less)
Life Experiences and Extracurricular Activities Section: What types of extracurricular activities, at-home responsibilities, volunteer work or employment opportunities have you engaged in during the past year or so? How have these helped you to grow as a scholar and community member? If chosen as a NextGen Bio Scholar, what types of soft skills will you bring to our team environment? (300 words or less)
- Challenges Section: What challenges have you faced in your academic journey up to this stage of your academic career? In what ways have you overcome or working to overcome these challenges? What challenges might you predict you might face participating in this program (transportation, availability, knowledge, etc)? How might you see yourself overcoming these challenges? (300 words or less)
Post-Acceptance Processes
- Complete a California Permit to Employ and Work (https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ct/we/workpermitsforstudents.asp) through your high school and/or school district (high school students only)
- Complete UC Davis required employee onboarding and training in a timely manner.