apply to mesa

MESA provides a variety of opportunities for STEM students to develop a STEM identity and network and to transfer successfully to a four-your institution to earn their bachelor's degree in STEM. Some impacts are:

Academics

Higher GPAs

MESA Student’s have on average higher college level GPAs (3.1) when compared to other calculus based non-MESA STEM students (2.76). (Edmonds CC Office of Planning, Research, and Assessment, Winter 2019)

Jacki  Marine Biology at UW Seattle - MESA Alumni

"MESA gave me a great place to study and make friends with other students who were taking similar classes to me, and it gave me a place where I could seek advice about what my next steps were, every step of the way. I learned so many valuable things in MESA! "

 

Transfer Assistance

Tina  Pure Mathematics at UW Seattle - MESA Alumni

"As a first generation, low-income, woman of color in STEM who recently immigrated to the U.S., I needed help navigating the U.S. college system. MESA gave me all the tools I needed to explore opportunities and become successful. MESA assisted me with getting my Associate of Science degree and transferring to the University of Washington-Seattle, where I now pursue my education in pure Mathematics. MESA thrives for student success and provides you any support you need to build your own future."

Angela, Computer Science at UW Bothell - MESA Alumni

"The MESA Director guided me when I was working on my personal statement for my UW Bothell application. I think her suggestions really made my personal statement better and that might be one reason why I got admitted in that university. She also answered many questions I had about the transferring process, scholarships, internships and most things people born and raised in the USA know, or people with parents who went to college in the US know, but that for people like me (first generation and born outside the US) are not clear at all." 

MESA Scholarships

Vanessa, Computer Science at UW - MESA Alumni

"The MESA scholarship has allowed me to spend more time studying and more time participating in club events. Before the MESA scholarship I had to work as much as possible outside of class which kept me from improving my level of involvement here at EDCC. In turn, I have also been able to network with more students in similar fields of study which has helped me define my path more clearly."

Bethlehem, Bioengineering at OSU - MESA Alumni

"If it wasn't from the financial support (MESA scholarship) and the advising from the MESA Director, I wouldn't have transferred to OSU by fall. The weekly updates, with scholarship, internships and events have helped me discover many useful resources."

Professional Development Opportunities

Lien, Industrial and Systems Engineering at UW Seattle - MESA Alumni

“I learned a lot from the trip such as solving the problem for the clients, building teamwork through the games around the forest, enhancing the discipline to live with the community, being more confident to get acquainted with new people...etc.” - MESA Student Leadership Retreat

Brenda, Informatics at UW Seattle - MESA Alumni

"The NSBE Convention was an amazing experience. I had the opportunity to interact with people who looked like me and understood the struggles of being a Black woman in STEM. My favorite part of the Convention was the career fair. Very many companies including Amazon reached out and asked me to apply for internships. They even followed up with webinars preparing us for technical interviews. I am ready for the next phase of my life because NSBE prepared me." - National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) National Convention

MESA Events

Beatrix, Computer Science at UW - MESA Alumni

"The STEM demonstration of the wind tunnel was engaging and watching the instructors do tricks was jaw-dropping. Nothing beat the literal flying though; that was crazy!" - MESA Indoor Skydiving at iFLY

 

Asmaa, Pre-medicine - MESA Student

"I found the UW Multicultural & Native Transfer Day to be very beneficial as well as a fun experience. It gave me the opportunity to explore different departments and be introduced to many new people. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in applying to UW." - UW Multicultural & Native Transfer Day

MESA Student Center

Tina  Pure Mathematics at UW Seattle - MESA Alumni

"My favorite thing about the MESA Student Center is that it feels like a home. It is where I was able to find another family who care about and supports me". 

MESA is at Edmonds College because of the disparities in student enrollment, transfer rates, and completion of STEM degrees among underrepresented students. MESA provides opportunities for students to develop a richer STEM network and identity and to transfer successfully to a four-your institution to earn their bachelor's degree in STEM. Our goal is to increase diversity in the STEM workforce by addressing the challenges underrepresented students face in their educational and career development.

Relevant Articles:

• NCSES publishes latest Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering report
• STEM Opportunities for Women and Minorities

New Member orientations take place within the first three weeks of each quarter. You will be notified about the status of your application within two weeks of submission. If you have not received an email about the status of your application, please email the MESA Director at mesa@edmonds.edu. There are occasions in which the application is not received or when the MESA Director is off campus for a period of time, delaying the response.

No, there is no deadline for the MESA application. We accept applications on a rolling basis. New members will be granted admission into Edmonds MESA upon:

1. Invitation to MESA after Application
2. Completion of Orientation at Beginning of Quarter 
3. Signing of Contractual Agreement of Participation

Yes, you can be a MESA member and a member of other students support programs such as RiSE (Relationships in STEM Education) and TRIO SSS (Student Support Services).

The MESA program mission includes Calculus-based STEM majors. Nursing students are encouraged to connect with the STEM Study Room  and TRIO Student Services.

Washington MESA applications are open to United States citizens, residents, DACA approved/eligible, HB1079/WASFA eligible, and undocumented students. International students are encouraged to utilize RiSE, the STEM Study Room, and Office of International Programs resources.

Yes, DACA approved, DACA eligible, HB 1079/WASFA eligible, undocumented, asylum, and refugee students are encouraged to apply. We do not ask for social security numbers.

 

Yes, running start students may apply MESA if they intend to go to a four year institution and earn a bachelor’s degree in a MESA STEM program (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics).  Running Start MESA Members take the majority (or all) coursework at Edmonds Campus. 

 

There is no age limit to be a MESA member. We have members that are in their teens to their thirties.

 

MESA applicants must intend to transfer to a four year institution and earn a bachelor’s degree in STEM for admission to MESA. Anyone can use the STEM Study Room as a resource to get help in their STEM classes.

 

Yes, they can apply. MESA is created to help students decide if STEM is the right field for them and which STEM field is right for them. If a student continues in STEM, they will remain an active MESA student. Students who choose to pursue other pathways are encouraged to notify the MESA Director to connect with relevant clubs and support programs. 

 

MESA - Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement

MESA focuses on initiatives to improve diversity and retention of underrepresented students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, including African American, Latinx/Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and women students.

RiSE - Relationships in STEM Education

RiSE project’s goals are to help Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) students achieve their academic and career goals and to increase the number of students successfully earning degrees in STEM fields.

When generally looking at the programs, you might wonder: How are the programs different? Why do we have two STEM programs? MESA and RiSE are both STEM student support programs, but with different missions (listed above), which ultimately affects the programming, events, resources, etc. MESA’s mission is to increase diversity and retention of underrepresented students, therefore we address challenges underrepresented students face in their educational and career development through our programming. Our missions drive programing from the inside out, making the programs different and fulfilling different needs.