Student Application
Welcome to the student application process!
We are excited you are considering applying to JIRP. There is a lot of information on this page — we suggest you start by reading everything through before you begin. If you have questions about the application process or JIRP itself, please reach out to our staff at office@juneauicefield.org. We are excited to read your application.
Application Timeline
Application Opens
Scholarship Application Opens
November 3
Applications (including transcripts and recommender contact information) due for priority consideration.*
Scholarship Application Closes
*We continue to accept second-priority applications on a rolling basis. We will know if we have open spots for applicants in March at the earliest.
December 21 at midnight AKST
Recommendations due.
December 31 at midnight AKST
First round of student application decisions sent out.
Scholarship decisions sent out.
Late January
Enrollment Decisions due.
Health History forms due for enrolled participants.
Final enrollment approved by JIRP Medical Faculty.*
*All participants must go through a medical screening before their enrollment is accepted. We do not use medical decisions to determine acceptance, so in rare cases we must revoke enrollment due to recommendations from our medical faculty. Please review the Prerequisites section on the Student Overview page for more information.
Mid-February
Application Components
The 2025 JIRP Student Application requires:
1. Transcript Submission
Submit your most recent transcript (unofficial transcripts are fine):
High school students, gap-year students, and first-year undergraduates without college records should submit your high school transcript.
Undergraduates, post-baccalaureate, and first-year graduate students without graduate records should submit your undergraduate transcript.
Graduate students with graduate records should submit your graduate transcript (optional: submit your undergraduate transcript if you took relevant coursework).
There are no GPA requirements for JIRP. We seek academically diverse students across disciplines, and transcripts help us set the academic level of the cohort. Students who have struggled academically are welcome to apply if you demonstrate a strong motivation to learn.
Submission instructions:
Electronic upload (preferred):
PDF format only
Naming: LastName-FirstInitial-transcript.pdf (e.g., Williams-S-transcript.pdf)
If your school must send directly: office@juneauicefield.org
Hard copy mailing address:
FGER/JIRP Attn: Student Applications
4616 25th Avenue NE, Suite 302
Seattle, WA 98105
2. Recommendations
Provide contact information for two recommenders who can speak to your readiness for JIRP. Ideally, at least one should be a recent academic adviser, professor, teacher, or academic/professional mentor. Other recommenders may include work supervisors, employers, community/faith leaders, elders, or coaches.
We will send your recommenders a form that will ask them to evaluate your:
ability to work collaboratively
ability to manage yourself under stressful conditions
ability to receive constructive feedback
motivation to understand Earth systems
experience working with incomplete and/or imperfect information
Submit each recommender separately through our form (you'll complete it twice). Please provide as much advance notice to your recommenders as possible.
Deadlines:
Recommender contact information: Dec. 15
Completed recommendation: Dec. 31
3. Student Online Application
Submit through our secure portal. The application does NOT save progress. We recommend you draft your answers separately using the questions document linked below, then copy-paste them into the form before submitting. Long-answer questions are limited to 250 words.
Evaluation Criteria
The Academic Council reviews all student applications. We seek applicants with from a wide variety of backgrounds who are ready to apply their JIRP experience toward their academic, professional, and personal goals. We look for cohorts that reflect:
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MIXED BACKCOUNTRY EXPERIENCE
Roughly one-third of students arrive with significant backcountry experience (backcountry skiing, climbing), one-third with other outdoor experience (backpacking, boating, hunting, hiking, trail running, outdoor work), and one-third with little backcountry experience but strong fitness and eagerness to learn.
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EARTH SCIENCE FOCUS
Most students are studying or training for careers in Earth science or related fields (biology, chemistry, ecology, education, engineering, environmental studies, geography, physics, science communication, etc.). If you've tailored a different major toward Earth science, tell us! Successful students have come from high school, the humanities, the arts, the military, and non-academic backgrounds. You don't need to be currently enrolled—we welcome home-schooled, gap-year, post-baccalaureate, and non-traditional learners.
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TEAM PLAYERS
Experience working collaboratively is essential at JIRP. We teach all academic and backcountry skills from scratch, but arriving with a team-oriented mindset is necessary for a successful Expedition.
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COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY
We look for students who are motivated to share what they learn at JIRP with their hometowns, campuses, or other communities.
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DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES
We build cohorts that include a wide range of people and experiences. JIRP serves as an accessible entry point for motivated Earth science learners, regardless of background. We welcome two-year-college students, first-generation students, and those without glaciology or Earth science programs at their home institutions.
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NEED-BLIND ADMISSIONS
We review applications to JIRP without considering an applicant’s ability to pay. Applying for financial aid will not affect your chances of admission. Please note that acceptance does not guarantee financial aid.
Questions?
If you have any questions about the application process, the JIRP undergraduate program, or anything else, please email our staff at office@juneauicefield.org. For specific inquiries, visit the Contact Us page for guidance on where to direct your question.