I attended UCSB’s Research Mentorship program last summer. I got to work on a fantastic, pretty high level project which I will be competing with. My mentor and his researcher were really chill and I learned a lot from them. The program is fairly expensive (I was out of state) but they have financial aid and also some academic scholarships (I got one). The campus is absolutely beautiful and right on the ocean and they have tons of activities and trips. Some kids’ projects were not as sophisticated as others but it was really a matter of how much effort they were willing to put into it. A few kids skipped a lot of the activities and camped out in the lab to work on their projects. One of the kids I knew well did this and got into Stanford early, so I guess it paid off. I was in sort of in between because I enjoyed going on the trips and the beach but the last couple of weeks I worked insanely hard. If I can answer any questions about the program, let me know and I’ll do my best to answer them.
How competitive is it to be accepted into the program?
Snow Day!!! @Falcon1 I don’t really know the answer to your question. There were about 60 kids doing research in the program and I think between 300 - 400 apply. The kids were doing research in everything from Astrophysics to Neuroscience. There were also a couple rising sophomores but you probably have to have super-competitive stats to get in as a freshman. I had fairly extensive research experience prior to UCSB and I applied because I was interested in a very specific field. They were able to accommodate me on both fronts but I may have been the exception rather than the rule.
What normally happens is that the during the first two days students listen to presentations from mentors about the research projects they have in mind for the program. Kids will then select their first, second and third choices. As I said, I followed a different path.
Hope this helps!
How much supervision is there? Can students explore Santa Barbara on their own // take public buses to places on the weekends?
@Mulitverse7 Thanks! That was helpful. I hadn’t heard of this program before.
@ashmelk Most of us rented bicycles to get around campus and there are buses that go into town that you can take provided it is during certain hours. You won’t want to go off by yourself because there are group tours to Disneyland, a Dodgers game, the beach, shopping, Six Flags, a LA Galaxy game, Hearst Castle, Universal Studios and other things I can’t remember anymore. On weekdays, tons of stuff going on talent shows, bowling, sporting events, tie-dying, movie nights and again a whole bunch more. All of this is included in the program, so no extra costs. I did about half to three quarters of the events but I was also really focused on my research which was pretty involved so I went to the lab a few times instead of a major excursion. The kids were great and I made some close friends. We were mixed with HS kids who were taking summer courses at UCSB so there was a large group of us.
I have some questions about the program because I want to recommend it for some kids that I know. Do you know who the best person to speak with is?
Ms. Katie Anderson
Pre-College Program Student Advisor
+1 (805) 893-7053
rmp@summer.ucsb.edu
^^ Thanks!
I think the program is still taking applications. Anybody who has a questions can ask them here.
What was the interview like. My son has one scheduled for tomorrow. What kinds of questions were asked
The interview was pretty relaxed. I believe Dr. Kim just wanted to get a sense of who I am and my maturity level (because I was one of the younger ones in the program). Asked about what subjects I enjoy studying and what I thought my research interests are. Again, I think she is mainly seeing if your son is ready to work hard and be a positive influence for the six weeks he will be there. I would tell him not to worry about it. Mine was pretty short but I can’t remember exactly how long it was. I am thinking it was only 15-20 minutes.
Approx how long after you sent in the application did they email you their decision?? And do you know if they interview everyone?
Sorry I dont’t know the answer to either of those questions but you can call Katie Anderson who’s mentioned in one of the above posts. I thought it was rolling admissions. I believe the deadline is March 31st and they received a record number of apps this year.
@ashmelk Are you sure that they have received your recommendations? That was the holdup for being contacted for an interview for us.
has anyone gotten an interview?
My daughter was just accepted to the 2016 RMP program. We are so excited!
@Multiverse7 do you know how many students received academic scholarships and what the process was to get one?
@Multiverse7 … just wondering what kind of research did you do during your summers and how did you get in. My DD is a current freshman and would like some guidance for summer research Thanks
@Lbelle43 The year my son went, there were enough scholarships out of ~70 that they had a separate event on the schedule to go to the Alumni Center and take a group photo of the scholarship students to give to the donors. I’d guess >10, but don’t know the amount of the scholarships, of course.
If you are admitted already and haven’t heard how to apply for a scholarship, contact Katie Anderson.