If one were to do research in a lab over the summer at an Ivy League school, how much would it boost the chances of getting in? Given that a letter of recommendation from a professor would be included…
If your GPA and test scores were also good, I’d think it would be a help. If your scores or grades were low, this probably won’t save you though. But it could push you from waitlist to accept.
Usually not much unless it is a highly selective program.
Doing things to try to increase your chances of getting into an “Ivy” seldom if ever works. They are looking at the whole student as an interesting, curious, contributing part of their freshman class, not a collection of bullet points.
^Then again, if you are actually interested in research/science/STEM, and the rest of your ECs reflect that, then this might help you. It might turn your “collection of bullet points” into a collection of brightly colored, solid, bolded bullet points.
But if you’re just adding it to a laundry list of unrelated ECs, then don’t bother.
Do things you are truly interested in and that should shine though. If it is doing research with a professor that is fine, if it is something else that is fine as well. Agree with others that doing something only to try to boost your chances at an Ivy is not good practice.
I was planning on doing it regardless, i was just curious as to what that would entail on an application
but thank you all for the insight