My D attends Penn State UP and participated in a REU this summer that was held at Penn State. Other students were from UDel and UMass - Amherst and other large schools. She is continuing her research with the professor she was paired with for the REU during this (her junior) year and the next. She is using it for her senior thesis. I don’t think she would have had much opportunity for research as an undergrad at a school as large as Penn State without the REU since she isn’t a star student.