<p>How can I get more research experience? I go to a relatively small school with few research opportunities, but I am taking advantage of the few they do have. I want to bolster my resume with more research, but I'm at a loss of where to look and what to look for. I'm in the social sciences, so I don't really know of any outside internships that would provide me with relevant research experience. Does anyone have any creative advice?</p>
<p>I went to a very small school with few research opportunities as well. What I did was find a program outside of my school for a summer. You should talk to your teachers and advisers about possible opportunities. They’ll know what’s out there in your field better than anyone else.</p>
<p>Are there other universities in your area? I went to a SLAC in a city with many other research universities and a lot of students went to other universities to do research.</p>
<p>What about research centers, think tanks, NGOs, government agencies and institutes in your area? Some of them may sponsor undergraduate research programs, or there may be a researcher willing to take on a mentee. I’m thinking of something like the CDC, SAMHSA, Cato Institute, Carter Center, USAID, etc.</p>
<p>Can you do an independent study for credit in place of a class? That will give you some relevant research experience.</p>
<p>What about a study abroad? I did one with SIT and all their programs include an independent study project as a requirement of the program. You get support to complete the research over there. They’re pretty extensive.</p>
<p>Thanks for the ideas!</p>
<p>As of now, I’ll have about 3 distinct research projects, with at least one (more likely 2) being submitted for publication.</p>
<p>How many research experiences should I be striving for?</p>
<p>As with so many things in life, it’s not quantity, it’s quality. If you’ve been at one lab your whole undergrad career and have moved up the ranks, gained independence, gotten to do your own work/design, written your own paper, that’s significantly better for your applications and your future abilities than 10 labs where you were an assistant who held the thermometer.</p>