<p>I'm currently a freshman at UCSD (chemical engineering major), planning to pursue a PhD when I graduate. I know that research is crucial for getting admited, but I'm not quite sure how to begin looking for research opportunities. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>Also, UCSD isn't a top 10 school. Even with a good GPA, will my chances at top 10 PhD programs be lower because of this?</p>
<p>Edit: Oh, and I'm a girl. I'm not sure if that will help.</p>
<p>When I was a freshman looking for research, I simply e-mailed a lot of professors in the areas that I am interested in (math), to see whether they had any projects which an undergraduate worked on. No one ever mentions this sort of strategy when talking about how undergraduates can begin to do research, but, well, it worked for me! I've been working for the professor that I e-mailed for nine months, now, and I expect that I'll work under him for the rest of my undergraduate time.</p>
<p>As for whether going to UCSD will affect graduate admissions --- I have the feeling that, though the admissions committee work probably give someone from the really top-name universities an edge (either consciously or unconsciously) over someone from another school, what really matters in the end is research and recommendations to a greater extent, and GRE and GPA to a lesser extent. Essentially, if you want to go one of the top schools for graduate school, it's within your power.</p>
<p>I'll second drbott on the "email lots of professors doing cool work" strategy. You might want to include a short resume giving your major, some relevant courses you've taken, and any previous research experience you have.</p>
<p>you can also look at large research universities for summer positions</p>
<p>Tip on e-mailing: Don't send attachments. Professors hate them. I'm pretty sure a bunch refused to even open my e-mail because I attached my resume.</p>
<p>So, what's the etiquette in emailing professors? Can I email a lot of professors at one time, or should I send out a couple emails and wait for responses before emailing other professors?</p>
<p>I know that I should personalize the emails and not just copy paste information, as well as be clear and succinct, but I really don't know much past that. </p>
<p>drbott, and just of out curiosity, how many emails did you have to send out until you got a response?</p>
<p>there are two ways to approach professors about research projects ...</p>
<ol>
<li><p>find professors whose work interests you, read up on their papers, and go chat up their projects during their office hours. After one or a few chatting sessions, ask them if there are open undergrad positions in his/her research group.</p></li>
<li><p>take classes with them, talk to them often, make an A in the class, and pop the question at the end of the semester (or at the beginning of next semester).</p></li>
</ol>
<p>randomly emailing professors usually is not the best way to go.</p>
<p>I started undergraduate research as a freshmen (chemistry). I looked at the department website to see what different professors were doing then I emailed the one that seemed most interesting. It was just a short email saying that I was wanting to do undergraduate research & was wondering if I could meet with them to discuss possible opportunities to work in their lab. It worked out, I worked with the same professor till I graduated & now she's my research adviser in grad school.</p>
<p>I'd email just a couple professors at a time & wait for responses. Most professors are receptive to undergrads interested in research so you won't have to email too many before you find one that can take you - it all depends on funding & if any grad student has time to work with you. In my lab right now we have at least 4 undergrads & 1 high school student.</p>
<p>I think soccerbud gave some good advice.</p>
<p>I'm currently trying to find a position, and the whole randomly emailing thing really isn't working for me...I have yet to receive a reply from a single group I'm interested in. </p>
<p>Definitely try and show interest in their project before being like "Hey...I really want to research with your group." I mean, it definitely depends on the professor but unlike a lot of people I've had zero luck.</p>
<p>I had a lot of problems with the "email professors and ask to do research in their lab."</p>
<p>What has worked for me is finding research for academic credit. Several departments at my school offer a 1-6 credit hour research/independent study course. Since the professors aren't being asked to pay you and you are still getting something out of it, it's really an ideal situation. Once you show dedication and get some experience in their lab, it is likely that they will invite you to come back and help you find funding to work over the summer in their lab.</p>
<p>I go to a school that generally has very small class sizes so all my profs know me by name. All I did was visit their offices and ask what research projects they are currently working on. Most profs love telling others about the stuff they are doing, and they love it when students take a genuine interest in their work. Once I found one of my profs was working on something that I found interesting, I asked the prof if he'd be interested in having a research assistant. He was, and that's how I became a research assistant.</p>
<p>I would recommend only using email to make an appointment to go speak in person. And even then, it's better to make the appointment in person. If your classes are huge and the prof doesn't know you, go and introduce yourself. In person! It is to your advantage to speak in person because it's much easier to decline or ignore an email than it is to decline or ignore a living breathing human being. Also, it's not good to spam your department with unsolicited requests for employment/CV-padding opportunities because it reflects poorly on you.</p>
<p>I think Ctheflute was the first to mention the issue of payment... Professors like cheap labor, so most undergraduate researchers either get paid very very little or nothing - if professors can get away with not paying you, they will.
Academic research credits are the way to go if you just want to do research.</p>
<p>In terms of payment, you may want to look for a professor with a current NSF grant. Since you are a girl, the professor could easily add you to the project while get some extra funding to pay you.</p>