<p>I got accepted into Garcia MRSEC and HSHSP for this summer, but I cannot decide which one I should attend. Does anyone know the acceptance rates for each of these programs? My interest is grounded mainly in chemistry and biochemistry, but at Garcia there are quite a few projects that I am interested in performing. Is one program more prestigious than the other, and does one help in winning such science fairs as Intel or Siemens more than the other?</p>
<p>Thank you a lot, and it would be great to hear from anyone who knows about these programs or someone who attended either one.</p>
<p>I heard that HSHSP accepts about 25 people (mostly seniors after graduation), so is it a little more special since I am a rising senior? Also, Garcia accepts about 50 people, 11 of each were semifinalists in some major science fairs last year. Does anyone know the rate of Intel/Siemens winners for HSHSP?</p>
<p>In what way is Garcia more prestigious? Better quality of research, harder to get into (lower acceptance rate), etc.?</p>
<p>hshsp only accepts current juniors/rising seniors. I heard of Garcia more, I guess. just name recognition. Not sure about the research quality/rate.</p>
<p>I’ve talked to a ton of people who’ve done Garcia, and the general consensus is that the projects are competitive at the intel/siemens level. However, if you choose a popular topic (eg. something in bio, such as stem cells,) you will very likely be placed with a partner, making it difficult for you to submit an individual, distinct, paper for competition as a senior. I think that a lot of the people who are semifinalists for those competitions are locals who can continue research after the program; there are exceptions of course. </p>
<p>Basically, from what I’ve heard, Garcia will give you a very good shot at competitions, especially if you choose a less popular topic and work without a partner.</p>
<p>@crookedstairs Are the projects competitive even if I only stay there for the designated seven weeks? Did people tend to enjoy the research, and did they have anything to say about their mentors? That is interesting that the project you choose determines whether or not you have a partner. Do you have any say in having a partner?</p>
<p>@alwaysleah Thank you, Mrs. SIMR Each is seven weeks, HSHSP is a bit over $3000 and the Garcia Program is $1500 for the lab fee plus any cost for room and board.</p>
<p>There are people who were siemens semifinalists after staying just 7 weeks, I’m just saying in general the longer you stay, the better the quality of research. The people I talked to all found their research fascinating, but some felt the mentors did not give as much time/care as they expected and had to make the effort to get the mentor’s individual help, especially if the mentor was in charge of several students. Others thought their mentors were amazing and actively worked with them to create a competitive project. I don’t think you can just say, I don’t want a partner. Your best bet is probably to look at the projects from last year and find which mentors/topics had only one student. Keep those in mind when you are choosing which lab to work with in the second week of the program, or at least that’s what I’ve been told.</p>
<p>@crookedstairs Oh awesome, you are being really helpful. Do you happen to have the usernames/email of some people who went to Garcia? I just have a few more questions they may be able to answer best.</p>
<p>I went to Garcia last year, and it’s true, most people had partners in the program. However, most of the seniors were able to work something out and divide their projects in half when it came time for Intel STS. There are many unique topics you can choose to work with, and students are very independent, with little instruction from mentors/REUs/grad students. I worked with flame retardant polymers, and learned a lot :)</p>
<p>I can’t say much for HSHSP, since I haven’t been to the program. One of the seniors who graduated last year went there 2 years ago, and he was very positive about his experience. I was accepted this year, so I don’t know whether to go to HSHSP or Garcia either…</p>
<p>@Catbye I think I’m going to Garcia this year…everyone has good things to say about it and it seems more geared towards winning science fairs. Also, it seems like the work is more structured there. About how many hours do you work each day in the lab? Also, how and when fo you design a project, because that is what I’m most worried about.</p>
<p>Hey
I think you should go to garcia
I will also be attending the program and have done previous research at stony brook (not through garcia, was 15 last summer)
Stony brook is a great place for research and has really top-notch facilities
Plus, its cheaper than hshsp i believe
In terms of prestige, I think they’re really neck and neck and both are impressive
It’s always a mixed bag and depends on the lab itself and the quality of the research, and frankly, luck. I don’t think going to one will dramatically change your chances since they are both so good
But from what I’ve heard, people who go to michigan aren’t as happy as the people who went to garcia(My sisters friends went to HSHSP, did research and hated it, won nothing)
Garcia is a lot more contest-oriented and very well run from what i hear. Last year one kid from my district went and he was a regional finalist for siemens and is going to ISEF, so the research itself is really good.
Come to GARCIA!! Hope to see you there =)!</p>
<p>also, having a partner is not a bad thing. The guys who’s going to ISEF didnt compete at the local fairs but got through bc his partner from out of state did very well at his regional fair</p>
<p>@Chemosaurus, the amount of hours you work in the lab each day really depends on how much work you need to get accomplished. I know some people like my roomate who worked from 10am-9pm and others who were done work around 12pm. A major factor is how oriented or dependent your project is on a biological aspect. My project was flame retardant polymers, so my schedule was not too easy but not too stressful. I worked from 10am-6pm. I sometimes worked to about 10pm on two occasions, but most nights I had time to work in the lab and then hang out in the lounge with my friends afterwards.</p>
<p>From what I know in my flame retardant polymers group, I didn’t do much designing. On the day that we began the actual research part of the program, the entire group separated into different sections or topics (polymers, biosensors, etc.) and then the REUs in charge of the topics gave us a list of possible general ideas that were currently being done in the lab. My REU read off a list to the three students including me who wanted to work with FR polymers, and my partner and I chose biodegradable FR polymers.</p>
<p>@Catbye Knowing me I would be in the lab all day and night When do you start the actual research part of the project, and what do you do beforehand? Once you chose your topic, was it difficult to develop a viable plan for an experiment (as in, did your mentor help you or did you have to come up with the plan with your partner)? Do we start a project from scratch, or help with/build upon one already being performed?</p>
<p>Also, do you happen to have a link to previous Garcia projects or winners of Siemens or Intel? I would greatly appreciate it.</p>
<p>@enorme Hi enorme, thanks so much for your input. I was under the impression that winning a science fair with a partner is more difficult because they expect more. I honestly go back to the acceptance e-mail and can’t even believe I got into Garcia. It gave me a mini-heart attack when Stony Brook sent an invitation to their symposium accidentally, then a few days later sent another e-mail saying it was sent in error, so I am still paranoid about whether I got in or not :o . Did a similar thing happen to you?</p>
<p>Do we research for all seven weeks? I heard that the first two weeks are something different, but I have not found out what happens yet.</p>
<p>Yes, the first two weeks of the program are not centered around actual research. They are mostly composed of:
Equipment and safety overviews–you need to take a test on proper safety, equipment, and waste disposal and pass the test before you can work in the lab
Symposiums–various professors come to talk every day at 10am about their studies. This is so you can get a sense of what kinds of topics are available. Some of the people who talk at these are people who are willing to accept a few students from Garcia for their research lab. The symposiums are still held even when people have already started their research, but less frequently.
A practice lab experience and paper. Last year, everyone was assigned a small group of 4-5 students from the program and 2-3 REUs. We worked on a lab that involved creating and characterizing Polystyrene thin films. This lab helped us get used to some of the techniques used and equipment available in the labs. Then we wrote a short research paper explaining our findings.
Short sessions about researching and citing articles.</p>
Each is seven weeks, HSHSP is a bit over $3000 and the Garcia Program is $1500 for the lab fee plus any cost for room and board.</p>
When do you start the actual research part of the project, and what do you do beforehand? Once you chose your topic, was it difficult to develop a viable plan for an experiment (as in, did your mentor help you or did you have to come up with the plan with your partner)? Do we start a project from scratch, or help with/build upon one already being performed?</p>