<p>It seems like all the strong applicants for the elite and prestigious schools (HYPMS) have somehow managed to do some sort of "research." I feel really ignorant and naive, but can someone explain exactly what this means and what it entails? How can I find research opportunities near where I live?
Thanks so much!</p>
<p>If I were you, identify a topic that you think you could gain a deep interest in. Then, look for museums in your area that specialize in that particular topic and write them a cover letter articulating how you could help them (not the other way around) and they will usually email you back with a response. I don’t know how it works for math related research, mine is historical so the process might be different for other areas of study. Good luck!</p>
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<p>I will have to strongly disagree with your assertion that all the strong applicants for elite and prestigious schools have “research” experience. Usually, if they do have “research” experience, it’s usually a short summer stint working at a lab cleaning test tubes and work like that.</p>