<p>I would think that the omnipotent admissions factor (passion) would play a role in the case mentioned by Computerized. I’m doing research related to genetics (a field thoroughly mined by PhDs with 8 more yrs of schooling and 20+ yrs more experience than I have), so there isn’t much opportunity to make some remarkable discovery nor even to write some significant published paper, which even PhDs have enough trouble doing. Rather, I intend to compose an expository on what I have learned through my research (the complex science behind it) and perhaps write an essay that delves into my passion for it. Also, a recommendation from the professor you work with can’t hurt. Such things as Intel/Siemens/etc are simply not feasible when you’re dealing with certain sciences (I would have to sacrifice much of my time during the school year, for instance, if I wanted to compete). As a little anecdote to supplement my argument here: My lab has in fact produced an Intel Finalist in the past. When I showed his/her work to my professor (this finalist had worked with someone else), my professor responded by acknowledging that his/her colleague had a competitive drive and that “there was no way in hell” this particular Intel Finalist had been able to complete this research without significant assistance (with the processes involved and the final paper). As a disclaimer: I am by no means detracting from the accomplishments of Intel finalists, simply making an observation. Make of it what you will, but this taught me that the amount of passion I put into the activity and not necessarily the results is what counts (at least for me). Hope this helps those who feel like they are doing something significant, but can’t quite manifest it into something notable.</p>
<p>Harvard allows you to provide a statement about your research and
then an abstract+report format for submission; Caltech also accepts
formal reports in pdf format; MIT is not too into the research report.
Duke loves supplemental submissions of a research report. Stanford
does not care for formal research submissions and makes it very clear.</p>
<p>I sent in research reports as summarized above formally as a supplement
to H, S, C and D where they were well received.</p>
<p>Friends have used the informal approach strategy described by SR
sucessfully at the top LACs and Princeton.</p>
<p>“MIT is not too into the research report.” By this, what do you mean? I thought MIT loved independent research and has a different section altogether for that. Am I wrong??</p>
<p>nj<em>azn</em>premed: So glad you said that! Thanks!!</p>
<p>Read [Matt’s blog](<a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/the_freshman_application/supplemental_materials.shtml”>http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/the_freshman_application/supplemental_materials.shtml</a>) on supplemental materials where
under research he says:
</p>
<p>Caltech and Harvard actually have a process for your research paper
submission. </p>
<p>Yes, MIT loves independent research equally but the readers are probably
reading your app for who you are not for the nitty gritty details of
your research - hence how the research report is perceived</p>
<p>Oh Ok! What was ur research on? Was it indie or Intel stuff??</p>
<p>“Supplementary credentials are strongly discouraged (with exceptions noted in the application instructions document PDF and on this site). Applicants should never submit application materials in binders or folders and should not submit newspaper clippings, magazine articles, research abstracts, awards or certificates.”
From Stanford’s website.
The exceptions are the arts supplement (which says you should be of at least state-level award caliber) and the additional rec. They expressly say in the instructions (pdf): no resumes, research papers or writing samples.
Stanford’s supplemental essay topics from the website:
1)Stanford students are widely known to possess a sense of intellectual vitality. Tell us about an idea or an experience you have had that you find intellectually engaging.
2)Virtually all of Stanfords undergraduates live on campus. What would you want your freshman year roommate to know about you? Tell us something about you that will help your roommateand usknow you better.
3)Tell us what makes Stanford a good place for you .</p>
<p>Sally - I do not see an optional essay on research allowed by Stanford. Can you point it out to us? Otherwise it seems you would have to fit the research into one of the three supplement essays or make it your common app essay on a “topic of your choice.”</p>
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<p>Since Stanford joined the Common App this year, their own optional essay has been supplanted by the Common App’s “Additional Information” section. Just to clarify–the optional essay in past Stanford applications wasn’t specifically on research but on any additional information that the student wanted to provide (though the instructions added an appropriate “warning” discouraging students from writing about nothing in particular just because they thought they were supposed to to!). So now that Stanford uses the Common App, that extra section would be redundant.</p>
<p>Note, however, that Stanford does “allow” an optional extra reference. For students doing serious research, this might be the time to have the research advisor or mentor weigh in.</p>
<p>So the extra letter of rec from the prof advising the research can step in here?? Grt!!</p>
<p>My D is working with two other students on a group/team research project they are planning to enter in the Siemens competition. Would the procedure for talking about a group project be any different? Will this cause any problems if they happen to apply to the same college and all three talk about the research?</p>
<p>this is what i did on my college app regarding research. I’ve been doing research since 9th grade and it was pretty much the theme of all my essays. i conveyed how passionate i was about research, what i wanted to do in the future with my passion for research, and how x university would help me achieve that and how i could further pursue my research at x university. awards definitely help, and should speak for themselves. however, having awards and not mentioning research elsewhere is not a good thing. a recommendation from a mentor may help. also, for colleges which were ok with supplemental materials, i sent them abstracts of the different research i’ve done throughout high school. i had other extracurriculars and i related them to research and to my “big picture/vision”. apparently this combination of things worked for me.</p>
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<p>for stanford, they have an essay about an intellectual idea you’ve had. this is a perfect place to talk about research. also for stanford, they have a “why stanford?” essay. I used this opportunity to let stanford know that the main reason i wanted to go there was for their amazing multidisciplinary research, their willingness to let students pursue their own research, and I communicated how my goals fit into stanford’s research initiatives. it can also be helpful to name specific research programs and labs.</p>
<p>I’m just curious: how is research not necessarily of scientific or mathematical nature accepted? Though I haven’t done extensive research, I am planning (rather hoping) on doing research in another category. For example (absolutely having nothing to do with me) if someone researched (but didn’t write a paper on) philosophy or literature, could this be included in an application? Or is only science or math related research commended without an official article with publication?</p>
<p>Northwestern lets you send abstracts on your research. Be sure to keep it brief though. I sent two of my abstracts on the CS projects I did and got Murphy Scholar, so if your S plans on applying to NU, it might be a good idea to send them.</p>
<p>So the best advice seems to be to closely examine each college’s application instructions (if common app, look at the supp instructions) to determine the best way to highlight the student’s research (in whatever discipline). But going beyond the application and back to the question of contacting professors at the target college and introducing yourself, I would appreciate more insights on this method. Are there any more anecdotes about students having success with this approach at top schools?
Younger S has done extensive research independently, so would not have the opportunity for an additional rec from a mentor, nor a referral to a particular prof at target schools. Suggestions…</p>
<p>Great topic!</p>
<p>I’m also in the same boat with this research debacle. In my opinion a great letter of rec from your PI is the most valuable tool for college admissions. I was also wondering how beneficial it is to do research at your prospective top choice college.</p>
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<p>i did extensive research by myself (without a mentor) and i did not send in a recommendation letter from a mentor. i had a lot of awards from science competitions, which definitely helped. i just talked a lot about my research in my essays and sent in my abstracts. also, i don’t know if contacting a prof at our prospective school would help too much, since they probably don’t have too much pull in undergraduate admissions, unless they know you well and can provide a rec.</p>
<p>From post #9: "A past experience: Last year I contacted a few math professors and tried to ask them what was distinctive about the math program at their college. I got no response. "</p>
<p>If you’re going to contact a professor, don’t ask them what’s distinctive about their program. Find out what’s distinctive about their program…and that particular professor’s research BEFORE you contact them. Be specific when you contact them. Read one of their recent research papers. Tell them what parallels there may be between the research you’ve done and their research. Or…tell them about your research, then refer to theirs and how you’d like to learn more about what they’re doing because it compliments the work you’ve done. Most professors LOVE talking about what they’re doing, and, if they find an interested and interactive audience – it gives you an opportunity to show what a great student you’d be at their university.</p>
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<p>Based on experience, if I were to break things down, 80% of all people who win something at an ISEF/Siemens/STS kind of deal fall into at least one of the following:</p>
<ol>
<li>Well-networked (have parents who work in a science field and have prior knowledge as well as connections within certain areas)</li>
<li>Have a school program to hold their hand through every step of the proccess.</li>
<li>Flat out were not involved in all the procedures they claimed to have been.</li>
</ol>
<p>The next 19.9% are geniuses/exceptionally stellar students who have the drive to get things done. Those who have the drive and initiative but aren’t the types who can be confident in only applying to one college draw the shortest straws. My research mentor from a program I did 2 years ago said as much: it’s incredibly hard to make a “rags to riches” (metaphorically speaking) story in these competitions. Thus, it’s better to just take as much as you can out of your project and not worry about placing (I didn’t meet a single person at ISEF who was in the same 0.1% boat as me).</p>
<p>I’m talking about lab science research btw.</p>
<p>2boysima: The problem was that I looked all over the school’s websites and didn’t find anything, so I tried contacting the professors. Of course, as I’ve already said, that didn’t work. Perhaps I should have e-mailed the admissions office and I should have told them that I’ve looked all over the school’s math department website and am looking for more information about what makes the school’s math department distinctive.</p>
<p>dchow08: At most schools…certainly ones where any amount of research is being done…professors have web pages. On their webpage is usually a list of their published papers. Or…just google them to find the research they’re doing.</p>
<p>S’s mentor wrote a letter (sealed, signed) which S included as a supplemental rec with all of his applications. S did not send his research report to MIT, but wrote about the experience. The mentor’s letter made it clear that S’s work was entirely original (and in fact, S’s results surprised even the prof). Caltech and Harvard asked for the research paper. I don’t think he sent his abstract anywhere.</p>
<p>Agree that if it is substantive, independent research, submitting to Siemens/Intel will help. </p>
<p>Piccolo, not every school with a research project option holds the students’ hands. (I agree that some do.) At my son’s school, the students learned to write resumes and research what topic(s) they might want to study. Students were responsible for identifying and interviewing mentors. His research teacher did take one read-through of his paper and fixed a couple of LaTex typos. S located his mentor by emailing two profs at his local university and having interviews with them. He read some of their research in advance (and checked out some of the blogs in which they participate), so when he met with the profs, he could discuss their work intelligently and jknew how what he wanted to do dovetailed with their work. </p>
<p>My husband and I don’t have any connections. S did most of his research sitting in our front yard. (He did not do a lab-based project.) Mentor also had him submit his paper to a conference for publication as sole author. That probably said a lot, too. S had a supplemental resume/activity sheet which he sent with all his apps, where he went into a bit more detail about what he had done.</p>
<p>S did not contact profs about doing research or send his research paper out prior to acceptance. Seemed pretty presumptuous to me. What S did do was contact profs when he was coming to campus and asked if he could sit in on a class. This often led to an informal chat afterwards, but I feel certain that none of the profs he spoke with said anything to admissions. I don’t think he discussed his research until after he had acceptances and was going back for a return visit, and wanted to speak to the profs who work in his intended specialty about courses, etc.</p>