<p>Hello all,
I am a freshman in CS and was wondering how important undergraduate research is for getting into graduate school (both PhD and Masters). I go to a smaller STEM school so there are plenty of research opportunities for undergraduates and a couple of professors have already expressed interest in working with me. As of now, I am not sure if I want to go right into industry or go to grad school first, but I feel I should prepare myself for both options. A bunch of people have told me that if you have really amazing undergraduate research experience it can really help to get into graduate school. Is this true? And if it is, how important is it in relation to other factors (ECs, GPA, etc). Thank you for your help.</p>
<p>It is right up there with GPA in terms of importance. It isn’t as directly relevant, as a bad GPA will derail you either way many times, but working as an undergraduate researcher will often help provide a good relationship with at least one faculty member that will lead to a great reference letter. It will also likely help you write a more compelling statement of purpose. So, while undergraduate research itself is valuable and going to be one of the bigger things that could help get you into graduate school, the things it influences will bump it up a notch further. Definitely do it if you have the chance and are interested in graduate school. Since you are still on the fence (as you should be as a freshman), you should still do it since the experience will help you decide if research is what you want to do next instead of industry.</p>
<p>If you do undergraduate research and it leads to a publication for you as an undergraduate (uncommon but not unheard of), then you are pretty much set.</p>
<p>Undergraduate research is probably one of the most worthwhile things you can do, no matter what your goals are.</p>
<p>It helps in a big way make the skills you learn in class more relevant and you learn them better by actually applying them. As a hiring manager, I was always interested in college applicants who had done undergraduate research (more than just their required senior projects). It also showed me that they truly had an interest in the field.</p>
<p>You get to know some of the profs really well and they can write very good recommendations for grad school. You’re not just some body occupying a seat in a class that they hardly know.</p>
<p>If you are continuing at the same school, the undergraduate research can lead directly to a grad research project. It did for several of my classmates.</p>
<p>My undergraduate research project also became my summer employment. It didn’t pay as well as some internships, but I was doing some real research and much more interesting than some of my classmates who had formal internships at large companies and were given very trivial projects to work on (the company didn’t want to risk their limited research money on some unknown intern). It was a good “selling point” when I was interviewing for a job.</p>
<p>Here’s another question - let’s say that I work for 2-5 years and then apply to graduate school. Will my undergraduate research matter less because I have been out of a university for a period of time?</p>
<p>I’m doing research in my freshman year. I think it’s good to get some experience whether or not graduate school is in the horizon.</p>
<p>Will it matter 2-5 years down the road?</p>
<p>I would think it still matters. It shows your desire and aptitude to do research. </p>
<p>I would imagine that someone else would have picked up doing your old research project if it was worthwhile. That’s OK as it allows you to do something new.</p>
<p>Update: I scored a research position for next semester with a professor who’s well known in his field.</p>
<p>My next question is: if I do research in undergrad in a specific subject, am I pigeonholed into that field for graduate school? Don’t get me wrong, I’m interested in the prof’s research, but I am also interested in other things within CS as well. If I apply to graduate school, will the only choice I have to be to do research in that same area?</p>
<p>No you are not pigeonholed. You’ll be a little ahead if you stay in that field but you certainly don’t have to.</p>
<p>I worked in different labs every year in undergrad, and wound up doing something completely different within my field for grad school. What’s amazed me is how every research project I’ve done in the past has directly helped me out with what I’m currently working on.</p>
<p>If you are considering graduate school, you really should do a research project, not just to help you get in to grad school, but also to try out research and see if it’s something you like.</p>
<p>The only problem with research is that once you do it and LIKE it, then it’s difficult to accept any ho-hum job. I did some interesting research as an undergrad Civil Engineer for my capstone, then completely different research in Comp Sci undergrad, even MORE different research in Comp Sci grad… Also worked as a programmer in a research hospital. I was not going to accept a ho-hum position. Luckily enough I found one and have been doing R&D work - we call it technology development - for the last 3 decades. </p>
<p>This has shaped how I work and think - R&D is often about ideas, then let someone else worry about the final product if there is one. We get crazy deadlines (usually focused around trade shows like CES), collaborate with multiple external partners who sometimes are competitors, and overall controlled chaos. I’ve had engineers with 20+ years experience in the production side freak out because they did not have specs. Yea, right. Try having two boxes at the CES in Las Vegas, demo’ing one and flashing code in the other :). </p>
<p>So, if you thrive in this type of environment, research is good and any research experience will be useful. If you frown at the unknown, maybe not.</p>
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<p>I did research and liked it (still liking it, this is my last semester) but am taking a “ho-hum job.” Not too hard when you get 5x the money for 20 fewer hours a week compared to a PhD student.</p>
<p>I was talking real life, not necessarily grad school. One thing research work taught me is that I don’t have the patience to see something finished to the level needed to sell it. Very few of my friends from college started careers developing stuff, let alone research - sure, 5x money, but if the job description includes qualifying C-batteries from Duracell for the Air Force (General Dynamics in Ft Worth, era 1985) versus writing parts of a compiler for a visual programming language (SE Michigan, 1985) it’s not a difficult choice. </p>
<p>It was research opportunity and learning potential that convinced me to take that job versus other offers I had… Both panned out as planned.</p>
<p>I think undergraduate research is great! You’re exploring different fields that are of interest to you and also learning different processes along the way. It’ll help sharpen your critical thinking skills, and that’s something that can aid you in both the classroom and the real world. As long as you don’t have too many other time-consuming commitments (like a job or volunteering) then you should be able to balance it fine. (you know, don’t work 20 hours a week, volunteer at the soup kitchen on Sundays, and attend every Spanish Club meeting because you’re treasurer-to-be. You can, I guess, but don’t expect to easily get good grades and give your professor your all amidst the chaos) </p>
<p>I’m currently getting started with some research myself (as a sophomore) and am loving it. Mine’s in the field of writing and tutoring, though, and I also can submit a proposal to present at a conference this spring. It may not be tied directly to what I want to do (I actually might go to grad school for law or French instead), but experience in putting something together and presenting at a conference is something that can never look bad. </p>
<p>Likewise, the experience of doing research is something that no one can ever take away from you. Some of your friends are working at McDonald’s or partying every day, and you’re going to be doing research. When the time comes for everyone to start “getting serious” about stuff, you’ll already be ahead, and you’ll have nothing to lose. </p>
<p>Good luck with everything! It seems like you have a great opportunity.</p>