<p>samiamy is correct--picollo and previous posters are wrong</p>
<p>some "research" is bogus yes</p>
<p>other is not at all-- i am doing research currently
as its not impossible at all...
first you read volumes of papers etc get to know your topic, find something that has not been researched or a controversial discovery/theory,
then investigate, you can easily get into contact with professors as i have been in contact with scientists from yale, columbia, emory, and princeton--- simply email or call them (email is easier) and they will most likely email you back with help -- you can work with these people</p>
<p>also you do not necessarily need to be near a lab
at my school- one girl created her own research contraption to study telomeres
also a classmate of mine has recieved grants for research and one student at my school was the INtel and Siemens Westinghouse first place winner in 2001-- now a physics PhD from stanford and degree from Harvard</p>
<p>so basically a lot of this research is very very real and in fact more real and intelligent than some scientists at universities</p>
<p>ohh wow. i haven't emailed any professors but i just figured there's no point in trying since they have older, more qualified students to help them out. why would they pick a HS student like mee?!</p>
<p>sami amy--how did you do in competitions or science fairs?</p>
<p>heh, looks like yanks doesn't know about the sarcastic piccolojunior LOL!</p>
<p>Do you think I don't know about staticsoliloquy, who got an NIH grant? LOL</p>
<p>Besides, my research is mainly independent as well (i.e., little external help) so it's not like I'm doing one of those "safety" projects either.</p>
<p>adorkable-- i thought the same thing, but if you sound formal, professional they will respond-- they may not be able to physically help but could definitely give some feedback online if you ask them questions-- also you could do an internship say in their lab</p>
<p>Ok, I'm super worried. I want to major in Astrophysic in college. I never knew about research until I joined CC last year. </p>
<p>When I go to college, am I going to be behind or passed up for research opportunities because my first time will probably be in college?</p>
<p>Someone mentioned research isn't worth it because you are refinding out what we already no. As teenagers, the purpose of doing research is not to cure cancer. It is to show judges, teachers, and Adcoms that you are capable are designing and executing a valid scientific experiment. Yes, some people get through doing bunk research; we've all found out that in the college admissions process, a lot of people manage to do bunk everything and go into Harvard. It's a sad and sorry fact. </p>
<p>Secondly, while many professors are stuck up and want nothing to do with you, many more want to teach. Labs are always looking for people to set to work, and usually, there aren't enough grad students to do the work. What many professors well do, if you approach them, is to meet you, learn about "you", and delegate you off to a grad or undergrad student you will train you. You might come up with your own experiment, you might simply execute someone else's experiment. Frankly, both are valid, as it is just as hard to perform and analyze and experiment as it is to come up with one.</p>
<p>If you want to get into research, do it for the sake of knowledge. Don't be afraid to email professors at your local colleges (not necessarily Harvard) and say "hey, I'm interested in your research, do you need someone to help you out?" Ask you're own science teacher; these people hang out together, and they can hook you up with someone to do this stuff with. Find a science major you have some distant connection to and ask them to introduce you to their professor. Don't be shy.</p>