Hi! Looking for summer science research programs that allow students to be 15 (or younger) as I will not turn 16 until August before my senior year. This is for the summer between 11th and 12th grades.
Did CSIRE at Stony Brook last year. I am most interested in Computer Science and Machine Learning but also enjoy neuroscience and would be open to other topics.
I found a few but I know these programs are highly competitive, even without the age limitation, so I want to cast a wide net. I also plan to cold email. My HS has no research program and they don’t really know much about this.
Thank you in advance!
It does not need to be a formal program or something posted. Are there colleges or hospitals with research labs near your hometown that you can reach out to? State and federal offices sometimes are open to interns. Covid has made some of this more difficult for sure (not letting volunteers into some labs), but there is also a backlog of data entry and lots of other jobs to do for grad students, etc…
We have had students at the school I work at find lots of unique opportunities just by calling and talking to someone about their research. Maybe do a science fair project or research paper this year and contact someone locally about their research.
Taking on a menial task in a lab can lead to helping out with lots of other projects.
Remember, colleges do not expect you to be in the running for a Nobel prize at 16. You do not need to be a co-author or in a prestigious lab far from home with added expenses. And definitely do not pay for the experience.
I was wondering if you could share your experience with CSIRE. It’s not mentioned here much, and I’d like to know if it was a worthwhile experience. Thanks!