INDEPENDENT research?

<p>Hey all. I submitted my application, but I didn’t add the optional abstract that Amherst says that I should add if I’ve done significant INDEPENDENT (this word is in italics in the app) science research.</p>

<p>Well, I was confused by this: I worked in a research lab this summer, taking EEGs of patients for a study, and because fairly independent at that. I didn’t design the study though. At the end of the summer, however, as part of a science fair thing I wrote a scientific paper all by myself. I haven’t taken statistics, so it’s not the most well-done scientific paper in the world, but still…</p>

<p>Anyways, since the Amherst office’s phones won’t let me talk to an admissions rep, I was wondering whether I should send in something about my research experience in addition to my application.</p>

<p>I’d appreciate any opinions/advice.</p>

<p>Yes. You should. An abstract of your scientific paper would have worked nicely.</p>

<p>"Independent" probably means "outside of a school course."</p>

<p>No, it doesn't. Independent research means exactly that. Research you conducted for yourself. It might have been for school credit, but if it's research that YOU did and not just tagged along, then that's independent research.</p>

<p>Even though I've already, of course, sent in my app w/ out the science supplement, should I send in an explanation of what I did and let Amherst judge for themselves whether it's independent?</p>

<p>(or do they not like extra stuff?)</p>

<p>How about maths research? If say someone discovers a new mathematical formula or theorem(not necessarily of earthshattering importance), is it something worth mentioning?</p>