<p>How did you conduct your research? I want to enter this year but I can't find any place to do it. Also, how did you select your topic... did you sign on to someone else's ongoing project or did you start a new one from scratch?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Most people do their research in an university laboratory. You can either do that through summer programs (like RSI) or by just contacting professors at the universities and asking if you could work in their labs. See this</a> post, this</a> post, and this</a> blog post from a MIT admissions officer.</p>
<p>I'm doing an independent project sparked by a conversation I had with my dad concerning my physics class one day. He actually had the initial idea but I've expanded on it and it'll be me conducting the actual research. He's just getting me the supplies and lab connections.</p>
<p>I really can't think of anything besides the general subject area. I have three problems: I can't think of anything specific to do it on (that someone hasn't already done), I am thinking of something related to vaccine injuries (but real doctors have already been studying that), and I can't find a place to do it. I live in Massachusetts near UMass, Amherst, Hampshire, Smith, Mount Holyoke, AIC, Western New England, and a few CCs, but everywhere I go, they tell me that their labs are for use by graduate students (except the CCs, which don't have anything). I applied to Boston University's Summer Research Internship Program, but that is only six weeks and I would rather go to SSP.</p>
<p>Anyone know what to do next?</p>
<p>Also, does anyone know if they allow projects to be carried out while at SSP (<a href="http://www.summerscience.org%5B/url%5D">www.summerscience.org</a>)?</p>
<p>I was fortunate enough to have an original idea in a popular field (RNAi) and to be paired with a great lab pursuing the problem. However, as I have begun to start research outside of biology and to find a nice problem, I've found it's best not to set out with the idea to work on a huge problem. Just expand on the basic ideas and questions you have like techiedork said. These simple ideas can turn out to be the most provoking, and useful. It would be a shame to spend a whole summer working in a lab to not come out with anything useful. If you are very open at the beginning, you will end up more successful and happy. Look at the RSI and summer program kids, they have no idea what they are going to do until they get to the program, then come up with excellent projects in 4-6 weeks.</p>
<p>i did intel when i was in high school, my stuff was on Materials for artificial heart valves. personally, from this experience i learned that people who win intel are mostly data stealers. In my field, unless you took 400 level engineering classes and math classes in high school, u won't know what is really going on.</p>
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Most people do their research in an university laboratory. You can either do that through summer programs (like RSI) or by just contacting professors at the universities and asking if you could work in their labs.
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<p>This is worth a try, but don't get your hopes up. It is very difficult to set this up outside a structured program like RSI, unless you have connections (parent/friend works at a university or research facility, etc.). Most universities have their hands full with their own students and are not going to expend resources like research opportunties on local high schoolers. There are frequently liability concerns as well, which prohibit having someone working in a lab who is neither an employee of the institution nor a registered student. Some research projects, particularly for mathematics and computer science, are done by the student themselves w/o special facilities.</p>
<p>What about Computer Science? There can't be liability for that?</p>
<p>Computer Science = no liability...usually</p>
<p>I did some CS research that involved a new type of authentication system, and at the end I conducted a user study to see how it worked. Now all my users where doing was touching a screen, but because I "worked" with humans, I have to go through lots of hoops. Check what intel/siemens/anything-else's policy is BEFORE you conduct any research. </p>
<p>I didn't and I wish I would have.</p>
<p>if the college is overwelmed with it's own students, they will not take on a high school student regardless of liability issues. At UT-Austin, the CS dept raises numerous hurdles to their own students who want to go into CS because there are just too many of them. They practically beat them away with clubs. There is no way they are going to "spend" research resources on a high schooler, no matter how talented. A gold medalist from one of the prior IOI teams is from Austin, and wasn't even allowed to sit in on CS lectures at UT, much less use any facilities or faculty time. He probably could have gotten support from the math dept for a math research project, however. Some highschoolers have gotten support from their local universities for research projects, so it's worth asking. Just don't get your hopes up.</p>
<p>"from this experience i learned that people who win intel are mostly data stealers."</p>
<p>ignorance isn't always bliss. sometimes it's sheer stupidity. enough said.</p>
<p>Damn. I have no connections and live next to the University of Washington, a very large research university very similar to UT-Austin. So pretty much my only chance is to apply to summer programs en masse.</p>
<p>Our research program at the high school relies almost entirely on students finding their own mentors at local research institutions and universities. Even in this manner nearly all of us were able to find a researcher with whom to work and a location at which to work. So in my experience it isn't true that outside of structured programs like RSI, it is difficult to conduct original research. On the contrary, by contacting researchers in the field of your interest, you are very likely to find someone willing to guide you and let you use their setting. Our high school's program have relied on this method for years and almost no one were unable to find a mentor.</p>
<p>The general concensus that major universities will not accomodate you is not necessarily true. Sure, if you call the head of the biology department, you are going to get shot down. However, you stand a decent shot if you personally call 20 professors and explain what you want to do. I found this to be pretty succesful. If not, there's always the next 20 professors on the list.</p>
<p>Yeah. I was stupid enough to email the head of MIT's CS/AI lab with my awesome, yet immature idea that wasn't developed. I never got anything back. However, now I am going to work with Professor KRS(short for his long name), and he works in graphics. Pretty cool. We are going to do simulations for chemical leaks in the uni, etc. It isn't siemmons material, but still something, as I am only a sophomore.</p>
<p>mesaboogie is absolutely right, persistence and personal initiative = results!</p>
<p>for all intel finalists, i know presentations are this week, good luck!!!
i sadly didnt make it to this round, but it is quite an achievement if you have, so congrats!</p>