<p>I'm thinking about either doing joining MRC or UROP next year. Does anyone have any experiences with these programs? Is it worth the extra work? I'm an engineering student so will be I able to manage the workload?</p>
<p>Could someone also address if MRC is hosted within a dorm where MRC students live together?</p>
<p>UROP has weekly seminars that are required.</p>
<p>MRC is in located in a dorm up on the hill. The dorm consists primarilly MRC and WISE students. When I visited on Campus Day I saw the dorm and it is by far the nicest dorm that I have seen at UofM.</p>
<p>Hey flipper, I’m a freshman and current urop student. Feel free to let me know if you have more questions.</p>
<p>Urop is a good experience, and I think you should do it, but only if you have a work study award. Otherwise, I think you’re better off taking another class instead because the credits are not worth it IMO. Work study urop pays 8.50/hr and you get 1 credit. Credit urop gives 1 credit for every 3 hours per week of research (i.e. 6 hrs per week = 2 credits, 9 hrs = 3).</p>
<p>Most students work on research for 8 to 10 hours per week, and there are mandatory bi-weekly seminars on wednesdays (which reminds me, I forgot about the one I had today damn it). Each seminar is an hour and a half long.</p>
<p>The workload shouldn’t be a problem. If you planned on getting a job anyway there’s really not much difference.</p>
<p>I’m not in MRC though so I can’t tell you much about that. MRC kids all live in MoJo. Most of the requirements are the same for both MRC and UROP (by this I mean the obligations like seminars and peer advisor meetings). MRC people also apply for projects earlier, according to mrc students in some of my classes. May or may not be true but it doesn’t really matter; there are hundreds of projects to choose from.</p>
<p>Thanks svtcobra that was very helpful. If I am not doing work-study, can I still get paid? Also, when you select a project, do you automatically get to participate in it, or are you screened first to participate in it?</p>
<p>Yup, MRC is on mojo, probably the nicest dorm at U of M? Does anyone have more info on MRC? How is it compared to UROP? Are you under a lot more pressure with MRC?</p>
<p>flipper,</p>
<p>Unfortunately, no you can’t be paid through urop unless you are signed up for work study.</p>
<p>And there is a screening process; you have to go to an interview with the research sponsor for each project.</p>
<p>How do you go about applying for work study, and are you able to choose what to research?</p>
<p>peace, you just apply for financial aid by submitting the FAFSA and PROFILE. If you need it, work-study will be awarded to you.</p>
<p>Does anyone know how hard it is to get accepted to MRC?</p>
<p>Sorry, I still don’t get what the difference is between UROP and MRC. Is there a benefit of living within the MRC community that you don’t experience by just being in the UROP?</p>
<p>Please clarifY?</p>
<p>Benefit of MRC is living together with fellow MRC students - easier networking and friendships.</p>
<p>D is a sophomore in UROP and though she doesn’t qualify for work study and only gets class credit, she has found it to be a very valuable experience. I understand that different students have varied experiences with UROP, but if you are selected to work in a good lab, it is an amazing opportunity to develop research skills and faculty connections.</p>
<p>So if you are part of another (not MRC) learning community can you still be in UROP and if so, what is the application process? What are the time committments to UROP and woudl that be too much (LC + UROP) for an incoming engineering freshman?</p>
<p>Hey, I’m going to be a freshman next year at UoM and I’m in the Honors College. I applied ridiculously early to UROP, I usually don’t do that kind of thing but I did. And I got waitlisted. I called today to ask why I was waitlisted and what my chances of being accepted into a program was. I was told that the fact that I applied early and the fact that I am in the Honors college did not factor into the decision at all. </p>
<p>I have not had any research experiences, and this program seems like a great opportunity. Have you heard of this happening to other students? I applied for the Bio-medical portion, which I understand is one of the more popular choices.</p>
<p>Do you have any advice for how I can improve my chances on the waitlist? Are there other alternative non-residential programs that do the same kind of thing? I have a work-study award and would like a campus job if at all possible.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Sorry if I’m posting this in the wrong place! Could someone help me get this question out to more people?</p>
<p>It’s surprising that you got accepted into the honors college, but waitlisted for UROP. Not that they’re related at all, but not many people are waitlisted for UROP. The only reason I can think of is that you really screwed up your application by just showing a lack of effort in the short responses. There are usually a good amount of people that are accepted into UROP, but choose not to do it so don’t lose hope. Also, if all else fails, just reach out to professors to see if you can get a lab position or something. UROP is by no means the only way of getting into research – it just makes it easier. Good luck.</p>
<p>I on the other hand applied really really late. Mid June maybe? I have no idea, the last couple months have been a blur. Anyway, I was waitlisted too but I received an email that said the only reason why I was waitlisted was because UROP was full and not due to any other reason. It said if students drop out by some date in August, someone will notify me about possibly replacing a student. I’m also in Honors.</p>
<p>Same thing happen to me. I was accepted to the honors program and waitlisted at UROP. It ended up being much better for me. I found a very nice research position and got a lot out of it without having to do urop requirements.</p>
<p>Blackpen2008, how were you able to find a “very nice research position”. Did the people at Honors help you out or did you just ask a professor for some research to do?</p>
<p>Finding a research position on your own isn’t terribly difficult. If you go to departmental websites, you can find a list of faculty and read through their lab websites to learn about the kind of research they do. Usually, you’d then email a few professors and see if they’re willing to take on an undergrad.</p>