This summer (I am a junior now) I will be doing the Honors Research Program @ Boston University if I am accepted. I know this is no RSI, but will it really help my application to MIT next fall or will it not do much?
Thanks…
<p>Anyone?.....</p>
<p>RSI is definitely not the only research opportunity that counts! i did two summers of research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and I wrote about that on my MIT app this year. I also sent them a copy of my research paper and abstract. don't know if they read the whole thing (20 pages!), but i did get in early. and who knows? if you can get an intel or something for it, it'll REALLY help you out =)</p>
<p>What did you do your research on?</p>
<p>my first year was in a metallurgy lab, and i worked with defining/tweaking silver alloy cooling/heating curves. last summer i worked on a biotech project to compare the binding strengths of two DNA-binding dyes to DNA from different types of organisms, and i got some novel results with big practical implications. so that was cool =)</p>
<p>what about you?</p>
<p>I'm not sure what I will do. They said that a faculty member will be assigned to you. Do you get help picking a specific topic if you know what area you want to research?</p>
<p>Also, what were your stats for MIT?</p>
<p>i'm not sure how your program works; i interviewed at the National Institutes of Health, USDA, and NIST and got several offers, so I was able to choose my internship based on project descriptions. one thing that i found interesting was that the acceptance rate for students who applied to these institutions' intern programs was very low, but students who contacted researchers directly to express a specific interest in their work almost always got accepted. similarly, if you know any of the professors who participate in the program and are working on something you're interested in, you could contact that professor directly and explain your acceptance into the program and your desire to work with them. usually, researchers are more willing to take kids who express direct interest instead of getting assigned, and this way, the professor can arrange it through the program so that you will be assigned to his/her lab. </p>
<p>and btw stats: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=15044%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=15044</a></p>
<p>Research is a definite plus, but you CAN get in without doing research, heh.</p>
<p>you can get in without research. There are also many worthwhile research programs other than RSI, as well as independant arrangements.</p>
<p>how did u get those research oppurtunities at NIST?</p>
<p>the first time, a friend introduced me to his former mentor, who took me on. the second time, i researched the different scientists working in biotechnology at NIST, NIH, and USDA, then sent out resumes to the ones that I was interested in. enough replied for me to get several interviews; and once you get an interview, you'll usually get the offer (although sometimes you might not get paid =/ ). just send out lots of emails and don't get dejected by non-responses or "sorry, can't do it's"--eventually, at least one or two people are bound to reply positively! =)</p>
<p>cool. i think im going the same route =].</p>
<p>well research will definately differentiate you from the crowd but if you simpy have "research during summer" I dont think you'll go very far.</p>
<p>most research RSI kids are very passionate about their work (at least I think they are!) and thus able to elaborate alot from it.</p>
<p>Don't think research is the easy way in to colleges.</p>