Thanks!
Okay wow! There are suddenly a lot of people on this thread. Nice to meet you guys and I hope you guys have luck finding positions! 
@twelfthofnever I got paid around $3000 - $3200. I can’t remember the exact figure. If you’re a high schooler, you get paid the least but with more experience (undergrad, grad), the pay is higher.
@BotFeederStatus How about you PM me your stats and perhaps send me one of the email you sent? Last year, I helped some people on CC with proofreading their cover letters, etc so I’ll be happy to do so again! Tips for improving selectibility: apply early (yay!), great recs, unique cover letter (I didn’t just talk about my passion for science but a bit of my background and plans for the future), and extracurriculars (you would think they wouldn’t care b/c we’re in highschool but the first day I showed up people were like ‘oh I read about your extracurriculars and they seemed really interesting’).
@juniormint2017 Write a general cover letter and you can attach that to emails. In the email, be sure to talk about the PI a lot. How their research interests you and most importantly how you can help them with your research. You want to be a help not a hinderance all summer! So my cover letter went in depth into my background and how I came to enjoy science and what I plan to do for the future. I have a pretty unique background so I made sure to write about it.
Okay so yes, I did have prior research experience but only at a high school level. I made it a state science fair and won some stuff from that so that was definitely a big bonus. I think what got me in was my dedication to their research. I told a PI (who eventually accepted me) that I would be willing to brush up on his subject and read his papers before.
@4beardolls @uesmomof2 Okay, I was able to commute to work fairly easily but I knew several high school interns from around the country (California, Nevada) who were able to find housing with other interns. They would all walk/drive/commute to work together each day so it was a good arrangement. They told me they were able to find housing through listservs, facebook groups, and the program administrators (who are really understanding toward high schoolers).
Okay I hope that was in depth enough. Feel free to ask more questions!
OK so I’ve emailed 3 PIs so far, and absolutely no response. It’s frustrating b/c I actually spend time crafting these emails lol. Any advice?
@deeeznuts I understand your frustration. I’ve sent out many, well thought-out emails and I’ve only gotten “Sorry I don’t take interns” or no response whatsoever. It’s so frustrating because it can easily take me 20 minutes or more to write out an email that relates my interests to their research.
Anyone else have any luck yet?
@twelfthofnever The ugly truth is that many of these internships come through prior connection (eg: uncle’s colleague’s best friend is a NIH PI). So while the acceptance rate is 15%, the true acceptance rate is much lower.
I’m tempted to start sending out less precise emails to more PIs. Like make a template and change a few words kinda thing. Quantity over quality?
@deeeznuts I am going to do the same at this point. I just can’t waste time and write these emails with finals and everything right around the corner. And I really need to email as many PI’s as possible before it gets too late.
@deeeznuts
@twelfthofnever
Guys don’t give up! Quality over quantity! Please look into PIs whose work truly and deeply interests you! You will find that writing emails to them will became a lot easier. Focus on one research area (don’t hop around) and find your top PI picks from that area. If you write quality emails, some PIs will actually refer you to other PIs in the same area. Best of luck.
Also, to the people that send me stuff, I’m sorry for the late response! I’m finally getting a look at those!
If I receive no response, how long should I wait to send a follow-up email?
@OneMata @teenagecrime What kind of things did you include in your email about what you read in their scientific papers? I can’t think of much to say other than “I have read your papers”, since giving them a summary of their own research would be redundant. I am currently a highschool sophomore; if I can show I understand the papers, will that help?
Still not a single response
I received some maybe’s. They basically all said that it’s too early for them to be filling up positions, that they will not even start seriously looking at applicants until March/April, but they will keep me in mind. I find this kind of odd because last year I emailed PI’s in January-February and got no response or that they already filled up positions. I suppose it’s good to have them at least have my name in mind when they do start filling positions.
@OneMata When did you receive an official “yes” from your PI? If it was around springtime, I might start applying to other summer programs just to have a backup plan because March-April is kind of late.
@twelfthofnever Nice job with the maybe’s haaha! How’d you do it?
I’m also beginning to send out emails now. Keep us updated if you hear anything! I also didn’t receive a reply from the first professor whom I emailed about a week ago
@deeeznuts I honestly don’t know. I think it’s probably due to the fact that I’m in undergrad rather than in high school. When I sent out emails last year as a HS senior I received a lot of “no’s” even though my resume has admittedly not changed much since then. I also read the bios of the PIs I contacted and a lot of them went to my university or worked there, so they might have a soft spot for their alma mater lol.
Did you guys contact professors from local universities? Is there a list on the NIH website for eligible professors who are part of the program? I don’t imagine you could randomly ask ANY professor at ANY university?
@MarkinovRules Umm NIH is not a university. You are mentored by the scientists who work there
@MarkinovRules the NIH SIP FAQs might be useful for your questions about how the program works/whom to contact
This is kinda late but I’m a high schooler did the SIP last year and am planning on doing it this year too, and I’m happy to answer any questions y’all might have
Thanks
-
how did you find a mentor??? I’ve sent like 20 emails and 0(!) replies
-
How extensive were your emails?
-
Did you have prior research experience?
-
did you enjoy the experience?