I agree 100% that there are outstanding research opportunities at LACs… but… my daughter is at a large public university where there is no shortage of research positions for undergrads. It depends on the school.
I do agree that generally speaking, most public universities are not using undergrads.
Wow thank you for all the amazing and thoughtful comments!
@MrSamford2014 , @DadTwoGirls , thank you for your encouragement.
@merc81 Thanks for that link, those are my top choices although I love Williams too. I’d be super lucky to get into any of those.
@ceilingroofgoat no I am not interested in medical school, I actually dream of being a chem professor. I understand what you are saying about big research universities but I also agree with @glittervine and others about great research being done by undergrads at LACs – in fact I am at one doing it now. Plus I like the other aspects of LACs… but if I got into Brown or Yale I would go there… it would be a hard choice and man I hope I have to make it! lol…
@Booajo , @ConcernedRabbit and others, thanks for the encouragement to apply to Yale - I might in RD, I just want to be sure I belong there and can make that case in my application before I do. Your encouragement definitely makes a difference.
As for the debate derailing my post, to the contrary I found it interesting, and appreciated everyone’s time.
Thanks and feel free to continue! This went a lot better than I was expecting.
An update and follow up question – the research project I worked on was successful. I was listed as a second author on the abstract and poster, and the professor feels there is a good chance the paper will be published and I will be listed there also. I am very excited!
I know from reading the thread about EC points being primary author is a big boost in admissions- but what about being second author, and what about if the paper is not published yet (as it is unlikely to before ED time)? In another thread @mademoiselle2308 mentions that unpublished papers have no benefit but that being second author does. I know it won’t hurt and will help some but I’d like opinions on how much. (I am just curious).
If it matters, this was NSF sponsored research, and I was paid to do it. It was incredible. Regardless of the admissions boost, I loved doing it. Also the professor offered (unsolicited!) to write me a letter of recommendation. Prof is fairly well known and is on the Princeton Review Best 300 Professors list.
Apologies for being a typical nervous applicant and thanks again in advance for your feedback.
If it’s not published by then there’s really nothing to do except mention the work in your app/essays/prof rec/etc. It sounds like the research was really important to you so that will come through, published or not, IMO.
Wow, some college kids…
OP. your issue will be your ECs, for the most competitive schools you list.
What else? A private venture and a few hs clubs, summer research, is only part of what makes a good picture. Any chance you omitted a few other things, thinking they don’t matter?
“I know from reading the thread about EC points being primary author is a big boost in admissions”
A thread? No one expects a hs kid to be a lead author on significant research. You said you’e “a lackey for the undergrad.” It will help to remain realistic.
I don’t mean to burst the bubble. My personal feeling is to enjoy every second of that honor. But you need to go to what the colleges say matters to them, ignore all the forum speculation and free opinions. That goes double for advice from other hs kids.
Totally agree with @lookingforward. Being second author is a huge accomplishment, particularly for a high school kid. As a grad student who worked for years as a lab manager before attending grad school,I haven’t had any undergrads or high school students who have deserved authorship of any kind on my papers, let alone second author. Anyone in the scientific world knows that in order to be included in authorship you are supposed to have made great intellectual contributions to the project.
If the paper has been written and submitted to a journal, you can say that the manuscript has been submitted and is under review at Nature Genetics, or whatever the journal is. This is very common on resumes and CVs for scientists. Even if a manuscript hasn’t been submitted by the time you apply, you can still talk about your research experience
I don’t think we’re agreeing. Many kids are included on the author list today, a shift in the protocol at some places.
OP initially said he’s a lackey. And to an undergrad. Did something major change in one month? (And one monrh is fast, to go from research to submitted.)
Adcoms know this is the role a green hs kid usually gets over a summer. It’s actually getting the opportunity in the lab that matters more.
Wait, it’s an abstract and a poster. Not a full write up.
Hi guys, thanks for your feedback. It’s all appreciated. And don’t worry about “bursting the bubble” – I don’t live in one! 
If it is considered good form to come back and add results, I will do so. Until then, I am off to work on essays! lol…
Thanks to everyone, especially @madamoiselle2308 for coming over to the thread.
Sorry did not mean to post in this old thread.
@HeyRelaxKid, did you decide to apply ED to any of your original choices?