<p>For the summer programs like Clark, HSHSP, Garcia, Simons, and RSI how critical is it that you have research experience? I don't have experience in research but I think I conveyed passion for science well...</p>
<p>Clark and RSI would require research since your competition will have it.</p>
<p>Well, I did try a little something at home and mentioned it on the app, but does it have to be at a real lab?</p>
<p>of course…</p>
<p>@texaspg: I wouldn’t say that Clark and RSI “require” having prior research experience. I was a student at RSI 2012, and there were definitely students, including myself, who had no prior research experience. In fact, RSI was my first time setting foot in a real laboratory. This certainly was not the norm, but it also was not exceedingly rare.</p>