<p>Hi all:</p>
<p>I am a double major in pure and applied mathematics.</p>
<p>During my freshman year I worked doing computational biology research with a professor at my school. I then took his graduate course in comp bio.My freshman summer I did an REU program in pure mathematics. During the beginning of my sophomore year the work I did was submitted and published (I was second author). </p>
<p>I took a graduate class on mathematical finance and saw that I enjoyed it and the professor, an ex quant found a position for me at a hedge fund for the summer. the decision was sort of rushed, i wasn't really given time to think about it and i felt somewhat pressured into saying okay, and she sent out my resume.</p>
<p>I want to pursue a phd so I feel it would be better to gain more research experience. I am leaning towards computational biology and quantitative genetics. </p>
<p>Would it be better to try to go to another REU/research program, find a new research opportunity at my school, or to take the internship, assuming i'm accepted? </p>
<p>I want to try a new computational biology field and don't want to work in the specific field I'm working in now.</p>
<p>Research experience is the most important factor in grad school admissions, so I would definitely look for research opportunities at your school or elsewhere. You could even get another paper out of your summer experience (which is always a plus), but more importantly, trying out research in a new comp bio field would help you define your interests and write a more focused personal statement.</p>
<p>If you want to study computational biology, it should be fairly obvious that doing mathematical finance work over the summer isn’t the best course of action. Apply to some REU programs; I’m sure you’ll get into one. Even if you don’t, you’ll still a couple of months to send out e-mails to professors asking if they can take you for the summer.</p>
<p>Is doing an REU more competitive on an application? </p>
<p>It seems more practical to do research at either my home institution (top research school) or at a neighboring school/lab facility so that the research can be continued.</p>
<p>I don’t think doing research at your home institution will be counted against you; lots of people are content with their research at their home institution. The value of REUs, in my view, is in a) getting another good research LOR, and b) doing research not available at your home institution, and c) getting away for a summer and broadening your research outlook. Also, the stipend is nice.</p>
<p>You’re right, though; it is only two-three months and you probably won’t be able to continue your project.</p>