Hello,
So I wanted to do something to boost my chances of getting into my dream schools such as Vanderbilt. I know I could write a research paper or develop an app. My passions are photography and sports medicine. I am just having trouble with the research paper idea. I am currently an intern at a photography studio. If anyone has any ideas for a paper that I could do I would really appreciate it. I do have an idea for an app, but want another one for a research paper.
You do not need to write a research paper or develop an app to get into Vanderbilt, or any other school. In fact, considering you aren’t really passionate about those things, it would be a waste of time. Don’t try to mold yourself into an image that you think adcoms will like to see. It might hurt you.
If you’re interested in photography and sports medicine, use that. Maybe enter into a photography contest. Try to find a sports medicine physical therapist and shadow them to get a feel for the field.
Etc. But don’t try to be something you’re not. Take everything you read on CC with a grain of salt.
Agree with thinking about your interests.
For example, you could create a website that teaches people how to recover from a sprained ankle, using your photography skills to demonstrate the exercises and researching basic types of ankle injuries and how to rehabilitate from them. It’s not groundbreaking research, but it follows your strengths and interests and you would become familiar with how to read the literature in sports medicine while doing it.
In terms of an academic paper, those are usually done by students who are working in research with a PhD who knows whether an idea is publishable, where to send it, etc. You can also do lots of work in the lab and not get publishable results. So, you would have to enjoy the process since you don’t know for sure you if you will have a paper at the end.