<p>hey, i was just wondering how important research work is for frosh applicants. i guess i could have done something freshman year (cept im utterally unconnected), but i spent my sophmore and junior years in Taiwan (studying chinese and just having fun with hot tawainese boys, haha) and The People's Republic of China (staying in rural homestays, learning about the enviroment, and havesting lima beans... it was a global service learning project my school has...). so is it going to matter that i havent really had any lab time?</p>
<p>I would assume that the vast majority of freshman applicants don't have research experience by the time they apply, people on this board notwithstanding.</p>
<p>I assume research experience is a plus for people who have it, but I can't imagine it's counted against those who don't have it.</p>
<p>My interviewer said that most kids do not indeed have any research experience. This was his response when I asked if not having any sort of experience in that field would hold me back. He said that, for some kids, that's what they'd do if they had free time. They genuinely enjoy that sort of stuff.</p>
<p>And I'd guess that most kids do it just to stick in on a resume... for heaven's sake, how much can a high school student really research into? Another interviewer of mine expressed skepticism about just how indepth this "research" is and if it can be called that. Actually, this wasn't your ordinary interviewer. This was the dean of admissions at Olin.</p>
<p>i got some research at summer programs. at one i did biochem cancer-research stuff and we later published. last summer at ssp i did a little extra research (tracking an asteroid really isnt research) on the period of a variable star. in other words, nothing too heavy-duty, but getting my hands dirty was pretty fun.</p>
<p>As someone once said, you should like math and science because they are the foundations of an MIT education. But after that, your passion is your passion. It certainly doesn't have to be research.</p>