<p>Those of you that have REUs experience, are students pakd by-weekly or in a lump sum? Thanks!</p>
<p>My S did an REU last summer and was paid in two lump sums. He received 1/2 of the stipend during the second week and than received the other half of the stipend during the last week of the program. He also received a separate check mailed to his home several weeks after the program ended that covered his travel expenses.</p>
<p>My kids were paid in lump sums…either two or three payments. We sent them with some start-up money to get thru until they got paid.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids I found the NSF page listing REUs, but I am uncertain how a student would apply. Do they just contact the listed professors by their email? Or is there a formal application process and I am missing seeing it?</p>
<p>For example…when you go to Duke’s REU <a href=“Research Experiences for Undergraduates | Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology”>http://www.ceint.duke.edu/reu</a></p>
<p>if you look to your right, you’ll see an app link.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if all REU’s have their apps up yet. If you can’t find an app link then you could send a polite email to the Primary and ask if the app is available. </p>
<p>REU
<a href=“REU - For Students | NSF - National Science Foundation”>http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/</a></p>
<p><a href=“Search for an REU Site | NSF - National Science Foundation”>http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.jsp</a></p>
<p>Here is UA’s REU page: <a href=“http://reu.eng.ua.edu/”>http://reu.eng.ua.edu/</a>
Applications for these opened up early Jan last year, if I recall. Deadlines are listed. I’m sure 2015 will be similar.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info, @mom2collegekids and @aeromom!</p>
<p>I want to clarify…students can apply to any REU at any school as long as they have the prereqs (desired major, etc). Schools are NOT supposed to favor their own students for acceptance since they’re funded by the NSF. </p>
<p>One of the fun aspects is going to another univ for a REU experience. You’ll meet students from all over the country…ranging from ivy students to students from schools you’ve never heard of. My kids still keep in touch with the students they met at their REUs. </p>
<p>M2CK do you know how competitive it is to get in this program? I am a current freshman and I took all my engineering classes this past summer and I made all A+'s. Will being a freshman hurt me? I am hoping to apply to the fluids one in the aerospace department and I am a double major in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. </p>
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<p>I think you mean programS…there are a ton of them. Each may have a different level of difficulty.</p>
<p>Which REU are you looking at? Which school?</p>
<p>Being a frosh can be an issue, but there have been frosh accepted. I think a frosh would have better success if s/he:</p>
<p>Applies to REUs at lesser known univs (all the sophs and juniors are applying to the REUs at the “name” schools)…yet all REUs are super…doesn’t matter if it’s at a regional univ. So, don’t expect to get into Duke’s REU, but you might get into one at a school like UTexas-El Paso.</p>
<p>It also helps if you already have a number of AP science credits which have allowed you to take more difficult courses as a frosh. Certainly, a REU would be more accepting to a frosh who is already taking Calc III or DifEQ, rather than one who is taking Calc I as a spring frosh. </p>
<p>Some REUs look more at “standing” and some look at year. So, if you have sophomore standing as a frosh, look for REUs that will accept that. </p>
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<p>Be open to applying to both types of REUs…and even ones that may not be exactly what you want, but accept AE and MechE majors…and might accept a frosh (rising soph).</p>
<p>One of my son’s REUs was one for BioMedE students. He was Chem, but the program stated that it accepted ChemE and MechE students as well…and it did.</p>