<p>Hi, I received a LL from Columbia a few weeks ago, and was admitted as a Science Research Fellow. It sounded quite similar to the Rabi Scholarship Program (they pick approx.10ppl each year too), and belongs to the Columbia Undergraduate Scholars Program (CUSP). I just want to ask, what's the difference between this and Rabi Scholar Program? Or are they practically the same, but just with different names?
I'd appreciate if someone could provide some feedback about this program.</p>
<p>student-</p>
<p>columbia has had science research fellow for sometime, which usually meant making sure faculty member were aware of those candidates and hoping that students would gravitate toward research. but only i believe last year decided to make a more concerted effort to give those students more efforts. there are more science fellows than rabis, and the rabis are given a very special amount of funding to do work every summer with free summer housing.</p>
<p>by bringing the science research fellows into the CUSP, you will be able to have the same kind of close working relationship with faculty, not quite the guaranteed summer funding, but access to CUSP money that the rest of the student body does not have access to. as a science research fellow you are also given extra exemptions from work study (if you have financial aid) and the kind of special networking sessions that you get through the CUSP where they bring in preeminent scientists from outside of Columbia (rockefeller, sloan-kettering, etc.) that often take on students they meet at the CUSP sessions.</p>
<p>in general it was the realization that having 10 rabi scholars was all that you could support from the rabi program’s design (i think a dream would be that all students could get that level of funding, but that would be hard to do financially and also logistically to support), but columbia wants more future scientists. by giving science research fellows financial support and an office dedicated to helping them, more scientists would choose to attend columbia and get more out of their experience.</p>
<p>from what i know, they’re very similar. the only difference is that research scholars are also part of CUSP and receive a little more guidance than rabi scholars do. you can do research in pretty much any lab you want and you have your pick among nobel laureates. :)</p>
<p>Thanks garygary and admissionsgeek for ur input!</p>