<p>Hello CC,</p>
<p>I am applying for engineering, and I have heard that research can look very good in college apps. I really didn't even know high schoolers could do research until I started looking at the app process, by the time it was too late to do anything about it. Anyhow, I was invited by my teacher to participate in a research activity in MIT. It was excellent and an interesting new experience.
The problem (application-wise) is that it was a three day thing, with a total of 12 hours, most of which were spent reviewing the concepts of the research (we were thrown right into it without much preparation). Most of the experiment was the grad student showing us how to do it, and then telling us what to do. I wouldn't classify it as the great research experience you hear from science-oriented students, which is why I think adding it to my EC list would be just taking up space. The teacher who organized this event said that it would look good on college apps, but I would differ, compared to the applicant pool I'd be up against (top tier universities).</p>
<p>Any suggestions on what to do? List it or not? Is 12 hours for a reacher project insignificant?</p>
<p>I think you shouldn’t list it on the activities unless it was really pivotal to your perspective (because the activities list asks for those that are most important to you. I went to a week-long nuclear physics summer camp, and I listed that as an activity (even though it was only 40 hours of “sciencing”), and even wrote my common app essay on the experience (though I focused more on the people I met there, I also talked a little about what we did there). </p>
<p>However, it sounds like it was a cool experience in itself. Perhaps talk about it in one of those “briefly elaborate on an EC” essay if this thing was meaningful to you, since its still a cool science thing that’s different from the classroom. Definitely put it on your resume, and DESCRIBE the activity underneath where you list it. Describe all of your on your resume as much as possible, since it’ll help distinguish your experience and involvement from the next person’s, and will definitely help with an activity like this. Several colleges (like Harvard, UPenn, etc.) allow you to upload a resume, and you can bring it to your interview. </p>
<p>But I do agree, to call that a research experience would be a misnomer since you didn’t really contribute to the project and to the conclusion. </p>