<p>I want to do research, but how can I? Do I just email a random faculty member at, say, Georgia Tech (I am in the Atlanta metro area) and just ask if I can research with them this summer? How is this process done? I will take any information with so much appreciation..</p>
<p>Otherwise, its between these two things....</p>
<ol>
<li>Volunteering for this 8 week program at Children's Healthcare in Atlanta</li>
<li>looking for a normal hourly-paid job</li>
</ol>
<p>Which will top colleges appreciate more? (Duke, Cornell, Northwestern, Dartmouth, etc.)</p>
<p>Colleges won’t take this into consideration when accepting you since they won’t know, so make sure that this is something you want to do. Personally, I recommend enjoying this last opportunity to be carefree with your friends.</p>
<p>Yes they will? Summer BEFORE senior year, as in summer after junior year…I would call it probably the most important summer to do something impressive</p>
<p>I’ll still have fun with friends don’t worry :)</p>
<p>The first option sounds better to me. Even if you don’t get paid, it’ll probably be more fulfilling.
You might want to look for some intermediary, like a (paid) well-respected internship.</p>
<p>Oh, or you could do the volunteer work and have a job, if that’s not too much work for you. I know when I had an internship, some of my fellow interns had additional jobs, even though we were all getting paid at least $1400 for 8 weeks of work. This year, i reapplied to that internship, and am planning on taking the test to work with the census. The money from my census work, if I get the internship (former interns are almost always hired back, but on ne sait jamais) will be supplementary.</p>
<p>Which option fits in better with your interests? Research for the sake of research won’t impress colleges–it should fit in with an otherwise demonstrated interest in whatever you’re looking to research. Do keep in mind that if you work with a college prof, you may be more of a lab rat (punny, no?) than doing original research.</p>
<p>Hmm yeah volunteer and job, I might think about that. I would very much like an internship, but where can I find them? My school has little resources, and most of the all-paid, flight, high profile ones have their deadlines to apply passed…</p>
<p>Hah i’m fine with being a lab rat. I just need to know how I go about becoming one. Do I really just email the first random guy on the list of faculty at a particular school? (bearing in mind that is a subject i’m interested in of course)</p>
<p>^I honestly have no idea, but it can’t hurt. Your best bet is to pick a lesser-known professor (ie not the tenured Nobel laureate) who specializes in your field of interest. That way, he’s more likely to be receptive to a high schooler, and he knows you’ve done your research. It certainly can’t hurt.</p>
<p>A summer position working for a researcher at a local university as a lab assistant, or a number cruncher (if you have computer skills) can help your application. Best is to try to get someone in your high school to help with introductions, ideally someone who knows you well, and who has confidence in you.</p>
<p>The summer position that would have the highest value is one in which you have genuine passion, and one which will lead to at least one major success. The volunteering opportunity is the more likely of the two you mention. That said, if it doesn’t work out, a paying job that allows you to learn how business works is valuable. In practice, with the right attitude and humility, many hourly jobs can do that.</p>
<p>Idk how you read my mind lol, but yes, I would personally much rather volunteer. Volunteering would be something I would look forward to and can think about whereas the job would be just that, a job. I just figured so many people either do volunteering relentlessly or flat out lie about hours, that colleges don’t seem to care that much about it anymore, thus not helping my application. sick, but true…</p>
<p>I suggest you try to find a paying job, but doing something that sounds fun (camp counselor) or semi-educational (working in a lab, creating web pages, paid blog-writer, music gigs, full time tutoring, etc.) Colleges like that.</p>
<p>Do not spend (waste) your time volunteering in an area unless it’s totally rewarding and really worth your time. However, if you can find an intern position that fits your passion, take it.</p>
<p>Finding a “really good” research position is very hard to do, especially at this late stage.</p>