SURF for non-Caltech student

Colleges and Universities A-Z California Institute of Technology
1

<p>Hi guys,</p>

<p>I'm currently a second year undergrad at Oxford (student Engineering, Economics and Management) and am interested in undergraduate research opportunities in the US. I was wondering how difficult/common it is for non-Caltech students to secure a place. I've read that it's much easier for Caltech students due to funding (international students have to be funded entirely by their mentor).</p>

<p>My other concern is that whilst I have good grades (first class in first year exams, topped my college last year and got a scholarship, 45 in IB), I don't have any research experience. I don't have much of an excuse for this other than the fact that where I grew up it was pretty unheard of for school students to be doing research, and my internship last summer did not involve any research. Consequently, I worry that my knowledge is not extensive enough in a specific field of research for me to convince a mentor to select me. Is this a valid concern or are most students who participate in SURF initially inexperienced with research?</p>

<p>Lastly, are there any other universities that offer undergraduate research opportunities to international students?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

2

<p>I am not a Caltech student but I did SURF last summer. The acceptance rate is actually rather high - somewhere around 70% - but the real bottleneck is finding a faculty mentor to write a research proposal with, which is something you have to do before you can even apply (which explains the high acceptance rate). I do not recommend cold emails to a faculty mentor at Caltech - you should find a professor you’d like to work with and then ask the professors at your school who know you well, know that professor (see if they have published a paper together), and think highly of you to contact them on your behalf. That is what was successful for me and some others I knew.</p>

<p>Prior research experience is not required - the whole point of summer research programs is to expose undergraduates to research and so that certainly includes undergraduates who have no research experience. It is not a catch 22 system - you do not ‘need experience to get experience’.</p>

<p>I met a couple Oxford students at SURF last summer - I think at least one of them was part of some sort of Caltech-Oxford exchange program as opposed to SURF, so you might look into that.</p>