<p>on the Duke optional essay, it asks for any significant outside research activity, so exactly what counts? does a science fair project i conducted which won an award state wide count as a research activity? THX!</p>
<p>Did you do actual research on it? (i.e. working in a lab with a team of grad students, post docs, etc.) If so, definitely. But if it's the type of science fair project where you basically just run a few experiments at home by yourself (the only kind I've ever done), then no (you can make a note of it on your resume though).</p>
<p>^^^I disagree, depending on the nature of the research something done at home can definitely qualify as "significant research". I did a project that study the probability for photons to undergo quantum tunneling and eventually developed a mathematical model for predicting the probability for massless particles to undergo quantum tunneling. And I did all of it at home in my bedroom so it is definitely possible.</p>
<p>I would say something as advanced as that is an exception that proves the rule.</p>
<p>hahaha i made a volcano and put that on my duke ed supp research ?</p>
<p>put that in ur pipe and smoke it</p>
<p>..................lol</p>
<p>I researched the propensity of quickly metabolized, high-caffeine drinks to cause blood clots over a several-month period. A couple friends and I tested the results of drinking Red Bull on our heart rate, etc (used an EKG, too), then tested blood viscosity (before/after).</p>
<p>(quick summary: Red Bull is awful for your arteries)</p>
<p>In retrospect, I should have NOT used myself as a guinea pig, ha.</p>