<p>Ok so this might be a noob question but what is "research" exactly? People say here and there that they had 'research' over the summer with some prof. at certain colleges and institutions, but i have no idea what they are talking about. How do these 'research' jobs work? What kinds of things do you do in them? Also, how do you get one of these 'research' positions? How helpful are they in your college apps? </p>
<p>Thank you in advance to all parents who reply =)</p>
<p>There are many summer programs, National and local, that offer high school students research opportunities. They vary as far as what types of work the student conducts, competitiveness of the program, length of time worked, whether or not they offer a stipend, etc. There is an application process that usually includes grades, essays about your academic interests, interviews and teacher recommendations. Jobs can be anything from helping with field work to assisting in lab experiments; the work can range from very routine tasks to designing and conducting your own study. </p>
<p>Last summer my daughter was mentored by a professor in the chemical engineering department of a local university. She learned various lab techniques and conducted 2 small experiments with the help of graduate students. After 8 weeks of work there was a conference where all of the students shared their projects as posters and oral presentations. Her program was statewide although most of the jobs were located in the larger cities or connected with colleges. She was paid a 1k stipend for the summer, a nice bonus. Kids sometimes get their names on published papers and recommendations from mentors, both of which ared nice additions to college applications.</p>
<p>Check with your school counselor or science and math teachers and see if they know of any local opportunities. Nationally, RSI is an extremely competitive program (check out the thread on the High School board), NIH has an internship program, and the Jackson laboratory in Maine has a residential program that provides R&B and a stipend. Search CC and do some Googleing, you'll likely find more.</p>
<p>U Conn has an excellent program, also Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and U Chicago has a credit course called "RIBS" (Research in Biological Sciences). In some of these you pay, and in others you get paid.....</p>
<p>My son found his own opportunity by researching government grants, finding out where the money was locally in his area of interest, then volunteering to do a certain project he thought of himself. He found his own university mentors, and they ended up presenting the research at an international conference. This was not only EXTREMELY helpful in college admissions, but helped him get later scholarships and fellowships.</p>
<p>My son also pursued a research opporunity independently. He e-mailed professors at local universities who were doing research in an area of interest to him. He tried several before he got a positive response, and it was one of the most valuable experiences he could have had, regardless of how much it helped in admissions. This professor will always have my gratitude, particularly since the lab typically is only open to graduate students, not even undergraduates. In case anyone is wondering, his experiment didn't really work out the way he hoped, but he learned a great deal about the process of research, and the experience of writing the paper was still terrific for him. I think that if a student is seriously interested in science research, it's a good idea to view it first hand. It can be tedious and frustrating -- it's not like they are seeing breakthroughs on a daily basis.</p>
<p>My S took classes at local U, and one of the profs asked him to join the research team. I don't think S would have pursued a position on his own, but it was different when he got acquainted with profs.</p>
<p>Our state also has a summer program that brings together 36 kids at a state U. Its competitive to get in, but no tuition, and well-organized. Talk to HS GC to see if he/she knows of any programs in your state.</p>