I was just scrolling through some random chance me threads here and noticed a lot of people have done research papers or published a paper of their own or something. I’ve done a lot of work investigating the English as a Second Language programs in high schools in my state since I am very interested in improving cultural adaptation/language transitionary programs for students. Specific career, I know, but I’ve always had a passion for it.
Anywho, I’m just wondering what “counts” as research. I’d say a good 60% of my project is purely from other sources (thanks Google Scholar!) while the other 40% is my own statistics from surveys and personal interviews. I am almost finished with the project and hope to present my results to the school board in my county next fall, and will most likely have a paper to show for it–but it won’t be published. I seriously doubt that.
This project is very important to me and I’ve done a lot of work on it, so I’d like to include it in my applications. But if it isn’t published, should/can I even mention it? I’ve heard of some people including supplementary materials with their applications–could I just attach a copy of my results to the app?
It counts when you publish your findings in a peer reviewed journal. Simply acquiring information does nothing for your application. You need to disseminate your findings and show they are worthy of publication or presentation in a peer reviewed venue of some sort.
@lostaccount Thanks for the response! Would you happen to know of any journals that cover this topic? I am aware of many science and writing journals, but I have not come across one of this nature/nor would I know where to start looking.
Getting into a peer-reviewed journal is certainly advantageous, but not necessarily the only way to have your work recognized IMO. A few ideas:
-Check if your project is eligible for entry (perhaps as a social sciences project) in research competitions like Intel STS, Intel ISEF, Siemens, a local science fair, etc. Any recognition in these competitions would definitely be viewed positively.
-If the project is very important to you and you are passionate about it, I suspect it could make a good response to an essay question - possibly to one of the shorter questions if not the main one. After all, passion and initiative are traits that colleges often look for in essays. Obviously don’t force it if it doesn’t fit, but look up essay questions for schools you might be applying to and give it some consideration.
-If you have teachers who are familiar with your project, perhaps they might be able to attest to its quality in a recommendation. If so, ask that they mention it when you request the recommendation and most will probably be happy to do so.
-Some (though not all) colleges allow you to attach a research paper directly as supplemental material.
-You can most certainly list the project as an extracurricular activity. Perhaps it won’t make as much impact without other evidence to back it, but typically applications will ask for how many hours you’ve spent on it. If it’s a lot, colleges will see that it’s important to you.
@synack Thanks so much for your response! Everything you said is extremely helpful. I’ll look into a number of the competitions and consider a few of your other ideas too.
Absolutely include it!!! This is the kind of passion colleges are looking for. You will have to check with individual colleges about whether attachments to the application are allowed and how they may be submitted, but there are other ways to include it as well. For example, many applications have essay prompts that would invite you to tell how this interest came about and how your work on it unfolded and what challenges it posed. You could also list it in the extracurricular activities section. Be sure to note if it was presented or submitted. Try to find a mentor who can help you submit it for publication. I know of one person who was accepted to a top university based partially on a scientific paper that wasn’t actually published until after she had enrolled.
