Scioly.org

Can anyone offer advice about research programs? How important are they?

platypusomelette wrote:Can anyone offer advice about research programs? How important are they?

If you make semis or finals in Regeneron it's a hook, and you definitely don't need RSI to do so. Doing research with a local college professor for 1-2 months over the summer is a good option if you don't get into where you want. But if you plan on doing something science related, research gives you a ton of stuff to talk about in your supplementals and interviews. I would stay away from programs that make you pay a ton of money and those that culminate in a "presentation" or something similar, though ... you either want a final paper you can submit or get coauthored with the host lab.

Years in Division B:4
Years in Division C:2
College I'll be attending: Arizona State Univeristy
Major or School (if known): Mechanical Engineering, Barrett Honors College
Also accepted to: Penn State, University of Pittsburgh, University of Florida, University of Maryland, University of Delaware, (waiting to hear back from Virginia Tech)
Wait listed at: none
Rejected by:none

So I haven't actually committed yet, and I'm not going to until I'm done using up free absences visiting colleges the rest of April, but I'd figured I'd post my decision because I feel mostly confident in it, and if I end up changing my mind I'll just edit the College I'll Be Attending line.

Years in Division B: 0
Years in Division C: 3
College I'll be attending: University of Oxford
Major or School (if known): Physics (4-year MPhys)
Also accepted to: Cornell University (Arts and Sciences), Harvey Mudd College, Wellesley College (possible EE), Carnegie Mellon University (Mellon College of Science), Rutgers University-New Brunswick (Arts and Sciences)
Wait listed at: UC Berkeley (Letters and Science) (I didn't opt in to the waitlist)
Rejected by: MIT (deferred EA)

Advice: Study abroad programs at American universities are popular, but apply overseas, your entire university career will be a study abroad! In my case, it worked out really well because a master's in 4 years sounds kinda nice, Oxford supposedly requires a lot of self studying which scioly has hopefully prepared me for, and it's much cheaper than most of my US options, so maybe applying abroad is something other people would like to consider idk. Whether you're applying to a university overseas or not, remember to do your research on universities early and in depth so you know if each one is the right place for you, not just if it's prestigious or something!

EDIT: on the off chance somebody wants help applying to a British university, I will gladly give free UCAS advice lol

Years in Division B: 4
Years in Division C: 3
College I'll be attending: Purdue University
Major or School (if known): Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
Also accepted to: University of Michigan, University of Illinois-UC, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Valparaiso University
Wait listed at: N/A
Rejected by: N/A

If anyone else is going to Purdue and looking for a roomate, I'm still open, so hmu.

Years in Division B: 0
Years in Division C: 4
College I'll be attending: Kansas State University
Major or School (if known): Biology/Pre-Vet
Also accepted to: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Wait listed at: N/A
Rejected by: N/A

Years in Division B: 3
Years in Division C: 4
College I'll be attending: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Major or School (if known): CS probably dual major in an engineering field
Also accepted to: Penn State University, University of Pittsburgh, West Chester University, University of Maryland, Colorado School of mines(Harvey Scholar-full tuition)
Wait listed at(didnt opt into any): Georgia tech, Brown University, Duke University
Rejected by: Carnegie Mellon

As others have said, definitely appeal. RPI initially lowballed financial aid for me to negotiate and appeal to a much lower cost.

Tailsfan101 wrote:

maxxxxx wrote:

standed wrote: No bot. See post.

Considering you posted the same thing months ago and are doing it again now without any reason makes me think you actually are a bot.

Notice also that he (she? it?) has seven total posts, six of which are in this thread.

Why would having six posts here make me a bot. It simply confirms the fact that I check here now and again and I will post to get this thread to re-appear if it is lagging. Naturally most graduating seniors are ready to write about their college choices and outcomes after May 1st. Some may still be waiting for an outcome if wait listed but most know where they will be. And SOers are still very active on this site because Nationals is coming up. So it makes sense that an actual person would check back around this time. And anyway, how would a bot write this sort of personalized post. Ai is coming along but hasn't quite reached the point where it is capable of writing a paragraph that is relevant to this thread and to accusations that I'm a bot......which brings me to the question, which I'll pose to you, how would a bot accomplish this past paragraph??? Come on...think! Not to insult anyone but a better thinker would speculate that I'm someone who is not involved with SO any more but checks this sight now and again. Bang. Nailed it! Good Luck at Nationals everyone!

Ok everyone. Nationals is behind you. You've selected a college. Now's your chance to help those younger students who look up to you. Let them know where you are attending so they know where SO students head off to. Add to the record here!

Hilariously, I realize I never posted after I graduated. I'm well into Div D, but meh. It's fine.

Years in Div B: 0
Years in Div C: 4
College I've been attending: Purdue University (accepted EA)
Major/School: Biological Engineering / College of Engineering Honors Program (also have a minor in Forensic Sciences)
Also accepted to: Case Western Reserve University (EA)
Waitlisted at: None
Rejected by (sad list ahead): MIT (EA), Cornell (RA), Northwestern (RA), Johns Hopkins (RA), Rice (RA), University of Southern California (RA)

My advice would be that if you're willing to go for ED, then go for it. Sometimes I ask myself what would have happened if I did ED for Cornell instead of taking my chances at MIT EA. Also that visiting really helps with decision making - I went to the campuses of several other schools, including UPenn, Princeton, Stanford, Caltech, Berkeley, Columbia, UChicago, etc. yet decided not to apply to those places after feeling like even if I got into any of them (which, based on where I got rejected by, would have been unlikely), I wouldn't be too inclined to actually accept an offer anyways. Doing that will greatly decrease the high amount of stress that you probably will experience if you apply to too many places.