REU tips

[Flux2]

Hi, I'm applying to REU for this summer but I don't think I have a competitive GPA (~3.5).

So I'm counting on my personal statement but i wasn't sure what to write and in what format I should write.

Do you guys have any tips for getting into a REU position?

Thanks!!

[ERR_Alpha]

My biggest tip: apply to as many programs as you can. I only applied to five and I was lucky to get one. They are extremely competitive, but they look at different aspects than graduate school does. The applications are normally free, so just apply to a ton!

Also, you could apply to some chemistry REUs and still do biochemistry research. (That's what I personally did)

Good luck!!!

[bsharpe269]

Do you do research now? I was accepted to 2 of the 4 REUs that I applied to with a gpa around 3.3 and my mgpa was even lower. I had alot of previous research expereince and was accepted to the 2 schools whose research project most colsely matched what I was currently doing. Both programs are state schools with very good reputations in my field and ranked around top 30 at least.

[knightrunner]

Apply to as many as you can.  I applied to about 10 to 15 and I only got accepted to one.  Let your professors know that you will be applying to this many REU for they can have an idea how many LOR they will write.  If you don't have much research experience don't apply to the competitive ones yet since most of these programs expect research experience already like the Stanford and UC Berkeley.  

[Flux2]

Will it help if I contact some of the professors i'm interested in beforehand?

[ERR_Alpha]

Will it help if I contact some of the professors i'm interested in beforehand?

I think it would. I would ask if they were planning or able to take an REU student and maybe ask for details on the project. Not every professor in the department will take a student, so this would be good to ask ahead of time.

[GeoDUDE!]

I dont know... I applied to 15 and got into 1; at top 5/Ivy league school in the field. The one I got in I ended up calling him seeing if he took on a student. Call, don't email. Show initiative. 

[Pacifico]

I also would advise seeing if there is anyone at your current school or anyone that you may have done research with that has connections at REU institutions. LOR's from known colleagues have a greater weight (as long as they are positive!). I would also try to explain as briefly as you can why the low GPA, and then highlight anything else that can set you apart. And get them in EARLY if possible.

 

As others have said, you can play the numbers game for the best odds- but make sure you address the unique research of each program- cut and paste essays are more transparent than you would think!

But good luck- My GPA was 3.0 when I was accepted to Smithsonian REU, so you stand a chance!

[katethekitcat]

I had a relatively low GPA and was accepted into my top choice REU. Biggest advice: you cannot talk about your past research too much in your personal statement. If you haven't worked in a lab before, emphasize techniques that were used in laboratory classes. They want to see that you're passionate about spending a summer in a lab. Make sure your recommendations are from professors who have worked with you directly in a laboratory setting, not just a classroom.

 

In my experieince - this is anecdotal - contacting professors didn't seem to matter because they were disconnected from the central application process. In the program I finally ended up, professors were contacted after all REU students were accepted to see if they were willing to take one for the summer. They had a general sense of open labs beforehand, but there was no way to figure out which PIs were actually going to host students. And you may end up doing work completely seperate from what the lab does - I was in an immunology lab, but I was doing a microbiology project for another lab across the country that my own lab collaborated with.

[Flux2]

Thanks everyone helped alot. I've submitted my application and hoping for the best.

I've sent an email to one of the PI's (actually a postdoc that is working in the lab) but never received an response back.

So i wasn't sure whether they seemed disturbed to have people contacting them which is one of the reason why I'm still debating whether to contact or not. 

Especially at a time after all the applications are submitted because it would like as if I've got no interest in their lab whatsoever and just doing it to get in.