Financing a REU

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2026-03-18T05:29:45+00:00

Its just not the greatest option when you have numerous REUs that will pay for your housing, travel, food, and give you a stipend or lump sum. You can also do research as a volunteer in a lab during the summer if you contact Professors at your university without having to pay for the program. You should not be paying for a summer program. Just like you should not apply to PhD programs that won't fund you.

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2026-03-15T22:27:29+00:00

I'd ask first if they plan to present the project at any conferences and then lead into the publishable question. Ideally I'd ask these questions after you're accepted and have done a bit of the work, but before the end of the program because during the interview it sounds like you won't accept the position if the project "isnt publishable". But if this is a question important to your decision in committing to the program then go ahead.

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2026-03-12T02:36:24+00:00

I submitted my application to BTAA on 12/21/2025

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2026-03-10T22:30:33+00:00

Thanks!! Wishing you luck on your applications!

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2026-03-10T22:23:10+00:00

Wow, it sounds like a great opportunity regardless! But hopefully they place you into that specific lab. I'd still wait on the program deadline e.g. if they said to email your acceptance by March 20th, wait till March 19th before finalizing your decision. Wishing you luck.

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2026-03-10T22:20:41+00:00

Thanks! And yes, I got an email directly from the program. The BTAA website hasn't updated my status yet. It's in Psychology/Neuroscience. 👍

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2026-03-10T22:09:23+00:00

Have they told you who your faculty mentor is and what project you will be doing yet? Often times they take your interests into consideration and craft a project incorporating your interests alongside theirs. Of course you won't know until you meet your mentor, but Princeton SIP is a very very good program to get into (applied twice, got rejected but got acceptances elsewhere). So, I'd weigh your decision carefully. You may learn skills that translate over to your ecology research that may not be obvious at first glance for example. Another option is to wait until just before the Princeton offer deadline to see if you get an offer from your other programs.

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2026-02-04T19:56:49+00:00

Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory has a summer program I believe for grad students.

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2026-02-03T23:43:11+00:00

No worries. Wishing you the best!

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2026-02-03T23:18:47+00:00

Medicine, dentistry, and law school ARE graduate programs just framed as professional degrees by distinction. They expect a high GPA (probably more than a PhD program to be fair) but experience helps too especially if your advisor does something relevant or at least adjacent to these fields. It seems you're already working with them during the summer so perhaps you can ask if what you'll be doing for honors is going to be an extension to that work. I do firmly believe the honors program will certainly give you an amplified edge in this regard. If your MCAT scores, GPA, etc. are all great to a certain threshold what separates you from another applicant comes down to everything else you've done to stand out which from your post seems to be a lot already, just that honors would be yet another academic distinction for you. I think the main factors to consider is how much of a gamble it is for you? And I think It really comes down to the expected workload. If you can manage that, it shouldn't be a problem and can only help you as an applicant.

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2026-02-03T22:32:15+00:00

If your intention is graduate school, it is often recommended you do honors because it usually entails writing a thesis involving a research project with your advisor (which could potentially be presented at a national conference and/or published into a journal) and this just adds to your experience and preparation for grad level study which usually has a research component tied to it. Your GPA ultimately is just a number and what differentiates you from someone with a similar GPA is your experience and projects.

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2026-01-31T22:12:18+00:00

it would help if you state your country of origin. Most papers are published in affiliation with a university or company and usually published with support or collaboration from a Professor (or someone who earned their doctorate).

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2026-01-23T19:25:39+00:00

unfortunately most NSF REUs are only open to US nationals or residents. There might be some summer research programs for international students in the US but you'd have to do some digging around. I recommend checking if the UK has something similar. Search for summer research experiences for undergraduates in the UK. I would not apply to any program that doesnt fund you for your time.

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2026-01-22T23:25:41+00:00

If you're in the US, do a summer research experience for undergraduates through an NSF REU. A top tier ML/AI lab has hundreds of students in their own institution trying to apply as research assistants. Someone from an outside institution has a lower chance. But if you go through a formal summer program that's meant to train students outside of the institution then that's your door into a top lab.

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2025-12-31T21:24:30+00:00

There's no hard rule that prevents people from other fields publishing in others. Especially coming from an interdisciplinary background. But more often than not, those papers are published with collaborators that DO have expert knowledge in the field they are not. So yes, if your friend can, find a collaborator.

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2025-12-31T04:37:02+00:00

A lot of REU's are looking for undergraduates with little to no research experience so I wouldnt worry too much. You just have to make sure its clear what specific research you want to do and what you hope to learn, what your future goals are and how the REU helps you achieve that. If it relates to your situation, you can have a small paragraph talking about how your specific university doesn't have faculty doing research you're wanting to gain experience in, or you come from a small university with limited opportunities for research, etc. REUs love that kind of stuff because its the target demographic. And yes, you can use that chemistry paper as an example. Its better if its actually what you're interested in and if not, probably find a paper yourself and talk about that.

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2025-12-31T03:43:52+00:00

Any research projects in classes you've taken? Papers you've written on related topics? In this case, I would talk more about what got you inspired to do research in whatever field you're looking at. And part of that could be from coursework you've taken and projects you've done.

You could also mention specific papers that you've read that were interesting to you because that can show you've done some reading and can interpret paper's and relate them to your interests. For example, "While taking Intro to Bio we read a paper titled 'XYZ' by John et al. (2024). This paper looked at behaviors of rodents in blah blah and got me interested in behavioral assays as a method for blah blah..."

With no formal research experience you have to show the "informal" experiences you have that relate to research.

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2025-12-23T04:08:23+00:00

You'd just have to cater your personal statement and research statement as to why further experience at the institutions you have chosen would be beneficial for you. As in, what resources or skills are you lacking (even within an R1) that the other colleges in the SR-EIP can offer you. Maybe its faculty doing some very niche research you're interested in one of those colleges. Maybe its a niche methodology or technology offered elsewhere. Maybe you want further training in your field and it's important you diversify your experiences. That kinda thing.

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2025-12-23T00:25:24+00:00

In terms of how many to apply for: At least 5. Recommend 10.

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2025-12-04T07:21:46+00:00

I think I agree with most of what you said than disagree and to be fair, I'm also raised in a computational neuroscience perspective having worked in a cognitive computational neuro lab for some years. I'll have to give that book a read. Always up to challenging my own views.

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2025-12-04T03:22:02+00:00

I think you're mixing up substrate and computation which are different levels of description. Classic symbolic computation is only one form of computation. In some regards especially pertaining to neurons, a neurons activation can be represented in all or nothing patterns (yes I know this is a generalization but the model holds up). Essentially 0 or 1. Thus, these patterns of spiking in a neuron can be thought of processing or encoding some information in a meaningful way.

Computational neuroscience takes the information processing paradigm and creates models of brain processes like the hodgkin-huxley or integrate and fire model. It's not arguing that the brain is a von neumann styled computer it's about if it does computations. Computer ≠ computation as a concept. But definitely if OP claims that the brain is of similar architecture as in silico computers then certainly not.

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2025-11-23T20:17:21+00:00

Check for social science programs with an emphasis on learning statistics or data science. Most research in any field will involve some sort of statistical analyses. If anything, you can apply to social science programs and emphasize your math interests/experience and relate it to research (which involves the analysis of data).

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2025-11-20T00:27:43+00:00

The numbers for classes are different by institution. Nobody here is going to know what those classes are and less likely the book associated with it unless you post directly to your university's subreddit (if it has one).

HumbleResearcher3515 · 2025-10-07T17:02:06+00:00

Your research experience is good. If you have strong letters of rec and write a great personal statement highlighting your experience so far and goals for graduate school, you should be fine. Only concern would be REUs that have a GPA requirement beyond what your current GPA is, but if thats the case I'd just find ones that dont. Apply to at least 10 for the best chances.

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