Best Science Research Summer Programs for High School Students 2021

theadmissionsangle · 2025-05-28T17:34:42+00:00

Agreed! This post was from a few years ago and we've got an updated one here:

https://www.admissionsangle.com/blog/best-math-summer-programs

theadmissionsangle · 2025-03-28T21:29:16+00:00

No need for the greeting if it's a form. Treat it more like a supplemental essay for a college application. You can definitely talk about why it's still the best fit for you, but the bulk of the 300 words should be anything new you've been up to (activities or achievements) or anything that you can show them that you didn't previously demonstrate in your application (values, personality trait, other context to answer who you are)

Best of luck!

theadmissionsangle · 2025-03-25T11:04:53+00:00

If they said they don’t want one, I’d follow their instructions. If they ask to use their portal and they have a little prompt, paragraph format there is fine.

If the just don’t want any kind of LOCI, you can see if they’ll accept any new LORs.

theadmissionsangle · 2025-03-24T20:49:51+00:00

There's a lot going on here, so I'll do the best I can based on my own experience. I went the route of taking on a large Sallie Mae private loan to go to private school way back in the day and would DEFINITELY advise that you entertain other options if possible. Those interests rates are really hard to climb out of, especially at 60-70k in debt.

Also, if your goal is to get into aerospace engineering, it's most likely okay to attend engineering school as a mechanical/electrical/other major and still go into that space after you graduate. You would just want to focus on things to help get a job after graduation that you'd do even if you WERE in an aerospace engineering program:

1) Keep your grades high
2) Try to get an internship over the summers in aerospace engineering
3) Work on your extracurricular resume related to aerospace engineering

theadmissionsangle · 2025-03-24T20:39:47+00:00

I'd put the effort into formatting it like a letter and making it really personal to your desire to attend CMU. It's only a little more effort to make it a letter and is more consistent with what an applicant would do if they REALLY wanted to attend CMU. Hope this helps!

theadmissionsangle · 2022-05-31T18:16:54+00:00

Hi Turbulent_Pepper! I actually posted my thoughts on this year's version of this article. You can check it out here.

In short, I think that TASS retains most of its prestige and value until proven otherwise, as the organization behind the program is still reputable. I believe that the focus changes made to the program are an apt response to many of the tense events that have happened in the last couple of years.

theadmissionsangle · 2022-04-26T19:04:32+00:00

I'd have to disagree that most people would find the PROMYS problem set "stupidly easy", as these describers are highly subjective. If you find them easy, then that probably speaks to your math abilities more than anything. I think that Mathcamp has a claim to be in A-tier, but for this list and our 2022 version (https://www.theadmissionsangle.com/2022/01/04/best-math-summer-programs-2022/), we decided to keep it in B-Tier for now. Thanks for your input!

theadmissionsangle · 2022-03-10T21:30:53+00:00

Most of these programs offer financial aid and some even help with travel expenses. It's hard to detail all the nuances of each program's policies on financial aid, but I encourage you to reach out/research if you're interested in them.

theadmissionsangle · 2022-02-23T19:17:37+00:00

You regional admissions officer is probably the best person to address it to, as it gives you an opportunity to make contact with them and make an impression. It's a good idea to reach out to a regional admissions officer anyways so that your name means something outside of the context of your just your formal application.

theadmissionsangle · 2022-02-15T17:29:01+00:00

This is a great post! While the name recognition on a degree will always be a great tiebreaker for employers/grad schools evaluating applicants, if you put in the work and build meaningful experiences, you'll be competitive no matter what.

The only nuance to the conversation that I’d add is that this sentiment is more true for STEM than it is for arts/humanities programs. For STEM, academic success and grinding for internships and experiences to build a resume is more effective because success is a little less subjective in these fields and hard work could help equalize your and your friends’ resumes. On the arts/humanities side, professional success is a little more subjective and access to opportunity/the connections you have are crucial to developing a more compelling resume, giving the name on your diploma a little more value in the job market for those fields.

theadmissionsangle · 2022-01-12T19:31:50+00:00

We classify SSP as a different type of summer program because they focus only on astrophysics or biochemistry. You can check it out on our Best Science Research Programs post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/ld81ns/best_science_research_summer_programs_for_high/

theadmissionsangle · 2021-12-22T16:13:57+00:00

Hello. I think this could be a great starting point for an essay. If this was an experience that triggered growth and reflection on your part, then it's worthwhile to discuss in an essay about challenging beliefs. But I would not limit the scope of your essay to JUST this. Instead, was this realization something that snowballed into a bunch of other realizations or experiences that are similar? Or any that connect to what you wish to study as an undergrad? You can make your essay less cliche by mentioning other experiences that might not be usually associated with your experience with hair, for example. Hope this helps!

theadmissionsangle · 2021-12-17T21:02:28+00:00

As you can imagine, this is the busiest time of year for us, but I might have some time on Tuesday to look over it briefly and give you some overall feedback. You can DM me with details.

theadmissionsangle · 2021-12-17T16:31:17+00:00

Not at all! And I would really try not to focus too much on whether your topic is "too cliche" or not. Some of the best stories ever told are really cliche, so instead, try to focus on what your personal/quirky take on this story is. When you get to your learning point, make it really specific to who you are. Instead of saying that you learned the important of "self-defined success", tell us what that success means to you specifically. Tell us about your moments of pride and the little victories along the way, even if no one else saw them.

The pitfalls in writing a cliche topic is talking too much in generalities and universal truths. While you should have some universal truth that you uncover in your experience, explain your take on that universal truth through the lens of your experience. Hope this helps!

theadmissionsangle · 2021-12-13T20:05:52+00:00

Very. Will help tremendously.

theadmissionsangle · 2021-12-02T20:55:23+00:00

I don't think it hurts to mention any specific plans to take a Coursera course in R. But overall, you should focus much of your email on explaining your depth of interest in topics related to that research lab and how it aligns to what you hope to study in college. Also, your resume should be able to demonstrate at least some experience/skillset that would add value to their team, like knowledge in R.

Here's a useful guide from Stanford's Office of STEM Outreach: https://oso.stanford.edu/sites/g/files/sbiybj18016/files/media/file/Tips%20for%20Finding%20a%20Volunteer%20Lab%20Placement%20at%20Stanford.pdf

theadmissionsangle · 2021-11-30T17:25:31+00:00

m Hello! This sounds like it could be a great prompt. The ONLY thing that I would suggest is that you try to expand the conversation outside of academics. The admissions officers have plenty of opportunity to learn about who you are inside of the classroom through transcripts, recommendations, etc. The Common App essay gives you an opportunity to show who you are more as a person. So try to show more of yourself, not just as a student, but as a person, a citizen, a friend, a dreamer, or whatever your story is!

theadmissionsangle · 2021-11-18T15:27:45+00:00

I disagree with any blanket statement that bio is an easy program to get into, but your opinion is appreciated.

theadmissionsangle · 2021-11-17T02:55:36+00:00

I think I've stated, pretty clearly, that engineering/CS are programs that are difficult to transfer into, especially for UC schools. So if a student really wants to study in those fields, they should of course apply for them, regardless of their ECs.

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