Reu Definition and 200 Threads

I plan on applying for an REU program this summer. I know my research mentor will write a very good recommendation, and is well-known in the field. However, I have no other connections. The applications are due in March, so I think I shouldn't place too much stock in next semester's...

Hey everyone, I am a 1st year student with junior year standing in math and physics at univ. of Kansas and I just wanted to see if I have enough qualifications to have good chances at REU progrmas in math/physics for next summer. In math, by the end of this year, Ill have had 2 semesters of...

Hi everyone, This summer I spent a lot of time looking at possible research sites for next summer. I was wondering if anyone out there could gauge the odds of me landing a research project. I am entering the sophomore year at St. Olaf College (a small Liberal Arts school in Southern...

I'd like to do the research in chemistry or chemical engineering, specifically related to energy; HOWEVER, I have done no research before. This fall I have 18 credit hours with a part-time tutoring job, so I don't think I can really devote much time a position. Should I still try to get one...

Hello everyone. I've gotten interested in the field of computer science lately, and I'm thinking of pursuing advanced study in that field. I am currently a rising sophomore at a top 10 school in the U.S. and will likely major in computer science (if not, math). I would like to know a little more...

So from what I have researched it looks like people start working on REU applications in January. My question is when do you go about getting letters of recommendation if your on winter break in January and when your in school in nov/dec you won't know how many letters you need or where you are...

Currently, I have taken Calculus I, Physics I, Chemistry II, and I have taught myself half of Calculus II and Physics II so far. I will know the material before I take the courses next semester. So, after the fall I will have Calc/Phy II, and fully plan to teach myself Calc 3 and another...

Rising Math/Physics double major sophomore here. Math background: Calc I-III, Diff Eq and Elem Linear Algebra. Right now I'm leaning more towards Math or Theoretical Physics as something I'd like to do in graduate school but I want to focus more on the math for now. I was wondering which classes...

Considering REU without "research" experience Hello PF, I know REU's are starting (or at least most of them) but I'm planning for the next summer. I researched a couple and read about what they consider for admission to their program. Most of them list "Research Experience" as such. I myself...

So last summer I went to Taiwan, Korea, an Japan (to teach english, visit family, and pure tourism respectively), and I really really liked it. I would love to go back with a good excuse (preferably with some sort of financial support). Does anyone know of, or know of a place to look for, summer...

I have been accepted to two summer research programs: I can do plasma work at the University of Texas at Austin or particle physics work at University of California Davis. I guess it would be silly to ask for advice regarding which program I should choose because I realize that they are both...

Currently I am doing research with a professor in plasma physics, which I am enjoying, though it isn't what I would like to do in the long run. This summer I am going abroad, but next summer it looks like I will have the choice between applying for an REU (which, of course, I may not get anyway)...

I'm a sophomore this year at a small liberal arts school - I've heard back on most of my physics REU program applications now, and have narrowed it down to two I'm seriously considering. However, I was in one of the programs last summer. Further complicating things, if I go with the one I did...

I go to a big school with lots of physics research available. I started in a group at the beginning of this year, and I'm a junior and have good grades. From looking on different REU program websites it seems like a lot of them seem to want people with limited access to research at their...

I am in the process of finishing up applications to six or seven REUs and undergraduate research programs for the summer and am getting to the essays. The essays are nearly identical, the prompts being things like why are you interested in research in your field, what do you like about it, what...

Hi all, Since it has been sort of a tradition to open these kind of threads, i thought i might open this one so everyone can post things related to REU's. Like, which REU's you are applying to, and the like.Personally, I am still in the process of searching for potential REU's. So far, I have...

I have a formal offer to which I must reply in a few weeks and in informal offer to which I must reply in a reasonable amount of time. However, I think a different program (REU) might be a better fit given by background and current interests. The problem is that this program won't let me know...

Hi everyone, I'm a junior physics and math double major applying for summer REU in physics. Since this is my first REU application and also I haven't had previous research experience of any sort, how do I go about editing my statement of purpose written below. P.S. I'm international student and...

Hey PF, So, I'm a sophomore math student, looking to apply for REUs for my first time. So I've read a few things here and there, and it seems like a lot of people apply to about 8 programs, yet only get accepted into 2 or 3. So, when I was looking at the REU programs in NSF, I was expecting...

Help with physics REU statement of interest! I've been working on this for several days and it just comes off as so blah and uninspired to me. I'm a bad writer and I haven't written an essay in 7 months so I'm having trouble wording things the way I'd like. Please critique what I have so far...

I am currently declared as a physics major and will be adding biology as a second major during the upcoming semester. I was originally set on astrophysics but the scarcity of post grad employment has me worried. Also astrophysics is a bit less "tangible" than neuroscience so I worry that I may...

This is for REU and other summer research programs. 1) If the program requires letters to be mailed in, should you go out and prepare the envelopes and buy stamps for the professor? In high school they had us do this but I'm unsure of how it works in college. 2) What would be a nice way of...

I was just wondering what my chances are of being placed in a Math REU for the summer of 2011 are. I'm a sophomore and by the end of spring semester i will have taken Cal 1-3, ODE, transition to higher math, linear algebra, and topology I. I've made A's in all but the last two, which i have yet...

I'm getting a head start on applying for REUs this weekend and am currently typing up my resume since one of the applications asks for one. Should I put clubs I was in during high school on the resume? A lot of what I did in high school isn't relevant to physics at all (I was heavily...

For various reason I really really want to do the SETi reu program in one of the next two summer. If you are familiar with my past you my academic background is shaky. How can I best pinpoint target a single REU for chance at success? Has anyone on here done the SETI REU? I want to apply for...

In general, what are the course requirements for a physics REU? I've found a few that ask only for calculus I/II and physics I/II; others asking for 2 semesters of upper level physics courses; and some neglect to mention anything. By the end of the spring semester I'll have calculus I-II...

Which would you recommend in general? (1) Doing mathematics research with a professor more or less one-on-one over a summer or (2) doing a traditional mathematics REU, of which I've already done one. I ask because my favorite teacher at my school has been giving me some research-level...

So I haven't really been having a very good REU experience. My advisor has not made himself very accessible and I probably only spend like 20 minutes a week talking to him. Most the time I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to be doing so I haven't really been working very hard on my project...

Hey guys, I'm currently involved in a 10 week REU program which ends in the 1st week of August and I know there are literally like 2 weeks left in the program with the last half of the last week reserved for our presentations and report, however, is there a way to "quit" a REU before the program...

I am in my second year as a physics undergrad and I am starting to do some research on REU programs for next summer. I am currently doing research (for zero credits) with my calc professor who I believe will write me a strong LOR, I also received an high A in her calc class. My problem is, she...

Hi everybody, I just joined these fine forums after having spent the last couple of years lurking and occasionally collecting needed information. I'm currently occupying a position at a REU (stands for Research Experience for Undergrads) at the University of Oregon in this summer between my...

I'm a freshman majoring in Physics & Mathematics (Just added a CS minor) at a small liberal arts school. I managed to get accepted into a prestigious REU program that seems to be quite heavy in engineering & programming (I'll be constructing/programming something). I'm really excited for it, but...

I have a quick question. Right now, I have an offer from an REU that I have to respond to by Wednesday. However, I applied to 2 other REUs that I would like to hear back from first, but whose decisions won't come out until mid April. I know that other people on this forum have mentioned emailing...

Hey guys, I've been following the forum for some time, I am a sophomore, and I applied to about 12 REU programs this semester, since I have a 2.9 GPA and was not even expecting to get into any since they are so competitive. Turns out I got into two! and I have to make a decision by monday...

Hi, I applied to a few REU programs for this summer, but I have not heard back from any of them yet. I know there is usually a rolling deadline as they fill all the slots in the REU, but is there some kind of date where it would be acceptable to call about the status of my application. I...

Hello all. I'm currently a junior at my University and have applied to many summer REUs. The trouble is, I've talked with my adviser and he thinks I might be better off staying at my home institution to do research because it will allow me to continue working with the same professor for my...

I was asking my professor about other classes they taught because I enjoyed her style of teaching. The subject of research came up and she is working on a discrete haar wavelet transformation. When I looked it up it said it would be useful in image processing and data reduction to "denoise" the...

To my great dismay, I have been accepted to only REU programs at poor schools while having not heard from their betters. The nature of these acceptances is such that they require a definite answer almost immediately. I am considering accepting these poor schools; but to jump ship if better...

Which would you take? Penn State: -Grad program in Mat. Sci. Ranked 7 -$4,800 stipend -$500 travel -free housing -In the middle of no where Penn: -Grad program ranked 16 -$4,000 stipend -Working under department chair (future letter of rec?) -No travel stipend -No housing stipend...

Hello, Im looking for some advice. I have been accepted to REUs at Penn State, UPenn, and Notre Dame. I have been waitlisted at Northwestern and UC-Santa Barbara (all for Mat Sci/physics). My question is if doing an REU at a school helps in going to graduate school there. I am thinking about...

Hello, I was recently accepted into the LIGO REU at Caltech and was wondering if anyone here had any experience with the program? If so, could you provide a brief rundown of your summer experience? Thanks so much!

Hi all, I am in the process of applying for a few REU programs for this upcoming summer. Right now i am facing difficulties compiling the letter of interest. So, i thought someone here, who has enough experience, might point me to the right direction in terms of what are some of the most...

Hi everyone, I'm currently a sophomore looking to apply to some math REUs this summer. I've looked at some of the applications, and saw that one of them required a resume. I haven't written a resume for anything yet while in college, and there are somethings about it that I'm not sure of. Are...

After participating in a more algebra-oriented REU last summer, I would love to try working in some area of geometry of topology this year. Unfortunately this seems to be a pretty rare field for REU topics. Here are the programs I have found so far that have geometry or topology projects...

Hello, I am a sophomore at UIUC majoring in physics, and I really want to do something over the summer. Some background things: Classes I have taken: math (Calc, Diff eq, Linear Algebra, PDE), physics (intro e&m, intro mechanics, mechanics I, special relativity, intro quantum) I will be...

Hey guys. I'm a currently a junior physics major at a state school in the south. It's not known for physics in any way. My question is how difficult is it to get into a Physics/Materials Science REU program? My school does not have many research opportunities in physics, though the department...

I am a math major and a junior, and I'm interested in doing REU during next summer. I've been looking through some of the REU programs for math, and while most of them still show the summer 2009 information, a lot of them sound pretty interesting. So what are some tips to get accepted to this...

I have a BS in chemistry, but I am now working on a physics degree. Am I still eligible for physics REUs? I haven't seen anything explicitly stating that I am not eligible. Any thoughts?

Hello, I currently "work" on one of my physics professor's lab projects, basically I do some coding and make pretty graphs for him. Its not really physics, but as a sophomore I don't know enough physics to really be useful and I question any REU that claims to provide any more meaningful a job...

so I'm pretty annoyed with a particular REU program, but I won't name names. I just want to understand why some REU's like and say that they would prefer students from schools without graduate programs in physics and then only select students from ivy league schools, or Berkeley, etc...it's...