Applying to Math REUs Summer 2009: Results & Discussion

[mathhhh]

Anyone hear from BYU or Oregon State math REU's?

 

[sutupidmath]

Anyone hear from BYU or Oregon State math REU's?

BYU said that they are going to let us know by the end of this week! Are you an international student, as well, or probbably not?

 

[owlpride]

Oregon State's website says that they started notifying applicants, but I have no idea how far along in the process they are.

 

[mathhhh]

No, I am not an international student. I am just anxious to hear from BYU and Oregon State, because I think they are my best chance for getting into an REU.

 

[Clockward]

I applied to six programs and I will hopefully have finished three more applications by Friday.

I know that I wasn't selected as a first pick for the NNIN program, but they keep telling me that it takes about four weeks to sift through all the applications. At least I applied to five sites with that application, so there is a lot of potential!

I am really worried that my background will keep me out of the programs I want. I am totally focused on moving into Physics / Electrical Engineering from Applied Math, but I will only have Freshman Mechanics, Freshman E&M/Thermo, and Junior level Analytical Mechanics done by this Summer. If only I was applying next year! I would have had another 8-10 physics courses.

 

[mathhhh]

Got an offer from San Diego State University today.

 

[owlpride]

Congratulations!

 

[RCA_0]

To those of you that applied to BYU they have already sent out their acceptance offers. If you haven't heard from them yet you probably either been rejected or placed in their second round pick.

 

[anaximanderma]

Well, it looks like my hopes for doing an REU this summer are nearly gone. 5 out of 7 programs have rejected me, and I feel like crap :(

I don't know if I want to put myself through this again next year - it's really demoralizing. The REUs are so competitive that only one or two students from a given school end up going to one, if that, and what makes me think it'll ever be me? Somebody mentioned that Williams had around 300 applications for 20 spots. Statistically, unless you're Superman, why even bother trying?

I guess I'm still holding out some hope for the final two programs, but barely...

 

[Ai52487963]

Anyone hear from CUNY or the AMNH yet?

 

[owlpride]

anaximanderma:
Williams is one of the most prestigious REUs, along with Duluth, Wisconsin, etc. You are right that unless you are Superman, you are setting yourself up for rejection when applying to these places. There are many other REUs though that are easier to get into than the aforementioned programs. If you don't get into a program this year, definitely try again next year! Most programs are specifically looking for juniors because they want to have a positive impact on students right at the time when they decide whether or not to go to graduate school. That, plus juniors have had more math and can work on a wider range of topics.

If you don't mind sharing, what math classes have you taken so far?

 

[mathhhh]

Does anyone know much about the San Diego State Math REU program? All I know is that the focus is on biomathematics.

 

[jtb07]

I know this thread is for math, but I thought I would give this a shot. I applied for a bunch of Physics REUs, but still haven't heard back from: Purdue, University of Washington, and University of Colorado (Boulder). Has anyone?

After reading the replies here it seems I should of heard back from them within a few days, and especially for Colorado (the deadline was in early feb.) I feel like I should have gotten some notice. I know my applications were complete because they confirmed it...

 

[Ai52487963]

but still haven't heard back from: University of Washington

I got rejected upon my e-mailing a request about what my status was.

 

[Jacobpm64]

I know this thread is for math, but I thought I would give this a shot.

If I could go back and change the Title of the thread to Summer 2009 REUs, I would. However, I don't think I can. But if someone comes along that can do that, everyone would probably appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[jtb07]

I got rejected upon my e-mailing a request about what my status was.

ah, thanks. I'm going to go ahead and email the rest of the REU contacts. I was just going to wait around until they emailed me because I've been rejected the rest I applied to. better luck next year I guess.

 

[Clockward]

I got rejected upon my e-mailing a request about what my status was.

What exactly are you saying here?

Is it that you received confirmation about your status after emailing them?

Or is it that they may or may not have selected you, but your were disqualified because you asked early?

I emailed UW as well and received a rejection notice, but if my email had anything to do with not being accepted, then I'm screwed because I did the same thing with the other programs.

 

[jtb07]

10. Purdue

Did you hear back yet?

 

[Vid]

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but when I applied last year most places that I got rejected by never e-mailed me to tell me.

 

[owlpride]

What exactly are you saying here?

Is it that you received confirmation about your status after emailing them?

Or is it that they may or may not have selected you, but your were disqualified because you asked early?

I emailed UW as well and received a rejection notice, but if my email had anything to do with not being accepted, then I'm screwed because I did the same thing with the other programs.

I e-mailed two programs and received two acceptances shortly thereafter. A friend of mine e-mailed a program and they told her that she may or may not get a position, but they won't know for sure for a few weeks because she is at a position on the waitlist that they get to in some years and not in others.

I don't think whether or not you contact them will affect your outcome. Some programs just don't have the resources to contact all unsuccessful candidates (e.g. University of Tennessee says that explicitly on their website). Others may not reject any applications until all positions have been filled, even though some applications may not be considered for the open positions anymore. But they will probably be very explicit about your status when you ask them.

 

[Clockward]

I don't think whether or not you contact them will affect your outcome.

Well, that's a relief. I'm really worried that the other six of my eight applications will be rejected, leaving me with a gaping hole of depression in my Summer. I will be entering my fifth undergrad year where I will be finishing my Applied Math and Physics degrees, but I don't have any relevant research experience to date. I wan to work in materials science or consumer electronics, and nobody is going to hire me if I don't get a materials science or electrical engineering PhD.

For anyone who may be rejected from all of their REU sites:

What are you going to be doing this Summer to improve your chances with getting into grad programs? I would think that studying for the subject GREs is a given, but there has to be something else besides internships. Do graduate programs give much weight to self-study or personal research?

 

[anaximanderma]

Do graduate programs give much weight to self-study or personal research?

I asked one of my professors this question, and he basically laughed in my face. Apparently, unless you manage to publish an interesting result, self-study is about as impressive as staring at the wall all summer.

Having been rejected from every single REU I applied to, my options look very bleak. I'm considering spending my summer in a rocking chair on the porch, yelling at passersby.

 

[Sheneron]

Did you hear back yet?

No, I haven't. In fact I haven't heard back from anywhere but one place which told me I had to wait longer to hear back.

This is from their site: "The target date for applications is March 1, applications will be accepted until all positions are filled. We begin reviewing applications in early February."

If they began their review in early February than either we should hear back soon, or, more than likely, we are rejected and they failed to email us, which seems to be quite common.

 

[qedcutie]

I didn't know Wisconsin was one of the more prestigious REUs...
I accidentally applied there without noticing that the program started before the end of spring quarter at my university. oops. So when they accepted me I had to reject their offer.
In any case, I applied to 9 programs and got into 4 so far, but based on the postings here I don't expect I'll hear from anyone else.
And regarding someone's question about Oregon State, I just got a second round pre-offer from them two days ago, but let them know I'd already accepted another offer.
Best of luck to everyone!

 

[RCA_0]

qedcutie what math courses did you have as a background when you applied to the REU sites this year?

 

[qedcutie]

qedcutie what math courses did you have as a background when you applied to the REU sites this year?

I've taken one quarter of Real Analysis, (And I grade the homework for that class this quarter),
Group Theory
Complex Analysis
Graph Theory
Topology
Ring and Field Theory (as a reading course).
Also, the standard lower division classes.
I will also take Advanced Linear Algebra and the second quarter of Real Analysis during spring quarter.

The project I will be working on this summer is in Algebraic Geometry, and the projects from the other programs I was accepted to were in Algebra, Analysis and Topology

I haven't had any prior research experience, and in my application I also emphasized my background as someone who struggled in math at a younger age and worked hard to make up for a lack of knowledge to end up excelling in math at the university level. I think this part of my background might not have been as appealing to some of the programs, but thankfully there were some programs that aim to give research opportunities to undergraduates like me who might not have those opportunities at their home institutions.
Throughout my college career, I've also cultivated relationships with my professors so that they've gotten to know me as a student, a tutor, a grader, a student in a reading course, etc. and this has (presumably) influenced the quality of my letters of recommendation.

 

[owlpride]

Congratulations, qedcutie. Enjoy the summer in South Hadley!

I am curious what the topology REU was that you got accepted to. I wanted to do topology this summer, but there don't seem to be too many topology programs...

 

[qedcutie]

Congratulations, qedcutie. Enjoy the summer in South Hadley!

I am curious what the topology REU was that you got accepted to. I wanted to do topology this summer, but there don't seem to be too many topology programs...

Thanks, owlpride!

Well, I wanted to do topology this summer, too, and the some of the projects at Indiana University were topological problems, but when they accepted me, they didn't specify the project I'd be working on. (And some of them were not exciting to me at all.) I tried contacting them by email, but received no response, and well, I'm not really a phone person, so since Mount Holyoke specified the project and since they seemed really organized, and excited to work with me it made my decision a lot easier. But you're right, there really don't seem to be many topology programs. I wonder if it's because topology may be a rare undergraduate class. In the topology class I took, we didn't even have time to get to the fundamental group, and they haven't offered a separate class on algebraic topology for years, which is really a shame. I hope to take a reading course in the fall in Algebraic Topology or p-adic analysis.

Anyway, though, I'm really excited about the Algebraic geometry project at Mount Holyoke. Have you decided where you're going and do you know what project you'll be working on? (I'll look back in the thread to see if you've already answered this.)

 

[qedcutie]

Oh, wow, Cornell? That's fantastic. Congratulations, owlpride!
I applied there, but that was one of the programs I'm not sure wanted someone with my background. That's so amazing that you'll get to meet Robert Strichartz! And who knows? Allen Hatcher might be around for the summer... Do you know which project you're going to work on?

 

[owlpride]

Thanks! I am in Collin Bleak's group, "groups via actions." I am hoping that it will be very topological because all the groups we are working with have topological definitions or interpretations. I would have loved to join the algebraic geometry group at Mount Holyoke (it might be the only REU with a male/female ratio < 1), but my professors didn't let me go anywhere else once I told them I got into Cornell. *sigh*

Allen Hatcher... Somehow I still haven't quite realized that the people whose textbooks I am reading actually exist.

 

[qedcutie]

Thanks! I am in Collin Bleak's group, "groups via actions." I am hoping that it will be very topological because all the groups we are working with have topological definitions or interpretations. I would have loved to join the algebraic geometry group at Mount Holyoke (it might be the only REU with a male/female ratio < 1), but my professors didn't let me go anywhere else once I told them I got into Cornell. *sigh*

Allen Hatcher... Somehow I still haven't quite realized that the people whose textbooks I am reading actually exist.

When I got accepted to Indiana and Mount Holyoke I really thought about whether I wanted to go to Cornell because of the program, or because I would get to meet Robert Strichartz. It's a tough call (The group actions group sounds awesome!), so I guess it's good I never heard from them. I think I will be happier at Mount Holyoke anyway. I'm definitely excited about the male/female ratio, as I am usually one of very few women in my classes, and have never had a female math professor. I think this will be a great experience for me, for many reasons, and I hope you actually wanted to go to Cornell more than you wanted to go to Mount Holyoke, because I think it might have been very nice to work with you.

I know what you mean about the textbook authors. It took me a week or so to realize that Robert Strichartz was the Robert Strichartz.

I feel a little silly getting so "starstruck" over mathematicians... :)
Maybe I'll meet them at a conference someday.

 

[owlpride]

I am looking forward to Cornell! And in a way it might be good for me to get more exposure to the opposite sex since I am currently attending a women's college. I guess we are trading experiences for a summer :)

This might sound very silly... but... ignorant me has never heard of Robert Strichartz except in the context of the REU. I feel like a mathematical hermit... Can someone please enlighten me?

Are you going to the Joint Math Meetings next January? You can meet just about any mathematician there!

 

[Jacobpm64]

Rejected to Cornell today via e-mail.

 

[Sheneron]

So, uh, for all of us unlucky fellows out there what jobs are we looking into?

Grocery mart, construction, fast food, restaurant, amusement park?

I know being a waiter pays good money but I just don't think I can say my name that many times every day. I hate saying my own name. And working in a kitchen is horrible. I have worked at an amusement park and fast food which was horrible. I would work construction but I think I would hate everyone that I worked with, so I am kind of leaning towards grocery.

In reality my summer will most likely consist of a few days of work and then a phone call telling them I am quitting. Can anyone here honestly work at a normal job and be happy?

 

[qedcutie]

Rejected to Cornell today via e-mail.

Me too. At least they sent out emails.