Summer 2013 Math and Science REU Thread

[Mozartean]

Some interviews are technical - "How would you approach this problem..." but those are usually for the "top" programs, and most interviews are just about general background/interests/getting to know you.

I accepted LSU. If anyone else is going, send me a PM and let's get to know each other.

 

[Mmm_Pasta]

w00t! Just got an offer from UC Boulder. =) This program is probably my top choice. It's difficult for me to choose between this, Rochester, and CIAN. :P So I'm not sure whether to accept now.

 

[Stengah]

Received an e-mail from Worcester Polytechnic Institute asking for my phone number so they can call. I wasn't aware that this program required an interview... does anyone have experience with this sort of thing? I don't know whether it is actually an interview, or what to expect?

I interviewed for a few places this year. The first wasn't much of an interview, they just wanted to know what projects I was interested in and they told me more about the program and asked if I had any questions. But for another program it was quite different, all they did was ask questions, and some were a bit difficult to answer. They weren't questions about science, but rather essay style questions like "What has been your biggest challenge in programming and how did you overcome it?" I really couldn't think of very interesting things to say for that, and the interviewer was writing down what I was saying. I would mainly just be prepared to back up anything you mentioned in your personal statement.

 

[00Donut]

Anyone here attending the SUNY Potsdam REU?

 

[lasymphonie]

Anyone doing DAAD-RISE?

 

[usnavi13]

I received an offer from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Does anyone have experience with this program? I know it's not a typical "REU" as it is focused more on solving a problem for an outside company, but would this be relevant on a grad. school application, or do most schools just want pure mathematical research?
(The other program that I have an offer from is George Washington, which also doesn't seem like a typical REU, so I don't know which I should accept.)
And have to make a decision by Monday! I wish I had more time to think about it.
Any help/advice would be greatly appreciate.

 

[MechE2015]

Accepted Florida (Gainesville) REU, if anyone else is going there let me know!

 

[Errerrachat]

Anyone hear from Harvard MRSEC/NSEC yet?

 

[dh363]

Anyone else doing SMALL? Wanna touch base?

 

[demoncore]

I've applied to around 6 assorted REUs, as well as two universities through the DOE SULI program, but I haven't heard anything back either way from any of them. Are rejection letters common, or should I already be worried?

 

[zooxanthellae]

What, roughly, does it mean when a program says you're on a "short list"? That you've got a slightly higher chance of ultimately being accepted? And in that case, what's the point of programs telling people this if they may still ultimately reject them?

(A program told me I'm on a short list and I'm trying not to get my hopes up.)

 

[usnavi13]

I've applied to around 6 assorted REUs, as well as two universities through the DOE SULI program, but I haven't heard anything back either way from any of them. Are rejection letters common, or should I already be worried?

I don't know which 6 you applied to, but many still haven't sent offers. If you need to know soon, you could e-mail and ask where you stand, and some will let you know if you're out.

 

[usnavi13]

What, roughly, does it mean when a program says you're on a "short list"? That you've got a slightly higher chance of ultimately being accepted? And in that case, what's the point of programs telling people this if they may still ultimately reject them?

(A program told me I'm on a short list and I'm trying not to get my hopes up.)

I think it is just too keep you interested, if they haven't yet eliminated your application from the group. Being on the short list means you're one step closer to being accepted.

 

[stardawg]

I received an offer from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Does anyone have experience with this program? I know it's not a typical "REU" as it is focused more on solving a problem for an outside company, but would this be relevant on a grad. school application, or do most schools just want pure mathematical research?
(The other program that I have an offer from is George Washington, which also doesn't seem like a typical REU, so I don't know which I should accept.)
And have to make a decision by Monday! I wish I had more time to think about it.
Any help/advice would be greatly appreciate.

Knew 2 people who went to the WPI program, 2-3 years back. Both of these people intended to go straight into industry after graduation, no thoughts about grad school. But that being said I wouldn't know how it would be viewed for grad school.

 

[Stengah]

I accepted my offer for Rutgers physics. Anyone else going to Rutgers for physics or math or anything else?

 

[alabala]

Has anyone heard from DIMACS (Rutgers), MSRI-UP, Bard, Clemson, Miami, Hawaii at Hilo or Mount Holyoke for math ? Thanks!

 

[usnavi13]

Has anyone heard from DIMACS (Rutgers), MSRI-UP, Bard, Clemson, Miami, Hawaii at Hilo or Mount Holyoke for math ? Thanks!

I also applied to DIMACS, MSRI-UP, and Miami (Ohio,) and haven't heard anything from those schools... so I guess there's still hope. I do know that Miami has already decided who they are giving offers to, so if you contacted them, they could tell you.

 

[Mozartean]

Has anyone heard from DIMACS (Rutgers), MSRI-UP, Bard, Clemson, Miami, Hawaii at Hilo or Mount Holyoke for math ? Thanks!

Clemson was basically full when I contacted them a week ago. And Bard's funding was denied by the NSF.

 

[demoncore]

Any word from the MIT Haystack Observatory, University of Michigan, Cornell LEPP, or University of Washington for physics?

 

[Stengah]

Any word from the MIT Haystack Observatory, University of Michigan, Cornell LEPP, or University of Washington for physics?

I know someone who was interviewed and accepted by Michigan about a month ago.

 

[Invyz]

Got my acceptance to KSU today! Haven't heard from anyone else yet.

 

[radium]

I was accepted at Michigan for physics on the 26th.

 

[Hercuflea]

I too will be at Michigan this summer..hmu.

 

[jbrussell93]

Anyone else in PF get into the IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology) REU? I'd like to make some contacts before orientation week!

 

[caleb5040]

For those of you getting offers for physics REUs, are you getting an email or phone call? Quite a few of the ones I've applied to were due Feb 15th and a couple were Feb 1st, and I have yet to hear anything.

Yeah, I haven't anything at all myself, excepting two rejections. I'm starting to think it'd be a good idea to make back-up plans for the summer just in case.

 

[deekin]

Yeah, I haven't anything at all myself, excepting two rejections. I'm starting to think it'd be a good idea to make back-up plans for the summer just in case.

That's what I'm thinking, too. A few of the programs had deadlines around March 1st though, so there is still hope.

 

[bluechic92]

Has anyone heard back from University of Oklahoma or UIUC? I have not heard back from UMich but a professor there expressed interest in working with me.. i have kept in email touch with her. As a back up plan, I applied for funding through my college to work with her.
I hope i get something ... =/.

I haven't even gotten a rejection yet. I don't know what to think.

 

[d3br074]

I accepted an offer from UIUC yesterday, got the offer on Friday. So at the very least, they've started sending out offers.

 

[Hercuflea]

FYI, UArkansas (Space Studies) and Texas A and M (aerospace eng.) sent out acceptances today.

 

[zooxanthellae]

Anyone heard from the Berkeley Geometry, Topology, Algebras program?

 

[dh363]

That one has one of the latest due dates right? If so, they may send out acceptances later. Just a thought.

 

[zooxanthellae]

That one has one of the latest due dates right? If so, they may send out acceptances later. Just a thought.

Yup. In fact its due date was yesterday. On the other hand someone upthread mentioned receiving an acceptance in late February, so I'm a bit anxious. Ah, waiting.

 

[mathstudent99]

Yup. In fact its due date was yesterday. On the other hand someone upthread mentioned receiving an acceptance in late February, so I'm a bit anxious. Ah, waiting.

As I mentioned upthread I received an accepted from the Symplectic Embeddings on 2/26. My impression is that admissions probably were done on the group level so other groups may be very different. The guy in charge of the Symplectic Embeddings group seemed quite keen on sending out acceptances quickly so I think the first round of acceptances have either come out or will come out very soon. My response deadline was today. I accepted the offer.

 

[darthmonkey]

Is it time to start really worrying about these yet? I applied to like 10 and only heard back from 1 so far (wait listed at Rutgers since one of my reccomenders didn't get his thing in on time...). Most said on their official websites that first offers go out either the 1st of 11th.

Looking at previous years though it seems like a lot of the acceptances didn't go out for the physics ones till the middle of the month(March)?

 

[ilikegroupreps]

Anyone hear back from the Iowa State Math REU? Also, has anyone participated in this one or known someone who has have any comments about it?