Admissions Did You Get Into SULI DOE Summer 2021?

[EnnisMawas]

Hi everyone,

This thread is for people to post whether or not they received any offerings from SULI 2021 program.

I am very anxious for this internship as I really want to get a position at Argonne Lab doing Condensed Matter Theory research or Quantum Computing research. I am a junior physics and math double major with a minor in nanoscience, I have a 3.92 GPA, taken graduate quantum mechanics 1 and 2 (Sakurai). I also have been doing research on dark energy axions for about a year and I am finishing up a paper. I also work as a TA for one of the intro to physics classes and I also have taken other graduate classes in math related to creating python and MATLAB simulations. I have given some presentations and also won second place at a local poster competition.

Please post whether you got into your applied program or not and your stats behind which they accepted you for. Anyone who has past experiences, please give advice or any inside info you can share about the application process. Thank You!

 

[Jody]

I was accepted into SULI/SLAC a little over 5 years ago. My background was nowhere near as impressive as yours I'm an electrical engineering major my GPA was about 3.2 at the time I did have previous internships (nanotechnology) where I coauthored a paper... just another paper on graphene... and was an undergraduate research assistant part of a III-V devices group at the time. The internship was in SSRL I mainly ran simulations before performing x-ray spectroscopy (NEXAFS). I used a lot of MATLAB too. It was fun. For that kind of opportunity I would definitely recommend at least the first inorganic chemistry class that covers molecular orbital theory... crystal and ligand field theory; I also referenced Atkin's Physical Chemistry and Semiconductor Devices Physics by Pierret very often throughout the internship.

 

[EnnisMawas]

That's cool man! Electrical engineers in nanoscience are sort of like applied physicists at that point. I am very interested in the engineering point of view on building nano-materials.

 

[CSbb001]

I've applied to SULI at Berkeley Lab. I'm a Computer Science/Math double major at a large state university with a 3.7 GPA. Though only a second-year student, I have almost two years of research experience in a CS lab, and an undergraduate conference paper/publication already (on neural nets and ML). Haven't heard anything yet, but from the previous year's forums that I've read, Berkeley seems to be one of the last to let their accepted interns know (I'm kind of expecting to hear something around mid-Feb). I'm also super anxious to hear back, as Berkeley is a really, really exciting opportunity.

 

[rgoreb18]

Hi! I did a SULI position last summer with ORNL and last year I found out on 2/5/20. But I think it depends on the lab. Currently waiting eagerly for this summer! You're sure to get it with a 3.9ish. I had around a 3.4. I think the most important thing is the essay question answers and your letters of rec. I am studying Materials Science and Engineering, and last summer I worked on corrosion in molten salt reactors, and had an amazing experience. I would highly recommend doing this program! This summer I wanted to try a different lab, currently waiting on NREL

 

[Vanadium 50]

You're sure to get it with a 3.9ish.

I don't think GPA is the only factor.

 

[rgoreb18]

I don't think GPA is the only factor.

Oh it absolutely is not. If it was, I never would have been selected! But, it definitely gives him/her a much better shot. I'd say letters of rec/essays are probably more important

 

[Vanadium 50]

I don't think you understand the selection process.

Lab scientists get a list of applicants. Each individual scientist decides who, if anyone, on that list will be selected. They each have their own criteria. GPA may be a strong factor. It may not. Grades in individual courses may matter more. Or not. Letters may matter more. Or not. Previous experience may...well, you get the point.

The scientist makes her selection and an offer is generated, If the student does not accept, the scientist makes her second choice and so on.

It is wrong of you to say "You're sure to get it with a 3.9ish" You don't know that.

 

[TeethWhitener]

I don't think you understand the selection process.

Lab scientists get a list of applicants. Each individual scientist decides who, if anyone, on that list will be selected. They each have their own criteria. GPA may be a strong factor. It may not. Grades in individual courses may matter more. Or not. Letters may matter more. Or not. Previous experience may...well, you get the point.

The scientistg makes her selection and an offer is generated, If the student does not accept, the scientist makes her second choice and so on.

It is wrong of you to say "You're sure to get it with a 3.9ish" You don't know that.

Pay attention, applicants: this is exactly how the selection process has gone for every internship I've been involved with.

Though I will say that, at least for the ones I'm familiar with, the selection process opens at the same time for everyone, so often there's a rush to get the "best" applicants, and people tend use easy proxies like GPA for talent. That's obviously a generalization, but it has an effect.

 

[rgoreb18]

I know how it works, before I even applied I spoke to my would be mentor and he went over the whole process with me. In order for the individual scientist to actually see your name to chose you, you have to make it through a preliminary step in which they go over all of your personal stuff such as GPA, prior work experience and such. As I said in my prior post, GPA is definitely important and a good GPA will absolutely not hurt you. However, as I said, essays/letters of rec/prior work experience are definitely more important.

 

[LordFarquaad420]

Hello,

I applied to NREL as my first choice lab. I am a sophomore Atmospheric Sciences major at a large university. I have one year of research experience.

 

[wgamadeus]

Applied to Fermilab as my first choice this year. If I'm not mistaken the Fermilab results come pretty late around March. Anyone hear back from any of the labs yet?

 

[physicsllama]

I applied to TJNAF and BNL. I haven't heard anything back. I'm not sure when they typically post results, but I'm starting to get nervous. Did anyone else apply to Jlab?

 

[Jody]

Mine years ago I didn't hear anything back until March so probably no need to be too nervous :)

Something else to help minimize those concerns is to apply for a lot of internships. Don't put all of your eggs into one basket. I'd put a lot into the internships I really wanted, then I'd apply for a good handful or two whatever I could reasonably do through other websites like Indeed or simply browsing careers directly on the company's website.

I thought I was surely going to get into the SULI program the following year. Whoops! I went to a community college and not sure what happened, but they added my birthdate to my transcript and whoever was reviewing my application disqualified me because of it. I wasn't thrilled, but I was aware of that rule and I wasn't careful enough. My other opportunity kicked in and I ended up doing an internship at NASA instead.

Some of the internship applications I put in... it didn't pan out for the term I was applying for. I've had a recruiter call me based off an old resume I put in for an internship, and I was interviewed for a full-time career position. It turned out very well and I worked there for nearly two years. I felt like it was a competitive and desirable job.

 

[physicsllama]

Thanks for the advice. It's reassuring to hear from people who got their acceptances in March in previous years. I'm following a similar strategy to what you recommend. Put a ton of work/effort into 4-5 programs that seem the most interesting. Simultaneously, I'm employing a "shotgun" approach where I apply to many jobs/programs that require less effort (like just uploading a resume/transcript rather than writing 4 essays like the SULI program).

 

[LordFarquaad420]

Just a heads up I saw two people on reddit who said they got accepted to PNNL.

 

[normalchemistry]

I just received an offer from PNNL

 

[anthony2352]

Has anyone received an offer from NREL yet? I assume that each facility releases first offers at different times? I applied to ORNL as my first choice and NREL as my second choice last year, and I received an offer from NREL. But, we were struck by the plague and the offer from NREL had to be deferred to 2021. Despite this, all of us who were deferred to later terms had to actually reapply to the same facility that we got the offer from, but I haven’t heard anything from NREL yet.

 

[anthony2352]

Hello,

I applied to NREL as my first choice lab. I am a sophomore Atmospheric Sciences major at a large university. I have one year of research experience.

Have you received an offer from NREL yet?

 

[LordFarquaad420]

Have you received an offer from NREL yet?

No I have not, and I do not know anyone who has.

 

[physicsllama]

Heads up, there is someone on reddit saying they got accepted to NREL for the mechanical engineering-geothermal program.

 

[LordFarquaad420]

Heads up, there is someone on reddit saying they got accepted to NREL for the mechanical engineering-geothermal program.

Could you link the thread please?

 

[physicsllama]

Sure, it's on the subreddit r/REU in the comments of the REU 2021 Megathread post. just ctrl+f NREL in the comments

 

[LordFarquaad420]

Sure, it's on the subreddit r/REU in the comments of the REU 2021 Megathread post. just ctrl+f NREL in the comments

Cool, thanks very much.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

A student I mentor who has a SULI gig at a DOE lab last summer just had an interview yesterday. So it is clear some of the labs are still in process. Last year they had the offer already by this time.

 

[physicsllama]

I got an offer from Jlab on 3/4/21 for an SRF cavity project! Really excited for it.

 

[LordFarquaad420]

Just received an offer from NREL today, thank you to everyone who has been keeping this thread updated.

 

[username1989]

I applied to Oakridge and Idaho, no news yet. I'm applying to summer jobs assuming it's a no at this point

 

[mjetty]

I applied to Oakridge and Idaho, no news yet. I'm applying to summer jobs assuming it's a no at this point

I applied to Oakridge and Ames, I know I didn't get into Ames as it wasn't my first pick anyways, but Oak Ridge is confusing as I haven't heard back either. From what it seems, it doesn't seem like anyone has heard back from them.

 

[CapnCrunch]

Has anyone here heard from ANL yet? I haven't heard of anyone who has been accepted to ANL yet (or ORNL, which is my second choice) but I wanted to double check and see if anyone has any news

 

[Vanadium 50]

The labs do not bundle up their offers. The procedure was described in #8.

 

[IDontHaveAName]

I applied to BNL and was accepted in mid Feb, however, my advisor told me that the internship for this year would most likely be online which is unfortunate : (

 

[mjetty]

Has anyone here heard from ANL yet? I haven't heard of anyone who has been accepted to ANL yet (or ORNL, which is my second choice) but I wanted to double check and see if anyone has any news

I believe Ames Lab already sent out their admission letters. I work at Ames Lab as a undergraduate researcher and that is what I was told by my professor.

 

[jakedoherty]

I believe Ames Lab already sent out their admission letters. I work at Ames Lab as a undergraduate researcher and that is what I was told by my professor.

Are you positive that Ames has made its offers?

 

[Vanadium 50]

The labs do not bundle up their offers. The procedure was described in #8.

 

[mjetty]

The labs do not bundle up their offers. The procedure was described in #8.

Can you explain what this means? I'm not sure what #8 refers to, but from what I understand, the admissions are sent in rounds until all positions are filled. Am I understanding this wrong?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Am I understanding this wrong?

Yes. When a scientist selects a student, it goes out "immediately". Now, it's not instantaneous because there is some post-processing involved so it needs to go "through the pipes as it were", but the Labs do not "bundle" requests on a long timescale. No scientist makes a decision and then has it wait for months for other scientists to make their decisions.

 

[username1989]

Yes. When a scientist selects a student, it goes out "immediately". Now, it's not instantaneous because there is some post-processing involved so it needs to go "through the pipes as it were", but the Labs do not "bundle" requests on a long timescale. No scientist makes a decision and then has it wait for months for other scientists to make their decisions.

Out of curiosity, would you happen to know if we are supposed to get an update if our first choice rejects us? My application is pending review still.

 

[Jody]

Out of curiosity, would you happen to know if we are supposed to get an update if our first choice rejects us? My application is pending review still.

When I participated in the SULI program I got zero notice that my first choice rejected me. Funny enough I read a bunch of silly lies while lurking around, that second choices do not make offers since so many good first choice candidates... I thought my preferred lab was unachievable and that it would cut down risks of not receiving an offer by making them my second choice , but I was wrong as they were the ones to contact me anyways with an offer :) (this was more than 5 years ago)

I wouldn't be overly thinking this. Seeing when other people are getting their offers if any at all is going to cause you misery. The only time I'd be pressing on this is if I have another offer on the table. If you have another offer that's up to you if you can wait or willing to risk it for one you haven't or may not receive at all. If you don't have another offer and you're counting on this one, then keep looking around for other opportunities just in case. Talk with professors to see what kind of work you might be able to do during this time, maybe other internships or part-time jobs, or at the very least try to work on project on your own... give yourself more marketable skills and a pitch for the next opportunity.

 

[jedishrfu]

I don't think you understand the selection process.

Lab scientists get a list of applicants. Each individual scientist decides who, if anyone, on that list will be selected. They each have their own criteria. GPA may be a strong factor. It may not. Grades in individual courses may matter more. Or not. Letters may matter more. Or not. Previous experience may...well, you get the point.

The scientist makes her selection and an offer is generated, If the student does not accept, the scientist makes her second choice and so on.

It is wrong of you to say "You're sure to get it with a 3.9ish" You don't know that.

I concur with V50 here. Our lab accepts undergrads and high school seniors.

The high school seniors are ranked by grades, SAT scores and college of interest ie our affiliated college. We get the list of potential ones and then we select based on the skills needed for our summer project.

The undergrads are honors scholars with the highest GPAs and we get a list to select from. The best strategy is to pair a scholar with a high schooler so you direct the scholar and they direct they direct the high schooler. It works really well. In general they do ap some amazing work.

one other thing to be aware of is that the labs may be on reduced schedules and less likely to have or hire students and many folks are forced to work at home at least part-time. Our lab has done that this past year.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Out of curiosity, would you happen to know if we are supposed to get an update if our first choice rejects us?

Apparently my original reply was confusing.

The SULI application has the students rank Labs. This entire thread has been based on the assumption that the Labs make decisions. I tried to dispel this in the now-infamous message #8. Labs don't make decisions, individual scientists do. But "has Brookhaven decided?" and "has my first choice decided?" are the exact same question, since the first choice is a Lab.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

Timing has been all over the map this year. After some back and forth, a student I mentor has received an offer from BNL.