Is undergrad research REALLY that big on grad school applications?

[redflactober]

So I’m a junior at FSU and I have to apply to grad schools next year. I’ve done EPR condensed matter research with Steven hill at MagLab during my sophomore year. I am currently doing experimental nuclear research with Ingo Weidenhover, and my bachelors thesis will be on measuring J values for excited states of 29Si around the alpha threshold.
However I’ve found out recently about biophysics (I don’t think it gets enough representation in physics outreach). Now knowing about the field, I really want to study molecular biophysics and protein folding. I hope I can help with cancer research even if it’s just a small amount. I know I would have a lot to catch up on with the biology itself, but I’m willing to do that.

I went to ask my Mathematical Methods 1/2 professor about advice applying for schools, as she was a biophysicist.
She said since I plan to have a bachelors thesis in nuclear, that I can only apply to nuclear related schools, or at least those are the schools that I have a chance to get into. She said I need to change my thesis topic now if I really want to do biophysics.
My issue is that I just started with the nuclear experiment about 3 months ago, and I’m a decent amount of work into the project.

Do you guys think my MathMethods teacher is right? I’ll drop my nuclear research tomorrow if she’s really onto something. I’m just embarrassed to back out of the nuclear research, especially because before really learning of biophysics, I told Dr Weidenhover I was all in for nuclear physics (I originally thought I would spin my nuclear experience to work in a hospital and help oncology departments with chemo, having done a medical physics PhD. But I hate chemo and hated seeing my aunt have to go through it and I think it would be much better to find a cure that’s more humane, maybe by understanding the biophysics better).

Ugh:(

 

[Andy Resnick]

So I’m a junior at FSU and I have to apply to grad schools next year.
[...]
Do you guys think my MathMethods teacher is right?

I disagree with your instructor (I'm faculty who hires grad students for research)- what is most important (IMO- other than GPA/test scores) is a track record of research (any research field), especially if you have presented your work at national conferences, (or even better: peer-reviewed articles) and a letter from your research advisor that convincingly attests to your ability to perform independent research.

 

[Choppy]

I agree with Andy.
While it can helps to do research in the field you're most interested in for a senior undergraduate thesis, it is by no means necessary. There are a lot of reasons why undergraduates will apply for graduate school in a different subfield than their undergraduate thesis... availability of projects at the school they are at, wanting to work with specific mentors, wanting to acquire a certain skill set, learning that you don't like the field your undergrad thesis is in, only learning what another field is really all about in your last semester, etc.
Undergraduate studies are for establishing a solid foundation in physics and exploring potential areas of interested. Graduate studies for for specialization.

 

[CrysPhys]

I went to ask my Mathematical Methods 1/2 professor about advice applying for schools, as she was a biophysicist.
She said since I plan to have a bachelors thesis in nuclear, that I can only apply to nuclear related schools, or at least those are the schools that I have a chance to get into. She said I need to change my thesis topic now if I really want to do biophysics.
My issue is that I just started with the nuclear experiment about 3 months ago, and I’m a decent amount of work into the project.

I agree with Andy & Choppy. Another reason I think you got bum advice from that particular prof is that many (most?) students who do an undergrad thesis won't start it until first semester senior year. Really too late to count much for grad school applications submitted ~end of first semester senior year. You happen to have an early jump start. And not all schools require an undergrad thesis, so it can't be dispositive.

 

[redflactober]

Man. I’m a little naive on the subject, and your insights help me relax some. Thanks!

Plus I found out that there aren’t any undergraduate opportunities in biophysics at my university right now anyways (Both professors already have 4 undergrads). I suppose that’s information I can include in my grad school applications.