Physics REUs 2011: Applying & Chances

[betelguese05]

Also got into the NUF, I'll be spending the summer doing a theory project at Princeton.

 

[dtl42]

I also got into PPPL NUF, but I haven't been matched with a site yet.

 

[chickenwing71]

Accepted:
Princeton (MIRTHE)
Georgetown

Rejected:
LSU
UWash
TCU

Still waiting to hear back from a few others. I already said no to Georgetown, so unless I get a spectacular offer somewhere else before the deadline, I'll be at Princeton.

 

[Jack21222]

Is it normal to get rejection letters from the places you've applied?

So far, the only response I've gotten back is a rejection email from SETI. Drexel comes out on April 1st, I haven't heard a thing from Michigan, SULI is still in the second round (I didn't get accepted in the first round), and I haven't heard anything from any of the 12 NASA positions I applied for through their OSSI:SOLAR system. However, for NASA the applications only closed on March 15th, so I expect they'll be after April 1st as well.

 

[hadsed]

Jack, that is peculiar. I was under the impression that NASA principal investigators would have already made their decisions before the deadline. I got an email from one at JPL wondering if I was interested in his project, and he told me that the way it works is that they request that the PI's send a list of 5 students ranked from best choice to ...less best choice... and then they would be picking that way (plus remembering after 5 days an offer expires and goes to the next person).

Since I wasn't offered the day after March 15th, I assumed I wasn't going to get an offer.

Also to note, I wasn't accepted to Rochester or RPI. I'm a first year student, if anyone was wondering.

 

[Cider]

hadsed, did Rochester send you an actual rejection e-mail? I applied but I haven't heard anything back yet :S

 

[Simfish]

Does anyone know if any REUs take students in between undergrad and grad?

 

[Vanadium 50]

They do not. (Or rather, they are not supposed to)

 

[hadsed]

Cider: I emailed one of the professors I was talking to. I got forwarded to the admissions person, and they told me their positions were just about full. So I would guess if you haven't gotten something yet, you might just assume that you won't get an acceptance. This was a couple of weeks ago as well.

 

[Jack21222]

Jack, that is peculiar. I was under the impression that NASA principal investigators would have already made their decisions before the deadline. I got an email from one at JPL wondering if I was interested in his project, and he told me that the way it works is that they request that the PI's send a list of 5 students ranked from best choice to ...less best choice... and then they would be picking that way (plus remembering after 5 days an offer expires and goes to the next person).

Since I wasn't offered the day after March 15th, I assumed I wasn't going to get an offer.

Also to note, I wasn't accepted to Rochester or RPI. I'm a first year student, if anyone was wondering.

It wouldn't make sense for them to have already made their decisions before everybody's even applied, but I suppose it's possible.

It's starting to look like I'll be selling mattresses again this summer. :(

 

[flyfishing]

I received an acceptance from CREOL (UCF Optics) this morning.
Anyone gone through this REU before or know any stories?

 

[physguy]

New member, first post. I thought I might chime in about my REU experience.

I was accepted by Princeton (PPPL) this year. I also got an offer from JLab. I went with Princeton, and just recently got my placement at General Atomics in San Diego. More than a dream come true! A week at PPPL taking a crash course in Plasma Physics followed by a summer at top-notch research facility...in Cali! (You have to understand, I've spent most of my life in the northeast)

Last year I was in the University of Rochester REU in their optics department. Great experience, lots of interesting people and a solid summers worth of research.

I also research at my home university during the academic year doing some solid state research. My plan is to run the table, and eventually figure out what field I want to be in. Then apply to grad school, get a PhD and hopefully get a job.

 

[Monocles]

With regards to rejection letters. When I applied last year, of the places I received rejections from, only about half of them ever told me and I just assumed that I was rejected from the other ones. This year, in contrast, I have yet to receive a single rejection letter! Just one acceptance that I've already accepted since it was my top choice, and I haven't heard anything from anywhere else.