Schools Physics REUs 2016: Applying & Updates

[Soap]

Lehigh Univ. offer for Theoretical Plasma Physics 3/24/16

 

[Soap]

I emailed U of Michigan. I am on the short list and am set to interview with the REU director in the coming days.

 

[PeanutButterPuffin]

Grrrr. I haven't heard back from :

Michigan State University
Pennsylvania State University
University of Pennsylvania
UC Boulder
UCLA
UC Davis
U Michigan

The only schools I've heard back from were MIT, (rejection), and Columbia (wait-listed). I am really nervous now. Definitely will send out some emails to check on my status...

 

[rangerazlm]

I feel like this REU year, the schools are taking much longer to get back to students. I hear someone got into Lehigh, So I will assume that I am in that denial category. Vanderbilt is my number one choice and my last one at that. Still nothing from them either.

 

[Soap]

I emailed Vanderbilt again. They responded that the have not received confirmation funding confirmation.

Further I was told I was the first choice for TPP at Lehigh, so I imagine only the first round of offers is out from Lehigh.

 

[yeshuamo]

MIT emailed the full REU roster yesterday. 12 positions filled. From what I can tell about the names, at least 10 of them are women. 2 are from the same school in Kentucky. Wide selection from schools throughout the country. Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors.

 

[rangerazlm]

Vanderbilt should be soon , please post if anyone gets anything from them.

 

[szimmy]

Cornell rejection 400 applicants 8 positions

 

[PeanutButterPuffin]

A friend of mine received an offer from UC Davis.

 

[FearsCatFood]

Expanding on Rangerazlm, Vanderbilt said they should've gotten confirmation of their NSF grant renewal three weeks ago but due to an in office error they just got it yesterday and they're doing final selection and will be sending out offers this week, best of luck to anyone who applied!

 

[LakeSide]

Hi, does anyone know how many applied to UCLA physics REU?

 

[Ramor]

Hi, does anyone know how many applied to UCLA physics REU?

12 accepted with over 400 applicants

 

[PeanutButterPuffin]

I just received an acceptance letter from Columbia!

 

[PeanutButterPuffin]

Received rejection letter from Penn State.

 

[PeanutButterPuffin]

Hi. I just had a Skype interview for University of Michigan. My tips for any of you who have an interview:
Relax. I was overly nervous and that changed some of my responses. In retrospect, I wish I would have calmed down and put more energy into actually addressing questions!
Be prepared. You should be able to tell them about your goals, how your background fits in with that goal, and how that particular REU would help you achieve those goals. And be sure to organize your own questions to ask about their program.

 

[Dishsoap]

Hi. I just had a Skype interview for University of Michigan. My tips for any of you who have an interview:
Relax. I was overly nervous and that changed some of my responses. In retrospect, I wish I would have calmed down and put more energy into actually addressing questions!
Be prepared. You should be able to tell them about your goals, how your background fits in with that goal, and how that particular REU would help you achieve those goals. And be sure to organize your own questions to ask about their program.

Oh, I did the Skype interview for UM last year. I second this advice!

 

[rangerazlm]

Is it bad if your not getting any request for interviews? Is that normal for reu's?

 

[PeanutButterPuffin]

Last year, I was accepted into 4 out of 8 REU's, and didn't get any interview requests. This year, U Mich was my first and only REU that scheduled an interview, and that was only after I emailed them to ask about my status. So I wouldn't be too worried.

 

[abc5dasar]

Last year, I received an offer from Northwestern CIERA on Mar 1.
This year, I received offers from SLAC DOE SULI, UC Davis REU, UWash Seattle REU. I accepted offer from SLAC. I received all these offers within the last 2 weeks of February.

I did get one rejection from UOregon yesterday.

 

[Jody]

I'm sure a lot of people have noticed that the SULI selection has come to an end.

I'm a bit salty about this

edit: @abc5dasar, I was able to work at SSRL last year performing near edge x-ray spectroscopy and interpreting its spectra along with first principles DFT calculations. Do you know which department or project you will be working with?

 

[PeanutButterPuffin]

I've been accepted into the MRSEC Columbia University REU and U Michigan Physics REU programs. I have to decide which one to accept today. Has anyone here done either?

 

[StudyingPhysics]

I've been accepted into the MRSEC Columbia University REU and U Michigan Physics REU programs. I have to decide which one to accept today. Has anyone here done either?

I have two friends who have done U Michigan, sounded like both of them loved it. Don't know anyone who's done Columbia's.

 

[PeanutButterPuffin]

StudyingPhysics-

Thank you for your reply. I ended up choosing Columbia. Though the stipend is somewhat lower, I am more interested in the research I'll be doing at Columbia.

 

[idkidk1212]

UC Davis just sent a rejection letter. 14 acceptances out of over 450 applicants.

 

[FearsCatFood]

Rejection letter from Jefferson Lab, anyone hear anything more from Vanderbilt? They're my last chance.

 

[rangerazlm]

Nope, still nothing. My last chance as well. Good luck.

 

[ModestyKing]

Anyone hear from USF, LSU's CCT program, Georgia Tech, or UChicago yet? Also, I've been denied by University of Nebraska-Lincoln, if anyone else is still wondering about it.

 

[p1310b]

I got a rejection from LSU: "325 applications for 12 slots". I also got response from Brigham Young University, University of Washington, University of California - Davis, University of California - Los Angeles, Ohio Wesleyan University if anyone is interested.

Are you guys more interested in experimental or theoretical/computational physics?

 

[ModestyKing]

I got a rejection from LSU: "325 applications for 12 slots". I also got response from Brigham Young University, University of Washington, University of California - Davis, University of California - Los Angeles, Ohio Wesleyan University if anyone is interested.

Are you guys more interested in experimental or theoretical/computational physics?

Did you apply to LSU's physics program (http://www.phys.lsu.edu/newwebsite/undergraduate/reu_program/) or CCT (computational science http://reu.cct.lsu.edu/) program? I did the CCT one, and haven't heard back yet. Either they lost my application or I'm still in the running? Haha!

I'm a computational physics guy.

 

[p1310b]

I applied to LSU physics program and got a rejection on March 6th. I did not know about CCT.
I am also interested in computational physics.

 

[PeanutButterPuffin]

Hi. An update:

UC Davis - rejected
Penn. St -rejected
U Penn - rejected
Mich. St - rejected
UCLA - rejected
MIT - rejected
U Mich - accepted (declined offer)
Columbia - accepted (accepted offer)
CU Boulder - no reply

 

[ModestyKing]

For those of you wondering about University of South Florida and U. Chicago, USF told me they're waiting another 2 weeks for their decisions, and U. Chicago should be deciding soon.

Also, any advice for me? I'm waiting on the two above, but one professor has guaranteed me research over the summer (+ stipend), but I have to choose by April 14th (deadline for getting funding). Should I stick it out for the 2 REUs and turn my prof. down? I worked with him the past semester and while the work is interesting, it isn't what I want to keep doing. But experience is experience..

 

[Formula]

@PeanutButterPuffin Thought I was going to have an REU buddy in this thread, but turns out you're in MRSEC!
In any case, summer in NYC is going to be awesome.

 

[ope211]

@PeanutButterPuffin nice job on Columbia, I did the Columbia REU last summer and it was a great experience.

Is anyone else doing SULI at Brookhaven? I'm really excited!

@ModestyKing, I would just be honest and tell your professor you're waiting to hear from some REUs, and ask if there will still be a position for you if you don't hear from any of them. My professors offered me this option last year when I was waiting to hear back from people. Surprised that UChicago hasn't told anyone yet, I applied, but heard from SULI back in January so...

 

[idkidk1212]

Has anyone heard from the TREND program at the University of Maryland? They haven't responded to my email. At this point, I doubt I have a chance, but I'd like to be sure.

 

[Formula]

@idkidk1212 I never heard back either. I would call them if you're still interested.

 

[ModestyKing]

@PeanutButterPuffin nice job on Columbia, I did the Columbia REU last summer and it was a great experience.

Is anyone else doing SULI at Brookhaven? I'm really excited!

@ModestyKing, I would just be honest and tell your professor you're waiting to hear from some REUs, and ask if there will still be a position for you if you don't hear from any of them. My professors offered me this option last year when I was waiting to hear back from people. Surprised that UChicago hasn't told anyone yet, I applied, but heard from SULI back in January so...

Thanks for the tip! Today was that deadline so I decided to refuse my prof's offer, because I got a counter-offer from another prof. for if I don't get accepted into UChicago whose work I'm more interested in!

 

[PeanutButterPuffin]

@Formula and @ope211: Thanks! I'm really excited to go to New York too!

 

[yeshuamo]

Summary of my results:

MIT Haystack - acceptance (will attend)
U Chicago - acceptance (had to decline :/)
NASA Goddard - Solar Physics - informal acceptance (declined)

AMNH - rejection
Keck Northeastern Astronomical Consortium - rejection

Boston University - Magnetic Fields in Space - no word
National Solar Observatory - no word

 

[yeshuamo]

Surprised that UChicago hasn't told anyone yet, I applied, but heard from SULI back in January so...

Chicago emailed me their results on March 15. Not sure what the hold up is.

 

[ModestyKing]

UChicago sent out rejections a bit ago. Or at least, I had to email them to get my rejection.

 

[Jody]

I received and accepted an offer at NASA Ames (OSSI) today.

 

[yeshuamo]

I received and accepted an offer at NASA Ames (OSSI) today.

Congrats! Did you email them?

 

[Jody]

Congrats! Did you email them?

Admittedly, I e-mailed the education office for this one. I normally e-mail the PI/researcher in attempt to attract their attention, but I could not find their information after probing around. I'm not sure if this led to the offer or at least helped, but I e-mailed them because I definitely have the right skills and supportive coursework to do well in the project, I am super interested and stoked about it, and I wanted to see if I could provoke an answer before other places made an offer.