Summer Research at CERN - Share Your Experience!

[cla7907]

Hello again!

Has anyone applied to CERN's summer program, or, had undergraduate research experience at CERN, or, know anyone who has?

If so, would you like to share that experience?

I can only imagine how awesome that experience would be!

Thanks!

 

[elduderino]

I was there 2009 summer in their official program. It was nice. I didn't get too much out of it because the best part about that program are the lecture series (which can be viewed online too btw). I had to come way before their program officially started so by the time the lectures had started, I was neck deep in completing my "ROOT" macros and getting some viable results to show back in my uni.

Apart from the regular lectures, there were some superstar-lectures that you can attend. During my time one of the lectures was by Weinberg (if you're thinking about CERN, you should know this name) but it was basically a review of how QFT had progressed over the years and was way too advanced for my level at that time. Another I remember was Nobel Laureat J Steinberger on the environment\ energy solutions and stuff.

Other people in the program were mostly from the member nations, some from the Americas, Israel, India and Japan (the four observer states). They party a lot, some people try to prove that nerds can party hard as well and you have boiler room parties where you'll see people as plastered as a pre-pubescent frat house party in America.

Ahh. Undergrad days.

The one good thing about it for me, or bad I don't know the future will tell, was that I had gone in as an engineering student and came out determined to become a physicist.

Good luck.

 

[axiomatic7777]

Yes I was there for a summer, but not through the official CERN program. All I can say it's awesome.

I did travel over the weekends, but be aware that traveling in Switzerland is _expensive_! The people you meet will also be awesome, though you might end up going to a lots of meetings - virtual or in person - and some of them could definitely be shorter :) Nothing beats being in the environment yourself, where conversations somehow always manage to move to the latest run, or the beam status, or latest results, or the latest rumors in HEP (when I was there it was the rumor that Tevatron has found the Higgs).

 

[cla7907]

axiom and eldu:

Would you mind sharing your GPA and extra curricular activities prior to being accepted to the program, and how you think the CERN experience impacted your grad-school prospects?

I ask because I haven't started my studies in Physics, yet ... I'd like to have an idea how to put myself in the best position to achieve a summer research position at CERN

 

[Vanadium 50]

I haven't started my studies in Physics, yet ... I'd like to have an idea how to put myself in the best position to achieve a summer research position at CERN

Then you should wait a few years. The lectures will be over your head.

 

[cla7907]

Then you should wait a few years. The lectures will be over your head.

I know ... I just like to plan for the future and I'd like to know, generally, the path to CERN as an undergrad.

 

[fss]

I know ... I just like to plan for the future and I'd like to know, generally, the path to CERN as an undergrad.

Be an exceptional student and work with your HEP group that (ideally) has some semi-permanent presence at CERN. Land yourself a non-CERN-Summer-Student summer job in which your group will send you to Geneva.

The CSS program is highly competitive. You are much more likely to get to CERN by other means.

 

[Jackadsa]

The CSS program is highly competitive. You are much more likely to get to CERN by other means.

This. There are sufficiently many strong applicants that there is a large degree in arbitrariness in the selection. I was rejected from the official program but ended up doing a project there through university contacts. Try both avenues.

 

[axiomatic7777]

This. There are sufficiently many strong applicants that there is a large degree in arbitrariness in the selection. I was rejected from the official program but ended up doing a project there through university contacts. Try both avenues.

I heard rumors about the selection process, namely, your application is forwarded to prospective mentors only if your application happens to contain certain keywords the mentors specified (maybe C++? ROOT? quantum mechanics?). Otherwise your application would never see the light of the day no matter how stellar it is. This I heard from a official CERN summer student (his mentor told him that).