What Are the Best REU Opportunities to Explore This Summer?

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Discussion Overview

The thread discusses various Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) that participants are considering or applying to for the upcoming summer. Participants share their lists of REUs, experiences with applications, and seek advice on application processes and group selections.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants are applying to multiple REUs, including SMALL, Cornell, and others, while others are still finalizing their lists.
  • Concerns about the competitiveness of certain programs are expressed, with some participants mentioning their status as underrepresented minorities as a potential advantage.
  • Questions arise regarding the acknowledgment of applications, with mixed experiences reported about receiving confirmations from institutions.
  • Participants discuss the ambiguity surrounding application requirements, such as the formatting of personal statements and word limits.
  • Some participants share their experiences with specific REUs, including acceptance notifications and group preferences within programs like SMALL.
  • There are inquiries about the chances of reapplying to the same REU after previously attending, with some expressing concerns about demographic factors influencing acceptance.
  • Discussions include the timing of offers from various REUs and the possibility of requesting expedited decisions from programs when already holding an offer from another REU.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share their individual experiences and opinions, but no consensus is reached on specific application strategies or the implications of demographic factors on acceptance rates.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions highlight the variability in application processes and responses from different institutions, indicating that experiences may differ widely based on the specific REU.

Who May Find This Useful

Students seeking REU opportunities, particularly in mathematics and related fields, may find the shared experiences and advice relevant to their application processes.

  • #91
For people who've done REUs in the past, were you expected to prepare a ton before the summer starts? Should I read some papers on my topic and study math that would be relevant to it right now, or should I wait for the professor in charge of the project to tell me what to do?
 
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  • #92
gocubs: Usually the first few weeks are devoted to properly introducing the problem, and giving you the required background. But if your advisor in the REU program has anything for you to read ahead of time, it will allow you to start thinking about the research problem itself sooner, so it's definitely a good idea to ask.

But you shouldn't try to read anything unless it is recommended to you, because that has the potential to be a monumental waste of time. The reason you have an advisor in an REU program is because you start out having no idea what's going on, and no clue how to find out relevant information.
 
  • #93
I heard back and got accepted to SUNY Potsdam today for their analysis group. All applicants have to respond definitively by next Monday.
 
  • #94
I also heard back from SUNY for the group theory project.
Rose-Hulman has sent out offers as well.
 
  • #95
Can anybody give their experiences in the LSU REU or the William and Mary REU?
 
  • #96
people who applied UCLA RIPS, have you got any news yet?
 
  • #97
Has anyone heard from any of the following REUs: Indiana Bloomington, Kent State, James Madison, Bard College, BYU, East Tennessee State, Penn State, Orion University, Central Michigan, Kansas State, University of Wyoming.
 
  • #98
I did REU at bard college last summer, I got the result like around late April!
 
  • #99
rahh said:
Has anyone heard from any of the following REUs: Indiana Bloomington, Kent State, James Madison, Bard College, BYU, East Tennessee State, Penn State, Orion University, Central Michigan, Kansas State, University of Wyoming.

I did an REU at BYU...I was notified late March...I had a great experience!
 
  • #100
azsxder said:
Can anybody give their experiences in the LSU REU or the William and Mary REU?

Hey have you already heard back from William and Mary?

azrail911 said:
I did REU at bard college last summer, I got the result like around late April!

I think they are sending out offers this week and next week..
and yes I'm also waiting for RIPS. Apparently a lot of offers have already been sent out..:(
 
  • #101
R.P.F. said:
Hey have you already heard back from William and Mary?



I think they are sending out offers this week and next week..
and yes I'm also waiting for RIPS. Apparently a lot of offers have already been sent out..:(

:( let's hope for the best. RIPS seems like an awesome program
 
  • #102
So anybody here going to LSU REU?
 
  • #103
rahh said:
Has anyone heard from any of the following REUs: Indiana Bloomington, Kent State, James Madison, Bard College, BYU, East Tennessee State, Penn State, Orion University, Central Michigan, Kansas State, University of Wyoming.

I got waitlisted for James Madision. Also applied to Bard, but haven't heard anything.

Anyone heard from:
* Rochester Institute of Technology
* UNC Asheville
* Oregon State
* Cornell
* Grand Valley State
* Hope College
* Bard College

I also applied to some comp sci programs at Binghamton University, UMass - Amherst, WSU, Harvey Mudd, UIUC. Did anyone here apply to these? Heard anything?
 
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  • #104
math.py said:
I got waitlisted for James Madision. Also applied to Bard, but haven't heard anything.

Anyone heard from:
* Rochester Institute of Technology
* UNC Asheville
* Oregon State
* Cornell
* Grand Valley State
* Hope College
* Bard College

I also applied to some comp sci programs at Binghamton University, UMass - Amherst, WSU, Harvey Mudd, UIUC. Did anyone here apply to these? Heard anything?

I think a few people have gotten offers from Cornell (check on the first couple of pages).

Has anyone heard from Mount Holyoke or Indiana?
 
  • #105
azrail911 said:
I did REU at bard college last summer, I got the result like around late April!

How was your experience? What did you work on? This is one of the few programs who's project descriptions I was somewhat intimidated by. I applied to this year's Supersymmetry, Graphs, and Codes project.
 
  • #106
Newtime said:
I think a few people have gotten offers from Cornell (check on the first couple of pages).

Has anyone heard from Mount Holyoke or Indiana?

One of my friends at university applied to Indiana, and I don't think he has heard back.
 
  • #107
math.py said:
How was your experience? What did you work on? This is one of the few programs who's project descriptions I was somewhat intimidated by. I applied to this year's Supersymmetry, Graphs, and Codes project.

I was a rising sophomore last year, didn't have so many advanced math courses at all. And I worked on the graphs project. Don't worry about the descriptions, the research is not overwhelming at all.
 
  • #108
Got an offer from Stanford Research Institute's PSD REU program!
 
  • #109
Apparently my friend got an offer from Indiana last night.
 
  • #110
I just got rejected from Cornell (I think? Haha). I got into Iowa State though, so it's allll good.
 
  • #111
Has anyone heard from Nebraska, Claremont, DIMACS, or UMBC's HPC?
 
  • #112
Hey, I created a facebook group for anyone accepted to the Penn State MASS program or to the Penn State REU.

Just search "MASS/REU 2011 at Penn State".

Let's keep in touch, brotha's and sista's!
 
  • #113
I got into UMBC's HPC. They've currently sent out their first offers. The rejection deadline is March 14, so they should be sending out any others within the next week.

When I talked to Grand Valley, they said offers would be going out yesterday. I didn't get one.

Hope college sent me a rejection March 18th last year, so I would imagine they are on roughly the same timeline.

Cornell sent out acceptances awhile ago. I'm not positive, but I would guess that if you haven't gotten in yet, you won't.

I emailed Harvey Mudd, as I need to decide soon on REUs. They said they would let me know by 5pm today, so I would guess they are sending the first offers out today.

Also, my friend went to the LSU REU last summer, and it was a great experience. She worked with a partner, and it was good for both advancing knowledge and socially. They have several REU programs, so you meet people across several fields. She was in computational mathematics, or something like that.

Places I haven't heard back from:Indiana, Central Michigan, Clemson, University of Nebraska.

I was also informed UNC-Greensboro has already finished their application process.

Hope this helps.
 
  • #114
Anyone heard back from UNC Asheville, Central Michigan and Bard? Thanks!
 
  • #115
I just received an REU offer in applied math, specifically "Group Theory, Probability and Card Shuffling" at SUNY Potsdam. I have until Wednesday to respond.

Has anyone got any updates from Rutgers? That is the the only applied math programs I may still be interested in (since I was denied by UCLA). Thanks in advance for your help!
 
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  • #116
klackity said:
Hey, I created a facebook group for anyone accepted to the Penn State MASS program or to the Penn State REU.

Just search "MASS/REU 2011 at Penn State".

Let's keep in touch, brotha's and sista's!

Great idea, I just joined it!
 
  • #117
This is where we are so far. Let me know if I'm missing anything or have anything wrong.

Offers sent:

Rose-Hulman, SUNY Postdam, James Madison, SMALL, Cornell, Duluth, UCLA RIPS, Emory, UNC Greensboro, Penn MASS/REU, Park City Mathematics Institute, North Carolina State, UC Santa Barbara, UMBC's HPC

No reports:

UNC Asheville, LSU, Claremont, Clemson, DIMACS, Rutgers, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Indiana, Mount Holyoke, William and Mary, Bloomington, Kent State, Bard College, BYU, Central Michigan, Kansas State, University of Wyoming, Orion University, East Tennessee State, Rochester Institute of Technology, Oregon State, Grand Valley State, Hope College, University of Nebraska
 
  • #118
kage2343 said:
I emailed Harvey Mudd, as I need to decide soon on REUs. They said they would let me know by 5pm today, so I would guess they are sending the first offers out today.

What REU is this? Is this the systems REU?
 
  • #119
math.py said:
This is where we are so far. Let me know if I'm missing anything or have anything wrong.

Offers sent:

Rose-Hulman, SUNY Postdam, James Madison, SMALL, Cornell, Duluth, UCLA RIPS, Emory, UNC Greensboro, Penn MASS/REU, Park City Mathematics Institute, North Carolina State, UC Santa Barbara, UMBC's HPC

No reports:

UNC Asheville, LSU, Claremont, Clemson, DIMACS, Rutgers, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Indiana, Mount Holyoke, William and Mary, Bloomington, Kent State, Bard College, BYU, Central Michigan, Kansas State, University of Wyoming, Orion University, East Tennessee State, Rochester Institute of Technology, Oregon State, Grand Valley State, Hope College, University of Nebraska

I think Texas A&M has started to send out offers.
It really bothers me that I have not gotten a rejection from RIPS. I am aware that a lot of offers have been sent out though.
 
  • #120
R.P.F. said:
I think Texas A&M has started to send out offers.
It really bothers me that I have not gotten a rejection from RIPS. I am aware that a lot of offers have been sent out though.

Pretty easy to find out. I called them and they told me I didn't get a spot >_<
 

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