<p>Summer research ([Students</a> Summer Research](<a href=“http://www.wellesley.edu/ScienceCenter/Students/summerResearch.html]Students”>http://www.wellesley.edu/ScienceCenter/Students/summerResearch.html)) is a very popular option. My friends who were accepted into the program have had great experiences. I am not a science major, but from what I understand my friends are doing serious, publishable research. They have gone to conferences and presented. My friends are also really “close” with their labs. For instance, a few weeks ago a friend went out to lunch with her lab to celebrate a coworker’s birthday. Lab professors can write good letters of recommendation because they know their students well. </p>
<p>Students can also do research in an independent study/ or thesis situation. Chem majors are required to do at least one semester of independent research ([Chemistry</a> Department Student Research](<a href=“http://www.wellesley.edu/Chemistry/_studentresearch.html]Chemistry”>http://www.wellesley.edu/Chemistry/_studentresearch.html)). </p>
<p>I think a real strength of a liberal arts school like Wellesley is that there are no TAs teaching lab sections or huge lectures. The downside to this is there are fewer courses and sections being taught.</p>
<p>I don’t know how chem and bio classes work regarding problem sets, but I know that the math and physics departments use student graders for psets. This actually works well. Students get helpful feedback on their homework, and graders get the experience of “finding where students went wrong.” Students can also apply to work as a tutor in the chem/ bio/ math/ physics/ computer science/ geoscience “help rooms” ([Wellesley</a> College Pforzheimer Learning and Teaching Center](<a href=“http://www.wellesley.edu/PLTC/QuickLinks/TutoringSchedules.html]Wellesley”>http://www.wellesley.edu/PLTC/QuickLinks/TutoringSchedules.html)) or as a peer tutor. This is not lab work, but it is certainly good practice for grad school. </p>
<p>I don’t know if the MIT- Wellesley reciprocity extends to lab research. There is UROP ([MIT’s</a> Undergraduate Research Opportunties Program (UROP)](<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/urop/]MIT’s”>http://web.mit.edu/urop/)) which is open to student from all schools. There is also REUs for undergrads.</p>