Boston University Research Internship

JMAN1211
Tue, 04 Apr 2006 21:46:24 +0000

I went this summer, and it was really awesome; you learn so much, but they dont push you to do work. If you want to accomplish something, you have to have the drive to accomplish it, they wont baby you for too long.
I got in with a 3.58 uw GPA, but also a 4.47 w GPA. My SAT was a 2150 (660V, 720M, 770W). I was told my programming experience is what got me in. There were some amazing kids there.
People from the program that I know got into: 2 MIT, 1 Stanford, 1 Columbia, 1 Cornell, 1 Harvard, 1 Duke, 1 Swarthmore, and others.
They get quite a few applications, I dont want to put a number on it, but it isnt low. If you dont get in, they offer you a sport in regular high school honors, so I met many people that were not accepted.
My project was on superconductivity and I studied under a professor emeritus in the physics laboratory. I honestly didnt know much about physics, I basically got in because a person dropped out a few weeks before the program and I was offered an alternate spot. I did know, however, how to program, and I created a Josephson junction simulator.
In all honesty, the projects they do at BU are not Intel/Siemens worthy. It actually depends, if you have enough motivation and can work fast enough they can be; but it is ONLY a 6-week program. I entered my project into Siemens and did not make semi-finalist; however, one person did.
To sum it up, it is an amazing experience. Six weeks in Boston having fun, doing research, and just experiencing all of these different perspectives from all of these different people. You learn more than you bargain for, but that is the beauty; through it, I have learned that research is something I want to continue pursuing. I hope you get in and choose to go, you wont regret it.