<p>Planning to get research experience is different than actually having it, especially since it can sometimes be difficult to get meaningful research experience as a freshman. I’d still recommend taking more time to get research experience and to figure out what type of research you want to do before going into a PhD program. Not only will it make you a more competitive candidate for grad school, it will give you more time to get letters of rec, more opportunities for presentations/posters/papers, and will give you a better idea of what you want to research and where you want to go. Keep in mind that if you’re going to go to grad school directly from undergrad, you’ll likely be applying in the fall or winter of your last year. If you graduate in three years, you may only realistically have one (or two summers) of research experience. Two at most, if you manage to do research your entire freshman and sophomore years. Your sophomore and junior years–when many students get quality research and internship experiences–will play a big role in making you a more prepared and competitive applicant for graduate school. You may find yourself taking the GRE and researching programs during your sophomore year, when you’ve only had one year of college and may not have a great idea of what type of program you’d like or what type of research you’d like to do.</p>
<p>Getting a masters and then going into a PhD program after undergrad is another option, but may take more time and money than taking the extra year in undergrad to make yourself a competitive applicant and then entering a direct PhD program, unless you get into a 1 year funded Master’s program, which may be difficult.</p>
<p>I’m not saying you can’t be a competitive applicant for graduate school after three years. It’s just less likely. Don’t underestimate the value of that extra experience. Alternatively, you could also take a gap year or two.</p>