<p>Ditto collegealum314. S started working with a local prof junior year. He emailed a couple profs at the school, interviewed, chose one, and they started getting together every week or two. Because his project was theoretical, he didn’t need lab space. Most of his work was done at home.</p>
<p>He did not do his project with the intention of submitting it to Siemens and Intel, though he ultimately did, and did very well. I think that spoke to his unexpected finding (which the mentor specifically discussed in his letter), a very well-written paper and the sheer enjoyment he got from his work.</p>
<p>Don’t do research because you think it will get you into MIT. Do it because you love it. The awards are purely secondary, and their use as a hook is questionable at best.</p>