Proof of research experience?

b_r_um
Fri, 16 Nov 2012 22:07:34 +0000

Someone on this board once wrote: “If you can get away with it, it’s not worth lying about.”

I can claim to have all sorts of research experience on my CV, but without any external “evidence”, that could actually reflect poorly on me. What conclusion would you draw if I told you that I had worked on some project for a year without any tangible results (publications, awards, letters of recommendations, etc)? Probably that I wasn’t very productive during that time.

Also keep in mind that many fields conduct interviews during the admissions process. If you can’t elaborate on the details of a project you’ve worked on, you are not going to leave a good impression…