I am current freshman M.E. major and originally thought I would apply to several NSF REU’s over the holiday break. As I thought more about it I realized the improbability for a freshman to get a position. I pose this question to user’s with REU experience, What application qualities do the professors who organize REU’s look for? I have a 3.77 from the fall semester but other than that I don’t know would make me ‘stand out.’
REU coordinators say that they want students whom are interested in research and possible/eventual graduate study. A good GPA is important but demonstrating interest is equally important. Your personal statement has to hit the mark. That being said, I haven’t seen many REU for Mech Engineering majors. More likely you will see invitations for ChE and Materials Science majors. Not exclusively, however. Just do your background search to see who wants ME majors.
Good idea to apply. DS did that his freshman year. It didn’t yield a match that year, but it helped him understand the process and timing.