Value of unpublished research

keellota
Mon, 04 Oct 2010 01:23:36 +0000

I’m doing biophysics research at a local university this semester for 8-10 hrs/wk.

I got into this research after an injury barred me cross country, my main fall EC. Undertaking some sort of research sounded like the most enjoyable plausible alternative (to doing nothing).

Rather than the normal route of formulating some idea and finding a professor to support it, I searched through the research going on at this university, found a professor with an interesting research focus, and managed to acquire a research position with him. (So there goes creativity and originality)

This position isn’t paid or for credit, nor is it an internship. I most likely won’t get anything published, and my research isn’t anything groundbreaking, as you would see in Intel/Siemens. All I will potentially have is a recommendation from my mentor.

All that said, will this help my application at all? (or maybe even a lot?) I’ve gathered that research is a major plus for admissions to MIT, and other top schools as well… but I wonder how well this holds for minor research, such as mine.