Boost Your College Admissions with Research

It’s no secret that colleges favor students who are lifelong learners, dedicated to their individual and societal advancement. As a research university, Stanford’s mission statement is to “extend the frontiers of knowledge.” Likewise, Yale values students that “stretch the limits of their talents, and those with an outstanding public motivation.” What better way to show these than engaging in a research project? Afterall, conducting research requires intellectual curiosity and motivation to extend their knowledge past its limits.

Getting Started

Much like discovering your true passion, selecting the right research project for you can be a daunting task. However, here are a few tips to get you started:

• Find something you are genuinely interested in. What is something that you wonder about? Is it something that keeps you wondering and if so, what would you like to know more about? Perhaps living with your grandparents has inspired you to learn more about dementia villages and how to reinstate autonomy in an elderly population.
• Start with an academic course. Is there a course or topic that you would like to learn more about? Maybe learning about CRISPR inspired you to use it in your local pest control program, eliminating disease-harboring mosquitoes and itchy summer nights.

 Next Steps: Choosing a Research Program

There are several methods to conducting research and it is important to choose the one that best suits your needs.

• Independent Research is often the easiest method for people who have an established independent research program at their school. This could look like a senior capstone project, AP Research, or an extended research assignment that they work on under the mentorship of their faculty. Generally speaking, most students who engage in independent research begin with a phenomenon that they are curious about that they then develop into an extensive literature review. This could then culminate into a paper, presentation, or project at the end of the designated period.

• Professor-Led Research (Often Unpaid) is often the most-daunting research opportunity for students who have difficulty messaging professors at local colleges and universities, who they often have no connection to whatsoever. The best way to approach this is to identify a professor whose research peaks your interest. Look through their published articles and really consider the effects of their research as something you will potentially study. In the most sincere and formal way you can, message the professor expressing your interest and desire to work in the field, making sure to state any relevant skills and academic knowledge around their research. You may not immediately receive the research position you want, but you will be surprised as to what these connections may present you.

• University Research Programs like Northwestern Center for Talent Development, Research Science Institute, and Yale Young Global Scholars are excellent programs for students who are interested in experiencing life as a college student. Programs like these are often on college campuses across the country and include a wide range of fields from humanities to biomechanical engineering. These sought-after programs are highly competitive and as such, admitted students often have previous research experience.

• Online Research Programs Pioneer Academics, Lumiere Research Scholar Program, and Polygence are great alternatives to in-person research. Often run by current college faculty, graduate students, and/or prestigious college alumni, these research programs pair students with current researchers to conduct industry-level research. These opportunities are also paired with an opportunity to publish their work in competitions and relevant journals, some at an added fee.

No matter the option we highly recommend our students to get started as soon as they can. Oftentimes students that conduct research continue to do so throughout their college careers and for those looking to discover a new passion, research is a great way to do so.

Key Takeaways

• Choose an area of interest to study
• Decide which research option is within your means (independent study, professor-led research, university research, and online research programs).