Before we begin, let me preface with introducing myself and explaining why I’m writing this post. In undergrad, the summer before my senior year, I applied for 10 programs and was accepted into 7. This is an unusually high acceptance rate, and since then, I have been helping students with their own applications. I just helped ~15 students with their applications, and figured making a general guide would serve me well in the future. To start, my “stats” (which people seem to care about, but you should keep in perspective everyone is different), were the following:
Out of all my offers, I accepted my REU offer to Carnegie Mellon’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute during Summer 2023.
With that out of the way, let’s begin. Here are the most important parts of REU applications, which we will dive into more with detail afterwards:
This single essay (or combined supplemental essays) showcase you ‘why’ & passion for computer science research. While it takes self-discovery and perhaps even previous experience to know which areas of CS are attractive to you, being able to state why you are interested in a niche or sub-field of computer science is the primary focus in this essay. REU’s are great - they are able to provide a solid research experience (on a funded project) while you build meaningful academic connections; make sure to highlight why both of those benefits are of interest to you.
Your recommendation letters are an essential part of the application. These are sources that speak to your ability, credibility, and potiential as a researcher. You should aim to get these from your research advisor, mentor, or professors (that know you well; beyond just having you in a couple of classes). There is a certain timeline you should aim for, and this will be expanded upon during the application materials section below.
Notice how grades/GPA was almost last on the list? While it can help to have a GPA near 4.0, if you achieve a lower GPA while conducting research, that speaks for itself (same can be said with PhD applications – although I will save that topic for a future blog post). Source? Faculty, Students, and Admins at (and outside of) CMU that I connected with during my REU experience. Oddly enough, some even went onto say that having a 4.0 with no extra curriculars or unique experiences was almost a red flag since it just meant you were good at playing the game of school, but didn’t partake in anything further (the takeaway of these sentences should be if you don’t have a 4.0, it isn’t the end of the world AND it is beneficial to do things outside of the classroom). I digress, but let’s shift into how you can make the best application for yourself.
Oh yes, and lastly - you can’t be considered for a REU if you don’t submit your application on time. This goes for your recommendation letters as well (which are still your responsibility since they are your letters).
Perhaps you already read this somewhere else, but once your decide you want to apply to REUs, one of your first tasks is to start asking for your recommendation letters. Who do you get these from? Research advisors, faculty, or other individuals who can speak well of your abilities. Disclaimer - ask if they are able to write you a strong letter of recommendation. This not only gives them space to potientially say no (which could happen since faculty are very busy), but it also signifies that you are asking them because of your past experience and you believe they are able to capture your abilties as a student and potientally a researcher. You should ask your recommenders as soon as you know you are going to be applying for REU programs. This will give them a heads up, can give you time to prepare a list of requirements & deadlines, and will assist you in checking all the boxes on your applications.
Next up, writing your essays. These should take you a good amount of time and effort. You shouldn’t obsess over them, but you should be able to capture what you need in a short couple of pages. Back when I was applying, it was the pre-ChatGPT era – but if I had to give advice, truly draft your own essays, but check for grammar however you wish. These essays should be you laying out why you are a great candidate for this program, while highlighting your past accomplishments and future goals. ChatGPT (or other AI systems…) can’t capture these facts about yourself, and it is important that you are able to talk about yourself and your work (especially if you plan for a career in academia, but honestly overall in your career).
Lots of REU applications are due towards the end of December/Early January, however this typically corresponds with final exams and the end of the semester. Thus, it is very important that you stay on top of your work and responsibilities at your home institution while keeping an eye on the clock (or in this case, the calendar).
By far, the most important previous experience I had prior to applying was attending Carnegie Mellon’s OurCS 2022 conference and Women-in-Tech workshop. I was able to network with faculty, learn more about the university, and gain insight into a career which focused on research. Additionally, this is where I had first learned about the Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) REU program while talking to a faculty member. Afterwards, we stayed in touch and they were willing to review my REU application and provide feedback before I oficially submitted it. Main takeaway: sometimes it only takes getting your foot in the door to discover new connections and opportunities – a lot in life (& academia) is about who you know, which is to your advantage if you work on building your network in your field of interest.
Note, this blog post is solely about REU applications, in the near future, I will have one that talks about how to make the most out of your REU experience: how to build your network, setting goals for yourself, and getting the most out of your summer experience. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out via the email address listed on my contact page.