DragonX Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 I've finally decided to come out from just lurking and become more active around the forum! This site has been incredibly helpful for me .... thank you so much to everyone for sharing their experience and knowledge . I've been told I'm on the late side for doing this, but is anyone else sending out e-mails to apply for research positons now (for the summer)? I'm fairly inexperienced at this .. I was thinking it might be neat to hear what others are including and collaborate. Below are a list of things I've brainstormed. -My name and contact information -My year of study, program I'm in, courses I've taken ... a sentence or two of how I'd like to experience research firsthand and see what it's like (I have no previous experience) -A sentence or two about the project the supervisor is working on & why I'm interested in it (to show I've taken the intiative to read about what he's researching) -Willingness to learn & work hard/ volunteer if I can't get a paid position This will be my first experience (if I get the opportunity) to take part in any research. I'm pretty excited Does anyone have any tips? Is it better to just send e-mails or see people in person/call? Also, is it absolutely mandetory that you include a transcript with the e-mail? I made some mistakes first year and landed some low marks in a few courses... my guess is that my transcript would do more bad than good for me. This part is a bit more specific to UofT students.. I'm considering the ROP299 course at UofT and I know some people are contacting professors/other researchers (ie. at hospitals) that aren't on the "list" to be their supervisor. What do you write to request if they can be your supervisor for the course? Thank you in advance for any comments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liverpool Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 You are a bit late but you might be able to snag up a volunteer position somewhere (for future reference, I recommend looking for paid positions like at hospitals and NSERC USRAs in late November/early December--considerably earlier than most if not almost all applicants but it doesn't hurt to get the PI's attention early) Make sure to attach your transcript (if you're at U of T just take a screenshot of your academic history from ROSI) and resume Also, I would (smoothly) incorporate your GPA and relevant coursework into the actual body of the email...many PIs get TONNES of emails about these things (eg. a popular researcher in the Sick Kids summer research program gets hundreds of emails regarding a position) and this is an easy way to make yourself standout (if you have a strong GPA), since they often don't have the time to review each request fully or even look at the resume and transcript Research positions--especially if it's your very first one and are young (first or second year undergrad)--are relatively hard to come by unless you have connections or PERSIST...keep firing out emails and talking to different researchers, ask your profs and TAs for advice as well, find out when your desired researcher's office hours are and schedule a meeting or JUST SHOW UP (don't be rude obviously, but it'll put them on the spot, and if they're nice they might feel more inclined to do something for you in response to your initiative) Happy hunting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonX Posted February 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 Thank you for the advice ! I have a couple of questions: - Is GPA the defining factor in the selection of research positions? I messed up my first year so my transcript is a bit of a mess. I'm working hard to correct my mistakes, my first semester of second year is better, and I'm expecting a solid second semester. As a whole, I think my trasncript would deter a supervisor though.. my first year transcript is shaky and I have LWDs on it. Would you advise that I include it anyways? -Also, I'm not sure whether to say I'm in first or second year. This year is my second year at UofT but by counting credits, I am a first year student. At the end of first year, I had 3 credits. I'm carrying a full courseload this year but since I have full year courses, I still only have 4 credits as of the first semester of this year. -When you submit your resume, is it advisable to filter out activities that wouldn't be relevant? I'm a swim/skate instructor and huge chunk of my resume is dedicated to that. I also have a bunch of other ECs that aren't particularily related to research. -If you you meet a prof. in person, do you just introduce yourself and say you read about your research and are interested in learning more? Are they generally receptive to making appointments if you are not in their class? I want to try this but I'm not exactly sure what I would say :S Thank you so much again, I appreciate your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osteon Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 Thank you for the advice ! I have a couple of questions: - Is GPA the defining factor in the selection of research positions? I messed up my first year so my transcript is a bit of a mess. I'm working hard to correct my mistakes, my first semester of second year is better, and I'm expecting a solid second semester. As a whole, I think my trasncript would deter a supervisor though.. my first year transcript is shaky and I have LWDs on it. Would you advise that I include it anyways? -Also, I'm not sure whether to say I'm in first or second year. This year is my second year at UofT but by counting credits, I am a first year student. At the end of first year, I had 3 credits. I'm carrying a full courseload this year but since I have full year courses, I still only have 4 credits as of the first semester of this year. -When you submit your resume, is it advisable to filter out activities that wouldn't be relevant? I'm a swim/skate instructor and huge chunk of my resume is dedicated to that. I also have a bunch of other ECs that aren't particularily related to research. -If you you meet a prof. in person, do you just introduce yourself and say you read about your research and are interested in learning more? Are they generally receptive to making appointments if you are not in their class? I want to try this but I'm not exactly sure what I would say :S Thank you so much again, I appreciate your help. Most undergraduate positions, and especially government funded positions (ex. NSERC) are highly GPA based; not necessarily cGPA, but strong in your most recent coursework. So if it is a paid position you are seeking, you will likely have no choice but to hand over your transcripts at some point or another, so I'd just submit it right of the bat. If it's a volunteer position, you could maybe get away with just the resume. Include everything in your resume. Evidence of a balanced lifestyle is beneficial for any position, so don't remove anything; show them who you really are. I would not approach a professor directly for a position. It will be very invasive to them (not a good thing to do to the person your asking to get hired by) and they won't give you an answer on the spot anyways. You are much better off to send a formal email to inform them of your interest and to inquire about position availability. In the email, include your name, program, year, how you found out about them, why you want to get involved in research and specifically with their research, and what qualifies you do do their research. Do not tell them it's because you want to get into med school because they probably won't care. Also, don't write up a 3 hour screenplay; keep it concise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liverpool Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 I agree with what Osteon is saying for the most part... Unfortunately, GPA is really the only objective indicator of academic/research ability without any prior experience...if two students send a prof polite emails, the one who gets the volunteer job will be the one with the higher GPA I disagree though about the going in to meet them part...most students will not do this so you stand out just for that, you shouldn't be rude and demanding but if you come in and basically say "hey I really like your research and I want to get some research experience...are there any opportunities in your lab or can you give me any advice" (+ small talk and flowery stuff) most profs won't tell you to go away and, if you seem like a nice guy or girl, many may want to do you a favour ---you could use this to your advantage if your GPA isn't stellar...the prof may not pick a random student with a lower GPA but they may pick one they like regardless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treejuice1 Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 Some PIs are more easy going than others but the ones that I have worked for are so busy that there isn't a chance that they would entertain an undergrad student just dropping in unannounced. The student would probably just be told to send an email with all the relevant info. I would probably attach the transcript even if you're not proud of it. I'm sure it does happen but I haven't heard of anyone landing a summer job without being asked for their transcript. If the PI is someone that is busy and has many other applicants, they may not even bother emailing you back to ask for it Anyway, definitely look through online directories of researchers and avoid profs that teach at the undergraduate level because they'll likely be swamped with prospective summer students. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonX Posted March 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 Sweet, I thank you everyone for your opinions ! I appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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