[LTER-education] REU application help

[Hart, Clarisse]

Hi Alex,
What a good and important question!

I have a few answers from Harvard Forest:

  *   We ask applicants for a short essay, put a strong emphasis on their letters of reference, and just generally try to articulate in our call for applications that we are looking for students with enthusiasm and a willingness to learn, rather than an A+ resume full of experience. (see "how to apply" here: https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/education/reu-apply)
  *   We have partnered with this org https://www.cur.org/ and had many conversations in order to help us make our recruitment and application process (and summer program in general) more approachable for community college students. And we end up hiring several each year.
  *   Our REU program leaders are VERY proactive about making priority students (racial/ethnic minorities, first-gen, community college) stand out to mentors in the hiring process (since each mentor conducts their own hiring process from the list of program applicants). They go through the applications before anyone else sees them and makes specific notes in the system about each student from a priority group, trying to "see through" some of the issues you articulated in your email (lack of direct experience) and point out projects they may be particularly competitive for, for xyz reasons.
  *   Video, etc., is a great idea!

-Clarisse

From: education <education-bounces at lists.lternet.edu> On Behalf Of Alexandra Rose
Sent: Friday, February 15, 2019 3:54 PM
To: education <education at lternet.edu>
Subject: [LTER-education] REU application help

Hi Everyone,
Niwot Ridge is in the process of revisiting how we recruit and review prospective REU applicants. In particular, we are increasingly partnering with regional community colleges for various things, and I'm hoping that we can find our two REU students this year  through some of the contacts we've developed at those colleges. Normally we ask REU applicants to submit cover letters, resumes, transcripts, etc. But I realize that many of the community college students that we would like to apply may not have any relevant prior research experience, or even very many of the courses that one would expect to see on a transcript. I'm curious if any other sites have grappled with this, and whether you have some kind of alternative application expectations... personal essays, questions, even video submissions that might better assess the motivation and character of students who aren't coming via a traditional 4 year science major college route?

Thanks, all!
Alex

Alexandra P. Rose, PhD
CU Science Discovery
Niwot Ridge and McMurdo LTER
4001 Discovery Dr., 610 UCB
SEEC, Room S230B
Boulder, CO 80309
Teen Science Café<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.colorado.edu_sciencediscovery_programs_teen-2Dscience-2Dcafe&d=DwMFAw&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=JIxZ-AFpuKPv2mz1PYfwckARh16Laz2TrneksBiVXcE&m=8zcQGsz1--aZVWS-n9cWw71vSTohf1XOPTqA3eNZG3E&s=rcwwNS7aHrBfu4nNiwejg8pHzVA72nZvq9rGsbhmW6o&e=>

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