It was the Fall semester of my Junior year in College. I had began thinking about how I was going to spend “the precious last summer of College before you graduate“. Up until that point, my summers had been filled with adventure. The summer after my freshman year I went back home to Nigeria for an engineering internship in a bottling company. I made some good memories there and learned about how manufacturing plants worked. The summer after my sophomore year I studied abroad in Paris, France! (That’s a whole other blog post). But now I had one last summer, and this summer would be crucial to determine what opportunities I might have after graduation. Comment below if you’ve ever felt uncertain about a choice or the next step!
I knew that I enjoyed research from my short one semester stint of undergraduate research. A professor who knew my interests mentioned that I should explore summer research programs. Not only would it be a good opportunity BUT I could also get paid! That sounded like a win-win situation to me. So, I decided that I’d apply to both internships and summer research programs and see which would work out. Turns out that the summer research programs worked out! I was accepted into a few research programs for the summer and decided to go to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for their summer research program (MSRP).
The Summer Research Application Process
The application process for these research programs were pretty straightforward. Here’s an example of MIT’s 2023 summer research eligibility: https://oge.mit.edu/msrp/application/ . It is important to check the eligibility to make sure you qualify before applying. You typically also need some short essays/ one large essay that addresses the prompt you are asked. Some of the questions are along the lines of : “Tell us about a research experience that you had” or “Tell us about how you’ve overcome certain challenges”.
You will also need to include your resume, undergraduate transcripts, and 1 or 2 letters of recommendation. Much like a graduate school application, the reviewers want to make sure you are a good fit for their research program. So, take these questions seriously.
My arrival on MIT’s campus
Aside from Texas Tech, in Lubbock, where I had gone to school until now. I had never really lived/worked anywhere else in the US. So I was pretty excited to be going all the way to Boston to work at MIT. My arrival on campus was pretty smooth. My research cohort of ~30 folks were put in small(er) groups to enable us to bond and form community. One of the students I met during the 10 weeks I spent at MIT became one of my best friends (and is currently an MD in an amazing residency program). As a cohort, when we were not busy in lab doing research, we spent a lot of time touring Cambridge and exploring what the Boston area had to offer.
PS. Boston in the summer is a breathtaking city.
My Summer Research Experience at MIT
The research experience itself was unparalleled. I worked in a group with PhD students and postdoctoral researchers building kinetic models. Everyday I showed up to work, I was constantly challenged to push beyond my current skill set to work on the frontiers of science. I fell in love with this environment that constantly challenged me to grow and deepen my research skills.
Outside of my everyday research responsibilities, my cohort and I spent some time diving into a separate unfamiliar research fields. The idea was to dissect the intellectual basis for a paper within a week, and then present your findings to the general group i.e. acting as the arbitrator of the research. As a bonus, because I was in proximity of other high achievers, there was no lack of stimulating conversations! At the end of my summer, we got to present our research to the entire MIT community which was a great way for us to network.
From Summer Research to Graduate School Applications
By the end of that summer, I had a strong sense that I needed to apply to graduate school my last year as an undergraduate. One of my biggest concerns prior to that summer was that I would be unhappy as a graduate student. However, at MIT I met so many different kinds of graduate students who seemed genuinely pleased to be there. I also got to experience what it was like to spend the majority of your time doing research, and I realized that I liked the freedom and autonomy that came with it.
As a bonus, during the summer research program, I got tips and tricks on how to prepare a strong graduate school application packet. These tips helped prepare and empower me to take on the graduate school application process. And as you know, here at the SASS, our services are designed to empower you too to take that next step.
Overall, my experience at MIT’s summer research program provided me with a unique research experience that has since opened many doors for me, even after graduate school. Take a chance on yourself today and apply to that research program!
P.S. For Nigerian Students reading this before March 1st 2023, there’s an amazing opportunity to apply for a summer research program in the US. Check out the research application here.