Required Materials
You will need a strong, updated resume.
You can make an appointment with Liz Karlen through Handshake to have your resume reviewed.
You may need a cover letter, personal statement, or essays. These materials can make all the difference in the world to distinguish you from other applicants. Do your homework on the person or program to which you are applying. The more your cover letter can reflect your knowledge of the research areas or program specifics, the better.
Personal Statement
You will need your academic transcript. Typically, an unofficial transcript will suffice for on-campus applications. Make sure that the formatting is sensible and intelligible. Applications for off-campus opportunities usually require an official transcript from the Registrar.
If you have research experience, great! Talk it up in all your statements. Being able to succinctly but fully describe your research experience is essential in an application.
If you do NOT have research experience, don’t worry! Have you conducted any “open ended” inquiry labs in your courses? Have you taken a “Research in…” course? Have you observed or volunteered in any laboratories? These are all experiences that you can and should write about to demonstrate that you have some lab experience. You should assume that most people think that lab courses today are still “cookbook” labs. Your ability to thoroughly and accurately describe the techniques and methodologies you have experience with can distinguish your application from others in the pool. If you do not have any of these types of lab experiences, then it is important for you to find programs and opportunities that will give you this experience.