Depth versus breadth in research essay

[HebbianSynapse]

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I'm working on my research essay, and I (luckily) have most of the first draft done. However, I am clearly going to exceed the character limit (it will likely reach 13,000+ characters), so I'm trying to decide whether to reduce detail in all of my projects or simply to eliminate discussing one of them.

Basically, I've worked in a genetics lab and an immunology lab (where I am currently) and I've worked with a mathematical biology group in a class that gave official course credit. The first two were very important in influencing my decision toward the MSTP while the latter, though interesting, was less critical. I regret it now, but I didn't even ask my math bio research prof for a letter. I learned some techniques and enjoyed the research and lectures, but I mainly only learned that I do not want to conduct purely mathematical research.

In my first draft of the essay, so far, I included a few paragraphs on the math bio group (totalling about 1 page double spaced.. around 2000 characters). Would it look good to keep this section in my essay despite the room its taking and despite its relative irrelevance to my future plans? In other words, are my chances of admission going to increase if I show an additional research experience (one that I would nevertheless be comfortable talking to an interviewer about)? Or is it better to focus on one's most important research projects?

 

[huseyin]

I'm working on my research essay, and I (luckily) have most of the first draft done. However, I am clearly going to exceed the character limit (it will likely reach 13,000+ characters), so I'm trying to decide whether to reduce detail in all of my projects or simply to eliminate discussing one of them.

Basically, I've worked in a genetics lab and an immunology lab (where I am currently) and I've worked with a mathematical biology group in a class that gave official course credit. The first two were very important in influencing my decision toward the MSTP while the latter, though interesting, was less critical. I regret it now, but I didn't even ask my math bio research prof for a letter. I learned some techniques and enjoyed the research and lectures, but I mainly only learned that I do not want to conduct purely mathematical research.

In my first draft of the essay, so far, I included a few paragraphs on the math bio group (totalling about 1 page double spaced.. around 2000 characters). Would it look good to keep this section in my essay despite the room its taking and despite its relative irrelevance to my future plans? In other words, are my chances of admission going to increase if I show an additional research experience (one that I would nevertheless be comfortable talking to an interviewer about)? Or is it better to focus on one's most important research projects?

I am pretty much in the same position as you are.( 4 projects to inlcude, but included 2 of them). Indeed, one of my projects were a novel statistical gene amplification prediction algorithm that I developed with another statistician. However, I chose not include that experiece for two reasons: I do not have the space, it is a little bit hard to talk about without figures. Honestly, I have around 10,000 charecters and most of the admission comittee members who have read the essay said even that was too long🙁 So, my suggestion is:"Include one of the most important previous experience(something yielded some sort of publication or the one that you liked most) and include your most recent project and tell them about your thought process.
Good Luck.
\ huseyin

 

[Reimat]

Hey guys- I'm working on the md/phd and research essays at the moment too, and I figured I would ask your opinions of what the essays are and see if they match up with mine. It's somewhat hard to know what the two are specifically asking, since there are no prompts.

I got the impression that the md/phd essay is where you explain why you want do an md/phd and how research influenced that. The research essay is susposed to talk about the work you did in research- not explain why the experience was meaningful to you. To quote one of my chemistry professors "Phd committees do not care about you as a person- they want to know you will be productive graduate machine." I have four experience to write about too, and haven't run over yet. However, this is because my research essay is very different from the med school and md/phd essays which are formally written essays, whereas the RE is just a summary of exactly that.

I'm curious to what people's opinions are on how to write the research experience essay? Thanks

 

[Reimat]

Oh, and I didn't mean to make it sound like I was implying you guys wrote the research experience essay in any specific way, I was just writing what I was told not to do- which is certainly up for debate. I feel like it's just not exactly clear what is wanted...

 

[bottles999]

Hey guys- I'm working on the md/phd and research essays at the moment too, and I figured I would ask your opinions of what the essays are and see if they match up with mine. It's somewhat hard to know what the two are specifically asking, since there are no prompts.

I got the impression that the md/phd essay is where you explain why you want do an md/phd and how research influenced that. The research essay is susposed to talk about the work you did in research- not explain why the experience was meaningful to you. To quote one of my chemistry professors "Phd committees do not care about you as a person- they want to know you will be productive graduate machine." I have four experience to write about too, and haven't run over yet. However, this is because my research essay is very different from the med school and md/phd essays which are formally written essays, whereas the RE is just a summary of exactly that.

I'm curious to what people's opinions are on how to write the research experience essay? Thanks

Just to throw my 2 cents in to this...

I simply provided a summary of the work and the findinds and my role in the program and anything significant about it. One other thing I didnt see mentioned that I pulled out was what, if anything, I gained from it skill-wise. I too talked in depth on 4 of the projects that I have worked/researched on.

Good Luck!

 

[Reimat]

Just to throw my 2 cents in to this...

I simply provided a summary of the work and the findinds and my role in the program and anything significant about it. One other thing I didnt see mentioned that I pulled out was what, if anything, I gained from it skill-wise. I too talked in depth on 4 of the projects that I have worked/researched on.

Good Luck!

Thanks- I think I've focused in on what I wanted to talk about now, and after a little editing should be done.

 

[Reimat]

I'm so close to submitting my app that I can taste it... I'm so sick of writing essays and re-writing and editing. I guess submitting the AMCAS is a bittersweet victory because it will simply start the onslaught of secondaries to fill out. Oh well... 🙄

 

[nadica31]

Hey Guys,
when you wrote the research essay, i know it says if we have a publication, to cite it fully in the work/experiences. Did you cite a publication and also explain the project( in the experience description section, 1325 characters or so) or you simply just wrote the references. Oh and another thing, do you include pubs of which you r a first author, or a co-author, because the AMCAS states, include publications of which you are an author. I have three of which I am a co-author, but none a first author 🙁
Thnx

 

[HebbianSynapse]

Hey Guys,
when you wrote the research essay, i know it says if we have a publication, to cite it fully in the work/experiences. Did you cite a publication and also explain the project( in the experience description section, 1325 characters or so) or you simply just wrote the references. Oh and another thing, do you include pubs of which you r a first author, or a co-author, because the AMCAS states, include publications of which you are an author. I have three of which I am a co-author, but none a first author 🙁
Thnx

I hope they mean we can include both kinds of authorships on papers. This is probably the case since most people don't have first authorships.. it's often a matter of luck whether they get enough data.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

seriously, put down all your publications. this emphasis on first author publications is quite surprising and shocking to me. in 99% of instances, undergrads aren't expected to have first author publications. heck, given how postdocs and grad students struggle to get first author pubs, what crazy person would expect to see an undergrad MSTP applicant to have a first author paper?

the most important thing is that REGARDLESS of whether you have a publication (regardless of your authorship status), if you decide to talk about your research, you should be able to communicate your understanding of the project, results, and future implications that stem from the data. if you have 3 first author publications in Science, Cell, and Nature but you come across as a complete ****** when talking about your papers during the interview, you are basically screwed.