Filling out application, research experience help?

[panvard92]

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I'm filling out an application for a prof I might work for over the summer, but I'm a little confused about what it means with these questions:

1) Brief description of each research experience I've had - does this mean what I did in the lab, or what the lab did (like, what the research overall was about)? Or both?

2) Research advisor - um, is this PI or the person I actually worked with (I usually aided grad students with their projects)? ...or...both of them?

3) Dates - do I need exact dates or is MM/YYYY okay? (because I don't have the exact dates, and they don't specify how to format it)

4) Honors/Awards - as a freshman in college...the only thing I have is 1) Deans List from 1st semester, and 2) High school stuff (which don't seem important now)...what do people usually write here?


Sorry if the questions are a little elementary, buuut it's the first time I've filled out something like this and I'm not sure what they're exactly asking me...so, please help me, and thanks! 😕

 

[fizzgig]

1- Since it's for a research position, my guess would be more 'what you did'. You can bring the project into it a bit but I doubt you need to write a full summary of the lab's work or anything (for example, "Coded algorithm to model cell movement for project aimed at discovering _researchprojectaims_").
2- PI I'd think
3- MM/YYYY is prob fine

just my guesses

 

[hopefuldoc97239]

1- Since it's for a research position, my guess would be more 'what you did'. You can bring the project into it a bit but I doubt you need to write a full summary of the lab's work or anything (for example, "Coded algorithm to model cell movement for project aimed at discovering _researchprojectaims_").
2- PI I'd think
3- MM/YYYY is prob fine

just my guesses

I agree with these pieces of feedback, except that I think for #1 you want to be both broad and narrow:

• Do specify the particulars of the work you did, that way the adcom will know you did more than just wash glassware. Unless that's all you did, in which case don't get specific.
• Show that you also understand the big picture of the research you're doing.
• Try to relate your particular role to the big picture.