REUs, how competitive are they?

Very. I was rejected from all five I applied to this summer, and ended up getting into the NIH summer internship program over them. One of the schools said their REU had over 3000 applicants

 

They are competitive. I did one last summer and applied to 4 or 5 places and was accepted at only one. Id say it might be a good idea to apply to a lot if you want to get one for sure.

 

I think it really depends on what your major is. Previous research experience is a must, as is a good GPA. It didn't seem like chemical engineering REU's were too competitive (could be wrong) but that is likely due to the fact that their aren't as many people applying.

 

I was accepted by a few REUs back in the day without previous research experience, but this may depend on the field (and whether your college offers undergrad research opportunities in that field). It definitely helps to have completed a lot of advanced coursework in your field and to have done well in it. Also, I have heard more than one person say that many REUs really favor people from "big name" colleges. I'm not saying that this is fair, but I definitely think that this is something that's going on out there, at least at some REUs, and you should keep this in mind when deciding how many to apply to. I'd recommend that you apply to a lot-- At least 4-5, depending on your field.

 

Are summer undergraduate research programs (SURF, SURP, etc) the same thing as REUs? These are offered in the summer at various universities. I applied to several for this summer and I got into a couple. I'm planning on going to the one at UTMB.

 

i'd say most summer research programs have a 5-15% acceptance rate depending on the program. places like UCSF are probably around 5%, and placed like Baylor/Mayo are around 10%. this is based on the numbers they gave me, but i'm sure there are programs out there that are much easier.

also, your year in college is important, too. last year, i was rejected from a couple because they said they wanted to give the experience to juniors who wouldn't be able to do research the following summer. they also rarely give positions out to freshmen. i think you don't really need prior research to get in to most programs... you just need a great essay on why you want the opportunity.