Should I do research this year?

[medshoes]

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I'm taking two difficult chem courses this term and advanced chem lab and a fine arts course. Should I find research to do at some lab or use the time to study and get good grades? I really want to get good grades this year. I've had research experiences that lasted only a term each, and I'm not sure how to explain to adcoms that I don't have consistent, committed research experience. I do have clinical research experience though. I had the opportunity to do an independent research project this summer, and I wrote a proposal for it, but I turned it down for an internship that paid more...

 

[NotASerialKiller]

Research isn't a must depending on what schools you're applying to. If you already have some research experience and think you're going to have a hard time keeping your grades up, then skip it. We can't really tell you how you're going to fair in those particular courses, only you know.

It sounds like if you really want meaningful research experience you should have taken that summer opportunity. Try to do that next summer if you can, it'll be a lot more useful than running a couple tests for someone else's project.

 

[Goro]

Protect that GPA!!!

 

[evansh]

Protect that GPA!!!

This. Research experience is a (relatively) easy facet to improve on an application. GPA is not. I wish I had realized this earlier (though with another EC).