Higher education across the world has become highly competitive. Standardized Test Scores are now just bare minimum requirements. Student experiences, essays and perspectives are an important deciding factor in securing a seat at their dream University.
Writing for the Higher Education Digest, Stephen Turban, Co-founder, Lumiere Research Scholar Program brings out the importance of taking up research at high school level.
Research projects provide a unique way for students to showcase their effort, expertise and commitment to the field of interest.
Talking about how students use their research experience in their college applications, Stephen writes, “When applying for universities, we found that students took different strategies to showcase their work. Some students showcased their research in their list of activities or through a recommendation letter, to prove their academic ability and expertise. Others built on their research and reflected on their experiences in essays to demonstrate personal growth and social commitment. We also learned that accepted students were more likely to ask for a letter of recommendation from their research mentor and to talk about their research in an interview, using it as part of a narrative to demonstrate expertise in a field, commitment to a cause, or personal growth”
The trend of research projects is here to stay for a while. So if you plan to study abroad, consider research opportunities now.