We expect to notify applicants no later than April 1st
of our final decision regarding their application. In unusual circumstances,
a student may be placed on a waiting list for the program. In that
case, a final decision will be rendered as quickly as possible.
Applications for the SURF Program have increased each
year since it began. Last year, over 140 students applied. We expect
to admit 10-20 students for Summer 2008, depending on final funding
availability.
If you are a BU student, you are not eligible for the SURF program. This program is designed for students from
other colleges and universities. However, UROP's main summer program is for BU students exclusively. Please
visit the application
information section of the UROP website to learn more
about opportunities available on campus to BU students. You may also visit the summer programs section of our website (or come by the UROP office) for information on summer opportunities here and away from BU.
Do my letters of recommendation and official transcript
need to arrive in the same envelope?
No. They can arrive separately or together. Letters of
recommendation that are sent as part of a package should be individually
sealed by the person making the recommendation with their signature across
the seal. Regardless, they must arrive by the application deadline of
February 15, 2008.
Who should I get my recommendations from
and what should they include?
Generally, your two required recommendations should be
from faculty members who can speak to your academic potential. A
well-prepared recommendation should evaluate your strengths and weaknesses
as well as your potential as a researcher, any laboratory skills of
which the recommender has knowledge, and your general character. Solicit
your recommendations from professors you feel comfortable with well
in advance of the deadline and ask frankly if the professor feels that
s/he can give you a strong recommendation for the program. If you have
previously been involved in research, it is generally to your advantage
to get one of your recommendations from the professor who supervised
that research, even if it was at a different school. Recommendations
should be submitted on letterhead stationary. Recommendations are weighted
heavily in the selection process, so it is important to make sure they
are submitted on time. It is the applicant's responsibility to make
sure both recommendations are submitted by the deadline. Also,
be sure that your professors know to include your full name as you
put it on the application in the recommendation.
We discourage emailed recommendations. If absolutely
necessary, emails may be sent to urop@bu.edu with the subject "SURF
recommendation." Circumstances that are "absolutely necessary"
may include a professor who is abroad and without access to a reliable
mail system that can ensure receipt of the recommendation by the deadline
or other similar situation. Please note that emailed recommendations must include
contact information (name, address, email address, and phone number)
of the person who is making the recommendation or they will not be
accepted. We may follow up with the sender to ensure authenticity of
emailed recommendations.
Will I automatically receive confirmation that my supporting
materials have arrived?
When all your supporting materials have arrived, you
will receive a message that your application is complete. You are welcome
to send an email to urop@bu.edu to
request your application status. Applications will
not be considered complete until all supporting documentation is received.
What are the selection criteria? What is the selection process?
Admission to the SURF Program is based on a number of factors, including
the applicants' higher education and career goals, personal statements,
project interests, academic record, and availability of a suitable research
mentor with whom to match the student. All applications are reviewed
by the program staff, with top applications being reviewed by potential
faculty matches.
I don't see a project listed that is in a field I'm interested in. Can
I still apply?
Yes. Any listed projects are given as examples of opportunities
that are available for Summer 2008 and are our primary source of mentors.
However, for applicants selected, we will attempt to match them with
mentors who did not submit a specific project.
Generally, SURFs are awarded in the life sciences, physical
sciences, engineering, and mathematics. This includes Astronomy, Biology,
Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, and
some areas of Psychology, as well as all areas of Engineering at BU (Aerospace,
Biomedical, Computer, Electrical, Manufacturing, and Mechanical).
For students who are selected to receive a Summer Undergraduate
Research Fellowship, we have a limited budget for travel subsidies. We
attempt to be able to reimburse participants for the cost of their travel
expenses to and from Boston, which generally consists of round-trip airfare
(economy class only). Students participating in the program will be asked
to save all receipts and boarding passes. For accepted students, we may
be able to arrange for your travel through the university's travel agent.
We recommend strongly against having a car in Boston for
the summer. The public transportation system is excellent, parking stickers
are expensive (over $300 for the summer) and do not guarantee you a spot,
and the travel subsidy may not cover all of your driving expenses.
Student who receive SURF awards will receive housing
at no cost to them in an apartment-style double room for the duration
of the program. Apartments have their own kitchen and bathroom areas
and generally house 2-4 students depending on the particular building's
set up. Move in and out will be one day before and after the official
start and end dates of the program. Participants are not required to
live in University housing for the summer, but will not receive a subsidy
for non-BU housing. We do not have housing available for married undergraduates
or any other couples arrangements.
The SURF Program does not provide a meal plan to students.
Participants may elect to pay for a plan themselves. Each apartment-style
residence includes kitchen facilities, though students will have to supply
their own pots, pans, and other kitchen supplies.
