Before you apply to GROW, please read over the following information and instructions carefully:
REQUIREMENTS
--You must currently be a junior in high school.
--You must be enrolled in a high school in MA and live within a 30-mile radius of Boston.
--You must be able to attend all six weeks of the program: July 6th-August 14th M-F (9:30-4:30), as well as two days of orientation, tentatively held on June 25-26th.
--You should currently be taking, or have completed, at least one AP course. If your school does not offer AP courses, please make note of that in question #1 of your application.
--You should discuss program requirements with your parents before applying. If accepted into GROW, you will need to confirm your participation within 48 hours, so please discuss the logistical issues of participating with your parents head of time.
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
--You will be asked to select your top three subject areas on the application. Typically we are able to match students with one of their top three chocies, but cannot absolutely guaranty this will be the case. Decisions depend on the research area of faculty members who have volunteered to host a student, as well as on your background in certain content areas. We also have to consider how well the backgrounds of other participants match up with specific labs.
--We ask you to have an open mind as wherever you are placed, you will engage in an authentic research experience. It is best to focus on the process of research rather than any particular content area.
--Often research interns do not have daily contact with the Faculty Researcher, but rather with graduate students or post docs in the lab. Faculty involvement varies from lab to lab, but they are devoting lab resources to mentoring you and do oversee your participation.
--You will need to juggle your research with other commitments such as weekly meetings, field trips. journal assignments, and keeping lab notebooks. However, you are expected to be present and punctual for all aspects of the program and complete all program requirements.
If you comply with all requirements and have considered all the above points, read the directions below carefully before proceeding to the application (the ability to follow directions is a valuable research skill):
STEP 1: Click on the registration link to submit your application. Please do not ask for any references or transcripts to be submitted on your behalf until AFTER you have completed your application. It is very confusing for us to receive documents for a student who hasn't submitted an application. These papers can get lost, so to avoid confusion, complete your application before asking for your transcript and recommendations to be sent to us.
STEP 2: Once you have submitted your application, ask your two references to submit recommendations for you via this recommendation link. At least one reference must be a science or math teacher, but it is preferable that both references be either current or former math or science teachers. Please note: we do not accept recommendations from family members or friends.
STEP 3: Request that your school email an official copy of your transcript to cab@bu.edu. Please do not send a copy yourself. If your school is not set up to email your transcript, it can be faxed to 617-353-6056.
Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an email confirming that we have received your appplication. Once we have received your transcript and both recommendations, you will receive another email saying your application is complete (please allow up to 48 hrs. for this email). If you have not been informed that your application is complete, keep checking with your teachers and/or guidance counselor to ensure that all materials have been submitted. Note: Teachers who submit recommendations for you will receive an email confirmation, so if in doubt, ask them to forward you a copy of the confirmation they received.
Again, your application is not complete until you receive an email from us indicating that we have all your materials. Please DO NOT wait until the last minute to submit all your materials as you may encounter snafus and we do not grant extensions.
Remember, it is your responsibility to make sure that your application is complete and submitted by April 15th so that you can be considered for an internship.
