So you want to apply for something…

Start Searching• Summer Research:

• REU website: https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.jsp

• Through Cal Poly SLO: http://starteacherresearcher.org/application.html

• UCI SURF: http://www.grad.uci.edu/about-us/diversity/grad-prep-programs/non-uci-students/surf.html

• UCSD STARS: http://grad.ucsd.edu/degrees/summer-researches/stars/index.html

• UCR MSRIP: http://graduate.ucr.edu/msrip.html

• UCR MacREU: http://macreu.ucr.edu

• National Lab: http://science.energy.gov/wdts/suli/

Start Searching

• Astronomy specific: http://www.astrobetter.com/wiki/tiki-index.php?page=Summer+Internships

• Contact a professor at a specific university you want to work at

• Google it! “summer research XXXXX” or something such.

• Summer Research:

• NASA: https://intern.nasa.gov

• CalTech: http://sfp.caltech.edu/programs

• CSU or CSUSB specific:

• CREST: http://materials.csusb.edu

• CAMPARE: http://www.cpp.edu/~sci/physics-astronomy/research/campare.shtml

Start Searching• Graduate School:

• AIP lists of Programs:

• physics: https://www.aip.org/statistics/reports/roster-physics-2015

• astronomy: https://www.aip.org/statistics/reports/roster-astronomy-2015

• look for p = PhD. or m = masters only

• AIP Grad School Shopper: https://www.gradschoolshopper.com/gradschool/

• book in study room

• Talk to faculty members, research mentors, friends, classmates, alumni, etc.

Start Searching

• Jobs:

• Professional Organization websites: https://aas.org/jobs/job-search

• CSUSB Career Center: http://career.csusb.edu

• Talk to faculty members, research mentors, friends, classmates, alumni, etc.

Get Organized!

• Make a spreadsheet for yourself of all the programs/jobs you want to apply for and their application requirements.

• Pay special attention to deadlines, application fees (and possible fee waivers), tests needed, transcripts (official or unofficial), letters of recommendation, etc.

• Give your letter writers as much time as possible to write letters on your behalf. Send them a spreadsheet with all the info they need to write letters for you. (Provide a template shortly…)

!Last updated

4/28/16

GREAT! SO HOW DO I APPLY? It!takes!time!and!effort!to!search!for,!select!and!apply!to!programs!you!are!interested!in!–!and!it’s!time!and!effort!that!has!to!fit!in!around!all!your!other!schoolwork!!Here’s!a!suggested!timeline!that!will!help!you!plan!for!success.(!

!

CONGRATULATIONS!!Have!a!great!summer,!and!enjoy!your!undergraduate!research!experience!!

Visit!The!Resource!Toolbox!for!!more!handouts:!

The(Benefits(of(an(Undergraduate(Summer(Research(Experience(Discussing(Summer(Research(with(Your(Family(Searching(for(a(Program:(Great(Online(Search(Tools(

Creating(a(Winning(Application(Writing(Strong(Essays(and(Personal(Statements(Getting(Strong(Letters(of(Recommendation!

We’d%love%to%hear%your%thoughts%about%this%information!%%Please%take%a%few%seconds%to%share%your%ideas%at%%

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Postdoc_WhatWhyHow%

%

I. SUMMER / EARLY FALL ! Get!organized!! Begin!drafting!cover!letter!

&!personal!statement!! Update!and!revise!your!

resume!! Use!your!campus!career!and!

writing!centers!!! Discuss!the!potential!of!!

summer!research!experience!with!family(

II. FALL ! Search!for!programs.!Use!

www.pathwaystoscience.org!!! Note!application!deadlines,!requirements!and!

contacts!! Seek!input!from!peers!and!mentors!! Make!use!of!extra!time!during!Thanksgiving!break!!! Identify!&!talk!with!potential!recommenders!! Research!process!for!requesting!transcripts!! Stay!organized!!

III. EARLY TO MID WINTER ! Make!your!final!selection!of!

programs!to!apply!to!! Request!letters!of!

recommendation!2!months!in!advance!

! Polish!Q!and!reQpolish!Q!your!essays!&!cover!letter!

! Request!transcripts!!

IV. MID TO LATE WINTER ! Make!use!of!your!winter!break!

to!work!on!your!apps.!! Follow!up!with!your!

recommenders!! Make!sure!your!contact!info!

will!be!active!in!spring!! APPLY!!Complete!and!submit!

applications.!! Call!to!confirm!your!

application!was!received!in!full.!

V. SPRING ! Keep!a!look!out!.!.!.!check!your!email!!! Consider!offers:!stipend?!housing?!travel?!! Select!and!respond! VI. EARLY SUMMER ! Receive!and!read!materials!for!your!program!! Sign!and!return!forms!as!appropriate!! Join!the!programZs!listserv!or!social!media!tools!! Touch!base!with!your!recommenders!Q!let!them!

know!your!successful!outcome,!and!say!thank!you!!

http://pathwaystoscience.org/index.aspx

• Jan/Feb: Sign up for Physics GRE test

• April: Take Physics GRE

• June/July: Sign up for Physics GRE test

• Sept.: Take Physics GRE

• Fall: Sign up and take General GRE test

• Grad Check: by end of November

Selling Yourself• Personal Statements:

• Don’t be afraid to talk about your background and where you come from. You are special and have worked hard to get here, let them know that!

• Don’t be arrogant. :-(

• Why are you excited or interested in doing this research/opportunity?

• PROOFREAD - there should be no typos or grammatical errors

• Utilize the Career Center: http://career.csusb.edu

• Ask a faculty member (and others!) to read it over and give comments.

• Ideally this will be done in an iterative fashion, but we might not always have time for that.

Selling Yourself• CV versus Resume

• Curriculum Vitae:

• Used for academic applications

• no page limits typically

• Resume:

• Used for industry jobs or internships

• limited to 1-2 pages

• They contain some of the same material, but are formatted a little differently.

• Utilize the Career Center for this too!

You Got Accepted!

• Congratulations!!!!!!!

• Let us know where and when you got accepted.

• We can help you make the best decision for you.

Scholarship Programs

• High School Teacher: Noyce Program: http://noyce-scholarships.csusb.edu

• Astronomy: Cal-Bridge:http://www.cpp.edu/~sci/physics-astronomy/research/cal-bridge.shtml

• LSAMP

• Others through SPS national