Students

Choose reference writers who know you well and can speak to your strengths, regardless of their affiliation. Referees needn’t be faculty but should be able to comment on your skills relevant to the program, such as academic/research experience, analytical and communication abilities, creativity, and ability to work on a team. Don’t choose referees who are family members or close family friends.

Because we receive nearly 500 applications every year for the Harvard Forest Summer Research Program, we are unable to provide detailed feedback to anyone that we are unable to hire. The most common reasons that an applicant was not hired are listed below.

1. The applicant’s aspirations and goals do not match up well with projects. There is intense competition for each position. Applicants whose personal aspirations, educational pathways, or career goals as discussed in their essay do not fit well with a particular project are unlikely to be hired. For example, if a student writes that s/he is pursuing a goal in wetland management or pollution control but has identified a project on small mammal dynamics in hemlock forests as her/his first choice, there is a clear mismatch.

 2. The applicant’s letters of recommendation are non-specific or weak. It is very important that the faculty advisor, teacher, or employer writing a letter of recommendation writes a strong letter that is focused on the match between the summer research program/project and the applicant’s aspirations and goals. Students not only should ask a potential reference if s/he can write a letter of recommendation but also should ask if s/he can write a strong letter of recommendation. Follow up with a discussion of the summer research program and how it meshes with the student’s short- and long-term goals.

 3. The applicant lacks particular skills. Although most of our projects do not require particular skills, some do. For example, projects involving computer programming may require that students already have facility with a specific programming language such as Java, R, or C. For other projects, demonstration of work-skills, commitment to a job, or leadership will be more important.

 4. The applicant has too much previous REU experience. Summer research programs like that at Harvard Forest are Research Experiences for Undergraduates. In general, we hire students who have not had a previous paid summer or academic-year research internship so that we can provide them with a first research experience.

 5. The applicant is not academically well prepared. Demonstration that the applicant has had lab- or field-based coursework that emphasizes the scientific method is important. We do not use a particular grade-point average (GPA) as a reason to decline an applicant. However, reasons for unusually poor grades in science courses should be discussed in essays and/or letters of recommendations.

 6. The applicant is indifferent or unenthusiastic during the application process or interviews. One of the most important characteristics of successful applicants is enthusiasm. It is important to respond promptly to e-mails and be available for scheduled interviews. We seek students who not only really want to do research in the summer but also really want to do that research at the Harvard Forest. This is not simply another internship.

 7. The applicant is disrespectful during interviews. The Harvard Forest Summer Research Program is an intensive 11-week residential experience. Students ranging in age from 17 to > 40, coming from different parts of the world and with different backgrounds, live together, work together, and play together all summer. It is important that the participants demonstrate an ability to respect their peers and mentors.

 8. The applicant cannot be here for the full length of the program. Students are expected to be at the Harvard Forest from the day before the program starts until the last day of the program. In most years, the program starts the 3^rd week of May and ends the first week of August. Trimesters that run into mid-June, extended summer vacations, or other conflicts rarely can be accommodated.

 9. The applicant currently is not enrolled in a 2- or 4-year college or university. The vast majority of the available funding for our summer research program can be used only to support undergraduate students (including students who are planning to enroll as freshman in the coming fall). Only on rare occasions can we can support one or two students who have already graduated from college or who are already enrolled in a M.Sc. program.

 10. The applicant is not a U.S. citizen or green-card holder. The vast majority of the available funding for our summer research program can be used only to support students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Only on rare occasions can we can support one or two students who are neither U.S. citizens nor permanent residents.

 11. There are simply too many good applicants. Even after we have winnowed the applicant pool based on the preceding ten criteria, there are still far more highly qualified applicants than we can possibly hire in any given summer. If the applicant is willing, we can share their application with other REU programs with which we interact.



The core of our funding is for undergraduate students who are enrolled in a 2 or 4 year colleges during and after the summer program.   Students on leave from their undergraduate program and students who have completed their associates degree (2 year program) and are going on to get a bachelor's degree (4 year program) are also encouraged to apply and will be considered as part of the general applicant pool. Students who have already obtained a bachelors degree, will obtain one by the time the summer program begins, or who are currently enrolled in a graduate program are welcome to apply but should be aware that we may not have funding for any such positions.

Projects require that students start with the program and stay for the full 11 weeks.  If you cannot participate fully in the program, you are still welcome to apply, just note the dates you will be available clearly at the top of your personal essay. 

The application is hosted on the NSF Education and Training Application (ETAP) platform. For questions about an application, please refer to the ETAP FAQ (https://etap.nsf.gov/faq), and then if you cannot find an answer to your question, reach out to etaphelp@nsf.gov.

If your school has funding for student summer research projects, please do apply for the funding. We only admit the exact number of students we have funding for but often have additional projects for which we do not have sufficient funds to support a student. Students who are able to obtain support  from other sources to defray travel costs, stipends, research supplies, etc.  should indicate this on their application. This supplemental funding often allows us to support additional students.

Note: Securing external funding does not gurantee a position in the summer program.

Student compensation includes the following:

• Stipend of $7700 for the 11-week session
• Free furnished housing at Fisher or Raup House
• Free full meal plan
• Travel to/from Harvard Forest at the beginning and end of the summer

Students work typically 40 hours per week, however actual hours vary depending on project needs. Some projects require early morning, late night or weekend work; details will be included in the project description, and will be discussed by the researcher/mentor during the interview process. Work includes all aspects of the research process, including field and laboratory data collection, data management and analysis, and developing methods, proposals, and presentations. In addition, there are one-hour educational workshops and seminars held one to two evenings per week after dinner. All participants are required to attend these educational programs. 

Most mentors look at applicants who picked their projects as a first or second choice, and sometimes at applicants who picked projects in related areas. What is most important to a mentor varies greatly. Some emphasize previous coursework, good grades, extracurricular activities, or relevant work experience, where as other mentors look for a student with excellent potential but in need of a first research experience. The one area all mentors agree is invaluable is the personal essay as a discussion of the applicant's background and his/her interest in the projects offered in this year's program. Avoid submitting a generic essay with the theme that this would be a good internship experience for you or that it will help you get into graduate or professional school. Instead, pick your projects carefully, then spend time using your personal essay to explain your selections. The best applicants spend time perusing the Harvard Forest web site and craft a thoughtful essay about their individual interests, why they have picked the projects listed, why the Harvard Forest in particular interests them, and how this internship program will help them further develop their career goals. This of course takes more time, but investing an hour or two in research and writing your essay often makes an application stand out from the rest, and significantly increases your chances of being interviewed. 

The summer program is a core part of the research and education mission of Harvard Forest. While every student, mentor, and project is different, we place high expectations on all the students and their mentors to ensure everyone has an excellent, albeit demanding, research experience. These expectations are stated explicitly for mentors and students and program staff seek to ensure all participants understand them and act within this spirit.

Students are expected to comply with the Code of Conduct, which they sign as part of their acceptance materials. This code clearly states that all illegal drug use is prohibited and only students who are of legal age to drink may to do so. The Code is taken quite seriously at the Harvard Forest and violation of it may lead to discipline or dismissal from the program. 

The program includes a complete meal plan, provided by a professional chef with 20+ years experience. Our cook has extensive expertise in addressing food allergies and cooking vegetarian and vegan meals. However, students with very strict dietary needs should work with the chef to develop a reasonable meal plan or may need to do their own cooking. We ask students to answer a food preference survey prior to arrival to assist the chef in planning. Monday through Thursday, students have a self-serve breakfast buffet, and hot lunch and dinner. Friday, the cook makes a special hot breakfast and has a cook-out style lunch for students. Weekends, students are given large quantities of left-overs from the week. The residences have fully stocked kitchens for their use on weekends. Students sign up for 2-3 shifts per week to set-up for, and clean up after, meals in the communal dining hall/kitchen. 

Telephone:
Raup House 978-756-6192
Fisher House 978-756-6191

The house phones are utilized by all the student interns, so if no one picks up, leave a detailed message with your name, who you're calling for, and the number they can reach you at, or what time you will be calling back.

Emergencies:
Fire or Medical emergencies, Call 911

24-hour Emergency number for heat, plumbing, power or lockout: 1-866-844-4923 reaches on call facilities staff

Mailing Address:
Student Name, Harvard Forest, 324 North Main Street, Petersham, MA 01366 

Harvard Forest provides:

• Limited access to Forest vehicles for group educational/recreational activities
• Computer and internet access
• Board games, puzzles
• 6 hybrid bikes for on- and off-road riding
• 2 canoes and gear for flat water canoeing
• Volleyball/badminton/basketball equipment
• Outdoor fire pit and wood
• Things to do around Harvard Forest and the Region. 

Visit the summer program blog to learn more about what interns have done during and after their internships. 

You are welcome to use your own computer for the research and program activities. If you do not have a computer with sufficient processing speed to fully participate in the research, education, or community activities, the Harvard Forest can loan you a laptop for the duration of the program.