Tips for applying to UROPs by Jenny B. '25

UROP stands for “Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program” and it’s exactly what it sounds like. Undergrads get to work with professors, PhD students, and grad students on their research projects during the semester and/or summer. You can even get paid for it, which is awesome.

It’s a great opportunity that MIT offers to their undergrads. However, getting research faculty to notice you in the first place can be a daunting task.

But it doesn’t have to be! Here’s some general tips and comments I have about UROP hunting that will hopefully make it seem less challenging.

Note: I’m not going to go into detail about exactly how to go through the process, since there are resources out there that cover that.

• The UROP site has a page titled Tips for Finding a UROP, as well as a series of advice and resources for those who aren’t sure where to get started.
• There’s also a good blog post by Anna H. ‘14 called How to get a UROP that goes further into the different ways that you can get one, written from a student’s perspective.
• If you really don’t know where to start searching, the MIT Experimental Learning Exchange (ELx) portal has a list of UROPs, MISTI programs, and other student opportunities that gets updated fairly frequently. You can filter through the options to search for the kind of program that you’re looking for.

You don’t have to be “good enough” to do a UROP

Different labs and research projects require different skill levels. There are some UROPs that are looking for a more advanced skill set, e.g. a project that requires you to be a junior and proficient in, like, five different programming languages.

But, there are also faculty out there who understand that many undergrads who are searching for UROPs don’t have that sort of background, and are willing to help undergrads get the research experience and technical skills that they need. It takes more searching, and a bit of faith, but they do exist.

Besides, it doesn’t hurt to reach out to a lab that you’re interested in anyway, even if you’re worried that you’re not qualified enough for them. You never know whether they’ll actually take you in or not unless you try.

Prepping before you reach out

Get your resume and unofficial transcript ready to send. People are definitely going to ask you for your resume, and some will ask you for your transcript.

If you need help on your resume, the MIT CAPD⁠01 Career Advising & Professional Development website has resources and advice for crafting your resume. You can also make an appointment with someone from CAPD if you want personalized feedback.

Some research groups that are hiring undergrads might ask you to write a few extra sentences, such as answering a set of additional questions for them, so remember to include that.

Get to the point

Don’t be too shy to say that you want a UROP. Research faculty are usually going through tons of emails every day, so distinguish your email from everything else by adding something about UROP interest in the subject line (unless they specify otherwise). Be straightforward about how you want to UROP with them, and why.

The UROP website has a whole page about approaching faculty, which includes sample email templates that you can work off of.

Remember your deadlines!

REALLY important. Remember to keep track of deadlines for getting your UROP proposal reviewed and approved by the UROP office, whether you want to get money, credit, or just volunteer.

Also remember: There’s still steps that you have to complete after a faculty member tells you that they’ll accept you for a UROP. You have to fill out a whole digital application on the official UROP website, and send it to the UROP office for approval. This is why it’s important to search for potential UROPs ahead of time, so that you won’t run out of time to get your application submitted and approved.

Be prepared to contact a lot of people

If you’re reaching out to all these research faculty who you’ve never met before, don’t bet on getting lucky with a single email. It might take you three emails until you get a response back. Or seven. Or forty.

And don’t be discouraged if you keep having to reach out to more people! Whether you’re sending out cold emails or talking to people face-to-face, these are good skills to learn that aren’t going to go to waste.

Rejection is OK

Getting rejected is not a reflection of a lack of potential.

If you get rejected from one place because you don’t have the required skills, there’s probably going to be another UROP out there where you do meet the requirements.

It’s not always a matter of how qualified you are either. You could be the perfect match for a lab, and they could still reject you for many reasons that are unrelated to your resume. Maybe they don’t have enough funds for that term, or there isn’t anyone around who has the time to look after an undergrad. Maybe they’re just not interested in undergrads at the moment.

Whatever the case is, it’s not the end of the world. Don’t give up!

Last of all

If you’re reading this and you’re UROP hunting, best of luck! YOU CAN DO IT!!!