Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Wait, when are they due?

A. Midnight, Sunday, March 18. Yes, we will know at what time you submitted.

But don't wait until the last minute!

Q. Can I apply to more than one faculty member?

A. Yes. Submitting multiple applications will not count against you in any way, in fact, we encourage it. Faculty will not know how many you applied for.

However, you may only apply to THREE faculty. Be sure to only apply for labs you are really interested in, and for which you have adequate preparation.

Be sure to make a strong, personalized cover letter for each application. Faculty want to mentor students who are genuinely interested in their research.

Q. Do I have to submit a separate cover letter for each professor?

A. Yes. The faculty will only receive the letter you paste in their box on the application. Submitting only one letter will result in only one faculty receiving a letter. You may paste the same letter three times, but we do suggest that you make a strong, personalized cover letter for each application

Q. Do I have to work the whole 10 weeks?

A. Yes. Absolutely.
Brief schedule conflicts during the summer do not exclude you from participating, but we need to know the extent of them in advance to avoid unpleasant surprises, so you must disclose any travel plans, family commitments, etc, on the application. Professors may make individual arrangements to change the start or end dates by a few days, or grant a day or two off during the summer, but they are not required to. The program runs from June 2 to August 8 - plan to be available that entire time. And the symposium on August 8 is mandatory.

Q. Why does it matter if I'm taking summer courses?

A. Taking summer courses will not exclude you from consideration for the program, but we need to know in advance. You must truthfully declare your summer plans on the application, and we will hold you to that commitment. If you change your mind and decide to take summer classes after committing not to, you may be removed from the program. The purpose is to match your available time with what a professor needs. Some faculty have projects that will require less time and will not mind if you have classes, others have very intense projects that will require full-time or more.

BSBRP is a full-time job for the summer. Taking summer school classes can seriously limit your time for research and we discourage it.

Q. How do I submit a transcript with my online application?

A. Transcripts can be unofficial, and can be obtained through BearFacts. View your transcript online in BearFacts. Using the mouse, select all of the information on your transcript, Copy, click in the transcript box on the application, and Paste. Do not attempt to format or alter, we will verify the important transcript information of selected students.

If you have a problem, email it as an attachment to lhegg@berkeley.edu or contact 666-3613, Monday-Friday before 5pm for assistance. BearFacts occasionally goes down, so don't wait until the last minute!

Q. How do I submit my cover letters and resume?

A. Just like the transcript. Either write them directly in the boxes on the screen, or copy and paste. We suggest composing them in a plain text editor (such as WordPad, NotePad, or BBEdit) to avoid any formatting problems. All fancy formatting will be stripped in the submission process, so don't spend too much time making it look pretty.

To format, we suggest using only spaces, capitals, and the bold and italic buttons available on the web page. Avoid boxes, tables, and special characters.

Q. What should be in my resume?

A. Your resume should be brief, preferably one page. Include your name and contact information, your work and educational history, awards you've received, and a short statement of your hobbies or interests if you'd like. Do not go into detail about what classes you've taken, that information is on your transcript. Summarize any special education or training you have. Do not worry if your work experience is short, but be sure to include volunteer work and other laboratory experience. Also list positions of authority you've held in student or extracurricular organizations. See the sample resume.

Q. What should my cover letter say?

A. Your cover letter is where you tell the professor about yourself, why you are interested in their project, and why they should select you. Do not make the letter too long, one page is preferable. Do personalize the letter, and address it to the faculty you are applying to. Do show that you understand what their research is about and that it fits with your interests and goals. Faculty want to know that you will be enthused about the project, will work hard, and have the academic and labs skills to accomplish significant independent work on the project. Do tell them about past lab or research experience, and about your academic and career goals.

If you would like to continue working on this project into the school year, do let them know, however you do not need to make any commitment to do so. Do not lie or exaggerate your abilities. After the program starts, if it comes out that a student misrepresented their skills and is not qualified to work on the project, that student may be removed from the program.

Q. Can I contact the professor?

A. Yes, you can contact a professor to find out more about the project or to introduce yourself. This face-to-face contact can sometimes be helpful, and impress the faculty with your enthusiasm and knowledge of the project. However, keep in mind that our professors are very busy. Please do not ambush or hound them, irritating them will not help your application. If you feel a need to contact the professor, we suggest visiting their office hours, or sending a polite email or phone call. Do not panic if they do not respond, they may not be getting to their messages, or they may have decided not to interview any students.

Do not harass the professor to make a selection decision! They are not allowed to tell you who they have selected - you will hear from us when decisions are made!

Q. When will I hear? (aka: Are we there yet? Are we there yet?)

A. If you are selected, you should hear by mid April. It is possible that some of the selected students will not be able to participate in the program, or that two faculty choose the same student and we have to negotiate. In that case, any spots still open will be immediately offered to alternates. We will do our best to keep you informed and make the final decisions as quickly as possible.

Please do not hound the staff for a decision until mid-April. Remember that faculty are making the final decisions, and you will be notified by email as soon as we know anything. Do not pester the faculty for a decision. We'll already be doing that if they don't make their deadline.

What you can do: If we offer you a position, please decide to take it or decline and let us know ASAP! Other students will be waiting to hear based on your decision.

Q. I have more questions, or I'm freaking out. Who can I talk to?

A. Talk to program coordinator, Lindsay Hegg at lhegg@berkeley.edu, 510-666-3613, or in room 306 Stanley Hall. Hours are 8:30 am - 12pm, 1pm - 5pm, Monday through Friday. Don't leave it to the last minute!

You will get a confirmation email when your application is submitted. Please don't email again to confirm that we got it.