1)  Is the summer program essentially the same every year?

Many elements can vary, though our goal is to be as consistent as possible. The program may run for nine or ten weeks, depending on how long Harvard housing is available to interns. We sometimes offer specific internships in such fields as History of Science or Science Education. The stipend may change. The number of interns has been about the same every year but we can't guarantee any absolute number in any year. By agreement with other Astronomy REU programs, we do not contact students before March 1^st about the results of our selection process. We try to contact students as soon as we can after March 1^st. The process can be delayed by a number of variables. Because things may change, we urge students to check our web site for current information.

2)  I'm a very bright high school student. Can I apply to this Program?

Not unless you are also enrolled as an undergraduate in a degree program someplace. The NSF guidelines specify that we must limit internships to undergraduates. There is a summer program for high school students at MIT. Their program allows students to work in various departments (not just astronomy).

To find out about their program, go to: MIT ESP

If you are a Cambridge resident and attend Cambridge Rindge and Latin School or another public Cambridge high school you may be able to apply to the SAO Summer Scholars Program . For this program you also must apply to the City of Cambridge Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program (MYSEP).

Phillips Academy, in Andover, Massachusetts, has a summer science program called MS² for minority high school students. It is a multi-year program.

MS² is a competitive math and science program for minority students who have shown strong interest in and aptitude for mathematics and science.

Here's a quote from a note I received from Elizabeth E. Washburn, (MS)2 Interim Assistant Director, in January, 2010 about the program:

There is no cost to the student - it is fully funded for those students selected to our program for the full three summers. The only cost that they might incur would be incidentals.

We do have some specific guidelines and requirements for this program - we only accept economically disadvantaged African American, Latino, and Native American students who are currently in ninth grade in public schools in targeted cities (Boston, Lawrence, NY, Baltimore/DC, Atlanta, Memphis, Louisville, Cleveland, Chicago and Native Americans from anywhere in the country), they must complete Algebra 1 by the end of their ninth grade, and they would come for three consecutive summers (after their ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades). You can read more on our website or you can call us at 978.749.4402 for more specific information.

For more information about their program: (MS)2 The link to Phillips Academy's main page is: Phillips Academy .

Harvard offers its extension school program through the summer. Brown has a precollege program. Most large colleges and universities in the Boston area hold some sort of summer program.

You might also check the answer to Question 49 for suggestions for pre-college study.

3)  I am a high school student. I'm taking some undergraduate courses now too, but I'm still technically in high school. Am I eligible for your Program?

You are eligible if you are enrolled in a degree granting program and will be 18 years of age or older before June 2016. A number of high school students take a college course at a local college but are not enrolled in a degree granting program. Thus most high school students are not eligible. If you are eligible, the answer to the question about whether or not college freshmen applicants have a chance at an internship provides further information you might find useful.

You might also check the answer to Question 49 for suggestions for pre-college study.

4)  I'll be graduating from college in June. Am I still eligible?

No. The SAO Summer Intern Program is only open to those who are enrolled as undergraduates at the time of the internship. Graduating seniors are not eligible. This is an NSF requirement for all REU Programs.

5)  I'm a freshman. Do I have a chance at an internship?

As a freshman you will be up against more experienced students. I don't mean that you don't stand a chance against them, just that you will have some heavy competition. Successful interns have generally completed at least sophomore level calculus and physics classes.

If you have taken these courses, it may be a good idea to apply for next summer, even if you don't get accepted. Going through the process gives you practice in putting a strong application together. If you are not accepted, you can apply again. You have lots of time, and therefore many chances to be accepted here. Your second application would demonstrate perseverance, not seem like a rerun of a failed attempt. That would be true the following year, too (truly!). Some students believe that if we don't accept them the first time, we never will. Proven untrue! In theory all undergraduates who apply for placement in the SAO Summer Intern Program have an equal chance at landing an internship. In practice we base our choice on criteria which generally cause us to select more experienced students. Elements such as courses taken, other job experience or extracurricular experience would help a student qualify for an internship. If you are a highly motivated person and you have a serious interest in science, there is no reason not to apply for an internship, providing you meet the eligibility guidelines.

On the other hand, you might decide to wait a year.

During the year you might let your teachers know that you are aiming for an internship (at SAO and perhaps other NSF REU sites). Ask them for their support, and for suggestions as to how to improve your chances. Professors can help in many ways. They can help you learn to write a great essay, help you find summer work which would be of interest to you and helpful to your application, or help you to strengthen any weaknesses in preparation for an internship. If you can get a job or internship this summer working in science, that would be great. (It's the classic dilemma: it's difficult to get work because you don't already have experience!) Volunteer work in science would be as valuable as paid work in terms of experience and recommendations. You might try applying for work at science museums, check with scientists at your institution (just about everyone could use some volunteer help, and you might even get a piece of a grant!), or join a local amateur astronomy club. Look for any place you can get some astronomy or science-related experience.

6)  I have only been at my college for one term. My high school science teachers know me and my work better than my professors here do. Can my high school teachers (or other people) write letters of recommendation for me?

Sure. If you had teachers in high school, or if you worked for someone outside of school who will write you a rave letter of recommendation, then by all means send us those. We want to know as much as we can about you, so ask at least two people who know you fairly well to write the letters.

Please see the related question about freshman applications for further information.

7)  Do you have internships in chemistry? biology? medicine?

We don't have any positions in pure chemistry or biology, but may have projects that require a chemistry or biology background, i.e projects that relate chemistry or biology to astronomy or atmospheric science. Students who apply for internships here want to see what it's like to work in astronomy, physics, or closely related fields. The Center for Astrophysics contains a very wide variety of people who do many different sorts of work related to astronomy and astrophysics. Any staff scientist at the CfA may submit a project proposal for a summer intern, and each year there are more excellent projects proposed than we have intern positions. You may want to browse the Center for Astrophysics research pages to see the range of research that is ongoing at the CfA. We have offered internships in instrumentation (most recently in X-ray optics). Projects requiring a strong chemistry background have recently been suggested in the study of exoplanets, in Laboratory Astrophysics (astro-chemistry of rare molecules in the interstellar medium and how best to detect them via radio astronomy), and in Atmospheric Science (measuring the molecular content of gases in the Earth's atmosphere). In addition to traditional Galactic, stellar and extragalactic astronomy, we also have had projects proposed in solar system science (dust storms on Mars, outer solar system physics, tracking orbits of near earth asteroids). If you are interested in any of these more interdisciplinary areas, we encourage you to apply. The only area we do not consider are projects that exclusively study our Sun. If you are interested in solar physics at the CfA, apply directly to our sister program, the SAO/NSF Solar REU Program .

If you have an idea of how you might fit into our program and want to find out if we would consider you eligible, email us and ask!

8)  I am a foreign student. Can I be an intern?

The NSF specifies that students must be United States citizens, or have a Green Card to be funded REU interns. This rule extends to foreign students who are enrolled in United States colleges and universities. "J1" or other visas are not sufficient.

The only exception to this rule is that foreign students may apply if they have their own research funding from their college, or funding associated with their student fellowship/scholarship expressly to cover their summer stipend and expenses. We would not be able to provide any funding. If you wish to apply under these circumstances, you should go through the usual application process, note what funding you have available, and the source of the funding. You should also have your funding sponsor send us an email confirming their willingness to support you. Then, your application will be evaluated and considered exactly the same as those of all other applicants. Please note, however, that these funds must be guaranteed by an external source. We do not accept applications from international students funded by their own or family resources.

If you are unsure about your status, please contact us.

For the many highly-qualified students who are not eligible for REU internships, the Web is probably the best source for information about other jobs and internships.

Ask your professors, teachers, friends and/or family members if they know anyone who works in science (and/or in industry, depending on your area of interest) in the U.S. A.. Someone might be able to put you in touch with a scientist who could provide you with summer work or with another type of internship.

If you find a job possibility or an internship, please be sure to check what visa (if any) is required. The visa-acquisition process changes, so please be sure to research the matter carefully and allow the time needed for the paper-work to be processed.

9)  I am a U.S. citizen, studying abroad. Am I eligible?

Yes. As long as you are a citizen or have a valid Green Card, and as long as you are enrolled in a program that leads to an undergraduate degree, you are eligible. If you are not sure whether or not your study program fits this guideline, please contact us.

10)  I'm a business major, do I have a chance at an internship?

Non-science majors are not included in our REU Program. The SAO Program is intended to help undergraduates who have an interest in astronomy and astrophysics, physics, or general science to decide what major or field they want to pursue; to confirm what they have already chosen, and/or to give them practical experience in these fields which may help them choose the best course to pursue.

We have occasionally offered internships in closely related fields (history of astronomy and astronomy education to name two), but our focus is on physical science.

11)  I'm not 100% sure I want to be an astronomer - or even a scientist!
        Does it make sense for me to apply for an internship at SAO?

Maybe. Our Program is designed to help students decide if they like working in a research environment. We don't expect that they all will. As with any experiment, one must be prepared for negative results - they are as valuable as positive ones. Past Interns have mostly gone on in astronomy, physics or astrophysics (about 90%). Applicants should have a strong interest in science and math. (There may be exceptions to this. Sometimes we offer a science education internship.) Applicants may be weighing science and another career choice. Our Program can help them make such a choice. Because we have only ten or eleven positions to offer each year, we try to select students who will get the most out of being in the Program. Our Program offers students a great way to get a realistic look at a science career before investing the time and money for graduate school study in science.

In addition to working on a science project, students talk with scientists, mentors, grad students and each other about the non-science aspects of choosing science as a career. This aspect of the Program is an invaluable help in making the choices that will determine the direction of a student's adult life.

12)  I haven't taken astrophysics (or astronomy, or some other specialized courses).
        Do I have a chance at an internship?

We don't expect undergraduates to become instant postdocs! Assuming that you have written accurately about your background and experience on your application, we will be able to match you well with a project/Advisor.

As stated elsewhere, a strong math/physics background is important (generally at least sophomore level calculus and physics classes). We don't require students to have taken astrophysics or astronomy. We try hard to match students well with their science Advisors, and to make sure that the students don't feel overwhelmed by their projects. Interns get "on-the-job training", and plenty of support as they work. Mentors stay in touch with their interns to help with all kinds of matters. It is sometimes more convenient or more comfortable for an intern to bring up a problem with their Mentor than with their Advisor.

The staff of the Intern Program will help in the event that a student's skills and an Advisor's needs are seriously mis-matched.

So, we don't expect students to have special knowledge about x-ray astrophysics or radio astronomy when they arrive. What matters most is that a student be willing and able to tackle a project with good organizational skills and a curious mind. That said, the program is fast-paced so we do expect you to have some familiarity with astronomy in general. If you have not taken a formal astronomy course, this could be from your own reading, a local astronomy club, or from community outreach projects related to astronomy. Our science projects are not busy-work. Students help scientists with their actual research, modeling and interpretation as well as data reduction, but at a level appropriate to their academic backgrounds.

13)  Do you only accept candidates from the big, "prestigious" institutions?

No. We also choose candidates who might not be "obvious" choices, based on their whole experience and demonstrated enthusiasm for science. We match students with scientists who work here. We are looking for a good fit. That opens the door for students from all kinds of institutions. Students from institutions which have limited opportunities for research are especially encouraged to apply.

14)  I use a wheelchair. Can I participate in the SAO Program?

Yes...absolutely. We encourage you to apply. If you are accepted as an intern, write to us and describe some of the problems you anticipate. We will work with you to solve them.

I'd love to be able to write that it would be no problem for you to get around here. That's how it ought to be. Alas, our facility is pretty primitive. Even so, it *would* be possible for you to be an intern here. A new ramp was just built recently. Last year the Interns all worked in one room - down a flight of steps but with an exterior sidewalk entrance that can be opened when needed. We could put a terminal someplace more accessible. The fourth floor of the observatory is not accessible by elevator, but there's no reason an intern would have to go there. Advisors can come to you when needed.

The biggest problem would be getting to and from the dorm. I assume that Interns will be staying where they have in the past. That dorm is about six blocks from here. If you've been to Cambridge, you know that the "infrastructure" is ancient. The sidewalks are made of brick, for example. They might be hard to traverse in a wheelchair. Unfortunately, both sidewalks and streets in Cambridge are rather narrow and poorly-lit. You probably have considerable experience dealing with conditions like these. Sometimes people ride in the street because of the poor state of some sidewalks, but that is definitely not advisable, especially after dusk. We would work closely with you to ensure safe access to and from the Observatory.

15)  Is there a minimum age requirement (or a maximum age limit) for interns?

Yes, the minimum age is 18. There is no maximum age limit.

16)  I'm married. Can I still apply? If I am accepted, can I bring my spouse?

Absolutely. Harvard University, however, limits dormitory residency to participants in our Program. That's only a problem if you need housing for two. Housing is expensive and difficult to find in Cambridge, so you should a