2020 REU

[deviant_lime]

I just received an acceptance from Rose Hulman Institute of Technology.

[bmuent1]

Does anyone know anything about the College of William and Mary's Matrix Theory REU? I'm very interested in accepting their offer but can't find much information about the program.

[lettuce]

I see that Texas A&M sent out info about their Probability/Algebra group. Has anyone heard from the Number Theory group?

[emptiest.set]

Has anyone heard anything from University of Michigan (Ann Arbor)?

[notaiscrim]

I just received an acceptance from Rose Hulman Institute of Technology.

Congrats again! Do you know what you'll choose between Occidental and Rose Hulman?

[deviant_lime]

I just received an acceptance from Rose Hulman Institute of Technology.

Congrats again! Do you know what you'll choose between Occidental and Rose Hulman?

I am leaning towards choosing Occidental because I am more interested in the project there.

[ehaithc95]

Has anyone heard anything from University of Michigan (Ann Arbor)?

I didn’t apply, but my friend did and they got accepted about a week or two ago. They also had connections with the directors of the program though, so it might be a specific case.

[cauchysequence]

Someone on top said that UVA has already sent out acceptances -- was that just for the number theory group or the whole thing? I applied to the topology group and haven't heard anything yet. I'm also wondering if anyone has heard back from any analysis or topology groups yet since those were the ones I applied to.

UVA said they are doing groups separately - yes number theory has already come out, but topology is moving slower. They hope for them to come out by the end of the month.

Have you heard anything yet? Thanks.

[kwang]

Has anyone heard back from RIPS-LA yet?

[emptiest.set]

Has anyone heard back from RIPS-LA yet?

Yes -- they sent out (at least some) first round offers about a week ago

[Bolbbalgan4 Bom]

Michigan (Dearborn)'s complex analysis group has already sent out their first wave of acceptances.

[complexcat]

Does anyone know anything about the College of William and Mary's Matrix Theory REU? I'm very interested in accepting their offer but can't find much information about the program.

I recommend setting up a phone call with the mentor of the project or the program director. I also recommend asking them to put you in touch with previous participants of the REU. This is the best way to learn more. One of my friends who got an offer a previous year saw some red flags during that process and decided to go somewhere else.

[lokicalvetti]

I have not received any news whatsoever from any of the REU programs that I applied to and it is mildly unsettling that several of you have been accepted already, even to programs that I have applied to. I applied to the following programs (projects of interest are listed as well),

KSU - Ring Theory
Texas A&M - Probability and Algebra
Indiana University - Quantum Representations of 3D motion groups/ Quantum Link invariants
UVA - Representation Theory
RIT - Graph Theory
UConn - Algebraic Geometry
Texas State - Algebra
Ursinus College - Representation Theory of Lie Algebras

If anyone has any news about these then I would love to hear it. I had no idea that they would start accepting applicants so quickly. With how competitive these are it is surprising that they were able to make decisions this quickly. I should have applied to more than I did. I assumed there was a quality over quantity principle at play.

[deviant_lime]

Does anyone know anything about the College of William and Mary's Matrix Theory REU? I'm very interested in accepting their offer but can't find much information about the program.

I recommend setting up a phone call with the mentor of the project or the program director. I also recommend asking them to put you in touch with previous participants of the REU. This is the best way to learn more. One of my friends who got an offer a previous year saw some red flags during that process and decided to go somewhere else.

I think this is a great suggestion. The REU organizer at the place that accepted me sent me the emails of his previous students and it was super helpful to talk to them!

[bmuent1]

Does anyone know anything about the College of William and Mary's Matrix Theory REU? I'm very interested in accepting their offer but can't find much information about the program.

I recommend setting up a phone call with the mentor of the project or the program director. I also recommend asking them to put you in touch with previous participants of the REU. This is the best way to learn more. One of my friends who got an offer a previous year saw some red flags during that process and decided to go somewhere else.

I think this is a great suggestion. The REU organizer at the place that accepted me sent me the emails of his previous students and it was super helpful to talk to them!

Alright I'll be sure to do that! Thanks so much for the advice!

[complexcat]

I recommend setting up a phone call with the mentor of the project or the program director. I also recommend asking them to put you in touch with previous participants of the REU. This is the best way to learn more. One of my friends who got an offer a previous year saw some red flags during that process and decided to go somewhere else.

I think this is a great suggestion. The REU organizer at the place that accepted me sent me the emails of his previous students and it was super helpful to talk to them!

Alright I'll be sure to do that! Thanks so much for the advice!

Of course! Repeating part of what I said in our PM in case it might be helpful for others:

What's going to matter the most is the project you're working on and the people you're working with. You can't know in advance who the other students will be, but try to find out what the mentor is like. Talk to them on the phone and talk to previous undergrads they've mentored, if they exist. Ask what they think is necessary to succeed in the project. If the project is collaborative among several students and they say "collaboration skills," this is great because it means they probably put some weight on what your recommenders had to say about your collaboration/soft skills, and you have a decent chance of being in a group that works well together. You can also ask explicitly how they see you fitting into the group. They might give you some vague info about who has already accepted the offer such as "I think your strength is X, and someone else has strength Y, which I think will work well because..."

[complexcat]

I'm on the waitlist for UVA number theory, but I need to accept another offer (probably a better fit for me anyway) tomorrow. Any idea if UVA number theory has been filled up?

[hermy448]

I have not received any news whatsoever from any of the REU programs that I applied to and it is mildly unsettling that several of you have been accepted already, even to programs that I have applied to. I applied to the following programs (projects of interest are listed as well),

KSU - Ring Theory
Texas A&M - Probability and Algebra
Indiana University - Quantum Representations of 3D motion groups/ Quantum Link invariants
UVA - Representation Theory
RIT - Graph Theory
UConn - Algebraic Geometry
Texas State - Algebra
Ursinus College - Representation Theory of Lie Algebras

If anyone has any news about these then I would love to hear it. I had no idea that they would start accepting applicants so quickly. With how competitive these are it is surprising that they were able to make decisions this quickly. I should have applied to more than I did. I assumed there was a quality over quantity principle at play.

I also applied to UConn, Indiana, RIT, and Kent State!

For Ursinus College: deadline is March 15 so I don’t think they’re going to get back til after that. I haven’t finished my application for it yet, gonna wait to see if I got into anything this week first.
For UConn: deadline got extended to 2/28 due to error on their website so they likely just haven’t made decisions (they didn’t announce this but I was the one who pointed out the error and therefore they extended the date)
For RIT: deadline is 3/2 so they likely won’t make decisions til after that
For Indiana: deadline was 2/28 so I think they just didn’t make decisions either
For Kent State: someone on here got an acceptance. I’m guessing bc I didn’t get an acceptance, they sent out all their invitations though

[complexcat]

I have not received any news whatsoever from any of the REU programs that I applied to and it is mildly unsettling that several of you have been accepted already, even to programs that I have applied to. I applied to the following programs (projects of interest are listed as well),

KSU - Ring Theory
Texas A&M - Probability and Algebra
Indiana University - Quantum Representations of 3D motion groups/ Quantum Link invariants
UVA - Representation Theory
RIT - Graph Theory
UConn - Algebraic Geometry
Texas State - Algebra
Ursinus College - Representation Theory of Lie Algebras

If anyone has any news about these then I would love to hear it. I had no idea that they would start accepting applicants so quickly. With how competitive these are it is surprising that they were able to make decisions this quickly. I should have applied to more than I did. I assumed there was a quality over quantity principle at play.

I also applied to UConn, Indiana, RIT, and Kent State!

For Ursinus College: deadline is March 15 so I don’t think they’re going to get back til after that. I haven’t finished my application for it yet, gonna wait to see if I got into anything this week first.
For UConn: deadline got extended to 2/28 due to error on their website so they likely just haven’t made decisions (they didn’t announce this but I was the one who pointed out the error and therefore they extended the date)
For RIT: deadline is 3/2 so they likely won’t make decisions til after that
For Indiana: deadline was 2/28 so I think they just didn’t make decisions either
For Kent State: someone on here got an acceptance but is likely declining it. I’m guessing bc I didn’t get an acceptance, they perhaps sent out all their invitations though

Yes, it's unusually early to be receiving offers. To anybody applying, I *do* recommend having a backup plan because this process is so unpredictable. I heard back as late as April from some places last year. I have no idea what your applications look like, but I'll point out that I think most of the places you applied are PhD granting institutions. If you're from a small liberal arts college, it might be worth applying to REU's at similar institutions in order to increase your chance of getting in (this was the advice of my advisor the first year I applied, and it worked well for me). For example, see: https://www.mathprograms.org/db/Moravian The deadline for that REU hasn't passed.

[complexcat]

For those who might be wondering about the funding offered by FUSRP, I realized that housing in Toronto is pretty expensive. One source says it is less affordable to find housing in Toronto than in San Francisco. Since FUSRP provides your housing, I think this is why the funding offered at FUSRP seems lower compared to an REU, even though the money they spend per student is probably similar.

[Hallauer]

So there are a few programs I expected to have sent out some acceptances by now but I haven't heard of anybody getting in. Has anyone heard from or know about Minnesota-Twin Cities, ICERM (Brown), UVA representation theory or topology groups, Clemson, or CUNY-Baruch? All 5 of these I was pretty sure would have a first round out by now.

[kedar]

So there are a few programs I expected to have sent out some acceptances by now but I haven't heard of anybody getting in. Has anyone heard from or know about Minnesota-Twin Cities, ICERM (Brown), UVA representation theory or topology groups, Clemson, or CUNY-Baruch? All 5 of these I was pretty sure would have a first round out by now.

I received an acceptance from Minnesota a couple of weeks ago.

[jalgebra]

DELETED

[bmuent1]

Does anyone know how San Diego State University's REU compares to the College of William and Mary's? I have to let the latter know my decision within the next day and I honestly don't know which to choose.

[complexcat]

Does anyone know how San Diego State University's REU compares to the College of William and Mary's? I have to let the latter know my decision within the next day and I honestly don't know which to choose.

It depends what your priorities are and what you're looking for. If you're interested in maximizing your chances for grad school later down the line, search on their websites/google/LinkedIn for what previous participants are doing now. Even better, look at undergrads/grad students who have worked with those mentors before (you can usually find their names on the CV's of the mentor). The connections/credentials of the mentor also could matter down the line when you ask for a recommendation letter. For example, if the mentor at San Diego has worked with grad students at San Diego, this is useful when it comes down to evaluating your potential to do well in grad school. (If you're only a sophomore, this paragraph may not be relevant at all.)

If you want a good social environment, does one REU have planned social activities? That can matter a lot. These are also two vastly different locations, which might matter for personal happiness reasons.

The REU at College of William and Mary has been around for a decently long time. This probably means that it's good in the eyes of the NSF, because they seem to have renewed the grant continuously for awhile.

There isn't an easy answer. I recommend that you think about what your goals/priorities are for this summer, and go with what best aligns with that given the information you have.

[bmuent1]

Does anyone know how San Diego State University's REU compares to the College of William and Mary's? I have to let the latter know my decision within the next day and I honestly don't know which to choose.

It depends what your priorities are and what you're looking for. If you're interested in maximizing your chances for grad school later down the line, search on their websites/google/LinkedIn for what previous participants are doing now. Even better, look at undergrads/grad students who have worked with those mentors before (you can usually find their names on the CV's of the mentor). The connections/credentials of the mentor also could matter down the line when you ask for a recommendation letter. For example, if the mentor at San Diego has worked with grad students at San Diego, this is useful when it comes down to evaluating your potential to do well in grad school. (If you're only a sophomore, this paragraph may not be relevant at all.)

If you want a good social environment, does one REU have planned social activities? That can matter a lot. These are also two vastly different locations, which might matter for personal happiness reasons.

The REU at College of William and Mary has been around for a decently long time. This probably means that it's good in the eyes of the NSF, because they seem to have renewed the grant continuously for awhile.

There isn't an easy answer. I recommend that you think about what your goals/priorities are for this summer, and go with what best aligns with that given the information you have.

Thanks so much for the advice! I decided to go with the College of William and Mary's REU!

[lokicalvetti]

Has anyone heard from the following REUs: Uchicago, Texas A&M, Clemson, or Oregon State?

I was accepted into the Texas A&M Probability and Algebra group. Annoyingly they want a response by March 1st though.

Did you decide to accept it? I'm trying to remain hopeful.

[hermy448]

Anyone else feel low key disturbed that they haven’t heard from any program they applied to?

[hermy448]

Has anyone heard back from UCSB, HWS or Harvey Mudd? Also I found out I am on the shortlist for an REU, but I was wondering how many people are usually on a shortlist typically?

Which REU did you get shortlisted for?

[deviant_lime]

Anyone else feel low key disturbed that they haven’t heard from any program they applied to?

Which ones did you apply to? If they have later deadlines maybe they haven't sent out any decisions at all yet? Plus, it seems like many have several rounds so if you don't make it in during the first round you still have hope for the next ones.

[complexcat]

Does anyone know how San Diego State University's REU compares to the College of William and Mary's? I have to let the latter know my decision within the next day and I honestly don't know which to choose.

It depends what your priorities are and what you're looking for. If you're interested in maximizing your chances for grad school later down the line, search on their websites/google/LinkedIn for what previous participants are doing now. Even better, look at undergrads/grad students who have worked with those mentors before (you can usually find their names on the CV's of the mentor). The connections/credentials of the mentor also could matter down the line when you ask for a recommendation letter. For example, if the mentor at San Diego has worked with grad students at San Diego, this is useful when it comes down to evaluating your potential to do well in grad school. (If you're only a sophomore, this paragraph may not be relevant at all.)

If you want a good social environment, does one REU have planned social activities? That can matter a lot. These are also two vastly different locations, which might matter for personal happiness reasons.

The REU at College of William and Mary has been around for a decently long time. This probably means that it's good in the eyes of the NSF, because they seem to have renewed the grant continuously for awhile.

There isn't an easy answer. I recommend that you think about what your goals/priorities are for this summer, and go with what best aligns with that given the information you have.

Thanks so much for the advice! I decided to go with the College of William and Mary's REU!

Of course! Congratulations!

[complexcat]

Anyone else feel low key disturbed that they haven’t heard from any program they applied to?

Which ones did you apply to? If they have later deadlines maybe they haven't sent out any decisions at all yet? Plus, it seems like many have several rounds so if you don't make it in during the first round you still have hope for the next ones.

I saw you were asking about CSUSB, which I think is known for giving offers out pretty late. This is typically the time when first round offers are made, and the next rounds will happen over the next weeks/months. I know it sucks waiting. I was in your shoes last year. Just know that the process is competitive and unpredictable (as I was told in an email from UVA, there are many factors that go into the decision process including geographic and demographic criterion). Not getting a first round offer or not getting in anywhere shouldn't be taken as a measure of your success. Somebody I know didn't get into any REU programs and he's almost done with his PhD.

[deviant_lime]

I have not received any news whatsoever from any of the REU programs that I applied to and it is mildly unsettling that several of you have been accepted already, even to programs that I have applied to. I applied to the following programs (projects of interest are listed as well),

KSU - Ring Theory
Texas A&M - Probability and Algebra
Indiana University - Quantum Representations of 3D motion groups/ Quantum Link invariants
UVA - Representation Theory
RIT - Graph Theory
UConn - Algebraic Geometry
Texas State - Algebra
Ursinus College - Representation Theory of Lie Algebras

If anyone has any news about these then I would love to hear it. I had no idea that they would start accepting applicants so quickly. With how competitive these are it is surprising that they were able to make decisions this quickly. I should have applied to more than I did. I assumed there was a quality over quantity principle at play.

I just got a decision from TX State Algebra group so maybe they're out with another wave of acceptances now

[lokicalvetti]

I have not received any news whatsoever from any of the REU programs that I applied to and it is mildly unsettling that several of you have been accepted already, even to programs that I have applied to. I applied to the following programs (projects of interest are listed as well),

KSU - Ring Theory
Texas A&M - Probability and Algebra
Indiana University - Quantum Representations of 3D motion groups/ Quantum Link invariants
UVA - Representation Theory
RIT - Graph Theory
UConn - Algebraic Geometry
Texas State - Algebra
Ursinus College - Representation Theory of Lie Algebras

If anyone has any news about these then I would love to hear it. I had no idea that they would start accepting applicants so quickly. With how competitive these are it is surprising that they were able to make decisions this quickly. I should have applied to more than I did. I assumed there was a quality over quantity principle at play.

I just got a decision from TX State Algebra group so maybe they're out with another wave of acceptances now

Congratulations! Unfortunately, I didn't get one but maybe others will be sending a second round out as well. Do you plan on accepting the offer from TX State?
Thank you for letting me know by the way.

[Big Model]

Did anyone here apply to the Towson University REU? If so, when do you think they'll get back to us - all they said is that they'll start reviewing applications on February 28 and will continue until all positions are filled, but that's not very informative.

[hermy448]

Did anyone here apply to the Towson University REU? If so, when do you think they'll get back to us - all they said is that they'll start reviewing applications on February 28 and will continue until all positions are filled, but that's not very informative.

Ooo I applied to the Towson one too but no idea when they’ll get back to us. Maybe we should email and ask? What do you think?

[Hallauer]

I got accepted to the Indiana REU today. I am choosing between it and another REU that people have already posted about acceptances to.

[discretephenom]

I got accepted to the Indiana REU today. I am choosing between it and another REU that people have already posted about acceptances to.

The indiana REU was a pretty sweet deal. You get in a close knit group in amazing dorms and get a healthy food plan. Plus cool lectures from faculty which I enjoyed. If you have any other questions about it, I'd be happy to talk to you.

[emptiest.set]

Did anyone here apply to the Towson University REU? If so, when do you think they'll get back to us - all they said is that they'll start reviewing applications on February 28 and will continue until all positions are filled, but that's not very informative.

Ooo I applied to the Towson one too but no idea when they’ll get back to us. Maybe we should email and ask? What do you think?

I also applied to Towson! I emailed them, and they said that decisions will not be made until mid to late March

[hermy448]

MSRI-UP is making decisions this weekend. Hoping for good news AHH

[PicoHenries]

Has anyone heard from the following REUs: Uchicago, Texas A&M, Clemson, or Oregon State?

I was accepted into the Texas A&M Probability and Algebra group. Annoyingly they want a response by March 1st though.

Did you decide to accept it? I'm trying to remain hopeful.

Yeah I accepted it, they said they'd get back with more details on travel and such once they had their entire group. This hasn't happened yet so presumably the group isn't yet finalized.

[hermy448]

Just got my acceptance for Rose-Hulman! If anyone can talk to me about this school or program, or has also gotten into the REU and intends on attending, please let me know!!!

[deviant_lime]

I have not received any news whatsoever from any of the REU programs that I applied to and it is mildly unsettling that several of you have been accepted already, even to programs that I have applied to. I applied to the following programs (projects of interest are listed as well),

KSU - Ring Theory
Texas A&M - Probability and Algebra
Indiana University - Quantum Representations of 3D motion groups/ Quantum Link invariants
UVA - Representation Theory
RIT - Graph Theory
UConn - Algebraic Geometry
Texas State - Algebra
Ursinus College - Representation Theory of Lie Algebras

If anyone has any news about these then I would love to hear it. I had no idea that they would start accepting applicants so quickly. With how competitive these are it is surprising that they were able to make decisions this quickly. I should have applied to more than I did. I assumed there was a quality over quantity principle at play.

I just got a decision from TX State Algebra group so maybe they're out with another wave of acceptances now

Congratulations! Unfortunately, I didn't get one but maybe others will be sending a second round out as well. Do you plan on accepting the offer from TX State?
Thank you for letting me know by the way.

I ended up rejecting the offer.

[LH]

Just a general question ughhh! Does anyone know where to submit the acceptance form for REU programs? I got into Uchicago's reu (apprentice) but do not know where to submit the acceptance form lol. Is it normally the thing to do to just reply to the e-mail?

[discretephenom]

Just a general question ughhh! Does anyone know where to submit the acceptance form for REU programs? I got into Uchicago's reu (apprentice) but do not know where to submit the acceptance form lol. Is it normally the thing to do to just reply to the e-mail?

Yes.

[lokicalvetti]

Hey everyone,

Would a few of you who were accepted to a program mind sharing what your applications included? Just some of the relevant key points like courses, gpa, previous research experiences, academic level, achievements, and what your letter writers were like. I want to get a feel for what I could have been missing. I know that the essays are probably the most important part aside from letters of recommendation. I included my information below using the template from the Graduate Schools admissions and results forum.

Undergrad Institution: Medium State School (Non-PhD granting)
Academic Level: Senior
Major(s): Mathematics and Physics (Dual-Degree)
Minor(s):
GPA: 4.00
Type of Student: Domestic White Male

Program Applying: Pure Math REU's (Algebra mostly)

Research Experience: Research in Condensed Matter Physics for the past 2 years. Paper submitted for publication regarding quantitative experimental measurements of the spin-glass correlation length. Research in algebra regarding factorizations of polynomials over the finite semifield b(2,1)
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Goldwater Nominee two years (pending results this year), AT&T STEM Merit Scholarship, Several departmental university scholarships, Society of Physics Students national scholarship (2 years), NSF funded S-COAM scholar, Provost Scholar.
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Research Associate in the Physics Department
Graduate Courses: Real Analysis I; Abstract Algebra Iⅈ Networks, Graphs and Combinatorics; Theoretical Physics; Classical Mechanics; Electricity and Magnetism; Numerical Methods
Relevant Courses: Linear Algebra; Calculus Sequence; Differential Equations; Advanced Mathematics for Applications
Letter Writers: Research Advisor for the last two years; my university's graduate school coordinator and professor of my real analysis and differential equations courses (also the advisor for a scholars program I am in).

Applying to Where:
Kent State - Ring Theory / Pending (probably rejected at this point)
UVA - Representation Theory/ Pending
Texas A&M - Probability and Algebra / Pending
Texas State - Algebra / Pending
Ursinus - Representation Theory of Lie Algebras / Pending
University of Indiana - Mathematical Physics / Pending
UConn - Fractals / Pending
RIT - Graph Theory/ Pending

[notaiscrim]

Has anyone heard back from Clemson?

[jason822]

Hey everyone. If I have not heard back from any programs by today (3/8/2020) which is the common reply date for math REU's through Math Programs.org should I assume I did not get selected for any? Or should I keep on waiting for a reply?

[hermy448]

Hey everyone. If I have not heard back from any programs by today (3/8/2020) which is the common reply date for math REU's through Math Programs.org should I assume I did not get selected for any? Or should I keep on waiting for a reply?

Definitely wait!!! I got one on Friday with a deadline of next Friday. You might get in after people turn down offers today! I’m supposed to hear back from a program today and if I get in, I’ll turn down the other offer so you gotta be patient!

[complexcat]

Hey everyone. If I have not heard back from any programs by today (3/8/2020) which is the common reply date for math REU's through Math Programs.org should I assume I did not get selected for any? Or should I keep on waiting for a reply?

Definitely wait!!! I got one on Friday with a deadline of next Friday. You might get in after people turn down offers today! I’m supposed to hear back from a program today and if I get in, I’ll turn down the other offer so you gotta be patient!

I second this! It is normal to hear back after the common reply date.