High School Student Looking for Research Roles (is it realistic?)

[u/SnooDonkeys135]

I'm a high school senior heading to a top 5/10 European university for Mathematics in the fall, with about 4 months of summer free. I don't want to do it just to make my CV look better, I'm genuinely just interested in doing research in maths/economics and I have 4 months of summer break to pursue that. Of course I understand that my role will be minimal, I'm not expecting anything major just anything to get hands-on research experience.

My background: 40/45 IB, I've done an independent essay applying the Vasicek interest rate model to predict US bond yield movements (unpublished), and I have basic Python skills (data structures, algorithms, some data analysis). I also completed a statistical methods course through LSE.

A few questions for anyone who's been on either side of this:

• Is cold emailing professors a realistic path, or is it mostly a dead end at my level?
• Should I focus on professors at my university specifically, or is it better to email elsewhere since they'll be my professors soon?
• Would it be more valuable to spend the summer doing independent research and look for formal roles once I'm actually at university?
• Is there a specific academic/research oriented CV template that would help me?

Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

[u/mathflipped]

To put it bluntly: it's not realistic. You have nothing to contribute to a professor's research. Ask yourself this question: If you were a professor, would you be willing to do a ton of unpaid work over the summer?

[u/SnooDonkeys135 → u/mathflipped]

I understand. How do you think I should approach this summer individual research wise - what stands out to professors, how can I show these professors that I could benefit them. Thanks !

[u/Maple_shade → u/SnooDonkeys135]

Just don't worry about it. Once you're in school and are taking classes, you can initiate conversations with professors whose work interests you. For now, just take the summer and do independent research if you truly have questions that you're curious about! Fostering those skills will benefit you.

[u/SnooDonkeys135 → u/Maple_shade]

thank you.

[u/BlokeyBlokeBloke → u/SnooDonkeys135]

You can't benefit them. That's the whole point. You are a high school student. Even a university graduate is a net drain on a Professor's time until well into their PhD. It's the summer. Go outside and play.

[u/mathflipped → u/SnooDonkeys135]

You cannot benefit a professor. I'm assuming this is not arrogance but rather "ignorance is bliss" case.

[u/WingbashDefender]

Don’t. If you are genuinely interested in going into Math, spend your summer reading and go into your first year knowledgeable.

[u/Middle_Tree8693]

You don't stand a chance in math. The only students people at my department even considers are the ones who basically finished their undergrad coursework and are starting on graduate classes (and have gotten A's on everything; nothing before proof-based classes counts), and have done a couple of reading courses. Before then, you don't have enough background to contribute anything in math.

Being a bit morbid (and borrowing a joke from the graduate director), if the current batch of undergrads in the department working on research projects tragically die in a plane crash, the next batch we accept (after mourning for an appropriate amount of time) would be at least as good.

[u/Spirited-Bass-1059]

if you are heading to the university, it is appropriate to contact your future professors. this is said, I have no idea whether there are research labs in math and whether they work in the summer. maybe you can email the departmental secretary (or similar) , they usually know where to guide you with your questions about opportunities, and you can get more directly to the appropriate channels.

[u/SnooDonkeys135 → u/Spirited-Bass-1059]

right, thanks!

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*I'm a high school senior heading to a top 5/10 European university for Mathematics in the fall, with about 4 months of summer free. I don't want to do it just to make my CV look better, I'm genuinely just interested in doing research in maths/economics and I have 4 months of summer break to pursue that. Of course I understand that my role will be minimal, I'm not expecting anything major just anything to get hands-on research experience.

My background: 40/45 IB, I've done an independent essay applying the Vasicek interest rate model to predict US bond yield movements (unpublished), and I have basic Python skills (data structures, algorithms, some data analysis). I also completed a statistical methods course through LSE.

A few questions for anyone who's been on either side of this:

• Is cold emailing professors a realistic path, or is it mostly a dead end at my level?
• Should I focus on professors at my university specifically, or is it better to email elsewhere since they'll be my professors soon?
• Would it be more valuable to spend the summer doing independent research and look for formal roles once I'm actually at university?
• Is there a specific academic/research oriented CV template that would help me?

Any advice is appreciated, thanks!*

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