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What Every Premed Should Know About Undergraduate Research

Investigate the below to gain a fundamental understanding of undergraduate research and some of its intricacies. Plus, gain clarity on the extent to which research should be a part of your journey into medicine.

Having research experience on your medical school application is an excellent way to make a contribution to medicine while also gaining extracurricular hours. Perhaps you’ve watched your fellow pre-meds scramble to find labs to work in and hustle to get publications to add to their CVs. Maybe you’ve stressed over sending cold emails to a few Principle Investigators yourself. Conducting research as an undergrad is a wonderful thing, but it’s not everything. Investigate the below to gain a fundamental understanding of undergraduate research and some of its intricacies. Plus, gain clarity on the extent to which research should be a part of your journey into medicine.

What Is Undergraduate Research?

According to the Council on Undergraduate Research, undergraduate research is “an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline.” Through this research, students can enrich and advance society while also learning a tremendous amount of knowledge in their field. There is a crucial need to research in the field of medicine.

What Are The Advantages to Doing Research as an Undergraduate?

Doing research as a pre-med student will most certainly benefit your medical school application. It demonstrates your ability to work on a team and ask important scientific questions while exposing you to methods, protocols, analysis, and the process of scientific inquiry. Whether you are running PCR in a wet lab or doing data entry in a clinical research department, your roles can vary greatly depending on your skills and interests. Research is defined as the mechanism by which medical knowledge is advanced.

Getting involved in it has the potential to amplify your passion for medicine while also finding solutions to some of the biggest medical problems, and you get all of that for just participating. Even better, if you are in the right lab, at the right time, and with the right mentors, you can get a publication out of it too. All of these things will help your application stand out. However, the research comes with a price.

How Do You Get Research Experience Without Research Experience?

How can I get into a lab when the hiring managers prefer students with research experience (or even require it), and I don’t have any research experience yet? Where can I get my first experience from?

Trust me, you are not alone. It’s natural to have a lot of questions about how to land your first research position. Here’s are a few ways how to land a research position.

Three Ways to Be a Competitive Applicant to a Research Lab Despite No Previous Experience:

•   Meet with the Principle Investigator – Set up a meeting with the PI well before you’d like to start working there to discuss their work and your interest in it (you can do this with or without mentioning your upcoming search for a research position – planting the seed of your enthusiasm and dedication will go a long way when it comes time to formally express your interest in working with them).
• Customize your CV – Amplify your skills most relevant to each particular position. Applying to a clinical research lab with a lot of patient-facing work? Make sure that your interpersonal skills are standing out on your CV (community engagement, peer support roles like tutoring, etc.). Applying to a wet lab that requires a lot of technical skills?
• Showcase Your Related Accomplishments – Highlight the excellent work you did in the Chemistry Lab as you executed each experiment and report diligence. Leverage the connections you made with professors, mentors, and career center advisors. You most likely won’t need a letter of recommendation to apply to work in a lab. This is an application process dominated by cold emails and hopefully warmer conversations. However, if a professor or mentor can send a short email to a PI on your behalf, that would be a great supplement to your CV, especially if that professor or mentor has any connections to the labs/research that you are interested in.

Luckily there are tons of resources out there to help you with all of these tips and more. Check out Dr. Mehta’s article titled, “ Finding an Undergraduate Research Lab as a Pre-Med Student” for more information.

Factors To Consider Once You Land Your Undergraduate Research Position

Once you find a lab and start working, there is a lot to balance. You could be dedicating upwards of ten hours a week to lab work spread out across the week and the weekend. This will be a test of time management and organization for sure.

You may also realize that not all labs or departments have the infrastructure to support undergraduate students. From an administrative standpoint, having short-term research assistants can often be more disruptive than productive to the team, although this varies depending on the department/lab. This variability demonstrates the fact that the research experience a student receives is largely dependent on the team they are working with, not the research being conducted. This is the double-edged sword of undergraduate research.

You can complete an amazing research project, but if you leave that lab without having made any meaningful connections or valuable personal discoveries, you may not have gained much other than a bullet point on your CV. This levels the playing field for all students who didn’t get into the big-name labs doing the research that gets published in the biggest journals. At the end of the day, it’s all about the connections you made with your lab mates and mentors and the lessons that you learned about yourself, life, and medicine.

When it comes time to describe your activities that will go on your medical school application, you may not remember the exact time course of your PCR or the specific strain of mouse that you used. Yet, you will remember the day that the PhD student in the lab taught you a cool trick to help you analyze samples. You’ll recall the day that your PI sat with you and told you about all of their failed experiments to help you feel better about yours. Those are the stories that will resonate with medical school admissions committees during interviews.

Do You Need Research Experience to Get Into Medical School?

No, but it sure helps. Research experience is often seen by pre-med students and as a means to an end – that end being an acceptance to medical school. However, the best way to benefit from your research is to look at it as a means to a beginning. Use research to dive deeper into your passion for science and medicine and as a way to discover new reasons to choose the path of medicine you are passionate about

As you consider whether or not a traditional research experience is of interest to you, remember that it is not technically required in order to get accepted into medical school. If you can create an experience that provides the same outcomes, such as clarity in your pursuit of medicine and exposure to scientific inquiry, then I say go for it!

Don’t be afraid to create your own research project and bring in the mentors that you most connect with. By no means is there one way to get to medical school. With each application cycle, students are becoming more creative in their approach. Trust your gut, remember your “why medicine?”, and seek the advice of a great mentor.

The physician advisors at MedSchoolCoach have helped guide thousands of students down the right research path for them. Look them up if you need help with strategic planning for your medical school application to make your research extracurriculars stand out!

Have more questions about getting into med school or becoming a doctor ? MedSchoolCoach has a team of admissions advisors who’ve all served on admissions committees. They are available to help you better your med school application and boost your chances of getting into medical school . Look them up!

Related posts:

• Is Podiatry the Best Kept Secret in Medicine?
• Five Steps to a Better GPA
• How to Get into Harvard Medical School
• Does Undergraduate Reputation Matter for Admissions?

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January 21, 2021

Predoc & Premed Summer Undergraduate Research Programs

Often, top medical schools in the U.S. offer predoc and premed summer undergraduate research programs. We’ve compiled an all-you-need-to-know chart that includes school name, deadlines, and links to the specific predoc/premed programs for more information.

Why do these undergraduate research programs exist?

The purpose of these programs is to expose ambitious, talented college students to graduate-level medical or doctoral research , usually over the course of 6-12 weeks over the summer. These programs generally provide generous stipends, as well as free housing and compensation for travel expenses (unless the programs are online due to COVID). Students work closely with faculty members on research, usually resulting in a large, final project that’s presented at the end of the summer term.

Below are some of the top undergraduate premed/predoc research programs in the U.S. But first, a few notes:

• Most programs provide some financial compensation. (Click through to the program for all of this information.)
• Each program requires applicants to submit an online application. See the specific applications for details as the number of essays/personal statements differ per program (generally ranging from one to three essays).
• While none of these programs require students to have a minority or disadvantaged background , nearly all of the programs explain that this background is a plus in the admissions process.

Summer research program highlights

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify application deadlines.***

Want more information about predoc and premed summer research programs, including program eligibility and application requirements? Download our chart to get all the details!

Tips for finding additional research opportunities

Attending a summer research program isn’t your only option when looking to bulk up your research experience . Here are four additional tips on securing the best research opportunity for you.

• Start early. Ideally, it would be great to have 1-2 years of research experience under your belt before you apply to med school – so the earlier in your undergrad career you identify promising opportunities, the better.
• Find an area that interests you. For example, if you’re more interested in Psychology or Anthropology than you are in Chemistry, look into the possibility of assisting a professor in one of those fields.
• See if your professors need research assistants/laboratory volunteers. If your university has a research office or a central list of undergraduate research opportunities, check there first. If the system is less formal, do some research into professors’ current work (through department websites, professors’ CVs, etc.). Then email them and ask if you can speak to them about the possibility of volunteering in their lab. Let them know what background you have in the field (especially any prior research experience). If they don’t need research assistants at the moment, don’t be discouraged- talk to someone else.
• Think about doing a thesis. Depending on where you’re studying (and what field), this might allow you to design your own experiment.

Bottom line

Gaining research experience – in a summer research program or any of the other options above – won’t just make you a more competitive school applicant; it will also help you sharpen your critical thinking skills and give you training you can draw on as a student and in your future career.

For personalized guidance for your admissions journey, check out our Medical School Consulting Services or Grad School Consulting Services . Whether you were rejected and looking to reapply or you’re still in college and just getting started, we’re here to help. Choose the service that best fits your needs and connect with an advisor who will take you through the admissions process step-by-step.

Related Resources:

• Med School Action Plan: 6 Steps to Acceptance , a free guide
• 5 Tips For Aspiring Premed Researchers
• How to Write About Your Research Interests

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How I Found the Best Premed Research Opportunities

Premed research opportunities help you develop essential skills and attitudes for becoming a doctor, whether you are applying to MD or DO programs , and especially if you are looking to pursue an MD-PhD program . The knowledge you gain will help your medical school application stand out . In this article, I’ll share how I found premed research opportunities and how they helped get me into medical school.

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What to look for in premed research opportunities.

Medical schools do not spell out the need for research experience in your application and some applicants get in by placing emphasis on other outstanding aspects of their application such as community volunteering and clinical experience . For me, my research experience helped my application stand out.

It’s important to learn what medical schools are looking for when they review research experiences in your application. So, what should you look for in a premed research opportunity?

1. Quality vs Quantity

This is the golden rule for all your application components. It's not the number of words in your medical school personal statement that will impress the admissions committees, but the quality of thought and articulation. It’s not the quantity of medical school recommendation letters that will help your candidacy, but the quality of those references. And it's not the number of your research activities that will help you develop important research skills, but the quality of your experiences.

Focus on the program’s objectives and the kind of skills you will be able to develop during the project. Having only 1 good research experience which helped you hone key skills will be much more valuable than 20 projects where you do not get the opportunity for self-improvement.

Medical school admissions committees like to see dedication, responsibility, and commitment in their applicants’ applications. Your time commitment to a research experiences in undergrad can demonstrate these qualities. If you jump from one premed research project to the next without having much effect on the project itself, this myriad of experiences will not impress the committee members.

So how many hours of research do you need to impress the committee members? While the quality of your experience matters more, aim to have around 400-500 hours in total. MSAR can be a useful tool in determining which schools value research—and how many experiences you should have.

“I noted the number of volunteer, work, and research experiences that accepted applicants had and focused on schools that had averages that matched my numbers … As you apply, activities that you are passionate about and can show longevity [in] are more important than one-off things that just check a box” – Dr. Monica Taneja, MD.

This means that if you participate in a research project for a couple of academic semesters on a part-time basis or participate in a summer undergraduate research project , you will hit this number without any problems. This shows to the committee that you were really a part of this research project, that you were a part of the team, and that you dedicated your time and effort to working on this research. Summer research for premeds also means you can dedicate more hours to a project.

3. Research Skills

Whether you choose to get involved in clinical research or social science research, you must aim to develop certain skills. Research skills are easily transferable, and the field of your research project is not as important as the skill set it hones, such as gathering and analyzing data, verbal and written communication skills, analytical and critical thinking skills, and so on.

Getting involved in research that is directly related to your field of interest is a great feat, not only because this will impress the medical school committee but because you will certainly enjoy the experience!

Your research experience does not have to result in discovering the cure for cancer. A research opportunity can result in a publication or conference participation, or a great reference letter for medical school from your principal investigator.

A quality research experience should result in more than a mention on your medical school resume or CV. A research experience should leave you with new knowledge, new skills, new connections, and new opportunities! If you loved the research project you participated in, it might inspire you to pursue more research! If you develop good relationships with your teammates, you are more likely to have future network connections that can help you through medical school and residency. Basically, a research project should result in more than a check mark on your med school application.

I began reaching out to professors in the biology department of my university as early as my freshman year. 

After introducing myself in official emails, I explained my interests and asked if there was any research project to assist with. I sent multiple emails in my first year in college, with a greater percentage getting ignored. I was able to get my first opportunity with a research project in my sophomore year of college when I found a flier at my door in my dormitory advertising research opportunities in the biology department. 

The flier promised hands-on experience with cutting-edge techniques, mentorship from experienced professors, and the chance to contribute to groundbreaking research in oncology. I opened my laptop and started searching for the lecturers in the department who were currently carrying out research in oncology, and I found this brilliant professor of molecular biology working on the effect of a new drug on cancer cells.

The following day, I summoned the courage and walked into their laboratory, where I met the graduate assistant, who hinted that the team needed help with the data analysis aspect of the project. I immediately jumped on this opportunity to be a part of this project.

It took more than nine months of collecting and analyzing data, along with my undergraduate studies, to eventually get co-authored in a publication. We didn't publish it immediately, but after a few months, I got an email that I was getting my first-ever publication in a renowned journal. I even got to present at a research symposium, rehearsing for weeks and deepening my understanding of scientific methods. During one of my medical school interviews , I was asked about my premed research experience, and it was almost too easy to discuss. 

1. Reach Out to Professors, TAs, and Instructors at Your School

Connect with the professors in the science departments in your college—biology, chemistry, or any other department that interests you in the scientific community or humanities. Although more emphasis is placed on getting research experience in core sciences, research experience in other humanities also counts. Send them an email to express your interest in their projects. Keep the emails brief and straight to the point.

What helped me overcome my fears was looking at the bigger picture. Make an effort. Your professors and teaching assistants might be personally involved in research projects or know colleagues who are participating in research. You can ask if any positions on the research team are available and if so, who you can send your research assistant cover letter and resume to. These projects are often looking for assistants, scribes, and other team members who can help in the research process.

Keep in mind that your chances to participate in this opportunity and any of the opportunities we list below depend on your academic standing, your skills, your references, and more.

If you're working on a research assistant cover letter and are looking for tips to make it stand out, check out this infographic:

2. Check Out Other Colleges

If you find that no research opportunities are currently available in your own school, check out colleges and universities near you. Some departments openly post volunteer research positions on their website, so do make sure to check them out.

You can personally reach out to instructors in the departments that interest you the most and introduce yourself. Explain that you are a student at another school who is looking for research opportunities. Starting as a volunteer is the perfect opportunity for someone who does not have any research experience. Focus on self-improvement and development at first, and then demonstrate to your research team that you are a dedicated, responsible adult who they can trust and work with. You might move up the ranks if such an opportunity is available.

“If you're interested in certain types of research it is helpful for the interdisciplinary nature of certain research to be fostered at some of these bigger academic institutions. For example, I did a summer research program … and a lot of the work done with that would involve doctors in the hospital collaborating with people in bioengineering at the university.” – Rishi Patel, BeMo student.

3. use connections at premed clubs.

My undergraduate institution had a few research organizations, which I joined very early in my freshman year. These clubs helped me with tips during my undergrad research.

There are a lot of research programs available during your premed years. You can look out for summer research programs and medical research fellows programs in reputable institutions.

Older students may also advise where to look for opportunities at your school and beyond. Perhaps they shadowed a physician who is always involved in research and can always use an assistant. They have been in your situation and know how frustrating this search can be. They also know if an experience will be of value to you, point you in the right direction, and give tips based on their own experiences.

4. Reach Out to Hospitals and Physicians

Your own extracurriculars for medical school can lead you to research opportunities! Reach out to your contacts or the doctors you shadowed, especially if you managed to develop a friendly rapport, and these physicians would remember your work ethic and intelligence. Even if they are not participating in research personally, they may give you the names of their colleagues who are looking for assistants or know of research projects happening in their institution.

Additionally, check out the websites of local hospitals, medical facilities, and research facilities. They may advertise research jobs.

Summer research programs are ideal for most premed students. A huge advantage of these programs is that you can focus on research only. After successfully completing a program like this, you may not need to gain any more research experience to bolster your application.

The potential downside of summer research opportunities is that many of them have a variety of fees. As some of these programs are designed specifically for students who have no or limited experience in research, they ask students for application and program fees instead of paying them for their research participation. Considering how much medical school costs , and other related costs, sit down and plan your budget before you send in applications to summer research programs.

6. Make Use of the Internet

There are so many resources to use online. Check out the websites of reputable national research institutions such as - National Institutes of Health (NIH) , the American Medical Association , and the  American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for research internships.

7. Consider Virtual Research Opportunities

You can explore virtual research opportunities in data analysis or literature reviews in any field that piques your interest. I was a part of a few virtual research training sessions and the tips I got from participating were very helpful in my overall research experience.

8. Look for International Opportunities

If you are adventurous, you can look for premed research opportunities abroad. These can be great for exposing yourself to new cultures and learning a new language. However, if you want to be strategic, you must keep a couple of things in mind.

If you complete a research project outside of North America, this might look great on your resume and med school application, but you might not miss out on a quality recommendation from your supervisor. Also remember that these opportunities can be pricy, as you will need to pay for the application fees, travel, accommodation, and living expenses while living abroad.

9. Enroll in SMPs & Post-Baccs

Special master’s programs (SMPs) and post-baccalaureate programs are also a great option for students who need more time and opportunity to enhance their application.

Post-bacc programs are designed with the purpose of helping students close gaps in their applications. Some offer more MCAT prep, some give you the chance to take necessary medical school prerequisites , while others may help you find quality research opportunities. You can find the programs that fit your needs via this AAMC directory . Make sure to check the programs’ websites if research opportunities are available via the post-bacc or related facilities.

While many MD and DO schools do not have strict research requirements, you should strive to participate in quality research experiences to be a competitive candidate. The skills you acquire via research are essential for medical school and the practice of medicine in general.

Research helps students improve critical thinking skills, analytical skills, communication skills, and other important abilities. It demonstrates your curiosity, dedication, and sense of responsibility.

All three types of experience are important in their own way for premeds. Research activities build important skill sets, and certain medical programs may value research experience more than shadowing hours.

Not necessarily. If you would like to experience scientific research, participate in lab-based research. However, you can also participate in social science or humanities research projects.

There is no set requirement for the number of research credits. Most importantly, your research activity should be of high quality and dedicated time commitment.

Start by searching for opportunities in your own school. You can also reach out to other local colleges and universities, medical facilities, and your premed peers. You can also search for summer research opportunities and international programs.

You can choose to take a gap year before medical school if you want to give yourself enough time to participate in a quality research experience. During your gap year, you can focus on bolstering your application with extracurriculars like research and clinical hours and prepare your medical school application.

Non-traditional applicants can use all of the same methods we’ve outlined to find research opportunities. If you have been out of school for a long time, you might consider enrolling in an SMP or a post-baccalaureate program to gain all the necessary premed experiences.

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What is Pre-Med? Exploring the Path from College to Medical School

As you may have heard, demand for healthcare workers is at an all-time high in the U.S. This trend is expected to continue for the next decade .

A recent study from the American Association of Medical Colleges highlighted the specific need for new doctors to enter the field in the coming years. The study found that “the United States could see an estimated shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians by 2034. This includes shortfalls in both primary and specialty care providers.” 

Students graduating from medical school will find an abundance of quality job prospects. Knowing this, you may wish to attend medical school and pursue an M.D. degree. But for many students, the path from high school to medical school isn’t always clear. Traditionally, taking pre-medical studies as an undergraduate student is the straightest line from high school to graduate-level physician training. But what exactly are “pre-medical studies”? What does “pre-med” look like in college and what can you expect from this course of study?

We’re here to answer these questions so you can decide if pre-med is right for you.

Is Pre-Med a Major?

Pre-medicine (often shortened to “pre-med”) is the common name for a series of undergraduate courses and extracurriculars designed to prepare students to enter medical school after graduation. It is not a major. As a pre-med student, you’ll attend classroom lectures, complete laboratory hours and participate in resume-building activities like doing scientific research, shadowing professionals and getting hands-on experience in the healthcare field. These courses and experiences provide the baseline understanding you’ll call upon to complete the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and the application process.  There’s a lot to pack into four years, so it’s to your advantage to attend an institution with an engaged pre-health advisor who will guide you step-by-step through each semester.

If you follow the traditional route, you may major in biochemistry, chemistry or biology. Although challenging, double majoring in STEM and humanities can set you apart. Whatever your major, make sure it’s a subject you really care about. Want to know the top majors future physicians consider? We’ve got a blog post for that — and it may surprise you.

Pre-med studies also benefit students interested in becoming pharmacists, dentists, optometrists, physician assistants or physical therapists. In fact, some students who enter college focused on becoming physicians change their career track on learning about other healthcare professions. Getting an overview of healthcare professions through an introductory course allows you to meet with visiting care providers such as physicians, therapists, dentists, pharmacists and medical students. Their presentations provide an insider perspective on possible career paths. It is a good idea to use this opportunity to ask questions and learn all you can about the jobs you are considering. Interacting with these professionals also helps you build an invaluable network of mentors who can aid you on your journey.

Pre-Med Coursework: What to Expect

You may be wondering about specific courses included on the pre-med track. Most graduate-level healthcare programs will expect you to have taken the following classes:

• One year of biology with lab
• One year of general chemistry with lab
• One year of organic chemistry with lab
• One year of physics with lab
• At least one semester of biochemistry
• A math requirement (calculus, statistics or both)
• One year of English

Of course, these are just the foundational courses graduate schools require you to master before you apply. You may also explore related courses in cellular biology, immunology, genetics and biochemistry (to name just a few). The Princeton Review publishes a helpful checklist of courses, application requirements and test prep tips for students hoping to complete their pre-med studies and apply to medical school in four years.

Preparing for Medical School

Medical schools want to see that you have a foundational understanding of biology, chemistry and math. But admission officers are looking at more than just your transcript . Here are some outside-the-lecture-hall must-dos when preparing for medical school.

Laboratory Training

Lab training is an essential part of any pre-med track. You’ll find that hands-on laboratory work comes packaged with the coursework in biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry and physics. New to lab work? Don’t worry. Like any skill, laboratory techniques are learned through hands-on experience under the guidance of professionals. Something to consider: If you attend a small liberal arts college, you’ll receive coaching from science faculty from day one as opposed to graduate assistants at large state universities.

Undergraduate Research

A strong pre-med program will give you the opportunity to assist in scientific research. Hands-on research experience is an important part of undergraduate training. It’s advisable to consider programs where you can do side-by-side research with faculty — as early as your first year. Experiences like these can lead to internships in medical research plus opportunities to co-author studies and present findings at industry and academic conferences.

Outside-the-Classroom Experience

There are many specializations you may consider as you move toward medical school. And it is never too early to think about what kind of doctor you’d like to become. That’s why it is important to observe physicians of all kinds applying their skills in the field. Work-study programs are a feature of many pre-med programs. These opportunities provide you with a close-up view of the day-to-day work being done by doctors in various areas of medicine. You might want to shadow a general practitioner, assist with medical research or inquire about observing surgery (to make sure you have the stomach to become a surgeon!).

Test Prep and Application Assistance

For better or worse, getting into medical school comes down to your performance on the MCAT and your program application. Part of your pre-med workload will be dedicated to preparing for the MCAT (test taking is a skill!) and making sure your application materials are in order. Research pre-med programs to see where you’ll receive guidance on crafting your personal statement and answering essay questions. Requirements vary among medical schools. If you’re asked to interview, you’ll want to access a network of pre-med mentors (pre-health advisor, pre-health committee and peer advisors) to help you cross the finish line.

A Liberal Arts Education Can Give You a Competitive Edge

A pre-med course of study focuses on nuts-and-bolts science training. This knowledge is necessary for any student hoping to enter medical school (you’ll need it to pass the MCAT, after all). But it takes more than a grounding in the sciences to be a great physician. In fact, a biology major is not the only path for undergraduate students to take to get into medical school. Majoring or minoring in liberal arts areas like philosophy, sociology and religion can prepare you for the all-important human side of medicine. Balancing science requirements with readings for your philosophy major might require careful planning, but medical school admissions officers are always interested in well- rounded students .

What’s Next?

Still interested in a pre-med course of study? PrepScholar shares several ways that you can prepare for pre-med undergraduate work while still in high school . If you’re interested in a career in healthcare, but not sure you want to be a physician, read our blog post 15 Types of Allied Health Professionals and What They Do .

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Enter your email to unlock an extra $50 off any mcat program, by submitting my email address. i certify that i am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from the princeton review, and agree to terms of use., 6 ways for pre-meds to gain research experience.

Many med school applicants share  strong GPAs and impressive MCAT scores . So admissions officers look to other measures to make comparisons among candidates. Lab and research experience is one way to set yourself apart.

How Important is Research Experience to Med Schools?

While research experience is not a requirement for admission to med school (unless you are a MD-PHD candidate), it can definitely be an advantage on your application. An interest in research shows off your curiosity, maturity, and work ethic—all qualities of students who are prepared to handle the challenges of med school.

If you are considering a career in academic medicine, you should try to get involved in research projects early in your undergraduate career. Bonus: Your research mentors are terrific people to ask for letters of recommendation !

Where to Find Research Opportunities

1. sit down with your professor..

Treat a professor to coffee and ask about research and special project opportunities for undergraduates in her lab or department. Touch base with any teaching and research assistants you work with through your pre-med courses , as well.

2. Check out various science department websites at your university.

Department websites usually list information on current research projects or can direct you to your school's offerings for funded or volunteer research. E-mail principal investigators (the lead researcher for a grant project administered by a university) at your school and ask how you can get involved with their study.

Read More: How To Make Your Med School Application Stand Out

3. Investigate summer programs.

Medical centers host summer research programs for undergraduates and even sometimes high school students. The National Science Foundation sponsors its Research Experience for Undergraduates program at many college campuses throughout the summer. Check out the AAMC database for summer undergraduate research programs geared toward students interested in scientific research.

4. Talk to your pre-med advisor or your college advisor.

These counselors are extremely knowledgeable about academic opportunities on campus and can point you in the right direction. You can also make an appointment to talk with a staff member at your college's career center.

5. Check out study abroad and internship programs.

Consider programs conducting research in the field. Internships at national laboratories and research facilities are also great options.  

6.  Consider taking a year off to participate in full-time research.

Applying to med school the summer before you senior year of college, essentially means you only have three years to pack in pre-req and extracurriculars. A gap year gives you time to devote to something you missed out—like conducting research— and strengthen your application.

What Types of Research Experiences Do Med Schools Look For?

Med schools typically find value in a wide range of experiences covering basic and social sciences, clinical, and humanities research. But a full year of research, preferably in lab setting, makes your research background stand out.

What if I don’t have Research Experience?

Med schools care about the sum of your experience. If you haven't had the opportunity or don't want to partake in research, dedicate your time to raising your MCAT scores or investing in your extracurriculars.  Our med school admission experts can help you position your accomplishments and experiences on your application.

That being said, research-oriented medical schools are also more likely to prioritize lab research experience during the admissions process. MD-PhD candidates will write an essay for their AMCAS application that highlights their research background.

Want to get an edge over the crowd?

Our admissions experts know what it takes it get into med school. Get the customized strategy and guidance you need to help achieve your goals.

Med School Admission Counseling

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Importance of Undergraduate Honors thesis work

• Thread starter pd1001
• Start date Oct 31, 2018

Full Member

• Oct 31, 2018

not important.  

Do it if you want to do it. It won’t give much of an advantage when applying. Your gpa, MCAT and clinical experiences are more important. I’m in an honors thesis program right now, Bc I enjoy the research I’m doing. I know that it won’t guarantee me an acceptance. It’s a cool program tho  

Membership Revoked

It's another activity.  

truewolvgocrim1 said: I don't know why people say it's unimportant. It's obviously a great extracurricular and project to work on. It shows you can handle a long-term project and work closely with faculty members - things you will likely be doing in medical school as well. Plus, you can potentially win awards/earn recognition from your academic department. You could also get an excellent letter of recommendation from your thesis advisor. Hell, it might lead to a publication. Some MD schools even require a thesis or scholarly project for graduation, so it's a plus to have an applicant who has done it already and might express so in their secondary application when answering "Why this school?". It seems people on here are quick to dismiss a senior thesis, but I suspect it may be so because so few candidates have completed one. Click to expand...

herdofturtles

Not to hijack this thread but... I'm a nontrad. Got a degree in a humanities/social sciences field and completed an honors thesis in said field. Later went back and did a DIY post-bacc to get my pre-reqs in. Wasn't able to get any labs to take me on because I wasn't a *real* undergrad and I was only gonna be around for a year. In this case - How helpful is having research/honors thesis, but not in a STEM field? Let's say for top-20's/schools that care more about research - is this enough to at least put me in the lowest category of "has some research" (as opposed to "no research")?  

ObjectiveBoba

truewolvgocrim1 said: Sure you could get all the things I mentioned above without doing a thesis, but isn't it nice to have some kind of narrative with a long-term project you can speak about in essays and interviews? Additionally, the thesis program probably provides structure so that you don't have to spend time slogging for a lab that will put up an undergrad and beg for time with a mentor. Again, people haven't done it and so they will say you don't need to do it, but from someone with an undergrad thesis, I will say for sure that it enhanced my application. Click to expand...

herdofturtles said: Let's say for top-20's/schools that care more about research - is this enough to at least put me in the lowest category of "has some research" (as opposed to "no research")? Click to expand...

truewolvgocrim1 said: LOL if you truly believe this and LOL at your delusion of 99% of applicants having some type of research. In 2017, under 60% of matriculating students had a research experience ( Matriculating Student Questionnaire (MSQ) - Data and Analysis - AAMC ). I'm guessing an even smaller proportion of applicants had a research experience. Additionally, only 8-12% of matriculants have a graduate degree, and that's without distinguishing PhD from post-bac certificate (MSAR). Sure you could get all the things I mentioned above without doing a thesis, but isn't it nice to have some kind of narrative with a long-term project you can speak about in essays and interviews? Additionally, the thesis program probably provides structure so that you don't have to spend time slogging for a lab that will put up an undergrad and beg for time with a mentor. Again, people haven't done it and so they will say you don't need to do it, but from someone with an undergrad thesis, I will say for sure that it enhanced my application. Click to expand...

herdofturtles said: Not to hijack this thread but... I'm a nontrad. Got a degree in a humanities/social sciences field and completed an honors thesis in said field. Later went back and did a DIY post-bacc to get my pre-reqs in. Wasn't able to get any labs to take me on because I wasn't a *real* undergrad and I was only gonna be around for a year. In this case - How helpful is having research/honors thesis, but not in a STEM field? Let's say for top-20's/schools that care more about research - is this enough to at least put me in the lowest category of "has some research" (as opposed to "no research")? Click to expand...

• Nov 1, 2018

truewolvgocrim1 said: You have me laughing, again. The threads you posted show the opinions of people (including some of those liking your comment) leaning toward the side of a senior thesis being a good thing. So I'm not really sure what your angle is, and I honestly don't know why you are so against it. I never said it was important, but it can be a good thing and will almost certainly lead to other good things. I'm guessing it's because you were admitted without one, so you think everyone should be like that. I'm not quite sure. And you never responded to the link I posted showing < 60% of matriculants having a research experience; instead you just made an ad hom attack. But I don't expect much else from you or the other "adcoms" on this site who spend most of their days responding to posts instead of working Click to expand...

makemeadoctordoctordoctor

Anecdotal evidence: I did not do a senior thesis and currently have 6 MD/PhD interviews - 2 at T20 schools.  

makemeadoctordoctordoctor said: Anecdotal evidence: I did not do a senior thesis and currently have 6 MD/PhD interviews - 2 at T20 schools. Click to expand...

pd1001 said: Because I enjoy research, I am doing the same. That is great to know. Curious on What is on your Bio. Can you PM me your work from research perspective. Click to expand...

I will have worked for 3 years in labs during my undergrad by the time I finish it up next spring. 1 year in 1 lab and 2 years in other lab. have done couple of presentations done. My thesis coming up. Have few ideas to talk about. Plan to apply for Next cycle. Another question being, do we have to apply separately for MD and MD/PHD or one application works for both.  

pd1001 said: I will have worked for 3 years in labs during my undergrad by the time I finish it up next spring. 1 year in 1 lab and 2 years in other lab. have done couple of presentations done. My thesis coming up. Have few ideas to talk about. Plan to apply for Next cycle. Another question being, do we have to apply separately for MD and MD/PHD or one application works for both. Click to expand...

makemeadoctordoctordoctor said: There are two additional essays for MD/PhD that are not sent to MD only programs. Otherwise it's just clicking a button on AMCAS. Click to expand...

MyOdyssey said: There's a physician scientist forum here on SDN: Physician Scientists The more important question is whether applying MD/PhD hurts your chances of being accepted MD at the same school. Click to expand...

makemeadoctordoctordoctor said: From what I have heard, it slightly decreases your chances because your application is technically being submitted to the medical school later in the cycle. Click to expand...

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Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental Advising

Research is an element of a pre-health application that is not necessarily “required” in the same way that clinical experience and community service are, though it does add significant strength to any application and can be a great avenue for developing and enhancing certain competencies such as critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and teamwork. It is a great way to get acquainted with the scientific process, pursue your interests outside of the classroom, and even find opportunities for formal publication or presentation of your work.

Research is also an excellent way to show committees your ability to solve complex problems through trial and error, analyze data, and approach novel challenges. This is similar to the clinical decision-making process in that you are presented with new information and must arrive at a conclusion that is supported by evidence and careful investigation .

Research can be completed through an on-campus or off-campus opportunity, either during the school year or over the summer months. Some people choose to pursue internships or fellowships that are research focused, and some applicants will even take a growth year or two to work in a research setting before applying to medical school. If you are in a major or program that requires a capstone project or thesis, this is also viewed as a form of research known as independent scholarship .

Keep in mind that research does not necessarily need to be within your major field, or even necessarily in a traditional STEM field . We encourage students to pursue those opportunities that they are most interested in and passionate about. As long as you are able to articulate what you have learned from your experience and how you can translate that knowledge into your future career, you are welcome to explore a variety of research fields and opportunities.

Remember as well that connections you make with your PIs or research coordinators in this setting are important to build and keep so that you may ask for a letter of recommendation for your application.

Getting Connected

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is a fantastic resource for learning how to get started in research and for finding research opportunities. OUR offers several programs, such as the Health Research Program , that offer funding for undergraduate students, which we encourage you to explore.

Students are also welcome to explore specific department websites at the university to find any ongoing research projects certain professors might be conducting. If you find something that you are interested in by doing this, you will need to formally and politely reach out to the professor. We suggest utilizing OUR’s resources on Connecting with Faculty and Email Etiquette .

For those students who are in their sophomore or junior year and identify as first-generation and low-income, and/or historically underrepresented , who are interested in pursuing M.S. and/or Ph.D. studies in the STEM disciplines, our office encourages you to explore the CAPS Research Scholars program.

For those students who are members of historically underrepresented groups in STEM fields , with a declared major in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and pre-health professions, LSAMP is a community-based program that focuses on scholar support and success.

What Counts As Research Experience For Medical School? (Explained)

Understanding what counts as research experience for a medical school application is something that confuses a lot of pre-meds.

With many different programs and types of experiences available, it’s also tough to know which to prioritize.

What counts as research experience for medical school?

Science and non-science projects, lab-based or not, can count as research experience. Anything where you analyze data (and do so in a way that develops your critical thinking and communication skills), counts. It doesn’t have to be specific to medicine.

And if that still sounds a little unclear, that’s because it is. What counts as research experience is broad!

We’ll get into this further in this article.

Here’s what else we’ll cover:

• If undergraduate research or published research counts
• Why non-science research is fine
• If you have to work with a professor/research expert

As a med student with an interest in research myself, I’ve had a lot of these same questions. Hopefully, I can help clarify what you really need to think about.

Ready to get started? Let’s go.

What does research experience need in order to “count”?

As mentioned before, research experience can be clinical or non-clinical. For it to really count it needs to be well considered. That means something that requires your active involvement.

Next to your involvement, here’s what else I feel research experience has to have in order to really count on a med school app:

• Relevance to your interests or undergrad studies
• A clear display of invested time and effort
• Something professional looking that’s structured and/or has an outcome

That last point can be a little unclear so let me expand.

The research project should have a dedicated focus. It shouldn’t just be a thin exploration of multiple disciplines and topics. It should be purposeful in some way.

Any research experience that meets those criteria, regardless of how you (or other people) feel about it – it being objectively “good” or “bad” etc. – would definitely count.

Of course, the more passionate or interested in it you are, often the “better quality” the research.

But you’ll also be better placed to talk about it in any interviews too.

Does non-science research count?

Yes. Non-science research can definitely count.

Take, for example, an economics or math major who does research into the macroeconomics of marginal or underrepresented communities in certain areas of their state. That’s not technically science, but it still would definitely count.

The same is true for an English major interested in the use of language among inner-city teens. If they did research in that field and helped uncover or explore some meaningful social statistics, then that would be a good example too.

But the research doesn’t always have to have an outcome . It can still count if you show it’s something relevant to you and your academic or career goals.

The same goes for non-science letters of recommendation. These are just applicable too.

The important thing is they show the dedication of your character and the intent to explore and think critically.

Does undergraduate research count?

Undergraduate research can count but oftentimes fails to match the criteria above due to all the other pressures of college.

Independent research experience can border on the loose and undefined. That’s why it’s a good idea to attempt to attach yourself to faculty-based research if you can or a structured summer program (I cover the types of things available here).

Either way, starting to gain research experience at the undergrad level is a good idea. You may start off minimally involved but your responsibilities can grow over time.

The best counting research experiences are ones that are extensive and deep .

You get more time to explore those types of things starting out during undergrad.

Does unpublished research count?

Yes. Specifically, if it helps demonstrate the types of things we’ve already talked about.

Not getting publications shouldn’t concern you too much as long as you can show good general involvement in a research project.

Letters of recommendation from research leads or staff are one way of making up for that. But so is a well-written secondary essay that demonstrates the impact of those experiences on your own personal intentions and philosophies for applying for medicine.

But it should be said that publications can definitely count for the top-tier medical schools that are research-heavy .

Getting into Harvard Medical School, at least anecdotally, seems easier with research publications.

Related : How Hard Is It To Get Into Harvard Medical School? (Explained!)

Do you have to work in a professor’s lab?

No, but doing so could mean scoring a more impressive letter of recommendation.

As already discussed; relevant research experience (the type that counts for med school) can be done in a wide range of environments, under a variety of teams or institutions.

Sure, a lab can help you look more “clinically relevant” (that’s why it’s suggested to try to volunteer in one here; No Research Experience For Medical School? (7 Things To Do) , but it’s by no means necessary.

What’s important is that the experience shows you have solid written and oral communication skills.

That’s why med schools mainly consider it important.

What counts as research experience for medical school: Reddit’s opinion

The r/premed community is always a good place to go to get a better grip on these types of concerns.

Here are some of the best comments curated from there in terms of what counts as research…

Research papers for class usually don’t count

Research doesn’t have to be published to count, but research papers you did for a class usually don’t usually count. Usually research is about creating new knowledge by doing something like conducting an experiment or reviewing data or something else along those lines. A review paper is a little different, but those are usually meant for the purposes of publication. – bobsaysblah

Research for credit vs Research for passion

I think research for credit and an actual course might be considered differently, I’m not sure when it gets into such details! I’d count completely independent research as research and anything with a syllabus, even if mostly independent, I would probably consider true coursework but that’s just my take. You can always clarify with AAMC! – 326gorl

This is always the best advice if in doubt about your research counting: clarify with the AAMC .

Why undergraduate research experiences are questionable

Establish a collaboration with an expert in the field since it is not really valuable for an undergrad to be the sole author of a narrative review in medicine. – eskimolimon

On questioning the value of your research

Research is totally the long game in terms of impact. It is rare to discover a monumental, paradigm-shifting result. However, take it as an opportunity to train and get better while contributing to someone else’s work. That puts your one step closer to make a great contribution in science/medicine. – _scrumpy

An important point. Don’t get hung up on thinking your research only counts if it leads to some big breakthrough. Most projects lead to only incremental gains in knowledge.

Final Thoughts

Although you don’t need to have research experience to stand a chance of getting into med school (check out; How Many Hours Of Research For Medical School Is Best? (Explained) ), it definitely does help.

But knowing what does and doesn’t count is almost just as important.

What counts is anything that involves data analysis, critical thinking, and a dedicated focus.

What doesn’t count is anything loose, unstructured, and with no proof of you developing written or oral communication skills.

Hopefully, this article has helped establish that.

Related Articles

• MD/Ph.D. Programs: Everything You Need To Know

Born and raised in the UK, Will went into medicine late (31) after a career in journalism. He’s into football (soccer), learned Spanish after 5 years in Spain, and has had his work published all over the web. Read more .

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15 Best Pre-Med Schools in the US in 2024 & How to Choose One

Posted in: Applying to Medical School

If you want a career in healthcare, it’s never too early to start looking at your options for college. There are many pre-med programs to look at and several factors to consider when you search for the best college as a pre-medical student.

A great pre-med program offers a quality education, plenty of resources for students planning for a career in medicine, like research and hands-on clinical experience, and the ability for a student to maintain a high GPA. It also exposes students to soft-skills that are essential for being a good physician.

Here’s our list of the best colleges — ivy league or not — to prepare you for med school.

1. Harvard University

Acceptance rate : 5%

Avg ACT score: 33

Avg SAT score: 1476

Application deadline: Jan 1st

Application fee: $85

Tuition: $52,659

Acceptance Rate for Undergrads /Alumni Applying to Medical School : 93%

Harvard has a pre-med advising program and assigns tutors and mentors from sophomore through senior year. They also have exceptional biological science departments. Harvard’s proximity to hospitals and medical centers means ample clinical and research opportunities.

It also doesn’t hurt that Harvard’s medical school has dominated university rankings for years.

Learn about our shadowing program to maximize your medical school chances.

2. columbia university, new york, ny.

Acceptance rate : 6%

Avg SAT score: 1510

Tuition: $62,570

Acceptance Rate for Undergrads /Alumni Applying to Medical School : 91%

Columbia’s pre-med students receive an education curriculum that meets the requirements for most medical schools. In addition, Columbia’s Premedical Committee sponsors informational meetings for pre-med students.

3. Yale University

New haven, ct.

Avg SAT score: 1484

Application fee: $80

Tuition: $43,543

Acceptance Rate for Undergrads /Alumni Applying to Medical School : 86%

4. Duke University

Acceptance rate : 11%

Avg SAT score: 1475

Application deadline: Jan 3rd

Application fee: $100

Tuition: $62,941

Acceptance Rate for Undergrads /Alumni Applying to Medical School : 85%

Duke offers many options for pre-med students, including health-centered study abroad programs and research experiences. Duke University Medical School is one of the top med schools in the US, so it’s not surprising they have a handle on how to support future medical students.

5. Boston University

Acceptance rate : 29%

Avg ACT score: 30

Avg SAT score: 1316

Application deadline: Jan 2nd

Tuition: $29,154

Acceptance Rate for Undergrads /Alumni Applying to Medical School : 80%

Boston University provides pre-health advising for multiple health-related fields. Their Pre-Professional Advising Office also organizes meetings for pre-med students throughout their undergrad years. BU students receive help setting professional goals, meeting med school requirements, and navigating the entire medical school application process.

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, pa.

Acceptance rate : 9%

Avg SAT score: 1463

Application deadline: Jan 5th

Application fee: $75

Tuition: $56,212

Acceptance Rate for Undergrads /Alumni Applying to Medical School : 78%

UPenn is home to one of the top medical schools — the Perelman School of Medicine — meaning loads of research opportunities for undergrads. Several of UPenn’s majors offer pre-med focus options as well.

7. Cornell University

Acceptance rate : 14%

Avg ACT score: 32

Avg SAT score: 1424

Tuition: $41,958 in-state, $62,456 out-of-state

Acceptance Rate for Undergrads /Alumni Applying to Medical School : 76%

Cornell recently launched its Health Professions Advising Center to provide resources and community support for students preparing for careers in the medical field. This includes resources for honing in on the exact career you want and help in figuring out the steps to take to get there.

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, md.

Acceptance rate : 12%

Application fee: $70

Tuition: $25,241

Acceptance Rate for Undergrads /Alumni Applying to Medical School : 70%

Home to one of the best medical schools in the US, Johns Hopkins provides plenty of clinical and research experience opportunities for premeds. The advising track at Johns Hopkins involves individual and group appointments, special events, and programs geared toward pre-med student success.

9. Georgetown University

Washington, dc.

Acceptance rate : 17%

Avg SAT score: 1406

Application deadline: Jan 10th

Tuition: $30,710

Acceptance Rate for Undergrads /Alumni Applying to Medical School : 75-80%

Georgetown is home to one of the nation’s top medical schools. This makes it even more interesting that Georgetown offers the assurance of admission to high-performing students at the end of their sophomore year. You read that right — if you perform well during your undergrad years, you can step right into Georgetown University School of Medicine without taking the MCAT.

10. University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill

Chapel hill, nc.

Acceptance rate : 27%

Avg ACT score: 29

Avg SAT score: 1288

Application deadline: Jan 15th

Tuition: $7,019 in-state, $34,198 out-of-state

Acceptance Rate for Undergrads /Alumni Applying to Medical School : 90%

UNC-Chapel Hill offers Specialized Training Tracks for several disciplines in medicine, particularly research related. They also offer a 9-week intensive program for students who lacked opportunities for pre-med study or who want to reaffirm their desire to pursue a medical career.

Improve your chances of being considered for medical schools with our Virtual Clinical Education program.

11. stanford university, stanford, ca.

Avg SAT score: 1455

Application fee: $90

Tuition: $56,169

Acceptance Rate for Undergrads /Alumni Applying to Medical School : 75%

The Stanford Pre-Medical Association ensures that pre-med students have the resources and opportunities they need for success. Pre-med advisors are available to help you plan coursework, discuss options, set goals, and find internships .

12. University of Washington

Seattle, wa.

Acceptance rate : 45%

Avg ACT score: 28

Avg SAT score: 1241

Application deadline: Nov 15th

Tuition: $57,592

Acceptance Rate for Undergrads /Alumni Applying to Medical School :   Not published

UW is one of the best state universities for pre-medical education. Career coaches are available to help students navigate course selection, shadowing, and research opportunities. Premed students at UW collaborate with UW Medicine and have ample research and volunteer opportunities.

13. Northwestern University

Evanston, il.

Avg ACT score: 34

Avg SAT score: 1495

Tuition: $28,344

Northwestern’s Health Professions Advising Office provides many resources for pre-med students of multiple disciplines. Not only will they help students with coursework and extracurriculars, but they also host workshops and events . Northwestern also boasts an impressive medical school to boot.

14. University of Chicago

Chicago, il.

Acceptance rate : 7%

Avg SAT score: 1540

Application fee: $75; fee waived for students applying for need-based financial aid

Tuition: $62,241

Acceptance Rate for Undergrads /Alumni Applying to Medical School : 82%

The University of Chicago offers unique cohort-based programs for students to explore career options and gain first-hand experience early on in their education. Programs vary from 5 weeks to a full year and are available independently or in addition to typical coursework.

15. University of Notre Dame

Notre dame, in.

Acceptance rate : 19%

Tuition: 60,301

Acceptance Rate for Undergrads /Alumni Applying to Medical School : 84%

Notre Dame offers the unique Arts and Letters pre-health supplementary major . Students are encouraged to study arts and humanities in conjunction with the typical pre-med science courses. This is a refreshing approach to the pre-med tracks often geared towards math and science-heavy majors like biology or engineering.

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Factors to consider when choosing a pre-med program.

We’ve listed some top-notch schools for pre-med studies, but know that plenty of other great pre-med programs are available. At the end of the day, choose the institution that works best for you.

• Faculty to student ratio. This will impact you when you need letters of recommendation to get into medical school. If you’re in classes with 100s of other students and don’t foster relationships with professors, you’ll end up with generic, fill-in-the-blank letters.
• Financial aid . Almost 84% of undergrad students use some form of financial aid, be it federal, state, or institutional. If you need financial assistance, see if the school you’re interested in offers it.
• Student body satisfaction. Check college review pages. With minimal effort, you can see how happy previous students were with their experience.
• Study abroad opportunities. Being a physician involves being a care-taker of people of all different backgrounds. Study abroad and global internships, such as Global Medical Brigades, are great ways to gain experience, improve your application and become a better person. Look for these opportunities at pre-med programs.
• MCAT preparation. Every pre-med knows the MCAT is an important part of the medical school application process. Some schools can help students by having MCAT preparation partnerships.
• Extracurriculars, especially research and clinical opportunities. Just like the right high school extracurricular activity looks great on a college application, you want great pre-med extracurricular activities on your med school application. These might include research opportunities, shadowing health professionals, or internships in the health science field.

About Medical School Acceptance Rates

Should you look at published acceptance rates ? It doesn’t hurt to look at published acceptance rates, but they can be misleading. Of course, you want to go to a school that promises their pre-med track will usher you into medical school. However, you should not enroll in an undergraduate program based on their self-reported success rate.

Many schools publish their students’ acceptance rates, don’t tell the whole truth with these numbers. There may be students who weren’t supported through the medical school admissions process because of their grades or MCAT, and the school won’t count these students in their numbers. Bottom line: you want to ensure you know the whole story.

That said, the schools listed above, and many others, including non-ivy schools , have fabulous pre-med programs that can set you up for success.

Pre-Med Courses

You can be a pre-med from any undergraduate school in the country. While the term “pre-med” gives you a clear idea of where you want to end up, there’s plenty of wiggle room with your undergrad coursework. Pre-med is not a major , but rather a set of prerequisite courses for med school.

Undergraduate students can choose any major if they meet pre-med requirements and maintain an exemplary GPA. That said, some schools, like the ones above, have well-defined paths for pre-professionals, particularly pre-med students.

What is the best pre-med major ?   The best pre-med major is the one you’re passionate about. While many pre-med students opt for medicine-adjacent majors — biology, chemistry, psychology — you can be a pre-med liberal arts major if you desire as long as you take the necessary prerequisites.

Required courses vary by medical school, but these pre-medicine courses are a good starting point:

• Biology with lab
• Biochemistry
• Chemistry with lab
• Organic chemistry with lab
• Physics with lab
• College English
• Behavioral science (psychology, sociology, anthropology, etc.)

This is a standard set of requirements. Your pre-med advisor will help you plan your courses and offer mentorship to prepare you for your medical education. The good news is, provided the school has a strong biological science department, you can take the courses you need just about anywhere.

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The 11 Best Pre-Med Schools to Help You Become a Doctor

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Choosing an undergraduate school is the first major step any student will make on the path to becoming a physician. If you're an aspiring pre-med student, you'll want to give yourself the best opportunities and support networks in college and beyond. Applying to (and succeeding in) medical school is a grueling process, so you'll need to be prepared.

Here, I'll talk about what actually makes a school good for pre-meds before getting into the good stuff: the list of best pre-med schools.

What Makes a School Good for Pre-Meds? 6 Key Factors

Pre-med students need a lot of specialized resources and opportunities as undergraduates in order to boost their med school applications. It's important that aspiring physicians attend schools that aren't only highly ranked but that also provide unique support to pre-meds.

In creating this list of best pre-med schools, I considered the following six factors (as you should, too, when deciding on a school!).

Factor 1: Medical Schools Admissions History

This is perhaps the most obvious and most important factor to consider before applying to college. Various specialized resources for pre-meds are great, but what really matters (and what keys you in to whether these resources are effective or not) is the percentage of pre-med students from that university who actually end up in medical school. The higher the number, the better your odds will be when you start applying to med school, too.

The problem is that not all undergraduate institutions make this information easily available, and if they do, the numbers might be artificially inflated. For instance, they might not count students who start off as pre-med but don't fulfill all the requirements. Or they might attempt to "weed out" weaker students from the pre-med track with difficult classes.

That being said, here are some steps you can take to get a general sense of a school's med school admissions history:

• Start with online research to see whether any stats are available for the colleges you're interested in. Try searching "[School Name] pre-med admissions" on Google.
• Look into class profiles of med schools you're interested in. For example, Tulane's School of Medicine's latest class profile lists the major colleges and universities its students come from; these include Tulane , UCLA , Emory , UNC-Chapel Hill, and UC San Diego. This isn't the norm, however, as many med school class profiles don't contain information about undergraduate institutions.
• Check out other stats that can tell you about the quality of a program, like student/faculty ratios, internship opportunities, admissions rates, and national rankings.

To help you out, we've compiled available med school admissions stats in the descriptions below. If I could find stats only from unreliable sources, I did not include them on the list.

Factor 2: Pre-Med Advising

There are a lot of requirements and activities to keep track of when preparing for medical school applications—something you'll be thinking about as soon as you start your freshman year (or perhaps even earlier). Special pre-med advising programs are really helpful when it comes to making sure you're on the right track. That's because pre-med advising programs specialize in helping students get into med school, which means they have the inside scoop when it comes to keeping you on the right track.

Knowledgeable pre-med advisors and mentors should be able to prepare you for all aspects of the application process, including course and major selection, application development, and interview preparation. The more intensive the advising resources, the better prepared you'll be for your med school applications. Be sure to visit your pre-med advisors early and often to make sure you're setting yourself up for success.

Factor 3: Research and Publication Opportunities

You'll need research experience in some sort of STEM lab for med school applications. The earlier you start your research and the more research you do, the more impressive you'll look to medical schools.

Well-funded research institutions will often have many opportunities for undergrads to get involved in labs simply because more research is happening. And more research means more opportunities for you to get your name on a paper or two, which is a big plus for your CV.

You'll notice that most of the schools on this list are very highly ranked research powerhouses with excellent medical schools—this is no coincidence. The same research funding, facilities, and faculty that make a med school great also help make a school great for pre-meds.

Factor 4: Clinical Experience Opportunities

You don't just need research experience for your med school apps— you also need work in clinical settings. Oftentimes, you'll have to get this experience through volunteer work, such as at a clinic or nursing home.

If you're in an area with limited clinical environments, it'll be tough to get the experience you need, especially if you have to compete with other pre-med students. If you're in an area like this, be sure you're going after opportunities early on in your collegiate career. Also keep an eye out for internships in other cities and states that can help you add clinical experience to your résumé.

Med schools want to see that you've spent time in the field—make sure your school of choice offers opportunities for you to gain this experience.

Factor 5: Rigor of Curriculum

You might not be excited at the prospect of seeking out tough courses on purpose, but a rigorous curriculum will ensure you're prepared for both the MCAT and medical school. Schools that are tough on their pre-meds will ultimately produce stronger med school applicants, which is a good thing considering that less than half of all pre-med applicants end up in medical school!

Factor 6: Pre-Med Major vs Pre-Med School

Some colleges and universities don't actually have a dedicated pre-med major. If that's the case, you'll pick a STEM-based major instead. It will be up to you to become familiar with the requirements for med school and keep track of them yourself.

Having said that, many of those schools offer a pre-med track or emphasis that is designed to help aspiring doctors achieve their goals. Be sure you do your research to see what types of pre-med programs are available at your school.

As you might expect, some of the best schools for pre-meds don't have a specific pre-med major. That being said, they do have strong biological and physical sciences departments. (In fact, many students choose these majors because there's a lot of overlap with pre-med requirements.) Be sure to check with your university and your advisors to determine which major is best for you.

The Best Pre-Med Schools, Ranked

College rankings are helpful when starting your college search, but no ranking list is perfect since there's no way to come up with an officially objective system that applies to all students.

In an effort to be as transparent as possible, I've compiled this list of the best pre-med schools using the factors described above.

Keep in mind that all of these schools are all stellar options, and the ranking numbers themselves aren't particularly important. What matters more is how these schools might or might not fit your college criteria.

Now, let's take a look at the best med schools!

#1: Harvard

Harvard's Office of Career Services estimates that 17% of any one of its classes will apply to med school—that's a huge fraction of the student body! Pre-med applicants with a 3.5 GPA or higher had a 93% acceptance rate to med schools in 2013, whereas average acceptance rates that year were about 42%.

Harvard College offers a peer pre-med advising program in which students are assigned a pre-med tutor sophomore through senior year.

Harvard University houses the #1 ranked medical school in the US and also boasts extremely strong biological sciences departments. There are several affiliated teaching hospitals nearby, too (which are great for both research and clinical experience).

#2: Johns Hopkins

Johns Hopkins is well reputed as a very highly-ranked med school and medical research institution , which means you'll have numerous research and clinical opportunities. You're sure to have access to impressive resources, as the university is affiliated with one of the best teaching hospitals in the country.

Undergraduates at Johns Hopkins follow a pre-med advising program track (which isn't a major). This advising track includes individual appointments, small group meetings, and other special programs designed to help aspiring med school students succeed. The school also has many health-related student organizations, which also provide opportunities for undergraduates to build their med school résumés.

#3: Stanford

Stanford isn't just a top-ranked college—it also houses a top-ranked medical school . Special pre-med advisors are available to discuss ideas, plan your coursework, help you visualize your long-term objectives, and give you options for gaining experience in the field. They also offer internship opportunities for undergraduate students, which can help you get clinical hours and stellar letters or recommendation.

The pre-med community at Stanford seems especially organized and cohesive. The Stanford Pre-Medical Association offers lots of information and resources to students, all in one place. Unfortunately, however, there aren't good statistics about how many Stanford graduates make it into medical school every year. But since Stanford has world-class degree programs, you can bet that number is pretty high.

#4: University of Pennsylvania

UPenn's Perelman School of Medicine is one of the best in the US ; access to this med school means tons of research opportunities. But don't just take my word for it! In 2021, 72% of Penn students who applied to med school were accepted —that's well above the national average of 38% that year.

The school also offers a pre-health advising program to guide students through fulfilling pre-med requirements and successfully applying to medical school. Also, certain majors (like engineering ) have a pre-med focus to help prepare you for the next step of your med school journey.

#5: Columbia

Columbia is home to a top five med school . As undergraduates, though, students are assigned a pre-med advisor and attend informational meetings sponsored by the Premedical Committee. Columbia's convenient NYC location also guarantees easy access to countless clinics and hospitals, giving you plenty of opportunities for clinical and research experience.

Additionally, Columbia provides pre-med students with a sample course curriculum to help them meet the minimum requirements for med school applications. This handy sheet—along with the top-tier advising services offered at the university—can help you get an edge on the competition when it comes to medical school admissions. Unfortunately, though, Columbia doesn't release statistics on how many of its undergraduates are admitted into medical school each year.

Not only is Duke one of the best universities in the nation, it also offers a robust pre-med program. Students get plugged into the pre-med advising program as soon as they walk on campus, and they also have incredible opportunities including health-centered study abroad programs and hands-on research experiences .

The med school acceptance rates for Duke undergrads are phenomenal—according to Duke, 70-80% of its college students get into med school , which is roughly twice the national average. This likely has partly to do with the fact that Duke hosts a top-10 medical school .

#7: University of Washington

You might have noticed that all the schools on the list so far have been private schools. But not the University of Washington! UW is one of the best public med schools in terms of research and primary care, and pre-med students benefit significantly from these resources.

Pre-health career coaches and advisors help students with academic and vocational concerns, such as picking classes, job shadowing, research, and volunteering through a combination of individual and group meetings. There are also many pre-med student groups , including Alpha Epsilon Delta and the Student Health Consortium, which help you continue your pre-med education outside of the classroom.

While there aren't medical school acceptance statistics available for the University of Washington, the fact that its medical school is one of the best in the US ensures pre-med students will get a top-tier education.

#8: UNC Chapel Hill

Unfortunately, UNC doesn't track specifics when it comes to med school acceptance rates for pre-meds. We can presume the number is fairly high given that UNC has a very good reputation across many health fields for both undergraduate and graduate students. They also offer specialization tracks, which can set you apart as you apply for medical school (especially if you want to go into medical research).

UNC offers an interesting nine-week Medical Education Development (MED) summer program , an intensive program for smart and committed students who have lacked past opportunities to move toward a career in the medical field. If you're not ready to attend college as a pre-med but want to become a physician, this could be a good option for you.

#9: Cornell

An impressive 76% of Cornell pre-meds with a GPA of 3.4 or higher got into medical school in 2016, and 63% of all Cornell applicants were accepted into medical school the same year. If you end up as a pre-med at Cornell, you'll be in good company: about 17% of undergrads there are interested in pursuing a career in medicine.

The school's Health Careers Program provides specialized advising, programs, information, and an Evaluation Committee to pre-med students. This Committee is particularly helpful when it comes to getting letters of recommendation for medical school applications.

Outdoorsy students might not mind trading an urban environment for the scenery in Ithaca, NY.

#10: Northwestern

With a top-20 med school , Northwestern offers lots of research and clinical opportunities. It helps that the school is located in a bustling urban area. Unfortunately, there's no available info on pre-med acceptance rates to medical schools for students at Northwestern. However, Northwestern does publish a list of medical schools that its graduates have been admitted to in the past five years, which includes top programs like Harvard's and Columbia's medical schools.

Northwestern also provides pre-med students with tons of resources, many of which are available on the school's pre-med advising website . These advisors help students with everything from choosing courses to applying to med school. Pre-meds are also welcome to schedule individual meetings or stop by during drop-in hours, meaning you'll get plenty of hands-on help.

#11: Georgetown

We're including Georgetown on this list because it offers a pretty interesting option for students who like to plan ahead called the Early Assurance Program . If you're a high-achieving pre-med student at Georgetown, you can get assurance of admission at Georgetown School of Medicine at the end of your senior year. That's a great deal, especially since Georgetown's School of Medicine is one of the top 60 medical schools in the nation .

3 Final Tips for Future Pre-Med Students

If you're thinking about choosing a pre-med track (or even if you're still just thinking about it!), you can set yourself up for success by following these three tips. Remember: medical school admissions rates are incredibly competitive, so focusing on your goals now can give you a huge leg up later.

For even more guidance, check out our step-by-step guide on how to become a doctor and our list of the best books for pre-med students .

Tip 1: Focus on Math and Science in High School

You'll need a foundation in high school for your pre-med courses in college, and you'll need to do well in those college courses in order to get into med school—it's that simple! Load up on STEM classes in high school, and really focus on learning the material. If you're struggling, be sure to ask your teachers for help, and don't be afraid of tutoring!

You should also try to take your math and science courses as AP or IB classes if possible. First, it's important for you to learn how to succeed even in the most difficult courses. Second, many high schools use weighted GPAs for advanced courses, which can make a huge difference when it comes to raising your cumulative GPA.

It might be painful at times, but doing well in math and science classes will set you up for better admissions chances at one of these top pre-med programs.

Tip 2: Look Beyond Schools' Pre-Med Programs

There are so many other factors to consider when making a decision about where to go to college. A school's pre-med program is important of course, but so are the more practical features that will affect your quality of life.

Are you happy with the general area in which the school is located? What about the school's room and board options? Are there student groups or activities you're excited about? If you're not happy at school on a day-to-day basis, this could negatively affect your performance when trying to fulfill your pre-med requirements. Take some time to really evaluate your personal goals and needs to ensure you're choosing a pre-med program that's right for you.

Tip 3: Keep Your GPA High

Many of the stats we found on pre-med acceptance rates to med schools qualified those stats by providing information based on students' GPAs. The implicit (or sometimes explicit) implication here is that students with higher GPAs have more success getting into med school.

While of course an undergraduate institution with research opportunities and great advising will help your chances, those resources can only do so much if your grades aren't great. A tough undergraduate program only helps if you do well in it!

Conversely, you can still get into med school with great grades and an awesome MCAT score even if you didn't go to a super prestigious undergraduate institution.

What's Next?

If you're still figuring out whether a career as a physician is right for you, consider getting some hands-on experience. You might not think there's much you can do as a high school student, but there is! Start by shadowing a physician , and then check out our guide to the best med programs for students in high school .

If you're interested in pre-med programs, you might also be interested in BS/MD programs. Take a look at our comprehensive guide on how to get into a great BS/MD program to streamline the med school application process.

Want to know what you should be doing right now to prepare for pre-med programs? Read our complete guide on how to prepare for pre-med in high school and our list of the seven books every pre-med student should read .

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10 Best Non-Ivy League Schools for Pre-Med

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How we made this list, best non-ivy league schools for pre-med, what are your chances of acceptance.

You may be surprised to learn that many of the best pre-med programs for med school hopefuls are not limited to schools within the Ivy League. In fact, some of the best pre-med programs in the country can be found at liberal arts colleges! Today, we’ll be discussing the best pre-med programs and what makes these programs so fantastic.

Before we get into the list, it is important to realize that pre-med is a track rather than a major . Pre-med students take a set of prerequisite classes to be eligible to apply for medical school. However, this is not the same as a college major. Students on pre-med tracks are able to major in anything, however majoring in the sciences remains the most common major for pre-meds.

Rankings on this list are determined by several factors, including medical school acceptance rates, GPA, MCAT prep, patient care experience and research experience. BS/MD programs are not included on this list, however, there are several options for students interested in that path.

7 out of the 10 best schools for pre-med are non-Ivy League. These include: 

• Duke University
• University of Pennsylvania*
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Rice University
• Stanford University
• Northwestern University
• Brown University*
• Amherst College
• Case Western Reserve University

(*) denotes Ivy League.

To avoid redundancy, we’ll be continuing the list of the best pre-med schools starting with the 11th best school on this list. 

1. Georgetown University

Location: Washington D.C.

Acceptance Rate: 15%

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1370-1530, 31-34

Undergraduate Enrollment: 7400

Georgetown University offers a wide array of research opportunities through the Georgetown University Research Opportunities Program (GUROP), where students can conduct research alongside faculty members. Many opportunities can also be found at the Georgetown University Medical Center. Students can gain clinical experience through volunteering at the Georgetown University Hospital, joining the Georgetown EMS (GERMS), and working at several partner clinics around D.C.

Learn more about Georgetown University and what it takes to get accepted.

2. Emory University

Location: Atlanta, GA

Acceptance Rate: 19%

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1350-1520, 31-34

Undergraduate Enrollment: 7000

Emory’s pre-health advising supports students through workshops, events and small sessions to prepare students for the medical school application process. The university offers many research opportunities and even allows students to get course credit for research. In order to teach students the fundamentals of research, some research opportunities at Emory require students to also enroll in a course while conducting research. The university also offers a fall and spring research symposium where students can present their work to peers and mentors. 

Learn more about Emory University and what it takes to get accepted.

3. Swarthmore College

Location: Swarthmore, PA

Acceptance Rate: 9%

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1380-1550, 31-34

Undergraduate Enrollment: 1500

Swarthmore College offers robust one-on-one advising with pre-med students. The college partners with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Jefferson University Hospital, and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania to offer volunteer experience for students. If students are interested in research, the college offers many opportunities to work alongside faculty and even summer research grants. 

Learn more about Swarthmore College and what it takes to get accepted.

4. Johns Hopkins University

Location: Baltimore, MD

Acceptance Rate: 11%

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1450-1560, 33-35

Undergraduate Enrollment: 6000

Johns Hopkins has an entire “pre-professional” office dedicated to helping students pursue graduate opportunities of all types. Besides many strong undergraduate research programs, Johns Hopkins provides many opportunities for clinical experience through volunteer work across Baltimore. Additionally, the university has many student organizations dedicated to learning about the health profession including a chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta, Hopkins Organization for Pre-Health Education, and the Women’s Pre-Health Leadership Society (WPHLS). Many of these organizations allow students to network with physicians at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Learn more about Johns Hopkins University and what it takes to get accepted.

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5. Vanderbilt University

Location: Nashville, TN

Acceptance Rate: 10%

Undergraduate Enrollment: 6800

Vanderbilt offers solid pre-med advising and like many research universities, has a robust research program. The Vanderbilt Undergraduate Clinical Research Summer Internship, for example, is a unique program that allows undergraduates to conduct research with a professor and while also working at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The university also offers many undergraduate pre-med organizations and clubs that are geared towards certain STEM majors. The proximity of the Vanderbilt University Hospital to the university allows students to form connections with physicians as well.

Learn more about Vanderbilt University and what it takes to get accepted.

6. Tulane University

Location: New Orleans, LA

Acceptance Rate: 17%

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1350-1490, 30-33

Undergraduate Enrollment: 7900

Tulane University leads the country in groundbreaking medical research, and the university encourages students to become as involved as possible. Many students are involved in research in the Cell and Molecular Biology department and are eligible to apply for prestigious summer fellowships to continue research. The university also has 11 pre-med societies with different focuses, ranging from autism awareness to international and public health focus to the university-wide student-run EMS.

Learn more about Tulane University and what it takes to get accepted.

7. Bowdoin College

Location: Brunswick, ME

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1360-1610, 31-33

Undergraduate Enrollment: 1800

Bowdoin College has an impressive medical school admissions rate. In 2015, 91% of Bowdoin College students who applied were accepted to medical school, and the annual acceptance rate is 87%. Students who conduct research with professors are eligible to apply for a fall research award, or the college also provides smaller awards of $800 monthly for student research.

Learn more about Bowdoin College and what it takes to get accepted.

8. Miami University

Location: Oxford, OH

Acceptance Rate: 75%

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1200-1380, 25-30

Undergraduate Enrollment: 17,300

Miami University has a unique pre-med program because it actually offers pre-medical studies as a “co-major.” This means that students in this major take classes to explore careers in medicine and learn all about the pre-health application process through coursework. Students are also offered special advising to find research opportunities that suit their interests. The university also offers many independent research opportunities and 16 pre-health student organizations.

Learn more about Miami University and what it takes to get accepted.

9. Bates College

Location: Lewiston, ME

Acceptance Rate: 18%

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1290-1460, 33-34

Bates College encourages pre-health students to conduct research and offers many opportunities for students to do so. Research can occur through a senior thesis, an honors thesis, independent research, or through many of the seminars or specific research courses that Bates offers. The college also has a Health Sciences society for students to learn more about careers in healthcare. 

Learn more about Bates College and what it takes to get accepted.

10. Williams College

Location: Williamstown, MA

Acceptance Rate: 13%

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1410-1550, 32-35

Undergraduate Enrollment: 2000

Williams College has many unique pre-med programs only for Williams students. For example, the college has an alumni sponsored fully-funded internship program where students can work in a field of their choice. Additionally, over 200 students conduct summer research at Williams, and students can apply for internships at the Whitehead Institute, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and Marine Biology Laboratory which are specifically designed for Williams students. 

Learn more about Williams College and what it takes to get accepted.

If you want to learn more, check out our complete list of all of the best pre-med schools .

Are you an aspiring pre-med and want to know your chances of admission to these colleges? Check out our chancing engine ! This tool will help you understand your chances of admission at colleges with pre-med programs and allow you to filter schools that match your personal criteria such as location, major, or diversity.  Best of all, the calculator is completely free!

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• Caitlin Daley  

Academic Advisors

All ORFE department offices are located in Sherrerd Hall, with the exception of Prof. Ramon van Handel whose office is in Fine Hall.

An Introduction to the Department

Humankind has always faced significant challenges.  With today's technology, however, we have the ability to collect vast amounts of data to illuminate the problems and opportunities we face.  More importantly, we now can apply an array of robust analytical tools to deepen our understanding of the issues, to help us make better decisions and to develop solutions that will enhance our quality-of-life.

While collecting vast amounts of data is becoming easier, collecting the right data remains very expensive. How does one get from vast data to the right data?  How should one analyze, understand and appropriately address uncertainty that is present in essentially all societal endeavors? And, how can one exploit these resources to make the best possible decisions and best contribute to an enhanced quality of life?  These are precisely the questions that form the core of the Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering. Problems of this kind have appeared for a long time in the understanding of logistics and management, energy, the environment, agriculture, the military and micro- and macro-economics.  As our ability to handle more data and complexity has expanded, so has our ability to more deeply address traditional applications and venture to tackle new ones in finance, health care, biology and most aspects of our society.  The basic mathematical modeling and analytic skills that lie at the heart of ORFE are now essential prerequisites to almost any quantitative discipline, including areas such as data science and statistics, information technology, energy resource management, health care, risk management, and many others.  We view ORFE as the ideal quantitative education for the modern world, whether you see your future as a business leader, health care provider, legal/policy/political professional, data scientist, quantitative analyst, or academic researcher. Even poets might find something to love in ORFE.

ORFE is the intersection of six closely interconnected applied mathematical disciplines and application areas that lie at the heart of all activities in the Department: operations research, financial engineering, machine learning, optimization, statistics and probability.  Each of these areas is described in more detail below.

Operations Research

The field of operations research traces its foundations to World War II, although it includes dimensions that go as far back as the early days of the telephone at the beginning of the 20th century. It uses mathematical models and optimization methods to rigorously address quantitative problems in business and management, logistics, health care, energy systems, telecommunications, and transportation. The most common theme that runs through these problems is the efficient management of resources, where resources may be natural resources, economic resources, informational resources, equipment, people, and/or physical facilities. Students in operations research may follow a management track into business or consulting, or a more technical path into teaching, research, or software development. There is a burgeoning marketplace for sophisticated methods to schedule airlines and railroads or to optimize supply chains for large manufacturing and retail enterprises. 

Financial Engineering

Financial engineering uses mathematical models of financial markets to design innovative financial instruments and strategies to meet the specific needs of individuals and corporations, including managing risks and cash flows. To this end, financial engineers analyze and ultimately manage risks within an integrated framework, as compared with traditional piecemeal approaches. Often, new instruments are constructed based on the specific requirements of the investor. Solving these problems in a principled manner requires a combination of diverse analytical methods from applied mathematics, probability and statistics, stochastic processes and stochastic calculus, optimization, financial economics, and computation skills. Students grounded in financial engineering are in great demand: they find jobs on Wall Street and with traditional financial companies such as banks, insurance companies, mutual funds, and financial consulting companies, as well as in the CFO office within mainline corporations.

Machine Learning

Machine Learning is a scientific field that aims to design computer programs and algorithms that can automatically learn from data and improve with experience. Machine Learning is routinely used to make fast and accurate predictions and decisions in problems whose scale is too large for humans to handle. Machine learning lies behind many recent technological advances such as self-driving cars, intelligent personal assistants, web search, credit risk analysis, customer preferences analysis and even genomics. At ORFE, we use mathematical tools to develop and analyze new Machine Learning algorithms to discover hidden structure in massive datasets and to make optimal decisions in the face of uncertainty and limited information.

Optimization

Optimization is everywhere. Whether one talks about optimizing revenue, finding the best route to visit all the major cities of the United States, or optimizing the parameters of your new algorithm, there is common thread: one wants to design procedures that can rapidly and accurately optimize a given function of interest. The area of mathematical programming is concerned with the design and analysis of such procedures. At ORFE we are particularly interested in large-scale time-varying optimization problems, involving substantial uncertainty and variability. Indeed these problems are more and more important in our "Big Data" era. We also pay special attention to the interplay between optimization and the domain specificity of the applications, whether it is finance, statistics or machine learning. The cutting-edge domain specific algorithms for large-scale optimization are nowadays critical to the success of most IT companies, including Google's search engine or Netflix's recommendation system.

Statistics is the science of learning from data. Learning what? Well, almost anything: Statistics are behind drug discovery, political campaigns, climate policies, genetic screenings, financial portfolio management and quality control to name only a few. If your senior thesis involves data, statistics will be your best friend. Statistics is a universal framework to make decisions based on data. In the “Big Data” era, statistics is more relevant than ever: it allows us to make predictions and understand the inherent uncertainty associated to these predictions. Moreover, using modern computer resources, statisticians have been able to contemplate richer models that fit better to reality and make ground breaking scientific discoveries, for example in understanding the human genome.

Hal Varian, the chief economist of Google, has famously said that the statisticians have the sexiest job of the 21st century. One advantage of working in statistics is that you can combine your interest with almost any other field in science, health, technology, or business. Most organizations now collect huge amounts of data and need statisticians to extract relevant information from them.

Probability

Probability theory, also known as stochastics, is the mathematics of randomness and uncertainty.  Probabilistic models lie at the heart of any application that involves uncertain outcomes, be it the arrival of patients and the availability of beds in hospitals, the fluctuations of financial markets, the spread of epidemics, the inheritance of genetic traits, and numerous other applications that span engineering and the sciences.  They also provide the fundamental framework for modeling the structure of complex data, and form the foundation of statistical methods for analyzing text, speech, and biological data.  At the same time, randomness can serve as an important resource for solving otherwise intractable problems, including simulation methods for estimating risks or for tracking and prediction in uncertain systems, random measurements for exploring customer preferences and for speeding up data acquisition in signal processing, and stochastic optimization algorithms for making optimal decisions on the basis of noisy data. Probability theory provides the tools needed to design and analyze such models and methods and to rigorously understand their behavior.

Overview of the Undergraduate Academic Program

In addition to meeting the usual Engineering School requirements, students will complete courses in the following four groups:

• Department’s core requirements (4 courses) – These form the intellectual foundation of our field, and cover statistics, probability, stochastic processes, and optimization.
• Departmental electives (10 or 11 courses depending on senior thesis choice).  These are additional courses that either extend and broaden the core, or expose the student to a significant problem area or application closely related to the core program.

Independent Research

• Senior Thesis - ORF 498 and ORF 499.  This is a full-year effort that involves a major application of the techniques in the program applied to a topic that a student chooses in consultation with a faculty advisor. Students interested in a full-year senior thesis must be willing to spend the appropriate time during both the fall and the spring semesters.  Students will enroll in ORF 498 in the fall semester, and ORF 499 in the spring, each at one credit. OR
• Senior Independent Project - ORF 497 (Spring semester only) - A short progress report will be due in December, (Dean’s Date) to make sure that the students have chosen a suitable topic and matched up with their advisor.  The final outcome will be a report due at the end of the spring semester.  The report will fully describe the research project and its results. Typically projects will take approximately 30 to 50 pages.  Students who take the independent project will need to take an additional 400-level ORFE departmental elective.

A minimum of 7 courses from the humanities and social sciences. These courses must include 1 course in 4 of the following areas:

• Epistemology and Cognition (EC)
• Ethical Thought and Moral Values (EM)
• Historical Analysis (HA)
• Literature and the Arts (LA)
• Social Analysis (SA)
• Foreign Language (107/108 level or above)
• Culture and Difference (CD)

The University requires that 36 courses be taken to graduate.  The School of Engineering requires math achievement through Math (MAT 103, 104, 201 and 202, or equivalent), Computer Science proficiency (COS 126), Chemistry (CHM 201 or 207) and Physics (PHY 103, 104).  Ten courses required to meet the engineering school requirement of 36 courses (more if the student places out of any of the SEAS requirements).  Students are free to select these courses from any department, and are expected to design an academic program with the assigned advisor that produces a balanced education.  No course may count under more than one heading, under any circumstances.

Each student selects and schedules courses in consultation with the assigned academic advisor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies. While generally no exceptions in the core courses are allowed, students may design specialized programs through their choice of departmental electives.  Specialized programs must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies, and students should write to [email protected] to initiate this conversation.

Graduate Courses

Graduate courses may be taken for the purpose of scholarly enrichment, and ORF graduate courses will apply as departmental electives.  To enroll, one must complete the “Permission for Undergraduates to Enroll in Graduate Courses” form with signatures from the course instructor, and either the academic adviser or the director of undergraduate studies.  The completed form is submitted to the Office of the Registrar during open enrollment period.  Graduate courses will not count toward departmental GPA computations. The necessary form may be found via the Registrar .

ABET Accredited Engineering Degrees

The Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering does not offer ABET-accredited engineering degrees.  This has never been a problem for ORFE majors in their pursuit of post-graduate opportunities, and our B.S.E. degrees are fully accredited under Princeton University’s overall accreditation. If, however, it is important that you major in an ABET-accredited program of study (e.g. for eligibility for an outside scholarship), please take this into account when choosing your major.  Further information on which Princeton program of study are ABET-accredited, please consult the Undergraduate Announcement .

Academic Program Details

Seas requirements.

MAT 103, 104; COS 126; CHM 201 or 207; PHY 103 or 105, 104 or 106; MAT 201 or 203, 202 or 204 or 217

ORFE Requirements

Core program, orf 245 fundamentals of statistics**.

A first introduction to probability and statistics. This course will provide background to understand and produce rigorous statistical analysis including estimation, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing and regression. Applicability and limitations of these methods will be illustrated in the light of modern data sets and manipulation of the statistical software R. Precepts are based on real data analysis. Prerequisite: MAT 201 (taken concurrently is acceptable), or equivalent.

ORF 307 Optimization

This course focuses on analytical and computational tools for optimization. We will introduce least-squares optimization with multiple objectives and constraints. We will also discuss linear optimization modeling, duality, the simplex method, degeneracy, interior point methods and network flow optimization. Finally, we will cover integer programming and branch-and-bound algorithms. A broad spectrum of real-world applications in engineering, finance and statistics is presented. Prerequisite: MAT 202 or 204. Basic computer programming knowledge, often achieved through taking COS 126, is suggested.

ORF 309 Probability and Stochastic Systems

An introduction to probability and its applications. Topics include: basic principles of probability; Lifetimes and reliability, Poisson processes; random walks; Brownian motion; branching processes; Markov chains Prerequisite: MAT 201. MAT 203, or MAT 216.

ORF 335 Introduction to Financial Mathematics (also ECO 364)

Financial Mathematics is concerned with designing and analyzing products that improve the efficiency of markets and create mechanisms for reducing risk. This course develops quantitative methods for these goals: the notions of arbitrage and risk-neutral pricing in discrete time, specific models such as Black-Scholes and Heston in continuous time, and calibration to market data. Credit derivatives, the term structure of interest rates, and robust techniques in the context of volatility options will be discussed, as well as lessons from the financial crisis. Prerequisites: MAT 104 and ORF 309.

Department Electives (10 or 11 Courses)

The departmental electives represent courses that further develop a student’s skills in mathematical modeling either by a more in-depth investigation of core methodologies, applying these skills in specific areas of application, or learning about closely related technologies.  Students must choose ten courses from the following list, with the following constraints:

• There must be at least four courses from ORFE.
• There can be no more than three courses from any one department (excluding ORFE). In the case of a cross-listed course, the home department of the course (PSY 360, e.g.), as opposed to the department with which it is cross-listed, defines the limit of three.

All departmental electives:

• ORF 311 – Stochastic Optimization and Machine Learning in Finance 
• ORF 350 – Analysis of Big Data
• ORF 363/COS 323 – Computing and Optimization for the Physical and Social Sciences
• ORF 375/376 - Junior Independent Work
• ORF 387 - Networks
• ORF 401 - Electronic Commerce 
• ORF 405 – Regression and Applied Time Series
• ORF 407 – Fundamentals of Queueing Theory
• ORF 409 - Introduction to Monte Carlo Simulation
• ORF 418 - Optimal Learning
• ORF 435 - Financial Risk and Wealth Management
• ORF 445 – High Frequency Markets: Models and Data Analysis
• ORF 455 – Energy and Commodities Markets
• ORF 467 – Transportation Systems Analysis
• ORF 473/474 - Special Topics in Operations Research and Financial Engineering
• APC 350/MAT 322 – Introduction to Differential Equations
• CEE 304 – Environmental Engineering and Energy  
• CEE 460 - Risk Analysis 
• CHM 301 – Organic Chemistry I
• CHM 304 – Organic Chemistry II
• COS 217 - Introduction to Programming Systems
• COS 226 - Algorithms and Data Structures
• COS 423 - Theory of Algorithms
• COS 485 – Neural Networks: Theory and Applications 
• ECE 301 – Designing Real Systems 
• ECE 381 – Networks: Friends, Money and Bytes 
• ECE 473 – Elements of Decentralized Finance 
• ECE 486 – Transmission and Compression of Information 
• ECO 310 - Microeconomic Theory: A Mathematical Approach
• ECO 311 - Macroeconomics: A Mathematical Approach 
• ECO 312 – Econometrics: A Mathematical Approach
• ECO 317 - The Economics of Uncertainty
• ECO 332 – Economics of Health and Health Care
• ECO 341 - Public Finance 
• ECO 342 - Money and Banking
• ECO 361 - Financial Accounting
• ECO 362 - Financial Investments    
• ECO 363 - Corporate Finance and Financial Institutions
• ECO 418 - Strategy and Information
• ECO 462 - Portfolio Theory and Asset Management
• ECO 464 - Corporate Restructuring
• ECO 466 - Fixed Income, Options and Derivatives: Models and Applications
• ECO 467 - Institutional Finance, Trading and Markets
• EEB 324 – Theoretical Ecology
• EEB 325 – Mathematical Modeling in Biology and Medicine 
• ENV 302 – Practical Models for Environmental Systems
• MAE 206 – Introduction to Engineering Dynamics
• MAE 305 / MAT 391 / EGR 305 / CBE 305- Mathematics in Engineering I OR MAT 427, (both may not be taken due to similar content)
• MAE 306/MAT 392 - Mathematics in Engineering II
• MAE 345 – Introduction to Robotics
• MAE 433 - Automatic Control Systems
• MAE 434 – Modern Control
• MAT 320 - Introduction to Real Analysis
• MAT 375/COS342 - Introduction to Graph Theory 
• MAT 377/APC 377 - Combinatorial Mathematics
• MAT 378 - Theory of Games
• MAT 385 - Probability Theory
• MAT 427 - Ordinary Differential Equations
• MAT 486 - Random Process
• MAT 522/APC522 - Introduction to Partial Differential Equations
• MOL 345/CHM 345 – Biochemistry
• NEU 437/MOL 437/PSY 437– Computational Neuroscience: Computing with Populations of Neurons
• NEU 330/PSY330 – Computational Modeling of Psychological Function
• PSY 360/COS 360: Computational Models of Cognition

Students often wish to follow a theme in their selection of courses.  Below are a few possible themes:

• Applied Mathematics: MAT 375, 378, 320; ORF 405
• Engineering Systems: ORF 363, 409, 467; COS 226; ECE 301; MAE 433
• Financial Engineering: ORF 311, 350, 405, 435; ECO 362
• Information Sciences: ORF 401, 418; COS 217, 226
• Machine Learning: COS 217, 226; ORF 350, 407, 418
• Pre-Med/Health Care: CHM 301, 302; MOL 345; ORF 350, 401, 418
• Statistics: ORF 311, 350, 409, 418, 405, 467

Junior Independent Work (Optional)

Students selecting Junior Independent Work need to prepare a proposal including the following:

• 100 word abstract/literature. Abstract will describe the problem, why it is important, why you want to study it and what you hope to have accomplished by the end of the semester.
• "Syllabus" containing weekly readings and work plan.  What you will focus on and what you plan to accomplish in each week of the semester.
• Table of contents of the final report that you will prepare that will form the basis of the grade that you will receive.
• Find a faculty member who will supervise your project.  Students are welcome to work with non-ORFE Princeton faculty. 
• Obtain Director of Undergraduate Studies’ signature, approving your proposal. 

The proposal and signed Junior Independent Study Form must be sent to the Undergraduate Administrator ( [email protected] ) prior to the first day of classes.  The requirements for satisfactory completion of the study (such as reports, examinations, etc.) are set by the faculty mentor, not the Department, and the student should have a clear understanding about them when the work is begun.

Senior Independent Work

Senior thesis (orf 498 and orf 499).

The Thesis begins in the spring semester in the junior year, with a selection process to ensure that students are well matched with an adviser.

Students will enroll in ORF 498, Senior Independent Research Foundations, in the fall semester of the senior year, and ORF 499, Senior Thesis, during the spring.  The research during both terms is accompanied by class time – with an emphasis on research groups – to facilitate the independent work.

Four reports are required throughout the year, leading up to the final thesis report, which is due in April.  The first report is due in September, the second in October, the third in December, and the fourth in February. The research results will be presented to faculty and fellow students at the end of the spring term. For more information, refer to the senior thesis guide .

Senior Independent Project (ORF 497, Spring Semester Only)

Students will choose an adviser during junior year, spring semester, based on the usual arrangement – attending presentations by the ORFE faculty, reading the Faculty Interests Guide and meeting with individual faculty members.  Students will select a broad topic, and rank faculty according to their preferences.

A short progress report will be due by Dean’s Date of the fall semester, to make sure that the students have chosen a suitable topic and are matched up with their adviser.  The final outcome will be a report due at the end of the spring semester.  The report will fully describe the research project and its results. Typically projects will be 30 to 50 pages.   If selecting this option, students will need to take an additional 400-level ORF course, for a total of eleven electives.

Typical Course Schedule

Parentheses signify alternate schedule.

Departmental GPA, Honors and Prizes

Departmental gpa.

Prior to graduation, the department will calculate each student's Departmental Grade Point Average (GPA).  The Departmental GPA is computed as the average of 15 grades.  For students choosing the Senior Thesis (ORF 498/499), the 15 grades are: ORF 498, 499, the ten highest graded qualified departmentals, plus each of the core courses except ORF 245 .  To be a qualified departmental the courses must satisfy the following constraints:  must be a member of the departmental electives list in the Academic Guide, no more than three can be from one department .  Each of these courses must have been taken for a grade at Princeton (meaning no PDF).  Courses taken at other institutions will not contribute to the GPA.  If 15 graded courses meeting the criteria do not exist because some requirement was met with courses taken at other institutions, then other technical graded courses taken at Princeton will be used to calculate a GPA.

For students choosing the 1-semester Senior Independent Research option it is the same as above with an additional ORF 4XX departmental, totaling 11 departmentals.  Note, while two 200-level courses may be included among the Departmental Electives, no 200-level courses are counted in the departmental GPA (except COS 217, COS 226, and MAE 206).

A minimum 2.0 Departmental GPA is required for graduation. The departmental GPA is a significant factor but not the sole determinant of honors.  The overall academic quality of the entire ORFE class and academic performance in individual classes are also taken into account in the faculty's decision in awarding honors.

Graduation Requirement

Core Courses and Departmental Electives may not be taken on a PDF (Pass, D, Fail) basis .  Equivalent versions may be taken at other universities but require prior formal written permission.  Grades received in courses taken at other universities are not included in the computation of the departmental GPA.  A passing grade must be received in each ORFE Core Course and each Departmental Elective.   To graduate, a student must satisfy the University's 36 course requirement, the SEAS requirements for Physics, Chemistry, Math and Computer Science, ORFE's Core and Departmental Elective requirement and achieve a Departmental GPA of 2.0 or greater.

Highest Honors, High Honors and Honors are awarded by the ORFE faculty to those graduating seniors who have demonstrated the highest levels of academic achievement.  Departmental GPA is the major criterion; however, each student's overall academic record and the overall quality of the graduating class are also considered in the awarding of these honors.

The ORFE faculty also awards a few individual prizes for specific superior achievement in a few defined categories.

Other Program Opportunities

Certificate or minor programs.

The following certificate or minor programs complement well with ORFE and are thus popular with students:

• Minor in Environmental Studies
• Minor in Statistics and Machine Learning
• Minor in Computer Science
• Minor in Finance
• Certificate in Robotics and Intelligent Systems
• Certificate in Sustainable Energy 
• Certificate in Applied and Computational Mathematics
• Certificate in Optimization and Quantitative Decision Science (housed in ORFE, directed by Professor Ahmadi)

Taking Courses at Other Schools

Students may take courses at other schools during the summer, during a semester off, or during a year abroad.  The rules are slightly different depending on the activity.  If you are considering taking a replacement course during the summer or a semester off, you need to obtain a Transfer Course Approval Form, from The Dean of the College website, where you describe the course that is being taken, and what course at Princeton is being replaced.  This is particularly important if you want the course to count toward some requirement.  Read the form carefully.  It requires that you obtain the approval of the home department (or the professor that teaches the equivalent Princeton course) for the course.  For example, if you wish to take a replacement course for MAE 305, you should get the signature of the instructor teaching MAE 305 or the Director of Undergraduate Studies from MAE.  A replacement for an ORFE course requires the signature of the Director of Undergraduate Studies of ORFE. Approval that the course is equivalent or better than the Princeton course, that is to replace, must be obtained by the Professor teaching the Princeton course. Once received approval can be granted by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Please provide a syllabus or at least a detailed description of the course before obtaining approval.

If you wish to take a semester or a year abroad, you need to obtain the signature of the Director of Undergraduate Studies of ORFE, in addition to the approval of the course of study committee.

Note, core courses (except for ORF 245) may not be taken at other schools without special dispensation by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.  They must be taken at Princeton and must be taken “graded”.  Departmental electives, if approved before taking, may be taken at other schools; however, the grade earned will not be included in any GPA calculation.

Faculty Research Interests

Amirali ahmadi, professor .

Optimization: algebraic methods in optimization, semidefinite programming, polynomial optimization.  Computational aspects of dynamics and control: Optimization-based Lyapunov theory for verification of dynamical systems.  Control-oriented learning: Learning dynamical systems from trajectory observations subject to side information.  Algorithms and complexity: Computational complexity in numerical optimization, convex relaxations in combinatorial optimization.  I am also interested in applications of these tools to semialgebraic problems in systems theory, machine learning, robotics, and economics. 

Rene A. Carmona, Professor  

Stochastic analysis, stochastic control and stochastic games, especially mean field games, reinforcement learning.  High Frequency markets, environmental finance and energy and commodity markets. 

Matias D. Cattaneo, Professor 

Econometric theory and mathematical statistics; program evaluation and treatment effects; machine learning, nonparametric and semiparametric methods; high-dimensional inference; applications to social and behavioral sciences. 

Jianqing Fan, Professor 

Research interests focus on statistical machine learning and big data and their applications in finance, social, biological science and health sciences. They include statistical theory and methods for high-dimensional statistical inference, neural networks, factor modeling, dynamic pricing, reinforcement learning, item ranking, among others. 

Boris Hanin, Assistant Professor 

I am interested in the theory of deep learning. Using tools from probability and mathematical physics I try to understand key empirical phenomena related to optimization, implicit bias, and generalization in neural networks as well as to give practical and provable prescriptions for architecture selection and hyper parameter tuning.  

Emma Hubert, Assistant Professor 

The research in Applied Mathematics I have been conducting with my co-authors during the past few years, has been motivated so far by two main words: interactions and incentives. These two terms have to be related in the context of my work to the Economics field, and in particular when focusing on the behavior of economic actors. The term interaction thus refer to interaction between consumers, workers, more generally called Agents, through their decisions, their actions, the price they pay for a service, or even through an external parameter. When looking at interactions, the aim is generally to find an equilibrium in this game between the Agents, so that no one has an interest in deviating. This so-called Nash equilibrium can be extended in the case of a continuum of Agents, and then reaches a more recent theory borrowed from Physics, the Mean-Field Games. The term incentives also have an economic content, and refer to the Contract Theory, and more precisely to Principal-Agents problems. In this case, an Agent (he) is delegated to act on behalf of a Principal (she). The Principal's purpose is to find appropriate incentives, in the form of a contract, to encourage the Agent to act in her interest. When considering these issues from the mathematical point of view, the behavior of Agents, in an uncertain environment and in continuous-time, can be modelled as a stochastic control problem. My research so far is thus a continuous path oscillating between Principal-Agent problems, Nash equilibria and Mean-Field Games, using recently introduced and state of the art tools in stochastic control. We study applications to Energy, Epidemiology and Finance. 

Jason Klusowski, Assistant Professor 

I am broadly interested in statistical and algorithmic problems that arise in modern data applications. Specifically, my research seeks to describe the tension between flexibility, computability, and accuracy of large-scale predictive models, such as decision trees and neural networks.

Alain L. Kornhauser, Professor 

Development and application of operations research and other analytical techniques in various aspects of Autonomous Vehicles, aka "SmartDrivingCars", including  

• The fundamental design of computer vision techniques for for the rapid classification and identification of the driving environment, especially “deep learning convolutional neural networks”, 
• Analysis and classification of collision-free driving scenarios,  
• Quantification of accident risk and the investigation, formulation and design of "pay-as-you-drive, pay-as-the-car-drives" insurance,  
• Investigation and creative design of the human-computer interfaces for SmartDrivingCars 
• Operational and feasibility analyses of autonomousTaxi (aTaxi) systems  

Sanjeev Kulkarni, Professor 

Statistical pattern recognition, nonparametric estimation, machine learning, applied probability, information theory, signal and image processing, blockchain and cryptocurrencies 

William A. Massey, Professor  

Theory and applications related to the efficient design of resource sharing services and systems. Motivating examples include communication networks, transportation services, and healthcare systems. Relevant technical topics include the theory of queues as well as Markov processes with time varying rates, stochastic networks, the optimal control of dynamical systems, and Monte-Carlo simulation. 

John M. Mulvey, Professor 

Expert on optimization under uncertainty, with emphasis on financial planning applications.  Develops strategic planning systems for financial organizations, such as American Express, Towers Perrin - Tillinghast, Merrill Lynch and Siemens. Interested in the optimization of large organizations by means of decentralized optimization methods.  Current research involves optimizing multi-strategy hedge funds.  Apply novel methods in machine learning to financial planning systems.   

Liza Rebrova, Assistant Professor 

High-dimensional probability, matrix and tensor methods, randomized algorithms in linear algebra and optimization, compressive sensing, non-asymptotic random matrix theory, mathematics of data. 

Ronnie Sircar, Professor 

Financial Mathematics & Engineering; stochastic models, especially for market volatility; optimal investment and hedging strategies; analysis of financial data; credit risk; dynamic game theory and oligopoly models; energy and commodities markets; reliability of the electricity grid under increased use of solar and wind technologies. 

Mete Soner, Professor   

Mathematical theory of optimal control and decisions under uncertainty, and applications of stochastic optimization techniques in economics, financial economics and quantitative finance, and high-dimensional computational problems.   

Bartolomeo Stellato, Assistant Professor 

Data-driven theory and computational tools for mathematical optimization, machine learning, and optimal control. Applications include real-time control of fast dynamical systems, transportation, finance, robotics, and autonomous vehicles. 

Ludovic Tangpi, Associate Professor 

Financial mathematics (risk management, model uncertainty, optimal investment); Stochastic analysis; stochastic control, Probability theory (optimal transportation, functional inequalities); Statistical and numerical methods in finance (data analysis, numerical simulations). 

Ramon van Handel, Associate Professor (on sabbatical in AY2024-25) 

My primary interests lie in several areas of (mostly pure) mathematics: probability theory, analysis, geometry, and their interactions. I am particularly fascinated by the development of principles and methods that explain the common structure in a variety of pure and applied mathematical problems. 

Research and Teaching Studios 

Students in the department often participate in the research interests of the faculty, and may take advantage of the facilities used for this work.  This includes:

• The Financial Econometrics Studio works on a variety of quantitative problems from finance using statistical techniques and financial economic theory.  These include valuation of financial derivatives, optimal portfolio allocation, risk modeling and management, volatility estimation, modeling and analysis of financial data, and simulation of financial system.  The studio also studies financial econometrics theory and provides various fundamental insights into the statistical inference problems from financial markets. 
• The Statistics Studio studies statistics theory and methods with focus on high-dimensional statistics, biostatistics, nonparametric techniques, and large-scale statistical computing.  The studio engages cutting-edge research on statistical modeling from various problems in machine learning, biomedical studies, computational biology, analysis of Big Data, network data, and financial data.  It designs statistical methods and algorithms for these modeling issues and provides fundamental understanding and theoretical foundation on statistical and computational efficiency of these methods and algorithms.  This expands into other scientific frontiers where the statistics discipline is useful. 
• The Transportation Center conducts research on information and decision engineering technologies and how these technologies can be used to improve transportation related decision making. 

Career Paths

Updates from ORFE Graduates

Meghan Fehlig ‘02

I'm working as a transportation engineer in the transportation planning department at Parsons Brinckerhoff (Princeton, NJ office). I became interested in this field after taking Prof. Kornhauser's transportation course and doing senior thesis research on the traffic woes of the Route 1 Corridor. Rarely a day goes by that I don't rely on something I learned during my thesis research or ORFE courses, be it traffic condition analysis, general research skills, MS Excel work, or NJ transportation history. A real bonus about being in this field with an ORFE degree is having a solid background in economics. Many of the exciting transportation innovations are market-based solutions and my ORFE studies have uniquely positioned me to work on these innovations with a different approach from my civil engineer and urban planner colleagues.

Daniel Nash ‘03

I am a Director of new Growth Platforms at Avery Dennison, a $6.5 billion dollar manufacturing and consumer products company with expertise in pressure-sensitive technology, and retail branding and information solutions. As such, I am responsible for identifying and building new growth opportunities for the company. For the past year, I have focused on the healthcare industry, working to leverage Avery Dennison’s RFID technology to improve key processes in hospitals. Prior to Avery Dennison, I worked as a consultant for the Boston Consulting Group serving in both the Singapore and Boston office, and in the Corporate Finance department of The Walt Disney Company. I received my MBA from Harvard Business School in 2008.

My ORFE education continues to provide a significant advantage relative to my peers. The ORFE department taught me how to quickly identify the key drivers of a new market or successful product launch, so that I can efficiently validate my assumptions and limit my downside risk. I believe there is no better education for a successful career in business.

Katherine Milkman ‘04

After completing my ORFE degree, I received a Ph.D. from Harvard University's joint doctoral program in Computer Science and Business. I am now an assistant professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where I teach undergraduates and MBAs about decision making and behavioral economics. When I’m not in the classroom, I spend my time on research that documents

various ways in which individuals systematically deviate from making optimal choices. I am particularly interested in understanding what factors lead people to undersave for retirement, exercise too little, eat too much junk food, and watch too many lowbrow films. Recently, I have also begun to study race and gender discrimination, focusing on how a decision's context can alter the manifestation of bias. I have published articles in leading academic journals such as Management Science and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and my work has been featured by numerous media outlets including The New York Times, BusinessWeek, The Economist, and NPR. In 2011, I was recognized as one of the top 40 business school professors under 40 by Poets and Quants.

Kimberly Mattson ‘05

I am an Investment Associate at Bridgewater Associates, an institutional hedge fund manager in Westport, CT. We deal with large institutions - pension funds, college endowments, central banks. Most of my work revolves around solving problems that deal with portfolio structuring. I use a lot of the concepts I learned in ORFE in my day-to-day work. I use a lot of the portfolio math I learned in ORF 435 to figure out a portfolio's risk and return characteristics. We also have a tool that calculates a client's optimal portfolio using a Monte Carlo simulation process. I've even used some of the ideas I developed in my senior thesis, which used implied volatility in currency options to estimate the chance of a currency crisis, in my job, since Bridgewater manages currencies and options as part of its investment strategy. In my opinion an ORFE degree is the most flexible major to have at Princeton because it teaches a wide array of skills to apply basically anywhere after college.

Jacqueline Ng ‘06

Since graduating as an ORFE in 2006, I have worked in a variety of roles that have drawn upon the knowledge and skills I gained as an ORF major. After graduation, I spent nearly 6 years at Morgan Stanley, where I worked in US Government Bond Trading, Sales & Trading Strategy and US Equity Research. During my time at Morgan, I also pursued an executive- MBA at Columbia University. I recently left Morgan Stanley to work for Microsoft in a strategy and finance type position for their consumer advertising support business.

My undergraduate degree in ORFE has aided me tremendously in each one of my job functions. At a high level, my ORF classes taught me how to think quantitatively and analytically – which has been a versatile skill that has helped me grasp new concepts quickly in the workplace. The vigorous ORFE curriculum prepared me well for the challenges of the workplace, and has given me confidence when faced with complex problems.

On a more specific level, I find myself constantly drawing upon the knowledge I gained in my ORFE classes. For example, Professor Sircar’s ORFE 335 class (Introduction to Financial Engineering) taught me about various fixed income products and pricing models. As a bond trader, I frequently used similar pricing models on a day-to-day basis, in addition to various probability models, statistics and historical regressions. Additionally, my undergraduate classes prepared me well for business school, where my solid foundation in operations facilitated my understanding of our operations management MBA coursework. Finally, in my current role at Microsoft, I find that the knowledge I’ve gained as an ORF major accompanies me both directly and indirectly in every challenge and problem I face in the workplace.

Raj Hathiramani ‘07

Since graduating in 2007, I have worked in a few different roles that have drawn upon valuable concepts I learned from the ORFE program. I spent about 4 years working at Citadel Investment Group, first in quantitative research and derivatives trading and later in fundamental long/short equities, covering financial services. ORFE courses in financial engineering and asset pricing were instrumental in understanding how to value both stocks and derivatives.

After Citadel, I started working at Google, helping lead the sales strategy and financial analytics for the company's display advertising products. Prof. Carmona's class on regression and applied time series enabled me to use R and SQL to analyze and set targets for Google's revenue growth and present business insights to senior management.

Inspired by my managers at Google, I decide to pursue an MBA at Wharton, where I am currently a first year student. While at Wharton, I have also been working part-time as a portfolio consultant at First Round Capital, a seed-stage venture capital fund, conducting strategy projects for portfolio companies and assisting with diligence for the firm's potential investments.

Zachary Kurz, ‘08

I am working as an investment banking analyst in Morgan Stanley’s Mergers & Acquisitions Group. I am responsible for building financial models in Excel and creating presentations for our senior bankers to present to the Firm’s clients. I have been part of some really interesting transactions, including the recent $46 billion merger of Merck and Schering-Plough, two large pharmaceutical companies. I frequently use a lot of the math skills I learned as an ORFE major and the rigorous foundation has definitely given me a leg up on other young people at the Firm. In particular, a lot of the programming skills I acquired at Princeton have been incredibly useful. I am still unsure about where my career is headed but I am eager to further immerse myself in the financial world.

Jonathan Lange ‘09

I am an associate in the private equity group at Bain Capital. We invest in market-leading companies in a wide range of industries and try to optimize operations during our ownership. In my first year, I have evaluated several interesting potential transactions, primarily in media and technology. Prior to Bain Capital, I spent two years as an analyst in the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications investment banking group at Goldman Sachs, where we advised companies on mergers, acquisitions, IPOs, and other financing transactions. Through my roles at Goldman Sachs and Bain Capital, I have had the chance to travel to across North and South America and work directly with management teams, both as an adviser and investor. My ORFE education definitely gave me a great foundation in financial modeling and has been a huge advantage as I work through the theoretical aspect of valuation and the financial impacts of potential transactions.

Kate Hsih ‘10

At Princeton, I studied an interdisciplinary curriculum that treaded not only in ORFE courses, but also in the natural sciences, global health, and even the humanities. My goal was the develop a holistic understanding of quantitative and qualitative approaches to interpreting and solving real world problems. After graduating in 2010, I worked as a Princeton ReachOut56-81 International Fellow with Wellbody Alliance (formerly Global Action Foundation), a global health NGO focusing on sustainable community-based health interventions in the rural diamond-mining district of Sierra LEone. There, I was involved in a wide range of projects

including HIV home-based care, reproductive health peer education, social entrepreneurship in agriculture, amputee health, primary care in resource-limited environments, and more. I also learned about what it takes to operate a startup in this field and about the challenges and complexities of navigating in a developing environment with different cultural and professional norms. In addition to working in the NGO space, I became interested in ethnography in Sierra Leone, particularly on the topic of female genital cutting. This year, I am studying a Master of Science degree in Medical Anthropology at the University of Oxford prior to returning to the US for medical school.

While I have not directly applied many of the mathematical skills I learned in my ORFE core courses, my engineering training is omnipresent in managing my day-to-day operations. It shapes the way that I think, analyze, and organize my thoughts when presented with new problems or projects. Moreover, I have found that my ORFE degree and unusual academic and extracurricular background has been an asset in finding internship or employment opportunities because it allows me to bring unique insights to the table. ORFE teaches students to model real-world situations and make optimal and efficient decisions under uncertainty or with limited information - these tools are necessary in virtually any field, particularly in healthcare or global health. I encourage students to consider using their ORFE education to pursue unconventional careers, as it may open doors to greater responsibility and intellectual creativity. I am happy to connect any students interested in the healthcare, international development, or medical anthropology.

Chetan Narain ‘11

I'm working at Google on the Search Ads Quality team, which is responsible for deciding which ads to show on the search result page and thus brings in the majority of Google's revenue. The job is a blend of engineering, computer science, and mathematics, which is exactly what ORFE is all about. I've worked on projects where we try to predict how many people will click on an ad, something that requires substantial data crunching, strong mathematical analysis, and a good understanding of how people's minds works. My position is right at the confluence of finance, mathematics and computer science, and was a natural extension of the similarly multifaceted education I got in the ORFE program.

Nathan & Natalie Keys ‘12

Natalie: After graduation I worked for Liberty Mutual Insurance as an actuarial analyst. Some of my favorite projects were creating statistical models of cost- saving initiatives in the claims handling department, finding root causes of financial or operational trends and developing predictive models, and assessing profitability for several lines of business in different states.

ORF 309 and ORF 335 were directly applicable, as the material is in several of the first actuarial exams. ORF 407, 409, 467, and 411 acted as capstone courses - they gave me practice applying fundamental probability and statistics, and a level of comfort with complex systems and processes.

At the beginning of 2015 I joined a startup developing anti-collision technology for heavy vehicles. I work from a Joint Venture office in China, doing data analysis and programming.

Nathan: As an ORFE student, I drew many of my departmental electives from the Computer Science department. After graduating I started working for a small marketing analytics company in Seattle that builds and operates omni-channel marketing campaigns large retailers. My role was two-fold: first, I worked on the user interface team that developed the web applications that our clients used to set parameters on their marketing campaigns and evaluate their results through a rich reporting and data analytics portal. Second, I participated in “productionalizing” prototype code that the research team had written on our Hadoop big-data analytics platform to help generate the data that was ultimately presented in our user interface tool.

Most recently I have worked for a start-up company in China that is developing anti-collision technology for heavy vehicles. My role encompasses both directing and participating in technical product design and development. In this role I supervise a team of developers, from orienting them in our project, to defining, prioritizing, and assigning tasks to them, in addition to working alongside them as a fellow developer.

Bryton Shang ‘12

Bryton Shang '12 graduated from ORFE and after graduation started his career in algorithmic high frequency trading. Shortly after, he started his own algorithmic trading firm, and subsequently went into the tech world, co-founding multiple startups as CTO. Five years after graduation, he started Aquabyte, which uses computer vision and AI to give aquaculture farms insight into the health, growth, and sustainability of their fish. Bryton grew Aquabyte from an idea with a prototype in his bathtub to a smart camera and data platform that helps the world's fish farms understand what's happening in their fish pens. His ORFE knowledge allowed him to develop statistical models that help optimize fish growth and health over time.

In 2019, Shang was recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 leader in Manufacturing and Industry.

Anna Zhao ‘12

I work at the NBA League Office in the basketball operations department.

My department functions like the government of basketball, as we oversee the on-court activities, manage rule changes, and address any questions or concerns from teams. My most direct ORFE project has been when I used my foundation in probability (ORF 309!) to evaluate teams’ drafting abilities (not gonna lie, I was pretty excited about this). Most of my time has been spent on performing statistical analysis on a variety of areas, such as injuries, the NBA Draft, and the NBA Development League. Even when my job has no math involved, like stuffing All-Star Game gift bags, what I learned about operations research helps increase efficiency. I’m glad that I switched to ORFE because I learned how to approach solving complex problems in real-world situations, how to code to manipulate raw data into a useful form, and how to complete tasks efficiently.

Malavika Balachandran ‘13

I am working as an Analyst in the Securities Division at Goldman, Sachs & Co. My team is responsible for structuring derivative products for private individuals; I spend most of my day working with clients, providing them with pricing on derivative packages, pitching trade ideas that meet their investment objectives, and explaining how these complex financial products work. It was through my ORFE education,

particularly my coursework in Financial Math, that I gained a strong foundation in derivatives pricing theory, which governs the valuation of the products I structure and sell. While I am not solving stochastic calculus problems or developing pricing models every day, understanding how the underlying pricing models work and how a position's risk and price changes with respect to the input variables is extremely valuable in my job. My interest in math and computer science attracted me to the department, where I developed a strong intellectual interest in derivatives pricing and computational finance, and I am very lucky that I have the opportunity to apply my knowledge and passion in my career.

Adam Esquer ‘14

After completing my ORFE degree in 2014, I began interning with the Tampa Bay Rays almost immediately after school. I then signed on with the team in a fulltime capacity later that year. I am a member of the Rays’ Research and Development Department. Being in a division with some of the biggest market teams in the league (the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees), it is crucial that we maintain our edge in analytics to continue to compete and succeed while only being able to sustain a payroll that is one quarter that of our competitors. The Rays have always been at the forefront when it comes to creating and applying new methods of player valuation and on-field strategy,

and it is an honor to now consider myself a part of this group. The work that we do affects everything from trades and signings to defensive alignment and other strategies on the field. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the work that you do directly affect decisions that are being made.

Looking back, I can think of no better course of study than ORFE to prepare oneself for the sports industry. I think ORFE provides an invaluable combination of having a strong theoretical background and the technical skills to apply this more abstract understanding to real world problems. From covering applied regression to simulation, ORFE got me well ahead of where I needed to be to break into the sports industry and succeed. The truth is that an ORFE degree can be applied in any industry. ORFE is all about optimizing decision-making, and that basic idea is pertinent to any front office of any company that you will ever come across.

Lydia Liu '17

Liu joined Princeton as an assistant professor in 2023. Her current research examines the theoretical foundations of machine learning and algorithmic decision-making, with a focus on societal impact and welfare.

Prior to joining Princeton she was a postdoctoral associate at Cornell University Computer Science in the Artificial Intelligence, Policy, and Practice (AIPP) initiative. Her work has be recognized with a Microsoft Ada Lovelace Fellowship, an Open Philanthropy AI Fellowship, an NUS Development Grant, and an ICML Best Paper Award.

She obtained a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from University of California, Berkeley and a B.S.E. in Operations Research and Financial Engineering at Princeton University.

Class of 2023 Senior Thesis Titles

• Batch Exchanges Moo-ving Forward: A Formalization and Empirical Analysis of CowSwap and Other CFMM-Based Clearing Price Auctions
• Modeling A Mixed-Integer Optimization Approach to Allocating Housing Resources for the Homeless
• Constructing Optimal Flow Networks: An Exploration Centered on the U.S. Flight Network
• Optimizing Fun: A TSP-Based Approach to Route Optimization at Disneyland
• An Analysis of Rerouting Produce Supply Chains in South African Game Reserves
• Optimizing Emergency Medical Services Systems: Integrating Hospital Congestion to Minimize Time to Treatment
• Time and Frequency Volatility Connectedness Among European Equity and Commodity Markets Since the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
• Can Bitcoin Go Green? An In-Depth Look into Crytocurrency Mining via Renewable Energy Sources
• Optimization of Solar Energy and Battery Storage Integration: Economic Benefits, Government Policies, and Emissions Reductions in New Jersey
• Are Stock Prices Really Random? Exploration into Support Vector Regression and Stock MarketRetrieval-Based Systems for Open-domain Question Answering
• Gamma Squeezing: An analysis of the market impact of institutional equity options market makers on the underlying market
• Maximizing REITurns: A Multi-Armed Bandit Approach to Optimizing Trading Strategies on Real Estate Investment Trusts
• Has Social Media given stock markets a soft side? An analysis of the influence of Twitter Sentiment on stock markets prices and volatility
• A Long/Short Framework for Modeling Earnings Beats Given Non-Normality of Analyst Estimates      
• Liquid Gold: A Multi-Faceted Quantitative Analysis of Private Equity Secondaries
• Predicting GDP Growth using the U.S. Transportation Sector: A Machine Learning Approach
• WAR in Pieces: A Bottom-Up Approach to Player Evaluation in the NBA
• Catching the Bubble: Analyzing Asset Bubbles Using Mean Field Game Simulations
• Under the Olive Trees: A Multimarket Liquidity Demand Model for Derivatives-Implied Arbitrage Spreads  
• Pricing Weather Derivatives with Deep Neural Networks in an Equilibrium Trading Model
• Predicting Speed: A Statistical Analysis of Biomechanical Features in Rowing
• Developing Tools for Identifying and Analyzing Amtrak’s Most Delayed Trains
• Emotion-Style Transfer for Music Using Deep Learning
• Computational Experiments on Some Novel Tree-based Classification Algorithms
• In Search of the Recipe for Hit Songs: Predicting Hit Songs Using Machine Learning
• Using Expected Goals to Forecast the English Premier League
• A Random Walk Approach to Quantifying Racial Segregation and Food Access in Atlanta, Georgia
• Exploring the Applications of Machine Learning Methods in Understanding the Nature of Active Listening Techniques in Predicting Therapeutic Outcomes
• Pricing American Options Through Model-Guided Machine Learning Incorporating Asset Characteristics and Market Environments
• Modeling the Added Volatility Components of ETF Structure onto their Constituent Assets via the Creation/Redemption Process
• An Analysis of Algorithm-driven Financial Planning Services
• Predicting SP500 Price Through Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing
• A Data Mining and Machine Learning Approach to Private Equity Replication in Public Markets
• A Pricing Analysis of European Cap & Trade Carbon Futures: Trading Strategies and Implications
• CS:Go On: Modeling Chained Loot Box Opening Behavior
• The Response of European Electricity Markets to Supply and Demand Disruptions in 2020-2023
• Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Fallout from Attacks on Missile Silos
• Acquisition Risk Management: An Analysis of Changes in Credit Risk Following Company Acquisitions
• Forecasting Optimal Oil Trade Flows with Quantified Geopolitical Risk in the Belt and Road Initiative
• Using Regression Analysis on US Tobacco and Australian Sports Gambling Markets to Provide Insight on Strategies to Recuce the Harm of US Sports Gambling
• Data Loss in Geotechnical Engineering: How to Stem the Bleeding
• A Regime-Switching Approach to Portfolio Construction
• Effects of Credit Downgrade Path on Fallen Angel Returns
• Identifying Drivers of Cyclical Returns in Semiconductor Equities: A Jump Model Approach
• Index-Based Longevity Risk Hedging Using the M7-M5 Model: Analysis on the Japanese Public Pension System
• Regime-Based Dynamic Asset Allocation
• The Enhanced Markowitz Model: A Case for Microfinance Institutions in Socially and Financially Optimized Portfolios
• A Game of Musical Darts: How Music Charts inform Revenue Predictability and Investment Choices in the Music Industry    
• The Efficiency Crisis in the Use of Nitrogen Fertilizer in Agriculture
• Spillover Effects of Localized School Choice Programs
• Hot Property: Evaluating Dubai’s Real Estate Market since 2002
• Manufacturing Misogyny: How The YouTube Recommendation Algorithm Radicalizes Young Men
• Modelling the Dynamics and Optimal Control of Schistosomiasis Transmission Under Climate Change
• A Machine Learning Approach to Diabetes Diagnosis: Evaluating Logistic Regression and SVM Models on NHANES Data
• Calling For Help: Using Queueing Theory to Model the Optimal Number of Counselors a University Should Employ
• Reefers Unite! Analyzing Coral Prices to Incentivize Land-Based Coral Aquaculture
• Option Trading Strategies to Harvest the Volatility Risk Premium
• More is Less is More: Using Autoencoders for Feature Extraction in M&A Deal Outcome Prediction
• A Decision Support System for Maximizing TSP Returns with Limited Fund Transfer Opportunities
• Leaving a Mark: Incorporating Trader Impact into Asset Allocation Models using Q-Learning
• A General Form of Opinion Dynamics for Modeling Diverse Political Networks
• An Analysis of The Correlations Between The Cryptocurrency Market And Other Major Asset Classes In The Post-Covid Era
• Quarterbacking - The Impact of Pay and Play on NFL Team Success
• Time Series Forecasting and Stochastic Optimization for the Operation of Decarbonized Power Grids
• Trading With Trees: Exploiting Market Inefficiencies With Random Forests
• Environmental Racism in the News: Analyzing Racial Biases in Minority Coverage
• What Seems to be the Problem? Stigmatizing Language in Patient Medical Notes
• Applications of Reinforcement Learning in Trade Execution
• A New Perspective on Tax-Aware Investing: Optimal Trading in a Multi-Period Portfolio Optimization Model
• Creating an Optimal Subset of Financial Statement Variables to Value Private Companies
• Identifying, Understanding, and Leveraging W-Shaped Implied Volatility in Options Markets
• Equity, Mobility, and Sustainability: Analyzing Geographic and Demographic Disparities in Urban Bikeability
• Dynamic Estimation: A Linear State Space Model for Pairs Trading Spreads in the S&P500  

Class of 2023 Post Graduate Plans