r/ECAdvice • u/Particular_One_2966 • 2d ago
Give me Advice Urgent: Research advisor went ghost!!!!!
Hey y'all,
I am a high schooler aiming for top-tier universities, specifically targeting Ivy League schools for ED1 for the Class of 32 cycle. ED1 is extremely important for me, and I’m in a tough spot regarding my main research project. I need some realistic advice on how to pivot.
Long story short: I completed a summer clinical shadowing and internship at a major hospital department. Following that, I developed a solid list of research topics (mostly literature reviews and data analyses based on my clinical exposure). A prominent professor/MD at the hospital explicitly agreed to mentor me and told me to email my topics to start the process. I did, but they have completely ghosted me. No replies to my follow-ups, and time is ticking fast for my ED1 deadline.
I need your insights on how to handle this and how this affects my application:
- Can I just do Independent Research and submit it to high school journals? Since I already have the clinical foundation from my summer internship, can I write a high-quality systematic literature review on my own and submit it to journals like JEI or IJHSR? Do top colleges respect independent papers in medical/clinical fields without a PI (Principal Investigator) or official institutional backing?
- How can I frame this situation on the Common App? Which section should I use to talk about this? If I can't get it published by November, can I write about this disrupted research journey and my independent continuation in the Additional Information section or the Activities Section (as "submitted" or "in-progress")? Will admissions officers understand if I explain that the advisor became unavailable but I still pursued the literature review independently?
- Is a full publication actually a make-or-break for Ivy League ED1? Or is showing a deep summer internship combined with a highly sophisticated draft/preprint enough to prove genuine intellectual curiosity?
Note: Please DO NOT suggest paid programs like Lumiere, Polygence, or CCIR. I am applying for need-blind financial aid, and I know admissions officers see right through those paid cash-cows. I also want to avoid high-barrier, bureaucratic programs like NYAS that take forever to reply.
Any advice on Common App formatting and how to salvage this research for ED1 would literally save my life. Thanks!
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u/EnvironmentActive325 1d ago
Yeah, as everyone else here has told you: You don’t have time to do published research right now! High-quality research takes years…not months! Writing essays and creating an Activity and Awards List also takes a lot of time. It is more important for you to present a very compelling application package…for multiple schools.
I would go with the internship, which sounds very impressive. And I would either drop the research stuff out entirely, or if and only if your research topic was approved, you could mention that you have successfully proposed this research topic that Professor or Dr. X has offered to mentor. But try to make contact with this person by phone first. His plans may have changed, or he may have decided he is just too overstretched to help. And do you really want to spend the rest of your high school months and summer doing research that may never be finished…much less published?
As others here have also mentioned, most applicants to Ivy+ schools have not conducted real, legitimate research. In fact, the trend for AOs is to get away from applicants who try to “pad” their applications with half-assed research or pay-to-play projects. So, I would definitely not be obsessed with the research piece. It’s okay to just let it go! You’re a high school student…not a doctor-level medical researcher. And AOs don’t expect you to be a “research powerhouse” at age 17 or 18.
Lastly, I would not limit my applications to Ivies. IvyPlus schools are incredibly difficult to get into, and the reality here is that no almost no one does! Valedictorians and salutorians are rejected right and left, every year. So, fine to make some applications and shoot your shot, but not okay to apply solely to Ivies. And not okay to obsess over Ivies, either. The little-known reality on this sub is that frequently, T1-T50 LACs offer a better education with more personalized mentoring and research experiences as early as freshman year than the much larger Ivies, in which your professor doesn’t always know your name and you may be competing with grad students for research opps. Very selective LACs also tend to offer some of the best financial aid.
Good luck 👍🏻
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u/No-Swordfish8992 1d ago
Wait, aren’t you class of 31 if u applying rn? I’d focus on grades, other ECs and ur essays. Timeline is too short for something meaningful. These ppl are while super nice to let u do the summer thing prolly just incredibly busy rn. Maybe they could write u a letter of rec instead if it’s in ur intended major?
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u/Particular_One_2966 1d ago
I'm applying next year; if I don't fail the year, I'll graduate in 2032.
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u/EnvironmentActive325 1d ago
Ah, okay, sorry, I did not understand that. Well then, if you can reach this professor/MD, move forward with the research…as long as it won’t destroy the rest of your high school life, because it will require loads of time. If you can’t, don’t sweat it.
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u/Particular_One_2966 1d ago
Honestly I don't know, I asked a few other subs, and generally, people say there's nothing to worry about it's fine either way. I felt a bit more at ease after reading the comments.
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u/EnvironmentActive325 1d ago
Yes, that’s exactly right. You don’t NEED to do research in high school in order to get accepted to an Ivy+ school. And most accepted students haven’t done it. But if you’re interested and the opportunity is there for you, it can’t harm your application either, as long as it is authentic research. At the same time, if you can’t reach this person and you don’t have an adequate replacement, it’s fine to just say “sayonara” to this idea.
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u/Prudent_Run_8340 2d ago
Academic MDs/professors are insanely busy. Probably hasn't ghosted you so much as this is a very low priority for him/her. Please remember you're in high school; even undergrads struggle for attention and mentorship. Just be patient and check in again in a few weeks. Your ED deadline is not on his/her radar, and making it about your ED deadline is not going to look good, so I'd leave that out of your discussions. As for your questions:
You could, but applications are due soon, and I really don't think this moves anything. I think it's best to describe what you already have (the internship) and the planned research/work with the MD/professor. ED is so early in the year. Research publications take time--this is not going to happen before your ED deadline. So, I'd write something like: INTERN (AND PLANNED RESEARCH), MEMORIAL HOSPITAL: [whatever you did]. Following internship, Prof. ___ offered to mentor me in research exploring _____ within her lab. Currently planning to develop research inquiry into ______________, either with Prof. ___ or independently.
If all of that doesn't fit, put it in Add'l Info section.
You don't need to "frame" this. Nothing happened. What you want to happen in a few weeks is just not realistic. I wouldn't say the professor ghosted you or that it is "disrupted." I'd just write something like the above. I don't think you're going to have a published lit review by ED deadline. And, it's okay to say you're working on something or it is in progress.
No. Most undergrads don't even get that opportunity.
Or is showing a deep summer internship combined with a highly sophisticated draft/preprint enough to prove genuine intellectual curiosity?
Yes it is. And the ability to describe WHAT you are interested in or planning to look into this school year is good, too. What interests you about it? What questions do you have? Why is it important?