Research Papers and Publications
Research Papers and Publications
Before you get nervous about research papers and publications, only about 42% of our admitted students from the recent class submitted research papers and publications as part of their supplemental materials. We recognize that research opportunities are hard to get in high school, and if they were available to you, we want to learn more about your experience. Your supplemental material is categorized as a research paper or publication if...
- You worked with a laboratory in a university or research-affiliated organization
- Worked closely with and/or reported to a senior researcher within the lab
- The outcome of your research resulted in a paper or publication that was published, submitted, or in preparation.
Submission Requirements
If your research experience meets the criteria above, we require 3 components related to your experience:
- A full research paper or publication is strongly preferred
- Additional letter of recommendation from site of research
- A form with the description of the research
You will also be encouraged to submit a VIVA to help us learn more about your research (this link can also be found in your Beaver Breakroom). VIVA is a third-party tool provided by InitialView and not affiliated with Caltech. For questions about VIVA, please refer to VIVA's website. This educational tool is used to highlight and discuss your experiences with your research.
NOTE: Research papers and publications may be uploaded to your Caltech application portal, Beaver Breakroom, after submission of your application. A research paper or publication is strongly preferred when possible. However, if this is not possible, you may submit an abstract or poster. If the research is embargoed, this must be explained in the recommendation letter of the research supervisor.
Don't meet the requirements above? Submit a Portfolio!
There are numerous experiences that may be had that do not meet Caltech's criteria of research. We are interested in your work and you can share it as part of a Portfolio. Some examples of projects that can be submitted through your Portfolio include:
- summer or year-round research program
- research as part of a class project
- research required for a class
- independent research
- summer internship
If any of these experiences above are those you wish to share as part of your application then submit a Portfolio.
Unsure of whether your supplemental material should be submitted in the Research submission or Portfolio submission? Click this link to take our online quiz! Have more questions? Check out our FAQ's below!
FAQs
When submitting your application, you will be asked whether you plan to submit any supplemental materials, such as a research paper or publication, or a portfolio.
No! Your research can be in any field.
If you are submitting a research paper, we require an additional recommendation from someone who can comment on the research experience that produced the paper. This letter can come from a supervisor, a mentor, an adult collaborator, or an administrator, but they must speak to your specific contributions to the submitted research.
After you submit your application, you will receive a link to the Beaver Breakroom which will include instructions on submitting supplemental materials. If you are submitting research, you are required to fill out a form with a description of your research and the email address of your recommender. Our office will then email your research recommender a link to upload their letter.
We offer writing advice for recommenders, too.
If you are submitting a research paper or publication, you will need to fill out a form with additional information with the description of the research. Research papers can be published, submitted, or in preparation. You may submit more than one research paper or publication, however you will need to fill out the form for each one.
The form will be sent to you after you have submitted your Caltech application and will ask:
- how you obtained the research experience
- a description of your involvement and your role
- the time frame of your involvement
- the topic of the research
- status of paper: published, submitted, or in preparation
No, a VIVA is not required. However, we recommend students to submit a VIVA when possible. Caltech does not offer fee waivers for VIVA. If the cost of VIVA is prohibitive for you, fee waivers are available through their website.
Some students have participated in multiple research projects. You can submit multiple research papers, but each requires a mentor letter from the research site. If you have multiple papers with the same mentor or research site, only one letter is needed.
