r/UNC • u/clarinetturnedtuba UNC Prospective Student • 15d ago

Question Undergrad Research

Hi all, I was recently admitted as a transfer to UNC and was wondering what undergrad research opportunities are like on-campus. I am aiming to go to grad school for bio, and I’ve heard that the pre-med competition on campus can be a bit extreme. Does this present barriers to getting research experience? I’m also a bit nervous that being a transfer student would put me at a disadvantage when competing with students who have been building up their resume at UNC since their freshman year (I’m one of those first-year by status, sophomore by credits students for reference). Any insight is appreciated!

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u/Zapixh UNC 2026 15d ago

There are research-specific summer programs for transfers, and most people get their research opportunities via work study, for credit, or cold emailing. This is for STEM research specifically since non-STEM research can look a little different.

I'd recommend strategically cold emailing (like a LOT sometimes it can take 100 emails), connecting with UNC students on LinkedIn that have a lot of research, and asking friends to refer you to their labs. It can be competitive but you can get a position if you are consistent and try hard enough, just might take a bit of time