# How to find a research mentor and write an email worth answering

## Which sentence overstates what you did?

Invented case: you read a lab's public project summary, completed a class analysis and have not used the group's specialized model. Your program requires a central application before investigator contact; you have submitted it.

### Edit the claim, not just the tone

| Draft sentence | Accurate replacement |
| --- | --- |
| I studied your complete publication record | I read your public project summary on missing observations |
| I have professional experience in this research area | In a statistics class, I compared two approaches to missing values |
| I can run your model independently | I have used Python in coursework and would need training in your model |
| I have completed the program application | Keep this sentence: it matches the stated facts |

## Your turn

Does making the claims more accurate weaken the message?

## Your answer

[Write your approach here.]

## For your own application

Check every experience and reading claim against something you can explain in a conversation.

Return to the guide for the worked answer and source notes:
https://internshipdeadlines.com/guides/finding-undergraduate-research-mentor