The professors were very engaging and genuinely helpful. CRI felt like a launchpad—it helped me move forward academically rather than ending with just one program.

CRI gave me a space to lead real research. Working through the Columbia program, I was able to take initiative, guide my team, and engage with biology in a way that felt genuinely collegiate.

Being a group leader at CRI taught me how to organize ideas, lead a team, and communicate research clearly. It felt much closer to real college-level work than anything I had done before.

My experience at CRI became the foundation for two of my three application essays. It gave me real substance to write about, not just activities to list.