Pursuing research opportunities as an undergraduate has always been a goal of mine, especially in the domain of software engineering. When I discovered the UIUC+ Summer Undergraduate Research Program 2025, I knew it was the kind of intellectually rewarding experience I wanted to be part of.
In this blog, I’ll walk you through the application process, the evaluation phase, and the moment I received my selection email—all while sharing insights that might help future applicants.
đź“Ś Discovering the Opportunity
I came across the UIUC+ Summer Research Program around February 2025, thanks to a post I spotted on LinkedIn. The program is organized by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and focuses on undergraduates eager to dive into real-world research in software engineering.
The application process began with a Google Form where I had to submit:
- Basic academic and personal information
- My Resume
- GitHub and LinkedIn profiles
- My areas of research interest
- A preference list of faculty members I was excited to work with
This stage allowed me to reflect on my previous projects and research inclinations and present myself as a strong candidate with genuine curiosity and relevant technical skills.
🔍 The Evaluation Round
A few days after applying, I received an email from a professor at UIUC notifying me that I had been shortlisted for the next round. The second phase of the selection process was far more rigorous—it involved a hands-on Research Evaluation Task.
I was provided with 50 Java code snippets, each containing:
- The original (correct) version
- A mutated version (possibly buggy)
We must complete a minimum of 20 labellings/tasks on the website with a 95%+ matching accuracy to be considered for the internship.
My task was to assess whether the mutated versions introduced bugs and, if so, provide justifications for my reasoning.
This exercise wasn’t just about spotting errors. It tested deeper skills like:
- Proficiency in Java and Object-Oriented Programming
- The ability to navigate multi-file projects
- Understanding subtle code behaviors
- And most importantly, critical thinking
In addition, I was encouraged to explore relevant academic papers linked to the LLMs to understand how the mutations were generated. It felt like being part of a real research workflow. Not only that, this evaluation task was part of a broader Crowd Research project, with our results contributing to ongoing research efforts at UIUC.
🎉 Selection and What Comes Next
After submitting the task, I spent the next couple of weeks constantly refreshing my inbox. And then—it happened. I received the selection email on April 25, 2025. I had officially been accepted into the UIUC+ Summer Undergraduate Research Program 2025! This moment was both surreal and satisfying. It reminded me that putting in effort, being consistent, and having a real interest in learning can help you get international research opportunities.
đź’ˇ Final Thoughts
The entire process—from discovering the program to completing a research-oriented coding task—was incredibly rewarding. It wasn’t just an application; it was a glimpse into what real research feels like.
If you’re passionate about software engineering and want to test the waters of academic research, I strongly recommend applying to the UIUC+ Summer Research Program. Whether you’re selected or not, the process itself is a valuable learning experience.
I’m beyond excited to start this new journey, collaborate with top researchers, and contribute meaningfully to ongoing software engineering projects. I’ll be sharing updates soon, so stay tuned!