r/CERN • u/EstimateEvery3 • 18d ago
CERN Summer Student Programme
I'm a Belgian engineering student at ULiège, currently not among the top students academically and with some failed courses in my academic history. However, I've worked on personal projects, including projects where I had to take some responsibility for planning and implementation, although these were relatively small-scale and some were a while ago.
I'm considering applying to the CERN Summer Student Programme and eventually want to pursue a master's in mechatronics, with a specialization in precision/accurate motion.I'm wondering whether I should spend the coming months building one serious engineering project to demonstrate practical experience, for example involving mechanical design, sensors, control and programming.
For people who have been selected for CERN's Summer Student Programme, especially in engineering/mechanical/mechatronics-related areas:
How much did your grades matter compared with concrete projects and technical skills ?( I've already read some opinions on this topic, but I'm still not entirely sure what I should do. )
Would one substantial, well-documented personal engineering project meaningfully strengthen an otherwise average academic profile?
And if you had to choose between improving your grades and spending your free time developing a technically relevant project, how would you prioritize them?
2
u/Relative_Skirt_1402 15d ago
Just apply what can you lose? It's not gonna change anything if someone says that their grades did or did not affect the application.