First, the technical details: the Duluth REU program runs for about ten weeks (this year, they're shooting for June 12 to August 16); the stipend is $2000 plus allowances for field trips, housing, and plane tix; deadline for applications is February 18; the program is intended mainly for rising juniors and seniors; and most of the problems we tackle are in graph theory. For even more technical info as well as application information, visit the Duluth REU's home page.

Duluth does terrific things for your research experience without being too much of a burden. The six or so students (and a couple of graduate students who exist to give us support, mathematical, moral, or otherwise) live together in reasonably spacious apartments on the University of Minnesota-Duluth campus; this is where most of the students end up working on the problems graciously provided by Professor Joe Gallian. Not only is Joe an all-around nice guy (despite his tendency to tell too many stories), but he also takes us out on weekly field trips to raft, kayak, look at pretty flowers (this takes a few field trips), and generally enjoy the fabulous Minnesota outdoors.

There are two catches, though, which I should mention in the spirit of fairness. First, the students do have to do research (isn't that what REUs are all about?) -- everyone usually finishes the summer with at least one publishable paper, and we usually end up going to the joint AMS/MAA national conference, this year in sunny Orlando. Second, we have to cook for ourselves, so that failures at cooking (like me) can annoy the others with their lack of cooking ability.

Research and cooking aside, though, the students still find plenty of time to relax and enjoy both each other's company and (this is important) that glorious Minnesota summer weather. Last year, people used their free time to watch a few movies (that's an understatement), visit the beach and Lake Superior, sing (Kiran has an absolutely stunning voice), eat really cheap pizza, and lift weights (a dying tradition, I hope). If you have doubts about whether Duluth is fun enough for you, just ask any of the plethora of happy Duluth alums here at Harvard, including Dean Chung, Jessica Wachter, Kiran Kedlaya, Manjul Bhargava, Paul Li, and myself. All in all, a great experience, mathematically and otherwise.
--Lenny Ng (lenny@math)