Undergraduate students often struggle to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world research applications. The National Science Foundati...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Undergraduate students often struggle to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world research applications. The National Science Foundation addresses this challenge through its Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, where students work alongside experienced faculty in active research environments. Participants develop both technical skills and research intuition through hands-on laboratory work. This mentorship model has been widely adopted, with institutions nationwide creating similar research opportunities, suggesting that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
academic institutions recognize the value of connecting emerging researchers with experienced mentors.
undergraduate students benefit more from methodological training than from research guidance.
most experienced faculty members could improve their own research by mentoring students.
finding a research mentor is more crucial for science students than for students in other fields.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Undergraduate students often struggle to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world research applications." |
|
| "The National Science Foundation addresses this challenge through its Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, where students work alongside experienced faculty in active research environments." |
|
| "Participants develop both technical skills and research intuition through hands-on laboratory work." |
|
| "This mentorship model has been widely adopted, with institutions nationwide creating similar research opportunities," |
|
| "suggesting that ______" |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The NSF's REU mentorship program has been successful in addressing the gap between classroom learning and research, as evidenced by its widespread adoption.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes a problem (students struggling to connect classroom learning with research), presents a solution (the REU mentorship program), describes its benefits, provides evidence of its success (widespread adoption), and leads to a conclusion about what this adoption indicates.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The passage shows us that institutions nationwide have adopted the REU mentorship model
- When many institutions adopt something, it typically means they recognize its value or effectiveness
- The right answer should reflect what this widespread adoption tells us about institutional attitudes or recognition
- The correct answer should have:
- Connects to the widespread institutional adoption mentioned
- Reflects what institutions think or recognize about the mentorship approach
- Relates back to the core concept of connecting students with experienced mentors
academic institutions recognize the value of connecting emerging researchers with experienced mentors.
✓ Correct
- Directly connects to the widespread adoption by institutions mentioned in our passage analysis
- Captures the core relationship described: connecting emerging researchers (undergraduates) with experienced mentors (faculty)
- Matches our prethinking about institutions recognizing value in the mentorship approach
undergraduate students benefit more from methodological training than from research guidance.
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses on comparing methodological training versus research guidance—a comparison not made in the passage
- Doesn't connect to the evidence about institutional adoption
most experienced faculty members could improve their own research by mentoring students.
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests faculty benefit from mentoring students, but the passage focuses on student benefits
- Doesn't logically follow from the evidence about institutional adoption
finding a research mentor is more crucial for science students than for students in other fields.
✗ Incorrect
- Makes a comparison between science students and other fields that isn't supported by the passage
- Doesn't connect to why institutions would adopt the program