Why should you do research as an undergraduate? If you want to get to the best answers, if you hope to persuade others to action, if you want to avoid making the mistakes others have made and wasting time reinventing the wheel – then learn how to do research. In an increasingly information-rich environment, strong research skills help you cut through the noise. Articulating which questions are important to answer, making your assumptions explicit, knowing how to interpret data, and building an empirical case for your arguments – this is what research teaches you. These skills were essential to my work at McKinsey and are the foundation of our work here at the Center for High Impact Philanthropy. No matter what organization, sector, or role you go to after graduation, conducting research as an undergraduate will prepare you to contribute more effectively.