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62 Best Research Opportunities for High School Students

June 2, 2024

Hands-on laboratory-based research experiences are coveted by just about every STEM-oriented teenager on the planet. Of course, this level of demand renders research opportunities for high school students a valuable and rare commodity. Fortunately, there are a number of reputable summer programs run by universities, government agencies, and private research laboratories that afford young scientists this highly sought-after experience. Research opportunities during the actual school year are more challenging to locate as colleges are, at that time, catering to their own students, and the rigidity of the high school calendar makes participation a further challenge.

What type of research opportunities can a high school student have, anyway?

Research opportunities for high school students can range from introductory to highly advanced. Some programs focus on teaching students the fundamental skills required for research while others place students with a real working research group and allow them to contribute to legitimate experiments and papers. Your level of involvement will depend on the university or organization’s policies, your mentor, your lab team, and the type of research being conducted.

What types of research experiences look best on college applications?

Authentic, laboratory-based research experiences that you get paid for are the hardest types of positions to nail down, primarily because very few of these spots are available. Moreover, such research groups are conducting serious work—consequently, they’re looking for serious, high-achieving students who will positively enhance their dynamic. Additionally, these positions typically require a longer time commitment, with students working full-time (or close to full-time) hours for several months or even years. As such, accepting one of these positions may limit the other types of summer opportunities that you can participate in. Finally, due to safety concerns and restrictions, you will likely need to be at least 16 years old to participate in many types of lab-based research.

On the flip side are research opportunities that you pay to be involved in, with some being more selective than others. Many families wonder if these programs offer legitimate research experience or are simply another way to capitalize off of the college admissions craze, and the answer is that you have to do your homework.

Although some research opportunities offer little in the way of experience, others are truly authentic opportunities to work with a mentor and delve into an area of interest for academic enrichment—no different than any other cost-based summer program. In these cases, the fact that a student prioritized their intellectual curiosity and spent several months seriously pursuing a topic of interest will be an excellent addition to their application. We’ve gone ahead and done the hard work for you—any one of the opportunities listed below is legitimate and worthy of investing your time and resources into.

How do I decide what types of research opportunities to apply for?

If conducting research is important to you, we recommend applying to a mix of highly selective and lesser selective programs to maximize your chances of being accepted to at least one. Beyond selectivity, it’s important to consider additional several factors:

• Time commitment —Some programs may require a multi-week, full-time commitment over the summer. Others may require nights and weekends during the school year.
• Time frame —Some programs are only available in the summer while others run year-round (sometimes for multiple years).
• Cost/stipend —Do you have to pay for the program, or does the program pay you? Research whether the program will be a good fit for your financial situation, including how much it costs and if you’ll receive compensation for your work, either via academic credit or a paycheck. Note that many residential programs are cost-based while commuter programs that only accept local students are more likely to be fully funded and/or offer a stipend.
• Location —Evaluate whether you’d like to attend a local program, are willing to travel to a residential program, or would prefer a virtual option.
• Level of mentor interaction —During some programs, you’ll be closely supported by PhD faculty members, while others may be run by graduate or postdoc students and require students to be more independent.
• Opportunity to publish or enter research competitions —If publishing research or submitting your project/paper to a research competition is important to you, you’ll want to look into whether the program prepares you for that venture.

Our list includes a bevy of summer program choices as well as year-long internships and apprenticeships. We’ve divided the list into three sections: Virtual, Residential/Multi-Location, and Location-Specific.

For each entry, we list the geographic location of the program, the time frame and length of the program, any associated costs or stipends, and the eligibility criteria for participation.

Virtual Research Opportunities for High School Students

Virtual research opportunities for high school students offer ultimate flexibility, in regard to time commitment as well as subject matter.

1) Polygence

• Location : Virtual
• Timeframe : Academic year and/or summer
• Length: 2-6 months
• Cost : $495-$3,695
• Eligibility: No age restrictions

For high school students who want to showcase authentic passion on their college applications, Polygence offers the most personalized and flexible online research program that helps students turn their interests into unique research projects. Accordingly, they pair intellectually curious students with PhD-level mentors to design experiments, build robots, create podcasts, write original screenplays, and publish in peer-reviewed journals in all fields from the humanities to STEM. All 1:1 programs include ten meetings with a mentor in your chosen field as well as a self-selected project topic and outcome, which could include a research paper, a prototype, or a creative piece of work.

A multitude of personalized options are available, including additional brainstorming sessions, time with a specialist who will guide the student through the publishing or research competition process, and academic credit through UCI x GATI. Moreover, Polygence’s Pods program allows students to work with like-minded peers in a group setting.

Sound like a good fit? College Transitions readers can save $50 on their Polygence package.

Research areas available include:

• Computer science, engineering, AI, & game design
• Biology, biotech, chemistry, neuroscience, and physics
• Medicine, surgery, dentistry, and public health
• Business, finance, and economics
• Math, statistics, sports analytics, and quantitative analysis
• Psychology, psychiatry, cognitive science, and social sciences
• Creative writing, history, philosophy, and literature
• Animation, the arts, fashion, photography, and dance

Residential/Multi-Location Research Programs

In the following section, we’ve outlined programs that are residential or offer opportunities in multiple locations, making them more accessible to a wider array of students.

Programs are organized alphabetically by discipline.

Biology Research Opportunities for High School Students

2) university of chicago research in the biological sciences (ribs).

• Location : Chicago, IL
• Timeframe : Summer
• Length: 4 weeks
• Cost : $14,000
• Eligibility: Current sophomores and juniors

In UChicago’s highly selective RIBS program, students practice a range of molecular, microbiological, and cell biological research techniques. The goal? To prepare them to work in a research laboratory. Accordingly, for the first two weeks, students undergo basic training in lab skills and techniques. Then, they spend the final two weeks of the course immersed in an independent research project. At the end of the course, they present the project during a research forum. Moreover, students can expect weekly writing assignments and seminars. To be competitive, students should have a demonstrated interest in science as well as top grades in those classes.

Biomedical Research Programs for High School Students

3) rosetta institute of biomedical research molecular medicine workshops.

• Location : Berkeley; San Diego; Columbia; London; virtual
• Length: 2 weeks
• Cost : $3,580-$4,180 (residential); $2,280-$2,480 (commuter); $430-1,050 (online)
• Eligibility: High school students aged 14-18

Curious about biomedical research but not ready to pursue a full-blown lab internship? Rosetta Institute offers a number of residential and online two-week programs that introduce high schoolers to topics in medicine, drug development, pharmacy, and nursing. For example, current workshops include Medicinal Chemistry, Neurological Bioinformatics, and Molecular Biology of Cancer. All students are taught by PhD-level instructors and complete an original research project.

Chemistry Research Opportunities for High School Students

4) american chemical society — project seed.

• Location : Multiple
• Length: 8-10 weeks
• Cost : Free, and students receive a $4,000 stipend
• Eligibility: All high school students whose families meet annual income requirements, but preferably current sophomores, juniors, or seniors

Having been operational for more than fifty years, Project SEED (Summer Experiences for the Economically Disadvantaged) runs programs at over 350 institutions and has served over 12,000 students. The goal of the program is to empower a diverse cohort of high school students to conduct hands-on research experience in the chemical sciences. Accordingly, all students work full-time on meaningful independent or small group projects, are closely guided by a mentor, and either write a report or do a poster presentation at the end of their fellowship.

Genetics Research Opportunities for High School Students

5) jackson lab summer student program.

• Location : Bar Harbor, ME or Farmington, CT
• Length: 10 weeks
• Cost : Free, and students receive a $6,500 stipend plus funded room, board, and travel
• Eligibility: High school seniors can apply to the Bar Harbor program, while eligible undergrads can apply to either program.

Hoping to design and execute an original independent research project? You’ll be able to do just that through Jackson Lab’s Summer Student Program, which immerses students in one of seven areas: bioinformatics and computational biology, cancer, developmental biology and aging, genomics, immunology and infectious disease, metabolic diseases, and neurobiology and sensory deficits. Moreover, students are closely guided by a mentor and present their research at the end of the summer. Finally, the application process is intense and competitive, requiring two letters of recommendation, a transcript, a resume, evidence of a strong interest in genetics and genomics, and four essay responses.

Pre-Health Research Opportunities for High School Students

6) national institutes of health high school summer internship program.

• Location : Research groups are available at many of NIH’s 27 institutes and centers , including the main campus in Bethesda, MD
• Cost : Free; all students receive a stipend
• Eligibility: High school seniors age 17+

Through their HS-SIP Program, the National Institutes of Health places high school students in full-time research positions within their many active research groups. Subject areas include biomedical, behavioral, and social sciences, and are geared toward students who are interested in pursuing research and healthcare. Moreover, students can take part in Summer Poster Day, where they present their research to the NIH community. They also have access to professional development programs and educational/career advising.

Note that this research opportunity for high school students is extremely competitive; approximately 7% of applicants are ultimately accepted. Finally, if you are under the age of 18 when you participate in the program, you will need to live within 40 miles of the campus that you’d like to intern at.

STEM/Humanities Research Opportunities for High School Students

7) army educational outreach program—high school internships.

• Location : Various
• Timeframe : All Year
• Length: 3 months
• Cost : Free, and all interns receive a stipend
• Eligibility: All current high school students. Some sites may have additional eligibility requirements.

With programs currently available in twenty states, the Army Educational Outreach Program places high school students in university research labs or at a US Army Research Laboratory/Center. Each site has its own technical focus, from biology and materials science to cybersecurity and AI. Regardless of specialty, all interns receive formal mentorship from a professional scientist or engineer, have access to high-tech equipment, and work on relevant research that addresses a current major challenge.

8) Boston University RISE

• Location : Boston, MA
• Length: 6 weeks
• Cost : $5,350 plus room & board
• Eligibility: Current high school juniors

A residential program located on the Boston University campus, RISE offers high school students the opportunity to conduct laboratory research in one of two tracks: Internship or Practicum. Students in the Internship track work full-time on a research project that aligns with their interests, and are mentored by a faculty member, postdoc fellow, or grad student. 15 subject areas are available, including astronomy, mechanical engineering, medical laboratory research, and nutrition. Alternatively, Practicum students work in small groups on structured research related to systems neuroscience and neurobiology.

Research Opportunities for High School Students—Continued

9) michigan state high school honors science, math and engineering program.

• Location : East Lansing, MI
• Length: 7 weeks
• Cost : $4,000

HSHSP is a highly selective, residential program where students can pursue research opportunities in science, engineering, and mathematics. After learning more about the research process, students deeply explore a problem of interest while engaging in an authentic (not “fail-proof”) research experience. Along the way, they’ll work with professionals and peers in their field of interest. Finally, many students have gone on to publish their work or be recognized at prestigious research competitions.

10) MIT Research Science Institute

• Location : Cambridge, MA
• Cost : Free
• Eligibility: High school juniors

With a combined focus on academic coursework and hands-on research, RSI students first take one week of STEM coursework with MIT professors. Here, they’ll learn about current research topics in biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, physics, and the humanities. Then, for the remaining five weeks, students “experience the entire research cycle start to finish.” During this time, they participate in an intensive, mentored individual project experience that culminates in a written and oral presentation.

The program looks for students who are exceptionally academically talented. As such, the application process is quite intensive. PSAT Math scores must be over 740 and ACT Math scores must be over 33. In addition, students must write several essays, acquire teacher recommendations, and provide transcripts. Ultimately, only 100 students are accepted.

11) NASA Internship Programs

• Location : Various; there are 15 centers and facilities in the US. Remote opportunities may also be available.
• Timeframe : Available during the fall, spring, and summer
• Length: 10-16 weeks, depending on session
• Cost : Free; the majority of interns receive a stipend, but some are unpaid
• Eligibility: High school students aged 16+

NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) offers a number of internship opportunities for high school students. Available projects change each year and are location-specific, and not every NASA center will offer internship opportunities every session. That said, current projects span a range of subject areas, including Climate Change in the Hudson Estuary and Characterizing the Urban Land Surface Temperature. During the research internship, students will be closely mentored by a research scientist, engineer, or other professional. Note that you will need to make your own housing arrangements if you are not a local student.

Are you an undergraduate student? Check out NASA Pathways , which can provide a direct transition into full-time employment at NASA.

12) Smith College Summer Science and Engineering Program

• Location : Northampton, MA
• Length: 2-4 weeks
• Cost : $4,745 (2 weeks); $8,082 (4 weeks)
• Eligibility: Female high school students in grades 9-12; some programs have specific prerequisites

Fun fact: Smith was the first women’s college to create a program in engineering science. As such, their summer programs are an excellent place for young women to participate in hands-on, introductory research experiences. Two-week sessions are offered, and students can take one or both. Each session offers six distinct course choices. For example, the first session offers Chemistry of Herbal Medicine, Designing Intelligent Robots, and Novel Bacteriophage Discovery. Second session courses include Where the Body Meets the Mind, Supercontinents, Rocks, and Fossils, and the Art and Science of Microcontrollers. Students spend five days a week in class, attending lectures and conducting experiments & fieldwork. Additionally, the program is team-based, allowing students to learn from each other’s ideas and perspectives.

13) Stony Brook University Garcia Center Research Experience for High School Students

• Location : Stony Brook, NY
• Timeframe : Summer (with possible academic year continuation)
• Cost : $4,000 plus room & board

At the Garcia Center for Polymers at Engineered Interfaces, high school students can design an original research project in polymer science and technology during an intensive seven-week summer program. Uniquely, the research can then be continued during the academic year under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Students should be highly motivated and high-achieving, with at least three upper-level science courses under their belt. Finally, past participants have regularly published their research and won recognition in national competitions.

14) Stony Brook University Simons Summer Research Program

• Cost : Students need to cover transportation costs (if commuting) or room/board (if residential). Room/board is $2,781. Stipends are also awarded at the end of the program.

After being matched with a mentor and research team, students are fully immersed in the research process. Placement availability varies from year to year, but typically about thirty projects are available across over a dozen disciplines. These include biochemistry, computer science, geosciences, and pharmacological sciences, among others. Moreover, some have prerequisites, such as specific AP courses or previous programming experience.

All students participate in weekly faculty research talks, workshops, events, and a culminating poster symposium.

15) Summer Science Program

• Location : Astrophysics: UNC Chapel Hill, University of Colorado, Georgia College & State University, New Mexico State University; Biochemistry: Purdue, Indiana University; Genomics: Georgetown, Purdue, New Mexico State; Synthetic Chemistry : Southwestern Oklahoma State University
• Cost : $8,800 max; all program fees are scaled according to what each family can afford
• Eligibility: Current high school juniors and exceptional sophomores

The Summer Science Program offers four different immersive research programs that take place on different college campuses around the country. These include programs in astrophysics, biochemistry, genomics, and synthetic chemistry. Each program has its own research focus. For example, astrophysics students will dive into Asteroid Orbit Determination while genomics students explore Antibiotic Resistance and Directed Evolution.

Students spend six days a week in class deeply investigating their research topics and learning more about general experimental science. They also take part in guest lectures and other special programming.

16) Texas Tech University Anson L. Clark Scholars Program

• Location : Lubbock, TX
• Cost : Free; all students receive a $750 stipend upon completion of their projects
• Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors aged 17+ by the start of the program

The Clark Scholars Program is one of the only programs on this list with research disciplines in the sciences as well as the humanities. For example, current research areas include everything from nutritional sciences and mechanical engineering to history. Over the course of seven weeks, students work closely with a faculty member to complete a research paper in their discipline. They also participate in weekly seminars, discussions, and field trips.

17) University of California Santa Barbara Research Mentorship Program

• Location : Santa Barbara, CA
• Cost : $11,874 (residential); $4,975 (commuter)
• Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors

During this intensive program, students work 35-50 hours per week on an interdisciplinary research project of their choice. Nearly thirty research areas are available in both the STEM disciplines and humanities; current topics include biochemistry, computer science, history, music, and anthropology, among others. Over the course of the program, they also take two courses: Introduction to Research and Presentation Techniques. Finally, students occasionally continue their research remotely during the academic year, depending on their mentor’s availability.

18) University of California Santa Barbara Summer Research Academies

• Cost : $8,224 (residential); $2,575 (commuter)
• Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors

Running for four weeks, the UCSB Summer Research Academies allow students to earn up to four credits. While taking a university-level course that teaches fundamental research concepts, students spend the first two weeks of the program developing a research question & framework via hands-on labs. They’ll then spend the final two weeks of the course analyzing their results and building presentations. Overall, they’ll spend about 25-40 hours per week working. Finally, twelve different tracks are available; each involves multiple disciplines. For example, “Bionic Creatures” combines mechanical engineering, materials science, soft robotics, biomanufacturing, and collective motion.

19) University of California Santa Cruz Science Internship Program (SIP)

• Location : Santa Cruz, CA
• Length: 9 weeks (two weeks virtual, seven weeks in-person)
• Cost : $4,750 plus room & board
• Eligibility: High school students aged 14+, although some research groups require students to be 16+

UCSC’s SIP Program offers a wide range of research focus areas, including science and engineering as well as social science, humanities, and art. For example, over 100 projects are currently offered that include everything from “Eating Insects in Silicon Valley: Cultural Gaps Between Food-Tech and Tradition” and “Future Projected Changes in the Distribution and Variability of Ocean Chlorophyll in Climate Simulations.” Before you dive in, you’ll spend two weeks doing online research prep (this part is conducted remotely) followed by seven weeks of in-person, mentored research. Students get to engage in authentic, open-ended projects that fully immerse them in the academic research experience. Moreover, they’ll present their findings at a symposium at the end of the program.

20) University of California Davis Young Scholars Program

• Location : Davis, CA
• Cost : $6,750
• Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors who will be 16+ by the start of the program

Interested in biological, agricultural, environmental, or natural sciences? If so, UC Davis is a stellar place to explore those interests through research. All students have the opportunity to work on independent, original projects while receiving one-on-one faculty mentorship. Moreover, they each produce a journal-quality paper and symposium presentation. In addition to research, students also participate in a lecture series presented by UC Davis faculty; past topics have included forensic entomology and nutrition, among others. Finally, field trips to educational facilities like the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory round out the experience.

21) University of Florida Student Science Training Program

• Location : Gainesville, FL
• Cost : $5,200
• Eligibility: Rising seniors aged 16+

Thinking about a career in science, medicine, math, computer science, or engineering? UF’s Student Science Training Program could be the right fit. For thirty hours per week, you’ll work with a faculty mentor and lab team on university-level, ongoing research. Moreover, you’ll participate in a science lecture series as well as a UF Honors Program seminar class. Over the course of the program, you will write a research paper, present a poster, and give two oral presentations. Finally, social programming is included.

22) University of Iowa Secondary Student Training Program

• Location : Iowa City, IA
• Cost : $7,500

During this intensive and competitive program, students conduct research within small groups that are supported by a University of Iowa faculty member. There are twenty current active research areas, including chemistry, geography, neurology, orthopedics & rehabilitation, and religious studies. You’ll be working on your project approximately seven hours per day, attending classes in the evenings, and participating in structured activities on the weekend. Moreover, all groups will create and present a poster at the culmination of the program.

23) University of Massachusetts Amherst Summer Programs

• Location : Amherst, MA
• Cost : $3,636 (residential); $2,167 (commuter)
• Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors

UMass Amherst offers two introductory, research-focused opportunities for high school students. These are Antibiotic Resistance: A Global Health Crisis, which allows students to join the Department of Microbiology in researching new antibiotics, and Energy Without Borders, which delves into climate change, infrastructure, and green energy. In both courses, you’ll learn research methods, complete multiple lab experiences, and present a research poster. Finally, students can earn two college credits upon successful completion of the program.

Location-Specific Research Opportunities for High School Students

The following programs are not residential and only offered in a specific location. Many also only accept local students, although some do allow out-of-state students to apply. If that’s the case, you will need to secure your own living accommodations and transportation. Moreover, if you are under the age of 18, you will need to be supervised by a parent or guardian.

Programs are organized alphabetically by state.

24) California Academy of the Sciences—Careers in Science Intern

• Location : San Francisco, CA
• Focus: STEM
• Length: Multi-year (2-3 years)
• Eligibility: 9 th or 10 th grade student enrolled in an SFUSD school with a GPA of 2.5 or higher

25) Cedars Sinai INSPIRE High School

• Location : Los Angeles, CA
• Focus: Pre-Health
• Cost : Free; all students are paid
• Eligibility: High school students age 16+

26) City of Hope Summer Student Academy

• Location : Duarte, CA
• Focus: Biomedicine
• Cost : Free; all students receive a stipend of $4,000

27) Sandia National Laboratories—Internships

• Location : Livermore, CA
• Focus : STEM
• Timeframe : Academic year and summer internships available
• Length: Academic year or 10-12 weeks (summer)
• Cost : Free; all positions are paid

28) Scripps Student Research Internship Program

• Location : La Jolla, CA
• Focus : Translational science/genomics
• Cost : Free; stipends are typically offered

29) UCSF SEP High School Intern Program

• Focus : Biomedical research
• Length: 8 weeks
• Eligibility: High school juniors enrolled in an SFUSD high school, SF charter school, or College Track San Francisco

30) UCSF Summer Student Research Program

• Location : Oakland, CA
• Length: 9 weeks
• Cost : Free; all students are given a stipend between $3,000-$4,300
• Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors, aged 16+

Connecticut

31) jackson lab academic year fellowships.

• Location : Farmington, CT*
• Focus: Genetics
• Timeframe : Academic year
• Length: 1 school year
• Cost : Free; students must be able to receive academic credit for their work
• Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors age 16+ within commuting distance of the lab

*Some fully remote opportunities are available

32) Yale School of Medicine Discovery to Cure High School Internship

• Location : New Haven, CT

33) Yale University Social Robotics Lab High School Internship

• Focus: Robotics and human social behavior
• Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors aged 16+

34) Argonne National Laboratory — Exemplary Student Research Program

• Location : Lemont, IL
• Focus: Engineering
• Eligibility: Application must be completed by participating teacher

35) Chicago EYES on Cancer

• Focus : Biomedicine
• Timeframe : All year, with two 8-week summer research experiences
• Length: 2 years
• Cost : Free; all students receive $3,100 stipend
• Eligibility: High school sophomore, junior, or senior aged 16+

36) University of Kansas Biotech Research Apprentice Program

• Location : Overland Park, KS
• Focus : Biotech
• Length: Semester

37) Jackson Lab Academic Year Fellowships

• Location : Bar Harbor, ME*

38) National Cancer Institute Werner H. Kirsten Student Internship Program

• Location : Frederick, MD
• Timeframe : Academic year & summer
• Length: 1 year
• Cost : Free; academic credit available during school year, stipend provided in summer
• Eligibility: High school junior age 17+ who attends an eligible school located within a 30-mile radius of campus

39) University of Minnesota Lillehei Heart Institute Summer Research Scholars Program

• Location : Minneapolis, MN
• Focus: Cardiovascular medicine
• Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors age 16+ as well as undergraduate students

40) Coriell Institute for Medical Research

• Location : Camden, NJ
• Eligibility: High school student aged 17+

41) Princeton Laboratory Learning Program

• Location : Princeton, NJ
• Focus : Natural Sciences or Engineering
• Length: 5-6 weeks

42) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory High School Internship

• Location : Princeton, NJ*
• Focus : Physics
• Eligibility: High school seniors (program takes place summer after graduation)

*Remote projects may be available.

43) Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science Summer Research Program (RITMS)

• Location : Rutgers, NJ
• Focus : Translational medicine/science

44) Rutgers Waksman Institute Summer Experience Program

• Location : Piscataway, NJ*
• Focus : Molecular biology/bioinformatics
• Cost : $2,000
• Eligibility: High school students who have completed a high school-level biology course

*Online version of the program is also available

45) Los Alamos National Laboratory High School Internship Program

• Location : Los Alamos, NM
• Length: 11 weeks
• Eligibility: New Mexico high school seniors aged 16+

46) Sandia National Laboratories—Internships

• Location : Albuquerque, NM

47) Baruch College STEM Research Academy

• Location : New York, NY
• Timeframe : Spring/summer
• Cost : Free, but all students receive a stipend of $1,575
• Eligibility: Must be a NYC public high school sophomore junior to apply

48) Burke Neurological Institute NeuroAcademy

• Location : White Plains, NY
• Focus: Neuroscience
• Eligibility: Completion of NYS Regents Living Environment or equivalent Biology class; cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher

49) City Tech College STEM Research Academy

• Length: Two semesters (January-August)
• Eligibility: NYC public school sophomore or junior

50) Columbia Zuckerman Institute—BRAINYAC Program

• Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors from select partner programs/schools in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx

51) HOPP Summer Student Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

• Focus: Biomedical or computational research
• Eligibility: High school students aged 14+

52) University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics Summer High School Research Program

• Location : Rochester, NY
• Focus: Laser energetics
• Eligibility: Rochester-area high school students who have completed their junior year

53) Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute

• Location : Cleveland, OH
• Timeframe : Varies; depends on lab
• Length: Varies; depends on lab

54) OHSU School of Medicine Partnership for Scientific Inquiry (PSI)

• Location : Portland, OR
• Focus: Biomedical research
• Timeframe : Academic semester + summer
• Length: 16+ weeks
• Eligibility: Oregon-based high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors aged 16+

Pennsylvania

55) fox chase cancer center high school research programs.

• Location : Philadelphia, PA
• Timeframe : During school year
• Length: 2-3 months; depends on program
• Eligibility: Philadelphia-area high school students; students must be 16+ for some programs

56) Penn State College of Medicine Research Internships

• Location : Hershey, PA
• Length: Varies; could be weeks to months depending on lab
• Cost : Paid and unpaid internships available

57) University of Pennsylvania GRASP Lab High School Internships

• Focus: Robotics
• Cost : Free; stipend typically available
• Eligibility: Rising high school senior

58) George Mason University Aspiring Scientists Internship Program (ASSIP)

• Location : Fairfax, VA*
• Eligibility: High school students aged 15+ or 16+, depending on program

*Some fully remote and hybrid opportunities are available, depending on the lab.

59) Jefferson Lab High School Summer Honors Program

• Location : Newport News, VA
• Eligibility: High school students aged 16+ who live within 60 miles of the lab

60) Virginia Tech Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Summer Research Program

• Location : Roanoke, VA
• Focus: Health behaviors research
• Cost : Free; all students receive a stipend of $4,800
• Eligibility: Rising high school junior or senior in the Roanoke Valley

61) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory High School Research Programs

• Location : Richland, WA
• Timeframe : Summer & academic year programs available
• Length: Academic year or 10 weeks (summer)
• Eligibility: High school students aged 16+; some labs may require students to be 18+

62) Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Training Program

• Location : Seattle, WA
• Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, or seniors within commuting distance of downtown Seattle

Final Thoughts—Research Opportunities for High School Students

If gaining research experience is important to you, it’s in your best interest to explore a number of different programs, evaluating whether their structure, length, cost, and outcomes are in line with your goals. Finding the right opportunity may take some time, but it will be well worth the effort required.

• Research Programs

Kelsea Conlin

Kelsea holds a BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Tufts University, a graduate certificate in College Counseling from UCLA, and an MA in Teaching Writing from Johns Hopkins University. Her short fiction is forthcoming in Chautauqua .

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Everything You Need to Know About Starting Out With Research in High School

If you are passionate about a certain subject, doing research in that field is a fantastic way to explore your interests, set the building blocks for a future career, and stand out on college applications. However, for many students, the idea of conducting research seems daunting and inaccessible while in high school and the question of where to start remains a mystery. This guide’s goal is to provide a starter for any students interested in high school research.

Research experience for high school students: Why do research?

Research is a fantastic way to delve into a field of interest. Research students at Lumiere have investigated everything, from ways to detect ocean health, new machine learning algorithms, and the artists of the 19th century. Engaging in research means you can familiarize yourself with a professional environment and develop high-level research skills early on; working with experts means you might discover things you may have never dreamed of before. You are given a valuable opportunity to think ahead and ask yourself foundational questions:

“Is this what I want in a future career?”

“What do I like and dislike about this process?”

As a huge plus (and do not underestimate the value of this!), you will likely gain extremely valuable connections, mentors, and recommenders in working closely with your team.

Let’s face it, the college selection process is becoming more and more competitive each year and admission teams are always looking for new ways to distinguish strong candidates. Doing a research project shows that you are someone with passions and, more importantly, someone with a willingness to take the extra step and explore those passions. You showcase your abilities, ambition, work ethic, eagerness to learn, and professionalism, all at the same time. This will no doubt help you when the time for college applications rolls around.

How to do research in high school: finding opportunities

Now that we’ve covered the ‘why’, let’s cover the ‘how’! There are two ways you can go about this, and it’s a great idea to run these in parallel so that one can serve as a backup for the other.

1. Identify research opportunities and apply strategically: Some opportunities are recurring programs. Usually, these are advertised. These can be structured research programs or internships run by universities, non-profits or government departments.

Organization and preparation were key to my own application processes, so be sure to start thinking ahead. Note that most research programs take place in the summer and require applications that are due by January or February. Make a spreadsheet of programs you’d be interested in and take note of their application deadlines, cost, required materials, etc. Applications often have you write essays and submit recommendation letters, so you want to think about those in advance as well.

2. Cold email to find research opportunities that are not advertised: Another way to pursue research outside of the programs is to try contacting people directly and get involved in their research projects. This would mainly involve university faculty, but you might also find a mentor elsewhere; for instance, if you are interested in medical work, you could contact someone at your local hospital. If you are interested in government, you might reach out to your local representative. If you don’t have any personal connections with faculty members in your field, cold emailing them is the way to go. You’ll need to email a lot of researchers; chances are some are busy, some aren’t in need of interns, and some simply don’t check their emails. To up your chances, you should try reaching out to at least 25 people of interest.

For cold emailing, you’ll be asking for opportunities that may not be advertised. You’ll need to prepare an “email template” of sorts that you’ll be sending out to everyone. It should start with an introduction—who are you, where are you from, how do you know this person—and include a set of your skills and interests that you could bring to the table. Keep this email short, friendly and to the point. Don’t be afraid to follow-up if they don’t respond within the first two weeks! Your message might have just gotten lost in their inbox. You’ll also want to update your resumé to attach to the email be sure to include any relevant coursework, accomplishments, and experience in the field.

Types of research opportunities for high school students

1. do a structured research program in high school.

Structured research programs are excellent ways to gain experience under some top researchers and university faculty, and often include stays at actual labs or college campuses with a wide variety of peers, mentors, and faculty. Examples of some competitive research programs include Research Science Institute (RSI) hosted by MIT, the Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS) offered by Carnegie Mellon, and a program hosted by the Baker Institute at Rice University for students interested in political science. For more options, here’s a list of 24 programs for this upcoming summer that we’ve compiled for you!

Another great way of deep-diving into an area of your interest and doing university-level research is through 1-1 mentorship.

Lumiere Research Scholar Program

Founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers, Lumiere offers its own structured research programs in which ambitious high school students work 1-1 with top PhDs and develop and independent research paper.

Students have had the opportunity to work on customized research projects across STEM, social sciences, AI and business. Lumiere’s growing network of mentors currently has over 700, carefully selected PhDs from top universities who are passionate about leading the next generation of researchers. The program is fully virtual! You can find the application form here .

Also check out the Lumiere Research inclusion Foundation , a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students.

Veritas AI’s Summer Fellowship Program

Veritas AI has a range of AI programs for ambitious high school students , starting from close-group, collaborative learning to customized project pathways with 1:1 mentorship . The programs have been designed and run by Harvard graduate students & alumni.

In the AI Fellowship, you will create a novel AI project independently with the support of a mentor over 12-15 weeks. Examples of past projects can be found here .

Apply now !

2. Work with a professor in high school

Research typically asks for an advisor, professional, or mentor. So how does someone end up doing research with a researcher in high school? The very first thing you need to do is identify an area of interest. If you really enjoy biology at school, perfect. If you find history fascinating, you’ve found your topic. The important thing is that you’re truly interested in this area; any discipline is fair game!

3. Participate in competitions and fairs

There are many research competitions and fairs available for high school students to participate in. For example, the Davidson Institute offers cash scholarships for student projects in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature, music, or philosophy. The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair is a particularly well-known competition for students who have completed independent research projects. Research fairs are a great way to motivate students in pursuing their own interests, showing initiative and drive. Winning a competition also looks great on a resumé! Check out Lumiere’s guide to research competitions here .

4. Pursue your own passion projects

A passion project can mean more than just a presentation made for competition. For example, a student I know created an app to track music trends at our school and then analyzed the data on his own—just for fun! It was a great story to include on his future internship applications. Take a look at Lumiere’s guide for passion projects here .

5. Write a research paper

Once you’ve pursued your own research project, writing a research paper is a next great step. This way, you have a writing sample you’ll be able to send to colleges as an additional supplement, or to labs and researchers for future opportunities. It’s also a fantastic exercise in writing. We know that many high school students might struggle with learning how to write a research paper on their own. This is something you might work with your high school science teacher on, or with the guidance of a Lumiere mentor.

6. Research internships

These can be standalone or part of a research program. In looking for a more structured research experience, a research internship can be particularly valuable in building strong foundations in research. There are always tons of internship opportunities available in all different fields, some as specific as medical research . If you are wondering how to get a research internship in high school, then check out our blog posts and apply!

Things to keep in mind when working with a researcher.

You’ve gotten into a research program! Now you want to do the best job possible. There are a few things to keep in mind while conducting research.

1. Maintain a professional and friendly demeanor

Chances are, there are many things you don’t know or haven’t learned about this field. The important thing is to keep an open mind and remain eager to learn. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or to offer to help with anything, even if it’s not in your job description. Your mentor will appreciate your willingness to adapt, follow procedures, and engage with challenging material.

2. Keep track of what’s happening

Open up your notes app or get a small journal to remember what has happened in each step of the process. I remember the hardest part of writing my college essays was the very beginning: trying to come up with a list of memorable moments to talk about. If you’re looking to write about your research experience in your college application, you need to remember the moments where you struggled, where you learned, where you almost gave up but didn’t, where you realized something, even the moment you first stepped into the lab! If you are given feedback: write that down! If you are asked to reflect on everything you learned: write that down! This will be incredibly important for now and for later.

3. Ask questions

Not only is your mentor there as a potential future recommender, but they are also there to help you learn as much as possible. Absorb as much as you can from them! Ask as many questions as you can about their career, their previous research, their education, their own moments of realization, etc. This will help you discover what this career really entails and what you might look for in navigating your own future career.

Making the most out of your research: How to publish a research paper in high school

A question we often get is whether or not you need to publish your research for you to mention it in your college application. While the answer is no, the experience is a great one to have and definitely allows your work to stand out amongst your peers. Lumiere has published a complete guide to publishing research in high school here . What’s important to keep in mind is that there are various journals that specifically accept high school research reports and papers, such as the Concord Review or the Journal of Emerging Investigators. In our articles below, we go through a detailed guide of what these journals are and how a student might best approach the submission process.

Useful guides for publishing a research paper in high school

The Concord Review: The Complete Guide To Getting In (lumiere-education.com)

The John Locke Essay Competition

The Complete Guide to the Journal of Emerging Investigators (lumiere-education.com)

Research is an incredibly rewarding learning experience for everyone. While high school may seem early, it’s always better to start sooner rather than later, both for your college applications and for your own personal progress. Although the process may seem daunting at first, we hope we’ve broken it down in a way that’s simple and digestible. And if you want extra support, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program is always here to help!

Amelia is a current junior at Harvard College studying art history with a minor in economics. She’s enthusiastic about music, movies, and writing, and is excited to help Lumiere’s students as much as she can!

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A Guide to Pursuing Research Projects in High School

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Most common high school pursuits and interests can be fit fairly neatly into the academic or extracurricular categories. There are of course required courses that you take, and then there are the activities that you pursue outside of school hours, usually for your own enjoyment. You may play on a sports team, participate in a service project, or pursue visual arts. In most cases, even if your interests are somewhat untraditional, you can somehow package them in a way that neatly qualifies them as an extracurricular activity.

But what if your interests outside of school are more academic in nature? What if you’ve long been fascinated by the potential that carbon sequestration holds to limit the effects of climate change? What if you’re interested in the history of civil disobedience, or the ability of exams to measure actual comprehension? Whatever the case may be, there are some topics of interest that just don’t fit neatly into any extracurricular club or activity.

If you find yourself longing to pursue an interest such as this, you might consider conducting your own research project. While the concept may seem daunting at first, if you break it down into smaller, manageable tasks, you’ll quickly find that you probably already have the skills necessary to get started.

In this post, we will outline the process for conducting a long-term research project independently, including several avenues for pursuing recognition of your work and a step-by-step guide to completing your project. If you’re interested in pursuing an independent research project during high school, keep reading.

Why Pursue an Independent Research Project?

An independent research project is a great way to explore an area of interest that you otherwise would not get to learn about outside of school. By undertaking a research project on your own, not only will you explore a personal area of interest in more depth, but also you will demonstrate your dedication to pursuing knowledge for the sake of learning and your ability to work independently over a prolonged period.

Independent research projects, when conducted well and presented appropriately on a college application, can be a great advantage to you on your college admissions.

How to Choose a Topic for a Research Project

If you’re interested in pursuing a research project, you probably already have a topic in mind. In fact, the desire to conduct a research project usually stems from an existing interest, not just from the idea to conduct research on a vague or undetermined subject matter.

You should aim to narrow your research project to something that has some academic relevance. Perhaps it is related to your existing coursework. Maybe it reflects work you hope to pursue in the future, either academically or professionally. Try to fine-tune your project enough that you can easily explain the driving force behind it and its relevance to your future career path.

While you don’t need to decide on your exact topic or thesis quite yet, you should have a general idea of what your project will entail before moving forward.

Are There Existing Avenues for Undertaking a Research Project At Your School?

While you could certainly conduct your research project completely independently from your school, it is usually easier and more productive to conduct it in a way that is somehow connected to the rest of your schooling.

If the project is STEM-oriented, think about whether it would fit into a science fair or other STEM competition in which your school already competes. Also consider the AP Capstone Program if your school offers it. The second course in this sequence is AP Research , and it requires an in-depth research project as its culminating assessment.

If neither of these formal avenues are available, or neither provides a good fit, look into the possibility of pursuing your project as an independent study. If your school offers independent studies for credit, you can usually get information about them from your adviser. These types of projects usually require an extended application process that must be followed closely if you want to gain approval.

Finally, even if you can’t take advantage of one of the options above, if you have achieved advanced standing or enough credits, your school might still allow you to undertake an extended individual research project through some type of formal arrangement. Talk with a teacher, mentor, or adviser to learn what your options are. Clearly communicate your innate desire to learn more about this specific topic and be prepared to give some background on the issue that you want to research.

Steps for Undertaking the Research Project

1. find a mentor or adviser.

You will need someone to help guide and advise your work, so finding a willing and able mentor should be one of your first steps. This should ideally be a person with existing expertise in the subject area you wish to pursue. In the least, this person should share your interest and passion for the topic.

A teacher at your school who can also serve as an adviser is ideal, and may even be a requirement if you are formally pursuing the project as an independent study for credit. If that is not possible, you can certainly find a mentor somewhere else, even remotely if necessary.

Find out if your subject matter pertains to any local industries or companies, or if there are any scientists or professionals nearby who specialize in it. Consider checking the instructors of local summer programs or judges from past science fairs at your school.   Also consider a professional who has written an article that interested you in the field.

Before you approach a mentor to request their help, familiarize yourself with his or her work. Be able to speak articulately about what has drawn you to him or her specifically. Put some thought into informed questions you might ask him or her. Be upfront about your needs if you are going to require any specific guidance or extended time or energy from your mentor. It might be difficult to find someone at first, but keep trying. Finding a mentor for your project is an important step.

2. Set a Timeline and Stick to It

Once you’ve found a mentor, you can get started laying out the timeline for your project. When you do this, list each step of your project as specifically as possible. These will include at a minimum: background research, writing a thesis statement, in depth research phase, outlining your final paper, drafting your paper, editing your paper, and publishing your paper.

You will probably have a completion date in mind, whether it’s required by the school or simply the end of the semester or school year. Work backwards from your completion date to set a realistic timeframe for each of these steps.

It helps to have a calendar displayed prominently with your deadlines listed clearly on it to keep you on track. Also be sure to put your deadlines into your school assignment book or Google calendar so that you can see how they overlap and affect your other commitments.

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3. Conducting Research

After you’ve completed your deadline calendar, you’re ready to get started with the fun stuff:   the actual research. There are many sources for finding high quality research materials. You can use your school library, your local library, and sometimes even the library at local colleges or universities. Sometimes the libraries at colleges are open only to registered students and faculty, but if you contact a library official or a member of the department related to your research project, you might be able to gain access for research purposes.

You may also take advantage of online research tools. Google Scholar is a good place to find peer-reviewed, high quality publications. You may also find out if your school has a subscription to any online research databases like Ebsco , or JSTOR . These databases provide digital compilations of hundreds of research journals, both current and archived.    

Be careful what you choose to use as sources, though. You need to ensure that every source you rely on is high-quality and fact-based. Many internet resources now are not as accurate as they might appear. Some are outdated and some are just wrong. Remember that just about anyone can publish something online these days, so you can’t rely on information that you find on just any old website. Be particularly wary of pages like Wikipedia that look like fact-based resources but are actually drawn from unfiltered user submissions.

As you research your topic, take careful notes to track your work. Choose a system to organize your notes, such as writing on notecards that can be easily organized, or using different colored pens to color code different subtopics of your research. By carefully organizing your notes, you’ll be better set up to organize your paper.

4. Organize Your Paper

Once you’ve completed the research phase of your project, you’re ready to organize your paper. Go through your notes carefully to see how they support your thesis. If they don’t, be prepared and open to changing your thesis. Always allow the research to guide the direction of your paper, and not vice versa.

Organize your notes into the order that makes most sense in your paper. Use them to guide an outline of your paper. Once they are in order, write out a rough outline of your paper.

Prewriting is an important step to writing your paper. It allows you to go into the drafting phase with as much preparation as possible so that your writing will have a clear direction when you begin.

5. Write Your Paper 

After your organization and prewriting, you’re ready to draft your paper. Try to break this phase up into smaller pieces so that you don’t burn out. Your final product will probably be one of the longest papers you’ve ever written, usually ranging from 15-30 pages depending on your subject, so you’ll want to pace yourself.

Break up your writing deadlines into more specific sub-deadlines to help guide your work. Set goals for completing the introduction, various sections of the body, and your conclusion.

6. Edit Your Paper 

There will be multiple stages of editing that need to happen. First, you will self-edit your first draft. Then, you will likely turn a draft of your paper in to your mentor for another round of editing. Some students even choose to have a peer or family member edit a draft at some point. After several rounds of editing, you will be prepared to publish your work.

7. Publish Your Work

Publication sounds like a very official completion of your project, but in reality publishing can take many different forms. It’s really just the final draft of your project, however you decide to produce it.

For some students, publication means submitting a draft of your project to an actual journal or formal publication. For others, it means creating a polished draft and a display board that you will present at a school or public event. For still others it might just be a polished, final draft bound and turned into your mentor.

However you decide to publish your work, be mindful that this should be a reflection of an entire semester or year of work, and it should reflect the very height of your learning and abilities. You should be proud of your final product.

If you’re a high school student with in-depth interests in a subject area that doesn’t fit neatly into any of your existing extracurriculars or academic courses, you should consider pursuing a research project to reflect your interest and dedication. Not only will your pursuit allow you to further explore a subject that’s interesting to you, but also it will be a clear example of your independence and commitment on your college applications.

Looking for help navigating the road to college as a high school student? Download our  free guide for 9th graders  and our  free guide for 10th graders . Our guides go in-depth about subjects ranging from  academics ,  choosing courses ,  standardized tests ,  extracurricular activities ,  and much more !

For more information about research and independent projects in high school, check out these posts:

• Ultimate Guide to the AP Research Course and Assessment
• How to Choose a Project for Your AP Research Course
• How to Get a Research Assistant Position in High School
• An Introduction to the AP Capstone Diploma
• How to Choose a Winning Science Fair Project Idea
• How to Plan and Implement an Independent Study in High School

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A blueprint for high school students to pursue research and get published.

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Regardless of their future career interests, high school students who are curious and enjoy discovering answers to questions should consider research. Research isn’t restricted to just the STEM field; there are countless questions in every field that need to be answered.

Doing research while still in high school can be a great way for students to stand out in college ... [+] admissions process.

Research can be a life-changing experience for a high schooler. It gives them a chance to gain hands-on instruction beyond the classroom and be exposed to the dynamics of a lab environment. In addition, students learn how to work with others as they gain analytical, quantitative and communication skills.

Participating in research can also give students a competitive edge when applying to college. This is especially true for candidates of BS/MD programs , where medical-focused activities are expected. Some BS/MD programs, like Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s 7-Year Program , are specially designed to train future physician-scientists.

How To Pursue Research

While many students want to secure a research position, it isn’t always easy to know how to get started and make progress. Here are a few different methods students can pursue to gain research experience.

Look For Local Research Projects

Depending on where you live, you might be able to find local labs at universities, hospitals or companies where you can get research experience. Start local first to see what types of positions might be available to students.

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When reaching out, add a cover letter that is tailored to each specific organization. You should introduce yourself in a way that demonstrates your academic background, your interest in their research and how you would like to contribute on a voluntary basis. The email should also include your CV or resume so that they can see any relevant coursework or experiences you may have.

When sending out these emails, remember to cast a wide net. These organizations are getting emails from college and graduate students, too, so you might need to email quite a few people before you get a response. If you don’t hear back within two weeks, send a follow-up email. Oftentimes, persistence pays off.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions or if you don’t have local options available, you can also consider virtual opportunities. Virtual work might be a good option due to the flexibility that often accompanies it.

However, cold-emailing professors or companies can be time-consuming and a risk. Even if you secure a position, you need to ensure that you are being flexible and realistic. Some positions might only be available during the hours students are at school, so expecting to get a position that will work around your class schedule or weekends only might be unrealistic. Having open availability and working on their timetable will make more opportunities feasible.

In addition, for these types of positions, you will need to show you can add value. This might require you to learn new skills on your own time, like a new coding language, so you can contribute to the success of the project.

Join A Summer Camp Or Structured Research Program

A structured research program can be the most beneficial experience for students because there is often a clear plan in place: students are expected to show up for a set number of hours per week and have clearly established deliverables on what will be accomplished during that time.

Camps like Rising Researchers, which are open to high school students of all ages, even give students college credit and help the students get their research published at the end of the camp. Nicole Cooksey, one of the instructors at Rising Researchers, says, “Rising Researchers helps students go beyond static learning—the hands-on camp means students acquire new skills and the ability to write a research paper.”

Some parents might hesitate to commit to a paid summer camp. While many of the most prestigious summer camps like Research Summer Institute (RSI) and Texas Tech’s Clark Scholars program are free, they are often very competitive and only open to students over the age of 16 or 17. Paid programs can be a good alternative because it still provides students with dedicated instructors whose sole focus will be on mentoring the student.

Start An Independent Research Project

Pursuing independent research is another option, but it is not a good fit for every student because it requires long-term commitment and dedication in order to make progress. Students who undertake this task should be prepared to spend at least a year from start to finish researching, writing their paper and submitting it for publication. The review and publication step can often take the longest, sometimes more than one year. For high school seniors, this could mean their paper might not be published before college application season kicks off.

How To Get Started

For the self-starters who want to begin an independent research project, the first step should be to make a list of your future career interests. Writing it down can help you decide what areas of research you might want to consider. Next, read previous research journals to get an idea of topics that might be of interest to you and possible to do on your own.

Once you have settled on a general topic, think about what questions you want to ask and answer in your research. These questions will help you create your thesis statement, which should address a specific question or problem.

The final step is to gather your sources and begin writing your paper. Look for resources from reputable sites, such as:

• PubMed: A great tool for finding research articles on a variety of subjects
• PubMed Central: Curates research articles without paywalls
• Google Scholar: Find Primary literature on all scientific topics
• Directory of Open Access Journals: Find additional open-access journals here
• CDC - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• The Public Library of Science: find peer-reviewed articles for free

Add Research To Your Student Resume

Undertaking a research project when you are still in high school requires effort on your part, but your persistence can pay off. Adding research to your student resume can help you stand out to competitive colleges and demonstrate a strong passion for a particular subject.

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Stanford institutes of medicine summer research program, program description.

The Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR) is an eight-week program in which high school students with a broad range of experiences, interests and backgrounds are invited to perform basic research with Stanford faculty, postdoctoral fellows, students and researchers on a medically-oriented project. The goals of the program include increasing interest in biological sciences and medicine in high school students and helping students to understand how scientific research is performed.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS  

ALL 3 of the following requirements must be met (no exceptions):

1) Students must currently be juniors or seniors at the time of application (as of the spring of 2024).  Students must be in the graduating class of 2024 or 2025.

2) Students must also be  16 years old or older  by the start of the program.

3)  Students must currently be living in and attending school in the U.S. AND must be  U.S. citizens or permanent residents  with a green card in order to apply.

Important Note:  Please read the MISSION link on the lefthand panel.  The selection process will heavily favor local (Bay Area) students. Please visit the FAQ for more information.  Also, students must be able to start the program on June 10, 2024.  

SUMMER 2024 UPDATE:

• The current plans are to have an in-person program for the summer of 2024.  
• Summer 2024 Program Dates:  June 10- August 1, 2024 (8 weeks)
• The online application and program information document will be available on our website on Wednesday, Dec. 20th, 2023 (at 5pm PST) .  Applications will be due Saturday, February 24th, 2024.

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Articles & Advice > Majors and Academics > Blog

Why and How You Can Get Into Research in High School

Conducting a research project in high school can give you a huge leg up on college applications. Here's why it's important and how to find opportunities.

by Stephen Turban Director, Lumiere Education

Last Updated: May 30, 2024

Originally Posted: Mar 9, 2022

As standardized tests are becoming optional for many major colleges and universities, admission teams are looking for new ways to distinguish between strong candidates. Qualitative opportunities like research projects have grown in popularity for students applying to college. These projects showcase passion and help provide proof of depth of a student’s abilities. Many students may be interested in doing research but often face the problem of how to get started. Where do you find research opportunities in high school? What should you look for? Here’s why research experience is so important for students and college admission, plus different ways to get into it.

Why do research in high school?

Research is becoming increasingly common for high school students. It’s a great way to explore areas of interest more deeply and develop academic passions—and not just in STEM fields. As a director of the Lumiere Research Scholar Program , I’ve seen students gain a truly world-class level of knowledge in fields they’re interested in through independent research. Students have investigated the strongest machine learning algorithm to detect cell nuclei, novel ways to detect ocean health in the high seas, and comparisons of 14 th -century Japanese and 19 th -century Impressionist art. In each project, students leave with a unique, deep understanding of the area they explored.

Research experience also has benefits when students apply to colleges and universities. In a recent survey of students who did research in high school, 99% of them used their experience in some way in the application for early admission. In addition, students who had done research were 26% more likely to be accepted to an Ivy League school for Early Action or Early Decision admission than the average applicant. As researchers, we want to be careful not to draw a causal link between these two. But what is true is that students who get into top schools are more likely to do research.

Related: Easy Ways to Find Research Experience in High School

How to find research opportunities

If research is so valuable, how do you find opportunities to do it? Unlike in college, where research universities often provide opportunities for students to get involved, high schools rarely provide chances for research in the curriculum—AP Research or the IB extended essay being notable exceptions. With this in mind, there are two main ways to get research experience in high school.

Research programs

Your first option is to find a research program designed for high school students. This could range from highly competitive national programs like MIT’s Research Science Institute to programs that are only available for local populations. There’s also been an increase in online research programs that provide opportunities for students to work with researchers, like this list of 24 research programs that are available this upcoming summer that students could consider. 

Cold-emailing professors and networking

Another way to pursue research is to try contacting a college faculty member directly. This can be a great way to find a research mentor and get involved in a project. If you have any connections to faculty members through family or your school, this is probably the most effective first step. This usually means there will already be some level of trust between the faculty member and you as the student, making it more likely for the researcher to take you on. If you don’t have any personal connections, try cold-emailing faculty members. To do this, you need to create an example email that shows why you’re interested in working with the faculty member and what you would add to the project. Here’s an example email to a professor who has done research on open offices:

Subject: Helping your research—Rock Bridge High School junior

Hi Professor Smith,

This is Stephen—a rising junior at Rock Bridge High School. I recently read your research paper on open offices in the Harvard Business Review , was fascinated, and wanted to reach out. Would you have 15 minutes to discuss how I could help your research?  

For a bit of background, I’ve spent the past three years working on my skills in Python and data analysis. I know that your research involves a lot of quantitative work, so I wanted to see if I could help out with that—or anything else that needs some work!

Long-term, I’m hoping to become researcher like you. So, I’d love the opportunity to work with a researcher that I admire like yourself!  

Yours, Stephen

The key here is to cast a wide net—you should try reaching out to at least 25 faculty members or PhD researchers—and show the value you can add to their work. Note how in this email I talk about how I have skills with Python that I could use to help Professor Smith’s research. I also try to draw a connection between him and myself by talking about my long-term ambitions to be a researcher. The key to email is keeping it short and to the point as well as making sure to follow up. Researchers are busy people, so they might miss your first email. Don’t be afraid to send a follow-up message. They’ll appreciate the persistence that shows!

Related: How to Write a Strong Professional Email People Will Read

How to showcase research experience on college applications

So let’s say you’ve done research—now what? How do you show it to potential schools? There are numerous ways to showcase your research in your college applications , from including it on your activities list to writing about it in some of your supplemental essays. In our most recent survey of Early Decision admits, we found that students who were accepted Early Decision and Early Action were 33% more likely to ask their research advisor for a letter of recommendation. The key is to make your research one data point in a broader story about you and your interests. It should connect to what you want to study and the other activities you’ve done. For example, one student who did research with us completed a project related to astrophysics. In her essay, she wrote about working as a stocker at a local grocery store and how some of these same astrophysics concepts related to the movement of customers in the store. The key is to make the research a proof point connected to other proof points of the type of student you are.

Does research need to be published to showcase?

A question I often get is whether you need to publish your research for colleges to take notice. The short answer is no—very few college students, much less high school students, will ever get their research published. There are some selective high school research publications you could consider. If a student gets published, it does give an added level of legitimacy to their research, but it’s certainly not necessary. The key is that the research process itself is rigorous and that you’re able to write about it clearly on your applications.

Related: Unique Ways to Stand Out on Your College Applications  

Research is hard but worthwhile. If you’re excited by a subject and would like to explore it more deeply, then research could be a great opportunity for you. It won’t be easy, and some papers can take years to finish!  But if you’re interested in it, you can join the emerging number of students who are doing research in high school!

Looking for research powerhouses to add to your college search? Check out our list of Excellent Research Universities   that are members of the American Association of Universities!

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About Stephen Turban

Stephen Turban is one of the founders of Lumiere Education  and a Harvard University graduate. He founded the Lumiere Research Scholar Program as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-on-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.

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How to Find Research Opportunities as High School Students

• March 4, 2022
• Career Guidance , College Admission Guidance , Parents Must Read , Under Graduate

Many students are excited by working on research. However, they find themselves stuck when it comes to getting started. Where should they go to find research opportunities? What should they be looking for? In this post, we’ll outline various ways to get into research, as well as how to use it in your college admission process.

Why do research in high school?  

Research is becoming increasingly common for high school students to take part in. As a director of the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, a high school research program, I’ve seen students gain a world-class level of knowledge in the field that they are interested in.

I’ve seen students in their research projects investigate how to identify the strongest machine learning algorithm to detect cell nuclei, how to develop a novel way to detect ocean health on the high seas, or a novel comparison of 14th-century Japanese and 19th-century Impressionist art. In each project, students left with a uniquely deep understanding of the area they explored. 

When students apply to universities, this unique understanding comes in handy. In a recent poll of students who completed research in high school, 99% of those who applied for early admissions used their research in some way.

Furthermore, students who conducted research were 26% more likely than the average candidate to get accepted to an Ivy League university’s EA/ED program. As researchers, we must be cautious not to infer a causal relationship between the two. However, it is true that students who are accepted into elite schools are more likely to conduct research.

Read 25 Passion Project Ideas for High School Students to Improve College Admission Chances .

How to find research opportunities as a high school student? 

So, if research is so valuable, how do you find opportunities to do it? Unlike in college, where research universities often provide opportunities for students to get involved, high schools rarely provide research opportunities in the curriculum (AP Research or the IB extended essay being notable exceptions). With this in mind, there are two main ways to get research experience in high school.

Participate in a Research Program

The first is to take part in a research program designed for high school students. There are several options to consider, based on the kind of research you want to conduct as well as the experience you are looking to have with the program.

These could range from highly competitive national programs like Research Science Institute – a prestigious program hosted by MIT for those with an interest in STEM, to research programs based on laboratory study and hands-on experiences such as NYU’s ARISE program , a combination of lab research and college-level workshops in fields such as robotics and engineering.

If you are looking to work one on one with a research mentor , online research programs like the Lumiere Research Scholar Program can be a good fit. But if you’re looking to work with a larger research team , a program like the Simons Summer Research Program , where students can join research teams and consult faculty members, might be an option.

To help you with more options to choose from, here’s a list of 30 research programs that are available this upcoming summer that you could consider. 

Cold emailing professors/networking  

Another alternative for conducting research is to personally contact a faculty member. This can be an excellent approach to finding a research mentor and participating in a study. This is generally the most successful initial step if you have any links to faculty members through family or your school.

This usually indicates that the faculty member and the student have already established a level of trust, making it more probable for the researcher to take you on. The other option is for you to cold-email faculty members. To do this, you need to create an example email that shows why you are interested in working with the faculty member and what you would add. Here’s an example outreach email for a professor who has done research on open offices:

Cold Email Example

Subject: Helping your research – Rock Bridge High School Senior

Hi Professor Smith,

This is Stephen – a rising junior at Rock Bridge High School. I recently read your research paper on Open Offices in the Harvard Business Review, was fascinated, and wanted to reach out. Would you have 15 minutes to discuss how I could help out with your research?

For a bit of background, I’ve spent the past three years working on my skills in python and data analysis. I know that your research involves a lot of quantitative work, so I wanted to see if I could help out with that – or anything else that needs some work!

Long-term, I’m hoping to become a researcher like you. So, I’d love the opportunity to work with a researcher that I admire like yourself!

Yours, Stephen

Three quick pointers to remember when cold emailing professors: 

• Cast a wide net 

While the email above is my tested approach to having faculty members respond to outreach emails, the reality is that what matters most is the number of professors you reach out to. Many faculty members just won’t have time, so it is important to spread out who you reach out to. I recommend reaching out to at least 25 faculty members or PhD researchers to get started.

• Show the value you can add to the professor

Note how above, in example #1, I talk about how I have some skills with Python that I could use to help Professor Smith’s research. I also try to draw a connection between the researcher and myself by talking about my long-term ambitions to be a researcher!

• Be concise and follow up

The key to the email is to keep it short, easy to read, and to the point, and remember to follow up. Sometimes (AKA a lot of the time) researchers are busy, so they might miss your first email. Don’t feel awkward following up. They will appreciate the persistence that it shows.

How do I show research experience in my college application?

So, let’s say that you’ve done the research – now what? How can you show it to potential schools? There are numerous ways to use research in the application process, from showcasing it on the activities list to writing about it in some of your main or supplementary essays .

In our most recent survey of ED admits, we found that students who were accepted ED/EA were 33% more likely to ask their research advisor for a letter of recommendation .

The key is to use the research as one piece of evidence in a larger narrative about you and your passions. The research should be related to what you wish to study and what you’ve done previously.

One of the students that worked with us on research completed an astrophysics study, for example. She went on to mention in her undergraduate essay that she used to ponder about some of these same astrophysical principles while working as a stocker at a local grocery store, and how they related to the consumer movement in the shop. Making the research an evidence point connected to other proof points of the type of student you are is the key.

One other option – Lumiere Research Scholar Program

Consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program , a selective online high school program for students founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers. The program pairs you with a full-time researcher to develop your own independent research project, in any discipline of your choice. Last year over 1500 students applied to 500 slots in the research program! You can find the application form here.

About Stephen Turban:

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere Education and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn . 

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• v.15(4); 2019 Apr

Ten simple rules for providing a meaningful research experience to high school students

Emily a. lescak.

1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America

Kate M. O’Neill

2 Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America

3 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America

Giovanna M. Collu

4 Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America

Subhamoy Das

5 Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America

Introduction

Much has been written about designing research experiences for undergraduate students [ 1 – 4 ], but what about providing meaningful experiences to high school students? There are many formal opportunities for high school students to conduct research, but early-career scientists and principal investigators (PIs) do not necessarily have much experience working with this age group, which presents different opportunities and challenges than working with undergraduates. Thus, we present guidance in this Ten Simple Rules article on how to be an effective research mentor for high school students based on our experiences as early-career biologists and our formal mentor training.

Studies show that students—and the general public as a whole—have a narrow view of what a scientist is, does, and looks like [ 5 , 6 ]. The opportunity to work in a research group may be the first time that high school students encounter a “real scientist.” Likely, it is also their first chance to peek inside the black box that is scientific research—something they may only know from the media. They will experience firsthand what it is like to work in a research environment (whether they are doing experiments or computational work) and will likely be surprised by how communication and collaboration not only are necessary to the scientific process but also make research more rewarding. Performing scientific research gives students the opportunity to witness the practical applications of concepts they have been taught in school and to observe how the experimental and analytical work done in research settings builds upon what they have learned in the classroom. Importantly, they will also experience the excitement and challenges of investigating open-ended questions without predetermined answers. Authentic research experiences can empower students to pursue research opportunities as undergraduates and to consider careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Engaging high school students in research and the process of doing science allows them to form meaningful relationships with mentors who can help them stay on track academically, serve as role models, and help prepare them for future careers. By working with high school students from the local community, mentors can bridge the gap between scientists and the general public and encourage students to attend their local university, which is a benefit for the mentor’s institution, too. For high school students—particularly those who will be first-generation college students—getting comfortable on their local college campuses can make a meaningful impact on their educational goals. There are also opportunities for their supervisors, who are often early-career scientists (graduate students or postdoctoral fellows [postdocs]), to broaden their mentoring skills, improve their communication of the complexities of everyday science to a new audience, and learn how to develop tangible project goals that can be tackled within a finite period—all of which are excellent professional development opportunities.

Opportunities for high school students may be initiated either informally, through outreach with local schools, or formally, through an established program. We have compiled a list of programs , organized by state, that provide high school students with research experiences; please note that this list is not exhaustive. In general, placements range from the occasional half-day visit to year-long internships, and some placements are not necessarily local. Although the rules presented here are intended to guide mentors who will work with students for at least a few weeks, mentors working with students for shorter periods may also find some of these rules helpful.

Some universities and medical schools have volunteer offices or organized programs for bringing high school students into the laboratory, so check whether there are already connections to schools in your area through previous student placements. Moreover, when initiating contact with prospective mentees, consider the opportunity you have to make a meaningful impact in the lives of young people who come from historically underrepresented and underserved populations or underprivileged backgrounds. Scientific societies and funding agencies may have specific mechanisms for funding summer high school students, and many of these are intended for students who come from groups that are underrepresented in science. Example programs from the list above include the American Fisheries Society’s Hutton Program and the Short-Term Experience for Underrepresented Persons at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Some of these programs also provide stipends for the students, which relieves the additional pressure of needing to find a summer job. However you decide to bring a high school student into the laboratory, be sure to discuss with the prospective mentee what they hope to gain from the experience to make sure that your expectations are aligned before either of you commits to the placement.

It is important to recognize that working with high school students presents different challenges and opportunities than working with undergraduates. For example, high school students may be more enthusiastic than undergraduates about performing research because they have likely only engaged in simple lab exercises at school. However, they also have less scientific knowledge than undergraduates and likely are not able to spend as much time doing research because of schedule restrictions. These challenges can easily be mitigated by the mentor with some planning, and we have found mentoring high school students to be extremely rewarding.

If you decide to take on a high school student, we offer ten simple rules as guidance for providing the student with a positive experience while they are working with you. Although these rules were written with postdocs and advanced graduate students as the intended audience, we anticipate that they will also be helpful for PIs who have not yet hosted a high school student in their lab. In addition to these rules, we also recommend participating in mentor training through the National Research Mentoring Network or a similar program and familiarizing yourself with the literature on best practices in mentoring ([ 7 – 9 ] among many others) to strengthen your foundation in communicating and goal setting.

Rule 1: Check with your institution’s environmental health and safety/risk management offices to confirm the rules and regulations for working with minors

Anyone working in a research lab must be compliant with institutional safety regulations. It is important to be fully aware of the required paperwork, training, permissions, and other administrative steps before you reach out to potential mentees. Students performing computational work will likely still have some training to complete before they can begin working in the lab. As the primary mentor, it is your job to work with your PI and institutional officials (e.g., environmental health and safety officers, building managers) to find out what needs to be done for you to be able to work with the student and for the student to be able to work in the lab.

Any online training that the student can complete before they start in the lab will save valuable research time, but they will likely have to participate in on-site training too. You as the mentor may also be required to complete specific training for working with minors, and the student’s guardian will likely need to sign consent forms. If feasible, schedule an initial, in-person meeting that includes the student, their guardian, the placement coordinator (if applicable), and the lab PI to explain the nature of the work and address any concerns. When the student does start working in the lab, and if they are doing experimental work, there might be protocols or procedures in which they cannot participate directly because of their status as a minor (e.g., working with vertebrates or using high-risk equipment), but you can involve them by allowing them to observe you during these tasks if it is safe and legal to do so. Make sure that you have personal protective equipment (lab coats, gloves) in the appropriate size. Finally, be sure to document any training you and the student complete and keep copies in your office and with the lab’s personnel records.

Rule 2: Make sure that you and your PI agree on reasonable, time-bound expectations and goals for the student’s mentoring experience

Be proactive in planning the student’s placement in the lab, and discuss with your PI how you plan to manage your time with the student. Have a conversation with your PI and other lab members (if appropriate) about both the concerns associated with taking on a high school student and how the mentorship can benefit the lab’s research program, your professional development, and, of course, the prospective student! By taking these steps, you will ensure that the relationship between the student, PI, and other lab members is off to a good start and that you and your PI are on the same page regarding expectations for—and limitations of—the experience.

Rule 3: Be realistic about your expectations for the student, and provide positive feedback

For the student to have a positive experience in the lab, it is important to set them up for success by designing a realistic project. You have to consider how much time they can actually commit to the project outside of school—and also how much time you have—and whether you will have a whole day with them or only smaller blocks of time. Student availability will vary depending on the kind of placement and its required time commitment. Discuss the student’s school curriculum with them or (if possible) their teachers to ensure that the project is designed at an appropriate level. A good project will result in the student feeling that they have accomplished something, learned new information and skills, and contributed to the lab’s larger goals by the end of their time with you.

An equally important aspect of your mentoring relationship is providing positive, constructive feedback. The student may not have confidence in their laboratory or analysis skills, because they will be new to research, so make sure to praise them for their work. Positive affirmations will help them gain confidence in their abilities, which is particularly important for women [ 10 ] and other groups underrepresented in STEM [ 11 ]. Inevitably, the student will make mistakes (we all do!), but make sure you highlight what they have done well. Then, together, brainstorm ways they can improve. These microaffirmations can go a long way in inspiring them to realize their own ability.

Rule 4: Set goals early, and revisit them often

The student might have unrealistic expectations of what they can accomplish during their research experience because they are new to laboratory research. Thus, it is your duty as the mentor to explicitly set goals with both the best- and worst-case scenarios in mind and to manage expectations. We suggest you familiarize yourself with some of the resources available on goal setting [ 12 , 13 ] to ensure that the goals you set for the student are realistic.

Set overall goals for the entire duration of the student’s research experience as well as for smaller periods of time (e.g., weekly), and revisit them regularly. The overall goal could be as simple as learning a new technique or analysis method or as complex as answering a small scientific question. High school students are generally accustomed to structured approaches in their schools, so providing a structured plan will help them to be productive in the lab and not feel overwhelmed. It will be a learning experience for them to realize that experiments or analyses often present technical difficulties and that original hypotheses are not always supported. You can show them how you iteratively improve, how you learn lessons from difficult experiments or analyses, and how these factors influence your goals. You can use these instances as teaching opportunities and explain that troubleshooting and course correction are critical steps in the scientific discovery process. Finally, to put everything on paper, consider developing a document in collaboration with the student that outlines expectations for communication and goals for your time together [ 14 ]. In this document, make sure that you agree with the student and guardian how you will communicate and that the student understands that they need to let you know in advance if they are unable to be in the lab at their scheduled time. This will help them develop their understanding of professional norms and managing deadlines.

Rule 5: Design a deliverable for the end of the experience

Just like high school students have finals or class projects at the end of the term, it is important for you to work with the student to produce a final deliverable at the conclusion of the research experience. Examples of deliverables include the following: (1) a short summary to be shared with their teachers or school newspaper; (2) a presentation to their science class; (3) a summary for their college application; or for longer-term placements, (4) a poster presentation at the university/institution or a local conference. Formal mentorship programs likely require a presentation in one of these formats. Establish this expectation at the start of your time together (see Rule 4 ), and set aside time for the student to start working on the deliverable as soon as possible. Provide accessible, relevant background literature so that they can begin learning on their first day in the lab. To ensure they stay on track, set checkpoints along the way so that the student can complete the deliverable on time. If they are not part of a formal program that has a planned presentation at the end, discuss which of the various options works best for them. The experience of summarizing and presenting their research—no matter the format—is not only a valuable learning opportunity in terms of understanding their own work but also important for developing communication skills. Bear in mind that the student will need guidance in best practices for presenting and synthesizing their work. Provide them with examples and resources to empower them to be successful, and start the process early to avoid unnecessary stress.

Rule 6: Structure the student’s time when they are in the lab

Do not assume that the student has experience with time management, because it is generally managed for them by their school. Spend time explaining how you plan your schedule and manage distractions. Encourage good practices, such as planning experiments or analyses in advance and filling in their lab notebook. For long-term placements (summer or year-long), be proactive about dividing your own time between working with the student and working on your independent research. Build in dedicated time for the student to read through protocols and any other information that you provide so that they can process and reinforce the knowledge they are acquiring. If the placement requires the student to spend several hours in a row working in the laboratory, pay attention to their energy levels, and be flexible about break times because they are likely accustomed to having breaks throughout the day at school.

To enhance the student's experience, also consider introducing them to other scientists and staff at your institution so that they can learn about different aspects of research and STEM careers. This can be transformative in college planning and can also expose them to career options they did not know existed. If you teach or engage in outreach or other aspects of service, consider allowing the student to attend your classes or meetings, if appropriate, so that they have a more complete idea of what a day in the life of a scientist is like.

Rule 7: Help the student see both the forest and the trees

An important aspect of learning to think like a scientist is to understand the big picture (the forest) and how each experiment (the trees) meshes with those goals. Explain to the student the context of the project to which they are contributing, the big questions that you are trying to answer, and how their work fits into the lab’s overall goals. It can be easy for students to undervalue the work they do, particularly because day-to-day lab work tends to be iterative with incremental gains. Impress upon them the value of their work, and make sure they thoroughly understand each step. Consider also inviting the student to research group meetings so that they can better understand the broader picture of the work you are doing and the collaborative nature of research.

Rule 8: Guide the student toward becoming independent in their work and taking ownership of their project

Performing scientific research in the laboratory requires a level of independence that is not as necessary in the classroom, and this may surprise the student working with you. To help them grow as a scientist, make sure to explain this difference at the beginning of your time together, and reinforce it often. Explain how, unlike projects designed for laboratory courses in school, there is no answer you “should” get in scientific research. There may be an answer that you are expecting—your hypothesis—but even the interpretation of those results can be open ended. Demonstrate to the student how you think outside the box when planning the next step or interpreting results, and encourage them to share their ideas. By brainstorming next steps together, you will teach the student by example how to take ownership of their project.

As their research progresses, hopefully the student is becoming proficient in experimental and/or analytical skills. Make sure that you are available when they are doing experiments and analyses, and be sure to guide them fully through a technique the first few times by showing them first and then doing it together until they feel comfortable. At this point, you will still need to supervise them to make sure they are working safely in the lab or setting up their analyses correctly. Build in reflective checkpoints so that the student can track their progress. They will likely have many questions at first and may not understand the purpose of each step—science is not always intuitive. As the student becomes more independent, ask them in an informal and nonintimidating way why they do a certain step in an experiment or analysis. When they do make a mistake, address it right away, and assure them that it is part of the learning process. Teach them how to document any errors and resulting mitigation through note-taking. You can impress upon the student the importance of taking detailed notes, but they will need guidance on how to keep a lab notebook [ 15 ]. You can help by checking their notebook regularly and providing feedback (see Rule 3 ). Explain how the documentation process is critical for reproducibility, and relate it back to the “lab reports” that they have done—or will do—in school.

Rule 9: Show the student you are human

High school students may be intimidated by you or your lab-mates even though that is not the intent. To ensure that the student feels welcomed in the lab, make sure to introduce them to other lab members during lunch or during a regularly scheduled group meeting. To become more relatable to the student, have conversations with them about what you were like at their age, your hobbies and experiences at school, and how you got to where you are today. Sharing the challenges that you have overcome will help the student understand that they are not expected to be perfect. They are likely anxious about the possibility of making a mistake, ruining your experiment, or not making a good impression. Showing the student how you handle and learn from mistakes will take some of the pressure off them.

Also, allow the student to see that you have a life outside of your work. If you have a family or other caregiving responsibilities that you feel comfortable talking about, share them with the student. It can be transformative for students to see that scientists can manage personal and work responsibilities. Doing so will also humanize you and strengthen your ability to be a role model for a diverse range of students.

Rule 10: Establish a long-term mentoring relationship

Finally, we suggest that you approach this mentoring experience as an open-ended one. High school students, regardless of the paths they pursue, will be embarking on profound transitions after graduation. Whether they know it or not, they could use a mentor throughout the process—for application review, general advice, and/or networking opportunities. If you have rapport, there is no reason that your mentoring relationship must end when the student stops working in the lab. However, it is possible that the student may be too shy or feel bad about asking for more of your time outside of the lab. Offer to keep in touch, and mean it. Make sure the student has a way to contact you. Follow up with their guardian, teacher, or placement coordinator 1 month or so after they have left the lab to see how they are doing. You never know the impact you can make. Good luck!

Integrating a high school student into the lab has both challenges and benefits. It certainly takes time to explain concepts, teach techniques, and supervise their experiments and analyses. However, this investment has the potential to provide an invaluable opportunity for the student to engage in meaningful work and to open doors for their future educational and career opportunities.

If you are currently or soon will be a mentor to a high school student, reach out to Future PI Slack (twitter handle: @FuturePI_Slack). We have a #mentoring channel where we discuss best practices, provide advice on challenges, and share successes. We also encourage all scientists, regardless of career stage, to develop mentoring networks that they can rely on for advice, encouragement, and feedback.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Future PI Slack and the Genetics Society of America’s Early Career Scientist Leadership Program for providing platforms for them to meet and discuss mentoring. EAL would like to acknowledge Amber Jaasma, Gary Snyder, and Elsa Hoppenworth for valuable feedback. KMO would like to thank ASP at UMD and Ellen Wu at Feinberg for their helpful feedback. GMC thanks the Center for Excellence in Youth Education at ISMMS for coordinating high school student placements.

Funding Statement

The authors received no specific funding for this work, but they would like to acknowledge the funding that supported them while writing this article. EAL was funded by NSF PRFP 1611913. KMO was funded in part by MURI grant #FA9550-16-1-0052 to Dr. Wolfgang Losert at UMD and in part by the Intramural Research Program at NIH, NINDS, via grant Z01-NS003013 to Dr. Edward Giniger. SD was supported by the 2018 ChEM-H Postdoc Seed Grant and startup funds from the Kaltschmidt lab. The publication of this work was supported in part by the UMD Libraries' Open Access Publishing Fund and in part by the aforementioned MURI grant. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

How to Find Research Opportunities in High School

In a world obsessed with innovation, research has become one of the most popular ways to drive change in fields ranging from chemistry to women’s studies. Understandably, many want to get involved in this constantly developing field, hoping to inspire change or create a new understanding by pursuing their curiosity. But finding and obtaining research opportunities isn’t simple, especially as a high schooler. Luckily, this article is here to help! As someone who has had multiple research opportunities ranging from application-based programs to internships, I will describe how to find and secure them in this article.

Reasons Not To Do Research ⛔

Before we begin, it’s important to address a concerning trend among college applicants: completing research as an application boost. As the college admissions process has become increasingly competitive, more significant numbers of students desiring spots at the nation’s top universities have begun researching to appear more enticing to admissions officers. If you plan to complete research for the sole purpose of college admissions, you should NOT do research. Colleges desire students who are passionate about the activities they are involved in, so it will be evident in your application if you are not interested in your research. While research intrigued me, it doesn’t work for everyone. Always involve yourself in extracurriculars that you genuinely enjoy.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way let’s get back to our regularly scheduled programming! 🎙️

Types of Research Opportunities for High Schoolers

Type 1: formal research 👔.

There are two types of research opportunities for students: formal and informal research. Formal research refers to any official program where a hopeful participant has to apply for a spot and is later notified of a decision (usually acceptance, waitlist, or rejection). Typically, formal research programs are selective because many students apply to them, but they can be incredibly rewarding. Students in formal research programs work either individually or in a group to conduct an original research project and receive guidance from a superior like a professor, researcher, undergraduate student, or postdoctoral fellow. Each program may also come with unique perks, like having the opportunity to network with STEM professionals, attend tours, and present your final research project to a panel of judges.

Not all formal research opportunities are created equally, however. Some are entirely free to attend, while some require you to pay to participate in the program and cover any transportation you may need to get there. Some programs also have restrictions on who can apply (based on age, grade, location, school attended, etc.), but many have relatively lax requirements. Luckily, many paid programs like the Summer Science Program offer generous financial aid for those exhibiting need. Below is a list of some well-known research programs you may want to consider applying to.

Where to apply for formal research opportunities for high school students:

• Governor’s STEM Scholars (for New Jersey students only)
• Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program
• Research Science Institute
• Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering (for New York City students only)
• Simons Summer Research Program
• American Chemical Society Project SEED Program (for low-income students only)
• Research in Science & Engineering Internship
• Coriell Summer Experience for Students
• The Wistar Institute High School Program in Biomedical Research
• California Academy of Science Careers in Science Intern Program (for San Francisco Unified School District students only)
• The Summer Science Program
• QuarkNet Summer Research Program
• Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab ASPIRE High School Mentoring Program
• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases Summer Internship Program

Type 2: Informal Research 🤝

For those who think that a formal research program may not be the best fit for them, informal research is also a fantastic opportunity. Informal research refers to any research a student completes outside of a traditional program or obtains in an untraditional way, such as an internship acquired through cold emailing, shadowing, or independent research. While informal research can be conducted in any subject, it may be especially beneficial for those who want to conduct research in the humanities since many research programs are made specifically for STEM. I found informal research rewarding because it allowed me to choose a university mentor who valued a specific topic that I found interesting.

Finding informal research opportunities can be less straightforward than formal research because you have to actively go out and look for them, but the process doesn’t need to be difficult. Consider following the steps below if you’re seeking to conduct informal research.

Step 1: In-Person or Online Research Opportunity? 🙋 💻

First, you need to decide whether you want an in-person or virtual opportunity. There are pros and cons to both of these options, which will be discussed below.

Pros & Cons to In-Person Research 🙋

• ✅ You will get direct experience with an actual working environment, including laboratories and other facilities. For those who want to conduct research in STEM, you may benefit from access to colleges’ wet and dry labs and the wide variety of projects conducted in person. If you are interested in humanities research, in-person research may allow you to access original documents and manuscripts, but you will have fewer advantages than STEM researchers.
• ✅ You may have an easier time networking in person since face-to-face communication is more effective than doing so online. Also, you may have the opportunity to meet other professors, researchers, undergraduate students, and more who can provide insight as you begin college and enter your career.
• ❌ You may have restraints as to where you can conduct your in-person research since you’ll need to commute to your mentor’s college or university regularly. It can be especially limiting if you live far from a large city.

Pros & Cons to Virtual Research 💻

• ✅ You will get to select specific mentors whose research aligns with your interests.
• ✅ With virtual research, you’ll have the opportunity to choose a mentor from a college of your choice. Ideally, you should choose someone from a college you’re interested in applying to so you can learn more about their program in the subject you are conducting research in and show demonstrated interest.
• ❌ It may be more difficult to communicate online than in person.
• ❌ There may be some restraints as to what type of research you can conduct in a virtual environment. For example, specific wet labs for research in either biology or chemistry may be out of the picture if they require potentially unsafe chemicals or procedures. Humanities research may have fewer restrictions.

Step 2: Compile a List of Possible Mentors ✔️

Once you decide whether in-person or virtual research is the best option for you, it’s time to begin constructing a list of possible mentors. While this step can be difficult, it’s the most fun since you’ll have so much freedom as to which mentors you select.

If you plan on conducting in-person research, you are restricted to contacting professors from universities in your area since you will need to commute there regularly. For those choosing to go the virtual route, you have much more freedom than what professors you can contact. Be sure to include a wide range of professors on your list, including, but not limited to:

• Professors met from networking
• Professors from universities close to and near your home
• Professors who work at selective and less selective universities
• Professors affiliated with colleges you’re interested in applying to
• Citizen science projects

You can easily find professors’ contact information using some Google wizardry. The process varies by school, but typically, you can search the name of the department in which you’re interested in interning and the school (ex. “Harvard Department of History of Art and Architecture,” “UC Berkeley Physics Department”), and then select the homepage. From there, you can usually find a research and faculty section, which stores their emails and/or links to each of the faculties’ personal websites. After completing this process, you can also search their names to find other important information/resources like a Linkedin page.

Step 3: Draft an Email ✉️

Now that you’ve created a list of potential mentors, it’s time to begin contacting them. Send your potential mentors an email that is length-appropriate and gets quickly to the point for the best response chance. Remember that college professors are busy people! Even then, most professors likely will not answer your email but don’t take that to heart; most of the time, they choose not to respond because they don’t have the time to mentor a research assistant or intern over the summer. Because of this, I would recommend contacting five or six mentors at a time and then contact another group of 5-6 if you don’t receive any responses.

Feel free to use this template below to contact mentors or use it as inspiration to create your own:

Dear (name with appropriate title) ,

Good morning/afternoon; I hope this email finds you well. I am reaching out to you because (reason why you chose this mentor) and found (what did you notice about them?) . As for some background, I am (grade) at (school) and intend to major in (subject) . I have explored (subject) through my involvement in (specific AP classes, extracurriculars, awards, etc.) . I am hoping to continue on with my studies with aims to (long-term goals) . Hence, your work on (description of their previous research) aligns with my future career goals.

I would love to arrange a call with you to discuss your research in detail. I would also be interested in knowing if you have any available (virtual or in-person) positions as a (research intern or research assistant) for (time period) . Of course, given current circumstances, I completely understand if that is not possible. However, if so, I would be extremely (adjective) in getting a view of what your work entails daily.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.

For more cold emailing tips, check out this Fiveable guide !

Step 4: Schedule a Meeting 🗓️

If you make it to this step, congratulations; you got a response from a mentor who wants to meet with you! Remember to stay true to yourself; talk about your passions rather than completely conforming to the interests of your mentor. Also, be sure to ask your mentor about anything on your mind, including clarifications of content they discussed, questions about their research, and inquiries about their educational background (you’ll be going to college soon, too!).

Here are some interview tips to help you prepare for the meeting!

While the process of applying for and obtaining research opportunities is long, it shows passion and commitment. Best of luck as you explore those passions further!

🚨 Note to Minors: Please make sure that your parent/guardian is copied on all communication with potential mentors and that you have parent/guardian permission before contacting anyone. 🚨

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How to do Research in High School

• Sasha Chada
• October 15, 2021

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Share this post.

The common perception is that research is a serious thing undertaken by serious people; academics in lab coats poring over beakers, writing equations on whiteboards, and shouting eureka. This image, while entertaining, is far from reality.

In this article, we’ll show you the different kinds of research, explain how you can begin getting involved with them as a high school student, and cover what the end goals of the research are. While there are numerous fields of research, not all of them will be accessible to you, though there are still myriad research options available to you, both independently and collaboratively.

Fields of Research

Some fields lend themselves to research more easily than others, especially for high school students. That said, most fields will have openings for students to involve themselves in some capacity. Here, we’ll discuss a few popular ones and a few which are likely unattainable for students in most circumstances.

Popular research fields include biology, chemistry, and related topics in the medical field, especially for students who want to be pre-meds. Sociological fields, including political science and economics, are less popular but still well represented.

Math and physics are much harder to get involved with as a high schooler, especially in any meaningful way. Students interested in business and economics usually find other ways to get involved. Archaeology usually isn’t an option due to safety concerns. Finally, some fields don’t offer the kind of research easily done by high school students, such as philosophy.

While you may not find research opportunities directly related to the field you want to explore, you can still find ways to involve yourself. If you are interested in the sciences, however, we do recommend trying to get involved with research, as that stands out on a resume.

Joining a Research Team

The simplest way to get involved in research as a high school student is to join an existing research project. Every college and university has lab facilities because all faculty are required to conduct research and publish it as part of their job description. This does not mean every school will have a place for high school students who wish to participate in research, but universities are a good place to start looking.

Once you have determined the fields you are interested in, your next step is to look into what research is currently ongoing at institutions near you. Universities are good places to start, as commercial labs are harder to find places in as a student, though some have internship opportunities. Look into ongoing research projects and the professors or graduate students leading them.

Once you have located a project you want to work on or a professor you want to work with, you’ll need to take the leap of reaching out to them. Our article on internships explains how to reach out to find these positions.

Progressing In Research

When you first begin working in a lab or with a professor, the duties you will be assigned will likely feel both dull and repetitive, and will not match the excitement you may expect from research. There are two things you need to know: first, while you will likely progress to doing more independent research if you stick with it, nobody begins their time in a lab by directing experiments. Second, almost all research requires long periods of boredom before achieving (if you’re lucky) an interesting result.

The way you will progress in these positions is by learning all you can. This comes in two forms: first, learning the actual techniques used in research, the physical methodology scientists and professors use to conduct it. Second, by learning what questions to ask, and why. Research occurs when you ask an interesting question, and strive to find an answer no one has found before.

As a final important note on academic research: it is often very boring. Even the most exciting projects; astronomy in Antarctica, excavating long lost cities in the Middle East, digging up dinosaur bones in Outer Mongolia, feature long periods of tedious and repetitive work. There are flashes of excitement and discovery, but don’t expect all research to be fast-paced and flashy. Good research takes time, and a willingness to commit to doing it right. Discoveries aren’t marked with a shout of “Eureka!” but rather an investigator examining data and remarking “Well that’s odd.”

This is not meant to discourage you from doing research; on the contrary, it can be one of the most rewarding things you do. The point is to set your expectations, so you enter forewarned.

Independent Research

Of course, you may not have the access or inclination necessary to join an active research project. In this section, we’ll discuss how you can go about conducting research on your own. While the questions you ask and the answer may be smaller in scope and scale than those done in professional labs, amateur researchers can still make important contributions to science.

You should know that it is easier to do independent research in the hard sciences than in social sciences or humanities (for example, doing archaeology alone is considered grave-robbing, and is frowned upon). This is not to say it is impossible, but that the resources available to high school students allow for easier explorations in some fields than others.

Doing research on your own is difficult due to limited resources, and sometimes due to limited knowledge. That said, there are still many contributions you can make. You simply need to scale the projects you take on with the resources and knowledge you have; the more you learn, the more you are able to learn.

The end goal for most research is either publication or submission into a science competition of some kind. While it is entirely possible to just do research for the joy of having done it, having it reviewed and verified by others makes your accomplishments more credible, and easier to weigh. Which science fairs you enter should reflect the scale and scope of your research, as well as its field. More minor or harder to sum up results may work better as a publication, while engineering projects are often better suited to science fairs or competitions.

An easy place to begin if you are aiming for publication is Negative Results research. Repeating an experiment done previously, scrupulously following their methodology, and acquiring negative results, is an important part of the scientific process. Negative results indicate that more research will need to be done on a topic and that the question may not be as closed as previously thought. 

Due to the priorities of grants, however, most university labs do not devote many resources, if any, to redoing experiments to find negative results. This makes it a good niche for students who want to do independent research. Look for experiments done in the past few years, in subjects you’re interested in, with setups you can replicate at home. If you can’t find the full text of an article, reach out to the authors; scientists love discussing their work, and most will share the full paper for free if you ask.

Be sure to thank anyone you contact for their time and effort spent, and if they seem especially friendly, you should ask if the original researchers have advice for your own attempts at negative results. While they may not always be able or willing to devote time to helping you, most scientists enjoy encouraging others to involve themselves in their field.

If you do produce negative results, or if your experiments in another area do so, you can submit them to All Results Journals , which are dedicated to publishing negative results as well as positive ones. Negative results add to the pool of general knowledge by showing what can’t be done or at least can’t be done in a specific way. This prevents future researchers from wasting time by making the same mistakes.

Final Thoughts

Doing the research yourself and publishing it may feel daunting, but scientific discovery is open to all. Further, just because you aren’t directly working with scientists in a lab, doesn’t mean you can’t reach out to them. You should reach out to scientists and professors who have written papers similar to the questions you are working on, both to get their advice, and for networking opportunities. You can use the same email guidelines as asking for an internship, though instead of asking for a lab placement, you are looking for advice, guidance, or merely access to their papers. If you would like help with reaching out, or have other concerns about doing research on your own, schedule a free consultation with us. We have a long experience helping students find and explore their academic passions, and would be happy to help you discover yours.

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How to Publish Research as a High Schooler

Sarah bellardini.

• Last Updated on August 29, 2024

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If you’re a high school student passionate about a particular subject, undertaking an academic research project is one of the best ways to explore your interests, build critical thinking skills, and showcase your academic abilities beyond the classroom. Getting your research published is an extra step that both validates your work and signals to colleges that you’re ready to take on more advanced projects. 

Publishing as a high schooler might seem daunting, but there are many publications dedicated to rewarding and showcasing outstanding work from young academic researchers. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to publish research as a high schooler and highlight 10 research journals that publish high school students.

What it Means to Publish Research as a High Schooler

Publishing your research means that you have gone through a rigorous, peer-reviewed process that has analyzed, critiqued, and accepted your research. Scientific publications are gatekeepers to the broader world. If a research piece is not published by a journal, it means that it has not yet passed a rigorous, external analysis of the research. 

Why Publish in High School?

Publishing your research offers several benefits, including:

Recognition and Validation

Having your work published means validation of your work from the academic community.

Skill Development

The publishing process sharpens key academic and professional skills like research, writing, and communication.

College Applications

A published paper can significantly enhance your college applications , setting you apart from other applicants.

Contribution to Knowledge

Your research could contribute valuable insights to your field of interest.

While publishing your research may be lengthy and time-intensive, the process can be simplified to four steps:

1. Select the right journal.

The first step is to research academic journals that accept submissions from high school students. Some journals have dedicated sections for work by high schoolers while others only publish research from contributors under the age of 18. When selecting a journal, pick one (or several) that align with your research topic and pay close attention to details like word requirements and special criteria.

2. Prepare your paper for submission.

Read your chosen journal’s submission guidelines and format your paper accordingly. This often requires organizing your research into sections and preparing an abstract and/or cover letter.

3. Submit your paper.

Most journals accept submissions online. Before submitting your research, double-check that all required materials are included, correctly formatted, free from errors, and uploaded according to that journal’s specific guidelines. 

4. Respond to feedback and revise.

Once your research is peer-reviewed, you should expect to receive feedback. The journal may ask questions, seek additional information, or request revisions to your paper. After making necessary revisions, resubmit your paper according to the instructions. 

10 Research Journals that Publish High School Students 

Below is a list of 10 research journals that publish high school research on a variety of academic subjects:

1. Open Journal of Business and Management (OJBM)

The OJBM is an international journal dedicated to the latest advancement in the study of business and management. The goal is to platform academics all over the world to promote, share, and discuss issues and developments related to business and management. While most of the contributions come from more experienced researchers, OJBM is one of the few journals to accept high school research projects in business and management.

Subjects: Economics and Business 

Estimated Acceptance Rate: 15-20% (for high schoolers) 

2. Columbia Junior Science Research Journal

The Columbia Junior Science Research Journal is a highly prestigious research journal for high school students interested in the natural sciences, physical sciences, engineering, and social sciences. CJSJ originated from the Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal and is run by the same editorial staff. It promotes the development of young researchers versed in technical and communication skills, facets encoded into the DNA of Columbia University.

Subjects: Natural Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, and Engineering

Estimated Acceptance Rate: 3% 

3. The Young Researcher

The Young Researcher is a peer-reviewed journal edited by secondary school students working closely with scholars and active researchers at universities and in the community. The journal’s mission is to provide a larger audience for the original academic research of high schoolers, a forum for peer-review, and a community of young researchers. In addition, the journal strives to advance the quality of academic writing in secondary schools. 

Subjects: Social Sciences, Humanities, and Physical Sciences

Estimated Acceptance rate: 65%

4. The Schola

The Schola is a journal of humanities and social sciences essays contributed by high school students all over the world. They accept essays written on topics in philosophy, history, art history, literature, politics, public policy, and sociology. If your essay is selected, The Schola gives you the full academic publishing experience—presenting research findings to a publisher, receiving editorial feedback, and editing the manuscript. Each student has a personalized editorial experience through the process.

Subjects: Humanities 

Acceptance Rate: They do not disclose their acceptance rate, but it’s safe to say this is a rigorous and highly selective journal.

5. The Concord Review

The Concord Review is a quarterly journal publishing history essays and the most prestigious journal in the country for high school students. Its prestige comes from its high level of selectivity, quality of research, and long history of contributors going on to top universities. The quality of writing for the published papers is also very high, with the average length of papers published at 9000 words (the longest was 21,000!). Only eleven students are chosen worldwide for each issue.

Subject: History 

Estimated Acceptance Rate: < 5 %

6. Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI)

The Journal of Emerging Investigators is a peer-reviewed journal for middle and high school students, focusing on the biological and physical sciences. Under the guidance of a teacher or advisor, JEI gives students the opportunity to gain feedback on original research and publish their work in a peer-reviewed journal. JEI accepts work that comes from classroom-based projects, science fair projects, or other forms of mentor-supervised research. While the JEI website heavily promotes STEM research, the journal also accepts research from other disciplines, as long as it is original and hypothesis-driven.

Subject area: STEM, but open non-STEM

Estimated acceptance rate: 70-75%

7. Young Scientist Journal

The Young Science Journal is a product of the Vanderbilt Center for Science Outreach, a group that works in the field of scientific and technological literacy through unique partnerships between Vanderbilt University scientists, K-12 educators and students, and the local and global science community. Open to students aged 12 to 20, this journal covers science, engineering, and mathematics, offering a platform for young researchers worldwide.

Subjects: STEM

Estimated Acceptance Rate: 10-15%

8. Walt Whitman Journal of Psychology (WWJOP)

The Walt Whitman Journal of Psychology is a nationally recognized psychology journal run by high-school students for high-school students. The WWJOP is published bi-annually and electronically and reaches hundreds of schools and psychology students around the world. It is one of the few journals at this level to offer a subject specialization in the field of psychology. 

Subject: Psychology 

Estimated acceptance rate: 20-30%

9. Journal of Research High School (JRHS)

The Journal of Research High School is an open-access online research journal that aims at publishing academic work prepared exclusively by high school researchers. It is managed by a team of volunteer professional scientists, researchers, teachers, and professors. JRHS serves as a stepping-stone for high school authors to become experienced researchers with improved skills in the early stage of their academic life. The organization also has a platform where students can interact with other peers while at the same time gaining access to their academic works.

Subject: Any academic subject including the Sciences and Humanities 

Estimated Acceptance Rate: 30%

10. Curieux Academic Journal

The Curieux Academic Journal is a youth-led nonprofit founded in 2017 to publish research by high school and middle school students. They currently operate in California but have editors from across the nation. They are open to submissions from any academic subject, including the sciences and humanities, and encourage all forms of academic writing including but not limited to research papers, review articles, and humanity/social science pieces. Curieux works well as a backup publication for students pursuing research in the social sciences and humanities since they publish twelve issues per year and have a relatively higher acceptance rate. 

Subjects: Engineering, Humanities, Natural Science, Mathematics, and Social Science 

Estimated Acceptance Rate: 60-70%

Publishing research as a high school student is more than an academic accomplishment; it’s a formative experience that lays the groundwork for future success. Publishing offers a platform to share your discoveries, build your skills, and contribute to your field of interest in a meaningful way. Students who undertake this challenge learn more about their chosen topic, but also about perseverance, critical feedback, and the satisfaction of contributing knowledge to the world. The path to publication is demanding, but by following this guide and exploring the many publications open to high school students, you’ll discover that the rewards are worth it.

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Your College Admissions Journey, Mapped Out!

Introducing our college planning timeline with a handy checklist of essential tasks, a step-by-step guide for every grade level, from freshman to senior year, AND financial aid, college applications, extracurricular activities, and more.

Center for Research on Interface Structures and Phenomena (CRISP)

Research experience for high school students (rehs), program dates: july 2 - july 27, 2018.

The CRISP High School (HS) Research Fellowship provides participants with the opportunity to conduct team-based interdisciplinary materials research. Participating students conduct a four-week research project as members of a research team including university faculty, undergraduate and graduate students. Students will be exposed to professional development opportunities through weekly meetings and faculty seminars. The program begins in late June/early July just after the school year ends.

2018 REHS Flyer

Apply here.

The selection of HS participants is based on a personal statement, academic transcript, resume and one letter of recommendation . Selection is based on the candidate’s motivation, promise for success, and the potential for CRISP to positively impact the student’s abilities and interest in obtaining a college degree in a science or engineering field; we especially target student’s from urban school districts. Typically, 2-3 students are selected.

Eligibility - the CRISP HS Fellowship program is open to highly motivated high school juniors and seniors that are currently attending a New Haven Public School. Minorities, women and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. US citizenship [or permanent residency] is required. Students participating in the CRISP summer program will be responsible for obtaining transportation to SCSU and Yale for the duration of the program.Participants must also be enrolled in the  Yale  Pathways  to Science Program .

For more information please contact the CRISP Education and Outreach staff at carol.jenkins@yale.edu

Applications due by April 01, 2018

Programs for High School Students

Main navigation.

For additional camps, see the Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE) list of summer camps  here .

Advanced Science Exploratory Program

Advanced Science Exploratory Program is a non-profit 501(c)(3) offering educational seminars aimed to ignite excitement about science, scientific research, and scientific career paths. Each series offered aims to equip students with the knowledge to incite their curiosity, and make informed decisions as they take their next steps in their education towards their career pursuits. A number of different types of seminars are currently open for enrollment, including 1) Mentorship Series such as "think like a scientist" (equip students with the knowledge, insight and skills required for success in their career pursuits); 2) Foundations Series such as "how scientists study the brain" (inspire interest, and both inform and expand student’s scope of career opportunities through exposure to various fields) 3) Focused Series such as "understanding emotion and its relationship with the brain" (use specific topics as a vehicle to exemplify the range of methods and approaches one can use to study within a field). 

See available seminars here!  https://www.asciencepro.org/upcomingseminars  

A significant part of our mission is to actively diversify the field of scientific research by extending opportunities to students whom wouldn’t otherwise have the resources required to pursue transformative scientific opportunities. Please contact us if you are interested in an income-based scholarships for one of our seminars.

AI in Medicine Summer Programs (by the Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine & Imaging)

Applications for Stanford AIMI's Summer Programs for high school students are now live! Explore healthcare's future through our AI in Medicine Summer Research Internship and Bootcamp! During the two-week virtual programs, we aim to spark interest and empower the next generation of AI leaders in medicine. Our hope is to inspire students to develop innovative AI solutions to advance human health for all.

Summer Research Internship: Dive into AI's impact on healthcare through expert-led sessions, a hands-on project, & mentorship from Stanford researchers. Open to ambitious high school students entering 9th-12th grade in Fall 2024 who want to apply their technical skills to real-world clinical problems. Learn more and apply here: https://aimi.stanford.edu/education/summer-research-internship

Summer Bootcamp Program: Designed for high school learners of all technical levels, this free virtual bootcamp offers a curated curriculum that covers the fundamentals of machine learning in healthcare settings. Discover the intersections through this series of virtual lectures led by Stanford’s leading health AIexperts.  Learn more and apply here: https://aimi.stanford.edu/education/aimi-summer-bootcamp

Key Dates: Applications Due: March 31, 2024, 11:59pm PT Program dates (internship & bootcamp): June 17-28, 2024 (Mon-Fri,9am-12pm PT)

Campus Walking Tours

The Stanford Visitor Center offers a range of no-cost tours, exploring the highlights of Stanford’s beautiful campus.

Cardiothoracic Surgical Skills Summer Internship

This two-week course is designed to educate high school students considering careers in science and medicine in cardiothoracic surgical anatomy and physiology. It is an intensive course that will provide knowledge of and exposure to basic and advanced   cardiothoracic surgery and technical skills (e.g., knot tying, tissue handling, suturing, and coronary artery bypass and valve replacement surgery). Lectures and skills sessions are conducted by Stanford University faculty and surgical residents. Currently, we are planning two virtual on-line sessions during Summer 2024.  There is a program fee, and financial assistance is available for applicants in need.  Check the program page for detailed information:  https://med.stanford.edu/cssec/summer-internship.html . Please check the website for the application due date.

Clinical Anatomy Summer Program (CASP)

The Clinical Anatomy Summer Program (CASP) offers high school students the unique opportunity to explore anatomy and health careers in a week-long, non-residential, in person program. Summer program students engage with virtual modalities of learning anatomy, hands-on suturing and dissection workshops, and the opportunity to interact with human cadaveric specimen! In 2024, CASP is offering both an in-person and virtual program. For more information, please visit: https://med.stanford.edu/anatomy/education/virtual-casp.html . The last day of registration for this program is April 19, 2024.

Clinical Neuroscience Immersion Experience (CNI-X)

The Clinical Neuroscience Immersion Experience (CNI-X) is an intensive summer program that generally follows a student’s sophomore, junior, or senior year of high school. During a two-week session either online or on the campus of Stanford University, participants are exposed to the breadth of research found in the Stanford Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Three sessions will be offered in 2024: Session 1 (June 17- June 28) will be held virtually via Zoom. Sessions 2 (July 8-July 19) and 3 (July 22-August 2) will be held in-person at the Stanford campus. There is a program fee and financial assistance is available for applicants in need. Learn more and apply on the website: https://med.stanford.edu/psychiatry/special-initiatives/CNIX.html . Applications will be accepted until March 1, 2024.

Educational Studies Program/Splash!

ESP/Splash! offers a Saturday or Sunday on campus full of academic and non-academic classes taught by Stanford students. ESP invites students to attend classes that could vary from completely “non-academic” stuff like cookie baking and origami, to complicated and challenging classes on machine theory or quantum mechanics. 

Farm to Table Summer Camp

Our Farm to Table Camp, offered for the 12th summer in collaboration with Santa Clara Unified School District, provides students in kindergarten through 8th grade with engaging and empowering learning experiences on our organic 11-acre suburban farm located in Santa Clara.

Future Advancers of Science and Technology

FAST is a program in which Stanford University graduate students mentor Future Advancers of Science and Technology (FAST) toward achieving their goals of answering open questions in science and engineering clever solutions to problems in their society. High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors of Andrew P Hill High School and James Lick High School meet with Stanford PhD students during afternoons of two Saturdays each month. The goal is to brainstorm projects and carry out experiments / build prototypes between September and February. In late January through March, high school students present their work at local science fairs, state science fairs, and at a Symposium at Stanford University.  FAST also offers a series of online workshops to help high school students navigate the college process.

Genomics Research Internship Program at Stanford (GRIPS)

The Genomics Research Internship Program at Stanford (GRIPS) brings summer internship opportunities in  computational  genetics and genomics to Bay Area high school students. GRIPS offers highly talented high school students a unique research experience, professional development, and community building opportunities. GRIPS is a twenty hour, eight week long research intensive experience for high school students. Program participants will be placed in a research laboratory for the summer and conduct genomics research under the supervision of a lab mentor. Application deadline is February.

Health Career Collaborative (HCC)

The Health Career Collaborative is a student-driven health career exposure & mentorship program that connects 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students from East Palo Alto Academy to undergrads, medical and graduate students, and faculty at Stanford. The HCC's goal is to expose students from disadvantaged and/or underrepresented backgrounds to the exciting field of healthcare in aims of making the future workforce of medicine more representative, and its delivery more equitable. If you are interested, please reach out to the contacts listed on the HCC webpage . 

High School Chemistry Outreach

Beginning in 2009, the Stanford Chemistry department teamed up with American High School in Fremont to bring in novel hands-on guided inquiry lab experiences. In these labs, students work together in small groups to carry out an exciting activity that would otherwise not be possible with the minimal equipment and supplies available to most high schools. The lab topics fit within the California Curriculum Standards, presented with an emphasis on how these concepts apply in the real world.  

Inspiring Future Scientists through Shadowing (IFSS)

IFSS is a two-week program hosted each summer by the chemistry department to give rising juniors and seniors in high school an opportunity to experience cutting edge chemical research while shadowing a graduate student mentor as they work in the laboratory.

Introduction to Logic High School Summer Camp 

The Introduction to Logic High School Summer Session is a two-week, non-residential program offering an introduction to logic from a computational perspective. With applications in mathematics, science, engineering, business, law, a Stanford Computer Science professor and logician and an award-winning high school instructor jointly teach this workshop. The 2024 session will take place on the Stanford campus. Scholarships are available. For more information, see  http://intrologic.stanford.edu/studentcamps/logicisfundamental.html .

MRS Outreach Ambassadors

MRS Outreach Ambassadors are graduate students in the Stanford Chapter of the Materials Research Society who offer in-class demonstrations and lectures on the materials of our world, materials of the future, and careers in science and engineering. Teachers may request a school visit at no charge. 

Pediatrics Internship Program at Stanford (PIPS)

The Pediatrics Internship Program at Stanford (PIPS) is a 6-week program in which high school students from diverse backgrounds are invited to learn about science, medicine, and research with Stanford faculty, postdoctoral fellows, students and researchers on a medically-oriented project. The goals of the program include increasing interest in biological sciences and medicine in Bay Area high school students, helping students to understand how scientific research is performed, and increasing diversity of students and researchers in the sciences. Students will spend 30 hours per week in the program (Monday through Friday, approximately 6 hours/day) .There is no cost associated with participation in this program – priority will go towards students underrepresented in medicine (racial/ethnic minority, first-generation college, low-income, etc)

Pre-College Opportunities within Energy Research (POWER)

POWER is a Stanford Energy Club program that offers hands-on workshops to introduce local high school students from historically marginalized communities to topics in sustainability and energy research. We are motivated by the goal of diversifying the pipeline of future energy leaders. To find out more about POWER’s past workshops, please visit  https://www.stanfordenergyclub.com/past-workshops

Pre-Collegiate University-Level Online Math & Physics Courses

These online courses are designed for motivated and academically advanced high school students to explore their intellectual passions, develop analytic reasoning and creative thinking, and study directly with expert instructors. Courses are offered for credit throughout the summer and academic year, and give students the opportunity to take a broad offering of math and physics courses not typically offered in secondary schools.

Science Accelerating Girls' Engagement (SAGE)

SAGE (Science Accelerating Girls' Engagement) is a one-week summer camp for public high school students (age 14-17) hosted by scientists and engineers to share what life is like in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) professions.

This program aims to foster innovation, grow the STEM community, and engage intelligent, creative, and passionate young women in the everyday life of scientists and engineers. Throughout the week, students will participate in job shadowing, hands-on projects, professional development, networking activities and more!

Science, Technology, and Reconstructive Surgery (STaRS) Summer Internship Program

Each year, the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery hosts 15-30 talented high school and undergraduate students in our research laboratories.  The program is free to participants. STARS interns spend 7 weeks mastering basic lab techniques, participating in research projects, and presenting their work all under the mentorship of experienced researchers. Typically the internship begins in late June and extends to the first week in August, exact dates to be determined.

Seeds of Change

Seeds of Change partners Stanford undergraduates in technology disciplines with high school students interested in advancing the participation of women and girls in STEM, and provides an integrated curriculum of mentoring, training and skills development. The program’s goal is to establish and retain young women in technology fields, and create future women STEM leaders.

SHTEM Summer Internship Program

The Stanford Compression Forum hosts its annual SHTEM internship program every summer. This internship is intended to provide early exposure to research transcending traditional disciplinary boundaries. Students will be grouped to multifaceted projects that will benefit from their existing interests and strengths, while exposing them to new areas. Projects will be mentored by students, faculty and staff of the Stanford Compression Forum and its affiliated organizations. Themes will span and combine the science of information and communication, engineering, the arts, linguistics, psychology, biology, neuroscience, computer science, technology, philosophy, and design, among other areas. There is no fee to participate, but students must commit to attending the duration of the program. The 2024 program will be virtual. Applications are being accepted until February 23rd, 2024.

SIMR - Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program

SIMR is for high school juniors and seniors interested in hands-on research in immunology, stem cell, cancer, neuroscience, bioinformatics or cardiovascular medicine. This eight week program enables students to take part in research, attend introductory lectures and present their work at a poster session open to the Stanford community. There is no cost to participate; interns earn at least a $500 stipend.

SMASH Academy on Stanford Campus

SMASH is a state of the art Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) summer enrichment program for high school students at Stanford, and other colleges.  High potential Black, Latino/a, Native American, Southeast Asian or Pacific Islander high school students participate in this three-year 5-week summer math and science enrichment program. There is no cost to participate.

SLAC Summer Internship Program

Participants in this program include high school (ages 18 and older), undergraduate and graduate level college students. Our internship programs are designed to provide students with stimulating, real-world work experiences. Interns can work up to twelve weeks from May until September, depending upon department needs and student school schedules. All students must be authorized to work in the U.S. and must pass a basic background check.

Stanford AI4ALL

Stanford AI4ALL aims to increase diversity in the field of Artificial Intelligence. During this three-week online program, students are immersed in AI through a combination of lectures, hands-on research projects, and mentoring activities. Participants engage with professionals in the field to learn about cutting-edge ideas, such as how AI can be applied in medicine, disaster response, and combatting poverty. The program also aims to build a close-knit community and encourage interest among underrepresented populations in the field.  

Stanford Clinical Science, Technology and Medicine Sumer Internships

This program is designed for high school (rising juniors and seniors) and pre-medical undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers in medicine, STEM, medical research and development, or health care design, with a specific focus on Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine. Three sessions will be offered in 2024: Session 1 June 24 - July 5, 2024, Session 2 (Clinical Skills) July 15-July 19, 2024, Session 3 (Virtual) July 29-August 9, 2023. Tuition varies depending on session.

Stanford Clinical Summer Internship

The Stanford Clinical Summer Internship brings together curious learners from differing backgrounds to actively engage in the exploration of the art and science behind world-class medicine. Discover, contribute, and make meaningful connections and friendships while working alongside dedicated and dynamic Stanford medical students, residents, and faculty, who are all eager to share the joy they have found in medicine.

Stanford High School Summer College

High School Summer College allows high-achieving students between 16-19 years to access undergraduate courses at Stanford University. This eight- or nine-week experience provides academic, social, and intellectual opportunities not found in a high school classroom. Rolling admission is open until May 1st for Summer 2024.

Stanford EXPLORE: A Lecture Series on Biomedical Research

The Stanford Explore Lecture Series covers the basic fundamentals and current research areas in Immunology, Neuroscience, Regenerative and Stem Cell Medicine, Cancer Biology, Bioengineering and Bioinformatics. Students must be in 9th-12th grade at the time of registration. This will be a 3-week virtual program in July.  

Stanford Math Circle

Math circles are weekly online gatherings of high school, middle school, and elementary school students working on problems involving complex and advanced mathematical topics, guided by mathematicians and educators.

Stanford Medical Youth Science Program (SMYSP)

The Stanford Medical Youth Science Program offers five weeks of intensive science and health training each summer. Participants are mentored throughout the five-week program by medical professionals, faculty, and college students with a passion for science. There is no cost to participate. The program is open to low-income, underrepresented high school juniors who live in Northern and Central California. 

Stanford Medicine Art & Anatomy Summer Program 

The Art & Anatomy Program is a 2-week summer immersion in visual storytelling. We offer both an in-person, and a virtual program. The program will include a speaker series from leading anatomists, physicians, and creatives whose work blend art and medicine. This will be followed by a week of drawing mentorship to develop a resolved final illustration. Students will present their final projects to a panel of artists, museum curators, and physicians. The program will take place June 17-28, 2024. No prior drawing or anatomy experience is required. Apply by March 18, 2024.

Stanford Medicine Clinical Summer Internship (MEDCSI)

MEDCSI is a rigorous 2 week program in Medicine that is open to highly motivated high school rising juniors and seniors, and premed students. Workshops and sessions are taught by Stanford faculty and include hands-on experiences such as performing bedside ultrasounds, dissections, suturing, splinting and visits to the Stanford emergency life flight station and free clinics. There are two identical sessions each summer, and both virtual and in-person sessions are available. There is a fee to participate. Applications are due February 25, 2024.

Stanford Online

Stanford Online offers free online courses taught by Stanford faculty to lifelong learners worldwide, and a variety of professional education opportunities in conjunction with many of the University’s schools and departments.

Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies (SPCS)

Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies offers online and residential academic enrichment opportunities for academically motivated youth, both in the summer and during the academic year. 

Stanford Pre-Collegiate University-Level Online Math & Physics

Stanford Pre-Collegiate University-Level Online Math & Physics offers 13 courses throughout the year, giving students an advanced offering of math and physics courses not typically available in secondary schools.

These online courses bring motivated and academically talented high school students together to allow them to explore their intellectual passions, develop analytic reasoning and creative thinking, and study directly with expert instructors. Courses in the University-Level Online Math & Physics programs are largely self-paced. Expert instructors are available for optional office hours to meet with students online and offer assistance as they progress through the course material. All courses carry Stanford University Continuing Studies credit, and students earn a Stanford Continuing Studies transcript. 

Stanford Program for Inspiring the Next Generation of Women in Physics (SPINWIP)

The Stanford Program for Inspiring the Next Generation of Women in Physics (SPINWIP) is a virtual summer outreach program hosted by the Stanford Physics Department, designed to get high-school girls excited about physics. This 3-week program is completely free to participants, and is held through video chat.  First-generation students and students from underrepresented backgrounds in physics are particularly encouraged to apply. Absolutely no prior knowledge of physics or coding is required.

Students will learn about cutting edge research in physics in fields such as quantum physics, quantum computing, astrophysics, and cosmology. They will learn how to code in Python, and then apply their coding skills to physics-based projects. Students will attend lectures by Stanford professors and researchers and work in small groups led by Stanford undergraduates, as well as attend college planning and career development workshops. Students will have the opportunity to form mentorship relationships with Stanford students and professors. Applications will be accepted until May 1, 2024

Stanford seeME

Stanford seeME is an outreach event to introduce young students to engineering! The Mechanical Engineering (ME) department at Stanford opens its doors to high school and middle school students in Spring 2022, where they will learn hands-on engineering from current Stanford students. By connecting middle- and high-school students with little or no background in Engineering, to diverse graduate students who are passionate and eager to teach it, we hope to create meaningful experiences that encourage every participant to explore a potential academic or professional career in Engineering. seeME lets students explore hands-on classes such as: wind energy, driverless cars, predicting the spread of disease, industrial engineering, fire, and data science.

Stanford School of Medicine Art & Anatomy Summer Program

This is a 2-week virtual program for rising 9th to 12th grade students that will combine lectures and drawing mentorship, led by Stanford Lecturer Lauren Toomer, who is jointly appointed in the Clinical Anatomy and Art & Art History Departments. For more information, visit our website . Applications for this program are open until until March 18th, 2024.

Stanford Science Penpals

Stanford Science Penpals connects 6th-12th graders across the U.S. to Stanford scientists. The goal is to expose kids to diverse scientific careers, answer science questions, and share a love of science! Penpal exchanges start in September and end in June. We encourage students to get in touch with us.

Stanford Summer Humanities Institute

Stanford Summer Humanities Institute is a summer enrichment program where rising high school juniors and seniors explore the big questions at the heart of the humanities in seminars led by distinguished Stanford professors.

Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC)

SUMaC leads participants on a journey in advanced mathematics through lectures, guided research, and group problem solving. In an environment centered on mathematics, participants explore current lines of mathematical research, the historical development of important areas of mathematics, and applications across scientific disciplines. Online and residential options are available.

Stanford ValleyCare Clinical Academy Program

The Stanford ValleyCare Clinical Academy Program is a two-week program in Pleasanton, CA for high school juniors and seniors with a strong interest in medicine as a career. Students will participate in an enriched curriculum consisting of hands-on activities, interactive lectures, and simulation experiences .   Students must be   16 years old to participate. There is a $50 application fee and a $4,000 fee to participate. Applications close March 8, 2024.

Stanford Young Investigators

At the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, high school scholars spend the summer working in research groups and laboratories on the main Stanford campus. Since 2004, over 300 high school students have worked in our research labs and learned about the process of science first hand. We offer several   different options , with different areas of focus and time commitments. Students are supervised directly by graduate scholars, post docs and lab managers. Once a week we have talks, lab tours, and field trips as a group.

Unpaid Internships for High School Students

In addition to formal internship programs for high school students, Stanford labs sometimes host high school interns on an informal basis, usually in unpaid internships. The Office of Community Engagement is not able to help individual students identify a host lab or project, but if you click on the red title above, you will find some information and tips.

How to Do Research With a Professor in High School

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 4/26/24

Getting into college or university has become increasingly competitive. This article will break down how to do research with a professor in high school, which will make your application stand out from the rest.

When applying to post-secondary education it is important to have a wide range of extracurricular activities. For students who are looking to improve their chances of gaining acceptance, doing research with a professor while in high school can be very advantageous. 

Below we will outline why this is a good strategy for college applications and how to do research with a professor in high school. We will also cover how to email a professor about research and go over the best ways to include this experience in your application. By the time you finish this article, you will know everything you need to do research with a professor while in high school.

Reasons to Do Research with a Professor in High School

When applying to college, you want to make sure you have a heads up on the competition. Though having a good academic record is very important when applying to college, participating in key extracurriculars is also very important. 

According to US News , it is very important to have extracurriculars that reflect what you might want to study at university. Experiences like conducting research with a professor will allow schools to see how dedicated you are to the subject. Doing research with a professor in high school will increase your chances of getting into the college of your choice.

Doing research with a professor in high school also helps you narrow down a field of study. For example, if you know you want to study science, but aren’t sure how to narrow that down, spending a summer researching with a professor might give you a better idea if that specific topic is what you want to study.

This will mean that instead of applying for a general science degree along with the thousands of other students, you can be more specific on your application and cut down on the competition.

By doing research with a professor in High School you are able to form a strong candidacy for acceptance into the college of your choice.

Finding Research Opportunities

When looking at how to do research with a professor in High School, your first stop should be to your local college or university . Colleges will often advertise research opportunities on job boards and in libraries.

This is also a great place to start to network with different professors so that you have an easier time approaching them for the position. Some faculties will have special lectures that are open to the public which you would be able to attend and find out more about the professor.

This could open your mind up to more opportunities at your local college as you will be immersed in the environment. For example, while on campus, you might find out about special summer programs that are aimed at helping high school students learn about research and how to conduct a professional study.

If you are able to visit your local college campus more often, you might find a volunteer opportunity with a graduate student. Graduate students always need extra help with their research papers and by volunteering your time, you will learn valuable skills that can be added to your college application.

Local colleges are a great way to connect with faculties and find out how to do research with a professor in High School.

How to Email a Professor About Doing Research in High School

One of the best ways to gain a research position with a professor while in high school is by directly emailing them. This type of email is called a “ cold email ” as you may not know the professor who you are emailing. By doing cold emails, you have a higher likelihood of finding out how to do research with a professor in High School.

The following are some pointers on how to email a professor about doing research in High School:

Make sure the email is personalized. Though you can have certain things in each email that are the same, make sure to address the professor you are sending the letter to. Also, mention something specific to them and why you would like to work with them.

Get someone to edit it. The last thing you need in a cold email is grammar or spelling mistakes. Make sure to use professional language so that the professor sees you as a viable candidate for research assistant.

‍ Email as many professors as possible. Make sure to find a few professors to email so that you have a better chance of gaining a research position.

‍ Make it short and sweet. Try not to go into too much detail and keep the letter less than a page. All you really need is to introduce yourself to the professor and tell them why you would like to work for them and what skills you have that will assist in the research.

By using the above advice, you will have a clear idea of how to email a professor about doing research in high school.

How to Tell Colleges About Your Research Experience

You want to be able to include your research experience within your college application, but there may not be an obvious place for this. The following are a few ways you can make sure your research experience is included in your applications:

Include it in your extracurriculars . When you list your school activities in your application, make sure to include your research position. Though this is not a part of your high school, it is an extracurricular as it is something you are doing outside of school that is aiding in your academic development.

‍ Write about it in one of the admission essays . If you need to write admission essays, try to include a bit about your research position and what you learned there.

Get the professor to write you a recommendation letter . This is one of the best ways to let schools know about your experience. They will be able to talk about your academic skills and your ability to take on college-level topics. 

By using the above advice, you can make sure that the valuable experience is counted towards your application to college, which can enhance your chances of gaining acceptance.

Final Thoughts

It is not easy to find out how to do research with a professor in high school, but it can be helpful to know for your college applications. Colleges look very favorably on extracurricular activities and by doing research with a college professor, you will definitely gain acceptance into the school of your choice.

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How to Do College Research Right: Step-by-Step Guide

College Admissions , College Info

College research can be an overwhelming task, and it's not easy to know where to begin. In this article, I'll help you sort through your options and find your dream college.

If you work through the following four steps, you'll be well on your way to compiling a list of schools that fulfill all your most important criteria:

• Identify your priorities
• Search with an online college finder
• Consider your chances of admission
• Finalize your list

In the next few sections, we'll cover how to research colleges in a straightforward and effective way.

Step 1: Identify Your Priorities and Preferences

The first step in tackling the college search process involves thinking about what you want out of your college experience. There are some essential qualities that differentiate colleges from one another that you should consider first, such as location, size, cost, and academic programs. You should also contemplate what you want out of the social scene and academic climate at your college. Then, you can search for schools that fit your needs across a variety of different dimensions.

Primary Factors

Here's a list of the first four factors you should consider when searching for colleges:

#1: Location

Do you want to be far away or close to home? Attending an in-state school can mean a lower tuition price, but it may stunt your college experience if you continue to rely on your family and old friends. You should also consider whether you're interested in a rural, urban, or small town college environment. The surrounding area can have a big impact on your happiness and comfort level.

Large and small colleges often have very different vibes. You're more likely to get personalized attention at small colleges , but they might have fewer resources and less diversity amongst students. You should research each college individually, but there are certain characteristics shared by most large or small colleges that might lead you to prefer one type over the other.

#3: Academics

You're going to college primarily to learn stuff, so academics should be up there on your priority list. Just how serious of an academic environment are you looking for? Do you want a school that focuses on undergraduate teaching or research? What types of programs interest you? If you have any ideas about your potential major, keep that in mind as you search for schools so you can apply to places that offer the best programs for you.

Selectivity and reputation also come into play here. Based on your test scores and GPA, you can predict your admissions chances at different schools (more about this later). It's advantageous for you to attend the most competitive school possible based on your stats. This will provide you with the greatest number of opportunities both in college and in your post-graduate endeavors.

Tuition prices are something you should think about in your college search, but don't let a high price prevent you from applying if you really love a school. Right now, you should just work on determining whether cost is an issue for you. If so, focus your search on schools that offer generous financial aid and merit scholarships . You can also investigate colleges with no application fees.

Secondary Factors

This list goes into some other factors to think about in your college search that are less fundamental but can still have a really strong influence on your experience.

#1: Social Scene

This is a vague term, but you should have some idea of what type of social environment you're looking for in college. Do you want to be at a party school? Or are you more of a library-all-day-every-day type? Are you at all interested in Greek life? Do you want to be able to go out to bars and clubs? Make sure the environment at the school you choose will be a fun place for you to spend four years.

#2: Housing

Is it important to you to have a really nice dorm? Do you want to be able to live off campus at some point? Schools may offer more or less variety in housing, so this is definitely worth considering. Universities located in rural areas may have fewer options for living off campus.

Are you looking for a school with lots of dining options? This is important to consider especially if you have special dietary preferences or requirements. Whatever accommodations you need, make sure the schools you choose have the ability to provide them.

#4: Extracurriculars

Think of any extracurricular activities you want to pursue in college. If these are priorities for you, you should ensure that any schools that you're considering have the appropriate resources. Extracurriculars are a huge part of the college experience for most students, and they provide a great social outlet outside of the party scene and classes.

#5: Athletics

If you're hoping to play a sport in college for fun, you should make sure that anywhere you apply will give you that opportunity. Are you planning to work out in college? If this is a priority for you, look for schools that have high-quality athletic facilities and give students full gym access. Many schools offer exercise classes for students at their gyms, which is a really nice perk.

As you consider these factors, you can continue to customize the priority order to fit your needs. Some of the factors I listed as "secondary" might actually be of primary concern to you. If you feel that something is a priority, don't discount it just because other things are "supposed" to be more important. You may even be totally indifferent to some of the factors I've listed (for example, "athletics" are a foreign concept to us hardcore nerds). That's fine too! You can choose to ignore these factors in the next step.

Now that you're armed with your preferences and priorities, it's time to start your college search for realz.

Step 2: Search for Schools Using an Online College Finder

After you've figured out your preferences, the easiest way to find schools that you like is to use an online college finder tool to search based on your criteria.

One option that you might consider initially is College Navigator . You can specify location, size, major program, public or private, tuition, test scores, and more in your search. This tool will give you all the statistics on different schools and help you locate options that seem like the right fit. As you investigate the results of your search, add schools to your "favorites" and compare them side by side to see how they differ. This might eliminate some options based on factors like cost and admissions rate.

Another site to investigate is Cappex . Cappex is a college matchmaking site where you can fill out a profile and get matched up with schools that align with your preferences. The site provides suggestions for schools that you might like after you complete your profile. It has a pretty complete overview of each school including student reviews and information about campus life that might not be included in the College Navigator statistics.

If you find schools that you like, you can add them to your running list and compare them against each other. Cappex also links directly to the application pages for schools on your list of favorites, so you can check out what materials you're expected to submit.

There are also a number of other sites you can use at this stage. The link at the beginning of this section will take you to my reviews of the ten best college search websites. Feel free to use whichever one seems most accessible to you!

Step 3: Consider Admissions Chances and Reputation

Once you've figured out what you want from a college and have gotten some solid suggestions from search sites, you should step back and take an objective look at your results. It's important to maintain realistic expectations in the college application process, so you should choose schools where you have reasonable chances of admission.

Though the sites I mentioned above may give you statistics for a school's average test scores and GPA, it's difficult to understand your chances of admission just by looking at statistics. I would recommend that you Google "(name of school) PrepScholar admissions requirements" to access our database pages about each school. Use the tools on these pages to enter in your GPA and SAT scores and calculate your chances of admission.

In general, if your chances are below 30 percent the school qualifies as a reach school . A school with an admissions rate that's below 15 percent is a reach school for all students regardless of scores and GPA. If all or most of the schools you're interested in are reach schools, it's time to adjust some of your criteria to allow for other options. Only a third of the colleges where you apply should be reaches.

This is also a good time to check ranking lists like US News and Forbes to see whether the colleges that interest you have decent reputations. However, be careful when considering these rankings! If two schools are within ten or so ranks of each other, there probably isn't much of a difference in quality between them.

Rankings are a tool to be used after you've already picked out schools based on other factors. If you're trying to decide between two schools and the lower ranked school is a much better fit for you, then you should still apply to that one. Rankings are more of a tie-breaker to be used when all other measurements are equal. Prestige can be important because it generally means a more intellectual student community and greater academic opportunities, but you should put your personal goals and priorities above the prestige of the school.

After consulting these resources, you'll end up with a better sense of the quality of your preliminary list of schools. This leads to the next step, making your final college list!

Step 4: Make a Final List

Now that you've gathered all of this information, it's time to tweak your list of schools so that it has a nice balance of different options. As I mentioned in the previous section, it's important to have reach schools, but they should only make up about a third of your list. Another third of the schools should be likely options, and the last third should be safety schools .

You can use the same process as above to look up potential likely and safety schools and check your admissions chances. Safety schools are schools where you have at least an 80 percent chance of admission. Likely schools are schools where you have a 30 to 80 percent chance of admission. These can be further divided into "possible" and "probable" options. Possible options will be in the 30-50 percent range, and probable options are between 50 and 80%.

Most students end up applying to around 5-8 colleges in total. Start out with three schools in the reach category, three in the likely category (two probable and one possible), and three in the safety category. Then, if you find that you're overwhelmed by the application fees or the supplementary essays, you can always cut out 2-3 schools. Be honest about whether you can realistically see yourself attending all of the schools on your list.

You should also do some research to check whether the schools on your list use the Common Application or if they require you to fill out separate applications. This can have a big impact on the time you spend on the process. You might decide to eliminate a school from your list if you're not super attached to it and it's the only option that requires an individual application.

Once you've balanced your list, begin brainstorming your application essays and deciding which accomplishments and activities you want to highlight for colleges. Read this article about how to create a versatile application for some more tips!

What's Next?

Now that you know how to do research colleges, you should also be able to put it into practice. Learn more about the application deadlines that will be most critical for you.

College ranking lists can be helpful tools if you use them in the right way. Find out about all the college ranking lists you should read and how much you should rely on them.

Looking to attend a top-notch liberal arts school? Here's a list of the 28 best liberal arts colleges in the country.

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Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.

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Research Experiences for High School Students

How to Transfer Colleges: Community College to University

Starting your education at a community college is a fantastic way to earn your associate’s degree, receive academic credit, explore classes, and save money. This can help ease your transition into higher education and allow you to enter a four-year university with more confidence in your academic goals and your career goals.

But the transfer process is not always as easy as students anticipate. Despite more than 80% of community college students planning to transfer, only about 31% actually end up transferring. 1 However, universities are starting to recognize the challenges that these transfer students face and are working towards creating solutions. Just last year, the transfer rate of community college students to four-year universities increased by nearly 8%. 2

Why Should You Transfer to a 4-Year School?

With all the challenges and costs surrounding the transfer process, why would anyone want to go through this challenge just to be rewarded with 2 more years of hard schoolwork? Is that commitment actually worth it?

According to the BLS, the answer is yes. On average, those who have a bachelor’s degree earn about 29% more per week than those who have an associate’s degree. 3

Unemployment Rates and Earnings by Educational Attainment, 2023

So how can you make the most of your education and minimize the headache?

Here are 4 things to consider before you start the transfer process:, know what program you want to enroll in.

This step can be more challenging than you might expect. College is often a time to explore your interests and learn about what you want to do. Before committing to additional academic work, think about what elements of your community college experience you’ve enjoyed and which classes have been the most interesting. This will help you to determine what type of program that you would be interested in. Next, research what programs are available and which schools offer those programs. Also check to see if those schools accept transfer credits and how many credits.

Find out what credits are transferable

The easiest way to find out which credits will transfer is to send all your previous academic transcripts to the school you want to transfer to. You don’t always know what will transfer, but an enrollment advisor can help you with this process. Also, consider the maximum amount of transfer credits allowed at the school you’re looking at. Depending on the program, it is possible to transfer up to 135 credits of prior academic experience at CityU. That could be ¾ of your degree!

In addition to transfer credits, many schools also allow you to transfer real life experience into academic credit or to pass out of some classes through certified exams. Make sure you ask your enrollment advisor about these options and if they could apply to you.

Learn about transfer pathways

In addition to transferable credits, some community colleges have Direct Transfer Agreements (DTA) with 4-year universities. These agreements allow for students to streamline the transfer process and to earn their bachelor’s degree more quickly, which also helps students save money. However, most DTA associate programs have specific course requirements to ensure that the credits transfer. Talk to your community college academic advisor or a transfer specialist to see if this option might work for you.

Ask about scholarships

Another way students can save money is through financial aid, scholarships, and grants. Different schools have different options when it comes to financial aid packages. You never know what type of aid you might qualify for, so it is always a good idea to speak to a financial advisor in order to best understand your options. Some schools also offer specific scholarships for transfer students. For example, CityU offers a Washington State Community College and Technical College Transfer Scholarship .*

While many schools offer scholarships directly, don’t forget to look at options for external grants and scholarships as well. There are tons of options available depending on your background and what you are interested in. Here is a list with some options for external resources.

Other things to consider about transferring colleges

Once you have made the decision to transfer from community college, it is important to consider how your new school and program might differ from your community college experience. Here are a few common differences to be aware of:

Program and class structure

Different schools offer different programs. Even if the subject/major is the same, there will most likely be different requirements and different expectations. Just because you took a similar class previously, do not expect the course content to be the same. You might also have different tracks within a program depending on specialization options.

Access to faculty

Community colleges are certainly full of very talented educators. However, often professors at the university level tend to be more experienced. At universities like CityU, there tends to be a focus on practitioner-faculty who have hands-on experience in the field that they are teaching. These practitioner-faculty members can also be great resources if you are looking for career advice or networking opportunities.

Research opportunities

To remain competitive, many four-year universities have research capabilities and actively encourage student participation in research projects. Often, this means you will need to complete an original project or a capstone project at the end of your program. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to focus their studies on an area of interest and can also help students to boost their resume by listing out projects that they have completed or participated in.

In Conclusion

Making the switch from a community college to a four-year college can be intimidating. Researching the options available to you, including universities, programs, and financial aid options can help. It is also important for students to consider their personal, professional, and academic goals throughout this process to understand what they want to achieve by earning their bachelor’s degree.

We advise reaching out to an enrollment advisor who can help you on your journey. They can keep you informed of what you need to do and what information you need to provide so that your transfer is simple and successful.

If you’re ready to take the next steps and learn more about how to transfer colleges to City University of Seattle, contact us today !

• https://www.chronicle.com/featured/student-success/transfer-students
• https://www.studentclearinghouse.org/news/college-transfer-enrollment-grew-by-5-3-in-the-fall-of-2023/
• https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/unemployment-earnings-education.htm

*Talk to an advisor to verify your eligibility.

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16 Students From Springfield High School Join Forensics Lab Today

Mar 28, 2024, 7:08 PM

Imagine you are a detective investigating on a murder scene, where do you start? On Thursday, March 28, VINSE welcomed 16 students from Springfield High School to our Forensics Lab. During the forensics lab program, the students solved a whodunnit-themed activity using several types of spectroscopies including Raman, FTIR, absorption and photoluminescence. They also extracted chlorophyll from spinach, analyzed perfumes and took spectra on different jewelry.

NanoGuides helped the students to answer forensic and fundamental scientific questions. Thanks to Jeremy Espano, Soren Smail, and Matthew Galazzo.

If your school is interested in this fun and scientific activity, please contact [email protected] for more information!

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Home > ETD > Doctoral > 5963

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Cultivating multicultural christian youth ministry team leaders through covenant relationships with youth in kc and stl metro area churches.

Christopher D. Edin , Liberty University Follow

Rawlings School of Divinity

Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (EdD)

Rob Van Engen

Multiculturalism, Competencies, Satisfactory, Youth Ministry Leaders, Paid Youth Leaders, Volunteer Youth Leaders, Adolescent Youth, Youth Ministry Attendees, Youth Fleeing Church

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Christianity | Leadership Studies

Recommended Citation

Edin, Christopher D., "Cultivating Multicultural Christian Youth Ministry Team Leaders Through Covenant Relationships With Youth in KC and STL Metro Area Churches" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects . 5963. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5963

One significant challenge for today’s Christian churches involves bridging the gap between youth involvement in church after high school graduation and moving on to college (Owens, 2014). Owens (2014) asserts that today’s adolescents experience parental and church support during high school, but once they head off to college, they leave that support and stability at home. Students leave the church for many reasons. This study proposes that one significant reason is that Christian churches do not educate youth ministry team leaders on multiculturalism. This research explored satisfactory multicultural competencies necessary for youth ministry leaders to disciple youth by asking adult youth ministry leaders and adolescent youth ministry attendees to respond to questionnaires, essays, and surveys to develop essential satisfactory multicultural competencies. This study drew theoretical guidance from an explanatory sequential mixed-methods theory, commencing with a quantitative longitudinal study using closed-ended questionnaires and concluding with qualitative essays and surveys to enhance the quantitative findings. This mixed-methods research describes the satisfactory multicultural competencies essential to empower Christian youth ministry leaders to reach the multicultural youth within Kansas City and St. Louis metro area churches. Kite (2015) reports that multicultural competencies in education require valuing students’ racial diversity and racial differences. Awareness of cultural biases and virtues, learning to view others' worlds, and developing culturally appropriate interpersonal skills legitimize cultural competence. Discussing satisfactory multicultural competence helps transfer these traits from one to another (Kite, 2015).

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Science | University of San Diego graduate will travel to…

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Science | san diego unified superintendent terminated after investigation found ‘inappropriate conduct’, science | university of san diego graduate will travel to international space station, jonny kim, who also was a navy seal, is scheduled to fly to the orbiting outpost next march with two russian cosmonauts..

The space agency said Kim, 40, will fly to the orbiting outpost in March along with Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky. This will be the first space mission for Kim, who will serve as a flight engineer.

Kim enlisted in the Navy after graduating from high school in 2002 and eventually became a member of SEAL Team 3, based in San Diego. He deployed twice to Iraq during the Iraq War, serving as a medic, sniper and navigator.

Kim entered USD in 2009 and earned a math degree in three years, then earned a medical degree at Harvard University. He was accepted for astronaut training in 2017 and has been assigned to Project Artemis by NASA. The project is meant to place astronauts on the moon.

Other local astronauts have fared well at NASA.

Among them are Jessica Meir and Kate Rubins, who each earned degrees from UC San Diego and served on the International Space Station. And Megan McArthur, who also earned a degree at UCSD, was an engineer on the final flight of the space shuttle program. She later served six months on the space station.

They were preceded by the late Sally Ride , who became the first American woman to travel in space. She did so aboard the space shuttle. She flew in space twice. Ride later joined the physics faculty at UCSD. One of the university’s research ships bears her name.

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Snorkelers found a rare deep-sea fish off La Jolla. It took ‘a community effort’ to haul it to shore to study.

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CBD 2024: From Furious to Curious: Deep Listening and the Alchemy of Strong Emotions with Ron Epstein, MD

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The psychologist Carl Jung once said, “Everything that irritates us about others can lead to an understanding of ourselves.” So true, but how do we, as health professionals working in high-stakes and emotionally fraught settings, move forward when fear and moral outrage rattle our core, temporarily clouding our inner compass? In this talk, Dr. Epstein, palliative care physician, researcher, and author of Attending: Medicine, Mindfulness and Humanity, will explore how we can cultivate attentiveness, curiosity, beginner’s mind, and presence in the face of fear and conflict when the stakes are high and emotions are intense. He will draw on narratives of health professionals as well as data from Mindful Practice in Medicine programs, designed to promote awareness, compassion, and clinician and organizational resilience through contemplative practices, appreciative dialogues, and deep listening.

Ronald Epstein, M.D . is an internationally recognized physician, educator, researcher, and writer. He has published groundbreaking research on communication in medical settings and developed innovative educational programs to improve communication with people who are seriously ill and promote clinician self-awareness, resilience and well-being. His over 300 scholarly articles and his book, Attending: Medicine, Mindfulness and Humanity , show how health professionals can flourish, build strong connections with patients and colleagues, and optimize the care they provide. Dr. Epstein co-directs the Center for Communication and Disparities Research and Mindful Practice Programs at the University of Rochester where he is Professor of Family Medicine, Oncology and Medicine (Palliative Care). A graduate of Wesleyan University and Harvard Medical School, he is the recipient of numerous lifetime achievement awards relating to communication and humanism, a Fulbright fellowship in Barcelona, fellowships at the University of Sydney and the Brocher Institute, and the American Cancer Society’s highest award, the Clinical Research Professorship. 

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