Simons vs RSI: Which Program Is Right for You?
Both are mentor-matched research summers for juniors, and both are very hard to get into. RSI is a national program at MIT that you apply to directly; Simons places you in a Stony Brook lab, and you can only apply if your high school nominates you. How you get in, not prestige, is the first thing to check.
Below is a side-by-side comparison of Simons Summer Research Program and Research Science Institute. A blank row is a fact we do not hold — not a zero, and not a no.
| Simons | RSI | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Not listed | Free |
| Application deadline | Not listed | December 11, 2026 |
| Grade eligibility | Not listed | Grade 11 |
| Format | In person | In person |
| Location | Stony Brook, NY, United States | Cambridge, MA, United States |
| Program dates | Not listed | Not listed |
| Application destination | stonybrook.edu | cee.org |
| Organizer | Stony Brook University | Center for Excellence in Education |
Simons vs RSI: the short answer
Both began in 1984, both match you with a research mentor for a summer in a real lab, and both are very hard to get into — so the useful differences are in how you get in and what the summer costs. RSI takes applications directly: your school does not nominate you, and it accepts less than 2.5% of applicants. Simons will not read your application unless your high school nominates you, and a school may nominate at most two students; Stony Brook puts its own admission rate at about <5%. RSI requires PSAT, SAT or ACT scores from U.S. applicants; Simons asks you not to send test scores at all. RSI is cost-free — education, housing and dining are covered — and charges a $75 application fee. Simons charges no tuition and presents a stipend at the closing symposium, but you pay to live on campus (Stony Brook estimated $2,450 for 2026) or commute. RSI hands you a project; at Simons you rank three mentors from a published list. Juniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents can apply to both — start with your school's Simons nominator, because that step closes first.
Program details
These are the current details stored for each program. A blank cell means the catalog does not hold that detail.
| Simons | RSI | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to attend | No tuition charges or fees, but you pay your own transportation and dining if you commute, or the residential costs if you live on campus. | Cost-free for all participants: educational, housing and dining expenses are covered. |
| Living on campus | Optional, at your cost: Stony Brook estimated the summer '26 residential cost at $2450. | Included: RSI is held with MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and housing and dining are covered. |
| Stipend | Yes: fellows are presented with a stipend award at the closing poster symposium. | Not published. CEE's RSI Application FAQs say what RSI covers and mention no stipend. |
| Getting to apply | Only by school nomination: each high school may nominate at most two 11th graders, and independently submitted applications are disqualified. | Directly: U.S. applications go straight to CEE, and students are not nominated or selected by their schools. |
| Acceptance rate | Published: about 5% or fewer — Stony Brook writes it as about <5%. | Published: less than 2.5% of applicants, from over 2,500 U.S. and 600 international applications a year. |
| Who can apply | Juniors (11th grade) at the time of applying, U.S. citizens or permanent residents, at least 16 by the start of the program — no exceptions. | Juniors (11th grade); seniors are not eligible; 16 by July 1 of the program year. |
| Standardized tests | Not wanted: Stony Brook asks you not to send test scores, resumes or awards it has not requested. | Required: all U.S. students submit PSAT, SAT or ACT scores if they can take these tests. |
| Choosing the project | You rank your top three faculty mentors from the published list; mentors not on it cannot be requested. | You do not bring your own project, and continuing a previous one is not permitted. |
| Time and output | At least 4 hours a day with your mentor or research group, in person; you finish with a written research abstract and a research poster. | A week of STEM classes, then a five-week research internship on an individual project, ending in a research paper and a talk at the RSI Symposium. |
| Taking it to ISEF or STS | Not usually: Stony Brook says a Simons project will not generally satisfy ISEF or Regeneron STS requirements without considerable follow-up work agreed with your mentor. | After the summer, the RSI Director writes college letters of recommendation for every RSI student. |
| How long it has run | Since 1984, first as an outreach program for local students; it now draws applicants from across the country. | Since 1984, sponsored with MIT. |
| Deadline, most recent published cycle | 2026 cycle: school nominations by January 30, applications by February 5, teacher recommendations by February 13, 2026. | 11:59 pm ET in early- to mid-December, typically the Wednesday of the second full week; no late applications. |
Inside Simons
Stony Brook matches you with a faculty mentor from its published list, and you join that research group for the summer — in 2026, June 29 to August 7. You commit at least four hours a day, in person, and you arrange the rest of your schedule with your mentor; there are no remote placements. Along the way you attend weekly faculty research talks, workshops and tours. You finish with a written abstract and a poster at the closing symposium, where the stipend is presented. You can live in a double room on campus, paying for housing and a meal plan, or commute.
Inside RSI
Six weeks at MIT for the whole cohort. The first week is classes; your mentor assigns your project at the end of it, and from the second week through the fifth you are in a lab on an individual project, with an evening lecture series running alongside. The summer ends with a written paper and a talk at the RSI Symposium. Everything is covered except getting to Cambridge and back.
Choose Simons if…
- Your school has a research coordinator who nominates students. Simons only reads nominated applications, two per school, so the path runs through that person — ask early.
- You want to choose your field and your mentor. You rank three mentors from Stony Brook's list; at RSI the mentor and project are assigned.
Choose RSI if…
- You need the whole summer covered. RSI covers education, housing and dining; at Simons you pay to live on campus or to commute.
- Your school will not or cannot nominate you. RSI applications go straight to CEE; schools do not nominate or select.
Applying next cycle: what to do now
| Simons | RSI | |
|---|---|---|
| Decisions released | Early April is the published date; in 2026 every applicant was notified on the same evening in March. | All applicants hear at the same time, in March; there is no rolling admission. |
| Next application window | Applications for 2027 will be posted in late November; the 2026 program ran June 29 – August 7. | Not yet announced. CEE's Apply to RSI page still shows the 2026 cycle as closed; the FAQ gives the standing rule of an early- to mid-December deadline. |
Applying to Simons
- Online application with a transcript, two teacher recommendations (math or science preferred) and your school's nomination.
- Using an AI tool to generate or rewrite application content is not permitted; grammar and spelling checks are fine.
Applying to RSI
- Essays, three recommendations, your official transcript, standardized test scores and a list of honors and awards.
- A non-refundable $75 application fee, with waivers possible for demonstrated financial need.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- Both admission rates are the programs' own. Simons's is a single figure with no year or applicant count beside it.
- Stony Brook's residential figure is its 2026 estimate, and the stipend amount is not published on the pages we read.
- RSI also takes international students from participating countries; Simons takes only U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
Simons Summer Research Program
Hands-on research in science, math or engineering at Stony Brook University for academically talented, motivated high school students.
Research Science Institute
Each summer 100 high school students gather at MIT for course work in scientific theory and off-campus work in science and technology research, cost-free to students.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, Simons or RSI?
RSI: Free. Confirm each figure on the program's official page before budgeting.
Can I apply to both Simons and RSI?
The application destinations are evaluated independently. Simons: stonybrook.edu. RSI: cee.org. Review each provider's current instructions before assuming either application is open or compatible with the other.
Which is better for college applications, Simons or RSI?
We do not rank enrichment programs by admissions value. Use the comparison to assess whether each program's documented constraints fit your situation, and check the details that decide it for you on each program's official page.
What grades can apply to Simons and RSI?
RSI: Grade 11. Eligibility can change between cycles, so confirm it on each program's official page before applying.
Related comparisons
Simons appears in 3 of 56 comparison pages. RSI appears in 4 of 56 comparison pages.
How we count
Our comparison list has 56 pairs covering 91 catalog programs. Those numbers count this list only. They are not a ranking or the size of the full catalog.
We don't rank programs or name one of them the best.
When we don't list a cost, it is unknown, not free. Check the official page.
Catalog-wide numbers, and what each was counted out of, are on Statistics.