Research experience is one of the strongest signals a high school student can show selective colleges. Working on a real project — in a university lab, a structured mentorship, or an independent study — demonstrates intellectual initiative that grades and test scores cannot. Senior year is about finishing strong and telling your story. Capitalize on prior work, sustain leadership, and consider gap-year or pre-college options for after graduation.

Well-known options include the Research Science Institute (RSI), Stanford's SIMR, the Summer Science Program (SSP), Pioneer Academics, and Polygence, alongside hundreds of university and hospital lab placements.

Admissions officers value research because it shows you can ask a question, stay with a hard problem for months, and clearly communicate what you found.

How to get started with research programs

1. Pick a field you'd happily read about on a Saturday — biology, economics, machine learning — and narrow it to one specific question.
2. Build a shortlist: structured mentorships (Polygence, Pioneer), free selective programs (RSI, SSP), and 8–10 professors whose recent papers you actually skimmed.
3. Email professors a short, specific note — what you read, one question it raised, and how you'd help — rather than a generic 'can I join your lab.'
4. Apply to 2–3 structured programs as a backup and track every deadline in the free Activities Tracker.
5. Once you have results, share them: submit to a journal like JEI, present at a science fair (ISEF), or turn your project into a Common App essay.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• Caltech Signature Award for Innovation — California Institute of Technology: Earn recognition for your groundbreaking ideas in science with this free high school research award. Boost your college applications and showcase your
• Scripps Research High School Internship Program — Scripps Research: Gain hands-on biomedical research experience in this free high school internship for grades 11-12. Build STEM skills and boost college applications th
• Amgen Scholars Program — Amgen Foundation: Transform your summer with a paid high school research internship in biotech. Conduct hands-on projects at top universities to boost skills and colleg
• Yau Science Awards (Asia) — Tsinghua University / Harvard University: Showcase your scientific research skills in this prestigious high school competition. Gain hands-on experience, boost college applications, and connec
• Fulbright U.S. Student Program — U.S. Department of State / IIE: Prestigious international fellowship offering virtual research and teaching opportunities for high school seniors. Boosts college applications and bui
• PROMYS at Boston University — Boston University: Explore number theory in a 6-week immersive summer program for high schoolers. Build research skills, enhance college applications, and dive into hand
• Garcia SUMMER at Stony Brook — Stony Brook: Explore materials science in a hands-on summer program for high school juniors and seniors. Conduct research in nanotechnology and boost your college
• Clark Scholars Program — Texas Tech: Elite summer research program for high school juniors and seniors. Gain hands-on STEM experience, earn a $750 stipend, and boost your college applicat
• Davidson Fellows — Davidson Institute: Win $50k, $25k, or $10k scholarships in this elite STEM competition for high-achieving high school students. Boost college applications with hands-on
• Summit STEM Fellowship (SSF) — Summit Education: The Summit STEM Fellowship (SSF) is a virtual summer program for top STEM students around the world. Students learn from mentors at Harvard, Stanford,
• International Crisis Group - Youth Engagement Program — International Crisis Group: Access conflict analysis and peacebuilding resources from one of the world's leading organizations focused on preventing deadly conflict. Free educati
• Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) Civics & Global Affairs Programs — Foreign Policy Research Institute: Philadelphia-based think tank offering students access to foreign policy analysis, teacher workshops, and global affairs educational resources. Free p
• Weill Cornell Medicine Gateway to Medicine Program — Weill Cornell Medicine: Prestigious summer clinical immersion program at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City for high school students exploring medicine, including hospit
• American Chemical Society Scholars Program — American Chemical Society: ACS Scholars Program awards $5,000 annually to underrepresented minority students majoring in chemistry, biochemistry, or chemical engineering. One of
• MIT Women in Stem Research Program Pre-College Summer Program — MIT Women in Stem Research Program: Pre-college program at MIT Women in Stem Research Program for high school students focusing on stem.
• Johns Hopkins Pre-College Program — Johns Hopkins University: Pre-college programs at Johns Hopkins University for high school students in Baltimore.
• Duke Summer Academy — Duke University: Pre-college program at Duke University for high school students focusing on stem.
• High School Internship Program — Los Alamos National Laboratory: Research and operations internships for NM high school seniors.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Student Programs — NOAA: Various programs including internships and scholarships. Work on climate, ocean, and atmospheric science.
• Barry Goldwater Excellence in Education — Goldwater Foundation: Recognition program leading to Goldwater Scholarship eligibility in college.
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute Science Education Fellowship — Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Biomedical science fellowship from HHMI supporting exceptional young scientists and science educators.
• Simons Summer Research Fellowship at Rockefeller — Rockefeller University: Summer research at world-class biomedical research university.
• Global Youth Economics Congress — Youth Economics Initiative: International congress for young economists presenting research. Networking with peers globally. Demonstrates economics research and international col
• Brookhaven National Lab Science Associates Program — Brookhaven National Laboratory: Summer research internship at DOE's Brookhaven National Laboratory. Work with scientists on physics, chemistry, and biology research.
• AEOP High School Apprenticeship Program (HSAP) — U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program: Paid summer research apprenticeships with Army-sponsored labs and faculty.
• Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR) — Stanford University School of Medicine: Elite 8-week paid research internship at Stanford Medicine. Mentorship from world-class researchers. Highly competitive admission.
• Broad Institute Scientific Internship Program — Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard: Research internship at world-leading genomics research institute.
• UCSF High School Biomedical Research Internship — University of California, San Francisco: Biomedical research at top medical research university.
• California State Science Fair — California Science Center: Largest state science fair in the US. Winners qualify for prestigious national and international competitions.
• London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF) — LIYSF Ltd: Two-week international science forum with 500+ students from 75 countries. Includes lectures by Nobel laureates, lab visits, and networking. Highly se

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