| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based high-school assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Available after acceptance and reviewed rolling; award amount is not guaranteed.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): High-school enrollment deposit: $300. Nonrefundable, due within two weeks of acceptance and credited to tuition under current payment policy.; Need-based high-school assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Available after acceptance and reviewed rolling; award amount is not guaranteed.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 11–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Requirement: Be a current high-school student or recent graduate eligible for the selected program; Requirement: Complete at least one high-school science and one high-school mathematics course; Requirement: Meet SEA essential-eligibility and medical-clearance requirements; Requirement: For SEA Expedition, be a rising sophomore through recent graduate under the 2026 rule; Requirement: For Pre-College Marine Biology, be a rising junior, senior or recent graduate under the 2026 rule; Exclusion: Rising freshmen are considered only for separately offered virtual programs; Exclusion: Eligibility differs by named program; Exclusion: No prior sailing experience was required for SEA Expedition; Exclusion: The current site has not announced a Summer 2027 high-school cycle; Exclusion: Participation does not guarantee credit, publication, recommendation or admission | Citizenship: United States citizen; Residency: Permanent residence within 50 miles of the NIST Gaithersburg or Boulder host campus; Requirement: Be a high-school junior or senior at application, or a recent high-school graduate who has not started college; Requirement: Have at least a 3.0 unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale; Requirement: Demonstrate strong interest in scientific research; Requirement: Commit to the entire seven-week in-person program; Requirement: Provide own local housing and transportation; Requirement: Complete federal security, fingerprinting, badging, health, volunteer, and work-permit requirements if selected; Exclusion: Non-U.S. citizens are ineligible under the current rule; Exclusion: Students outside the 50-mile permanent-residence radius are ineligible; NIST states no exceptions; Exclusion: The internship is unpaid and does not guarantee a stipend, publication, award, recommendation, college credit, federal job, or college-admissions outcome |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 2–3 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 7 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person / Online | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Woods Hole, Woods Hole, Massachusetts; Cape Cod Bay and Gulf of Maine aboard SSV Corwith Cramer; virtual offerings when separately announced | Gaithersburg, Maryland, Boulder, Colorado, NIST Gaithersburg and NIST Boulder campuses; permanent residence required within 50 miles |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Programs have 20-25 places and use holistic review of academics, reference, motivation and goals. SEA Expedition and Pre-College applicants interview; admission and first-choice program are not guaranteed. Application materials: Short-answer essays; Admissions interview for SEA Expedition or Pre-College | Selection: NIST describes SHIP as competitive, and laboratory mentors review complete applications and may interview candidates. The official pages do not publish the current applicant count, placement count, acceptance rate, lab quotas, or scoring rubric. Application materials: One-page personal statement covering research interest, preferred NIST laboratory, post-high-school plans, and housing/transportation plan; One STEM-teacher online recommendation and one teacher or professional recommendation; Possible phone or in-person mentor interview |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-09Source 2 · checked 2026-10-09Source 3 · checked 2026-10-09Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22 |
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