| Application deadline | April 19, 2027 (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $2,750; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $2,500; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based scholarship after acceptance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. First come until funds exhausted; next-cycle terms unknown.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Residence hall, meals, linens, laundry, and local program transport: $0. Included in 2026 attendance fee.; Travel to and from West Lafayette: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Participant responsibility, including optional airport shuttles.; Need-based scholarship after acceptance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. First come until funds exhausted; next-cycle terms unknown.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 internship stipend: $5,600; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grades 10–11; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grade 12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Requirement: Be completing grade 10 or 11 before the summer session.; Requirement: Earlier 2026 instructions required one year of chemistry or physics and a counselor/teacher recommendation plus transcript or grade card; confirm the operative 2027 prerequisites.; Exclusion: Two elective credits apply only after later enrollment at Rose-Hulman; Exclusion: Earlier 2026 instructions required outside financial assistance; 2027 aid availability is unverified. | Requirement: Be a rising senior in the announced cohort; Requirement: Complete the future application with transcript and accepted standardized scores if still required; Requirement: Recommended for 2026: three high-school math years and one chemistry or physics year; Requirement: Be available for the full residential week; Requirement: Follow Purdue housing, supervision, health, safety, conduct, accessibility, team, media, and travel rules; Exclusion: Assuming 2026 terms recur; Exclusion: Treating recommended coursework as a guaranteed admission threshold; Exclusion: Missing the full session or required application documents; Exclusion: Assuming STEP guarantees Purdue, Engineering Honors, scholarship, credit, recommendation, award, or admission advantage | Ages 15–18; Citizenship: U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. resident; Residency: Located in DC, Maryland, or Virginia within commuting distance of the museum for the full program; Requirement: Currently enrolled in high school at the time of application; Requirement: Age 15-18 at the start of the internship; Requirement: Write and converse fluently in English; Requirement: Available for the fixed eight-week, 24-hour-per-week schedule; Exclusion: Applicants outside commuting distance; Exclusion: Applicants who cannot attend the full fixed schedule; Exclusion: Family members and friends may not serve as the required recommender |
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| Session dates or duration | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 1 week; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts June 23, 2026; Ends August 14, 2026; 8 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Terre Haute, Indiana | West Lafayette, Indiana, Purdue University campus | Washington, District of Columbia, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Earlier 2026 instructions described selective application followed by first-come session placement after approval. Confirm the current 2027 review and placement process; no acceptance rate is published. Application materials: Earlier 2026 instructions required an online application, a transcript or grade card, and one counselor or teacher recommendation. | Selection: Rolling review until limited sessions fill; waitlist afterward. No acceptance rate is published. | Selection: Selective; applicants rank projects, but a ranked department or project is not guaranteed. Application materials: Four statement-of-interest responses of 250 words each; One confidential recommendation from a non-family recommender |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-12Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-20Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-20Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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