12 Prestigious Research Opportunities for High School Students
Research programs are valuable for students looking to improve their academic profiles. And while there is a wide variety of research programs out there, you should be looking for prestigious ones for maximum impact on your profile. Prestigious programs are usually associated with established universities or institutions, select only high-achieving students, and tend to come for free or with a stipend. Such programs can lend substantial weight to your resume or college application as it demonstrates your drive to go beyond schoolwork.
Due to the high selectivity, gaining admission to these programs can bolster your academic profile. Moreover, college admissions officers recognize the value of these experiences provided. Completed research projects as tangible evidence of a student's commitment to intellectual exploration.
Here are 12 prestigious research opportunities for high school students:
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Duration: Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring.
Cost: Full financial aid is available!
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler. The program pairs high-school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
Application deadline: February 15
Location: Texas Tech University
Eligibility: Juniors and seniors who are at least 17 years of age
Program dates: June 16 – August 1
Stipend: $750
Only 12 high-achieving students are selected to attend this research program at Texas Tech University. Its prestige comes from the program’s history of academic excellence as well as the high level of competition, with an acceptance rate that usually falls below 3%. As a participant, you will conduct research under the guidance of faculty members. You can choose from one of seven research areas, including nutritional science, computer science, mechanical engineering, and history. You can read more about the benefits of this program here.
Location: Virtual
Application Date: Multiple deadlines throughout the year for the Spring, Summer and Fall cohorts.
Program Dates: The spring and fall cohorts run 15 weeks, while the summer cohort runs 10 weeks (June-September).
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! Only a couple of tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here.
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, and more! Horizon is one of the few research programs for high school students that offers you the choice to engage in either quantitative or qualitative research. Once you select a particular subject track, Horizon pairs you with a professor/PhD scholar who acts as a mentor throughout your research journey. As a participant, you will be expected to develop a 20-page research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student and detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects.
4. Research Science Institute (RSI)
Application deadline: January for US citizens and March for international students
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Eligibility: High school juniors (international students can apply as well).
Program dates: 2 months between June and August
Fee: Free
The Research Science Institute is a highly respected program for high schoolers due to its global nature, excellent curriculum, and association with MIT. Its reputation warrants the large volume of applications it receives, with an acceptance rate of just 5%. The program allows participants to work on a STEM project from inception to completion under mentorship. Following an intensive week of classes, you will receive an assignment and then spend five weeks on guided research and laboratory work, culminating in a presentation. Apart from the experience you will receive, having a completed independent project on your resume will display your dedication in the eyes of college admissions officers. Go through our ultimate guide to the RSI to learn more about the program.
Application deadline: February 16
Eligibility: Open to high school juniors and a few sophomores who are at least 15 years old and have completed the required courses
Program dates: Mid-June to July (tentative, based on previous years)
Location: Five campus options, including Purdue University, UNC Chapel Hill, University of Colorado, New Mexico State, and Indiana University
Fee: $8,800. Need-based financial aid is available, offering partially discounted fees as well as complete fee waivers.
SSP is also a top research program for high school students. Participants can choose from three tracks with a specific research focus: Astrophysics (focused on near-Earth asteroid orbit determination), Biochemistry (centered on research in fungal crop pathogens), and Genomics (exploring the evolution of antibiotic resistance). The curriculum includes classroom lectures, lab sessions, and guest lectures. Despite being a paid program, the SSP is well regarded due to the college-level research and networking opportunities. The acceptance rate of this program is about 10%.
Application deadline: February 24
Eligibility: Current juniors or seniors who are at least 16 years of age
Program dates: June 10 – August 1
Location: Stanford University
Stipend: $500 - $1,500
This eight-week internship program at the Stanford University School of Medicine is for high school students interested in medicine and research. SIMR provides participants with research experience through one-on-one mentoring by scientists. You can choose from one of eight research areas, such as neurobiology, cancer biology, genetics, and more. The program is structured through a combination of lectures and lab work, ending in a poster session. About 50 students are selected for each cohort, making this a selective program that has previously had a less than 3% acceptance rate.
Application deadline: February 1
Eligibility: Current high school juniors who are at least 16 years of age
Program dates: July 1 – August 9
Location: Stony Brook University, featuring commuter and residential options.
Fee: Free, although students are responsible for their own transportation and residential costs. At the program’s closing symposium, students receive a stipend award.
The Simons Summer Research Program allows high school students to be a part of research in science, math, and engineering. As a participant, you will be matched with a mentor, join a research group, and work on a research project, ultimately producing a written abstract or poster. There is a wide variety of research areas to choose from, including biochemistry, computer science, geoscience, pharmacological sciences, astronomy, and more. Through the program, you will learn about laboratory equipment and methodologies. Do keep in mind that the program is very selective (8% acceptance rate) and requires a nomination from your school as well as two recommendation letters.
Application deadline: January 29
Eligibility: Seniors who have completed 12th grade and are at least 18 years old
Program dates: June 1 – August 10
Location: The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine
Stipend: $6,500
This program offers fellowships to students who want to work on a mentored research project in the field of genetics and genomics. A total of 40 high school and undergraduate students are selected. Each of you will develop a project, conduct experiments, analyze data, and present your findings at the end of the program. Specific areas of research include bioinformatics, cancer, genomics, immunology, metabolic diseases, and more. Considering this program is also geared towards undergraduate students, you can expect the experience to be of a higher academic level and the application progress to be quite rigorous. This, in addition to the generous stipend, is why the SSP is a well-regarded program and could boost your college applications.
Application deadline: March 18
Eligibility: Open to 10th and 11th-grade students who have a minimum GPA of 3.8
Program dates: June 17 – August 2
Location: UC Santa Barbara, featuring commuter and residential options
Fee: $4,975 for the commuter track and $11,874 for the residential track. Limited scholarships are available based on need and qualifications.
The RMP is another program you can consider if you aim to complete a research project. You will be paired with a mentor and can choose from a number of STEM and humanities disciplines, including computer science, anthropology, marine biology, psychology, ecology, and more. Your research will involve fieldwork and data collection, culminating in a research paper that you will present at a symposium. The program even offers the opportunity to earn up to 8 college credits. Due to the university-level research, the 4-6% acceptance rate, and the promising trajectory of past students, the RMP is considered a prestigious program in spite of its high cost. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, click here to learn more about the program.
Application deadline: February 1
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors who are below the age of 18
Program dates: Session I from June 23 - July 12, Session II from July 14 - August 2
Location: Stanford University
Fee: $8,250. Need-based financial aid is available.
Another option for students interested in non-STEM subjects, the Stanford Summer Humanities Institute is an intensive program. A number of courses are available, spanning the fields of history, philosophy, culture, and literature. You will explore the subject through lectures, readings, and group work and develop your academic writing and critical thinking skills. Apart from regular assignments, you will also produce an original research project. While this program is moderately prestigious, it is still well regarded as Stanford hosts it. You can learn more about the program here!
Application deadline: Applications open in May
Eligibility: High-school sophomores, juniors, and seniors (international students can apply as well)
Program dates: Begins in September and runs until the end of the following May
Location: Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
Stipend: Stipend provided (amount unspecified)
If you are not limited to summer programs, you can consider this research internship which takes place over the course of a year. Ideal for students interested in astrophysics, the program will have you work on a specific research project in groups of 2-3. You will conduct research under the guidance of a Harvard or MIT scientist. At the end of the year, you will present your research at a symposium at Harvard. The SRMP is highly regarded due to the institutions that organize it — the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Harvard College Observatory, and MIT. It’s a highly competitive program with a less than 5% acceptance rate and cohorts of not more than 10-15 students.
Application deadline: January 1 of each year
Eligibility: All high school students can apply as individuals or in teams of two
Program dates: Finalists are announced in February, and projects are completed by June
Location: Virtual; the visit to MIT’s campus is the only in-person element
Fee: Free
Prize: A $1,000 budget, weekly mentoring, and a paid trip to MIT’s campus.
If you already have a research proposal but need guidance in completing it, this program is ideal. Unlike the other options on this list, the MIT THINK Scholars program is a competition where you submit a project proposal in the field of science, technology, or engineering. Six finalists will receive the prize — weekly mentoring meetings, technical guidance, up to $1,000 in funding, and a four-day trip to MIT’s campus. The program will overlap with your school year, but it also offers the unique experience of conducting research from start to finish. This highly prestigious program will demonstrate your capabilities in college applications.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere 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.
Image Source: SSP logo