You are taking all of the courses available in your favorite subject in high school. You have some ideas for your future college major. So, how can you take your learning deeper, explore new topics, and showcase your passion for your academic interests beyond just your high school courses in your college applications?
Research.
Yes, you can do academic research as a high school student! In fact, it is an excellent way for you to learn more about the field you are interested in and make connections and build relationships with professionals. If you have highly selective colleges on your list, it will help you demonstrate your passion for academics and show involvement and enrichment outside of your high school.
While there are quite a few pathways you can take to get involved in research, we have divided them into three categories: Volunteer & Self-Directed Research, No-Cost (Competitive) Research Programs, and Paid Research. When exploring your options, remember that the type of research experience you choose is not as important as participating in research that aligns with your interests.
Volunteer & Self-Directed Research
Volunteer and self-directed research is free for you to participate in, but will take a good amount of time and effort from you to get up and running.
- Local Colleges and Professors: If you live within a reasonable distance to a college, or to multiple colleges, look up their faculty listings in the department(s) you are interested in. Email the professors individually, introduce yourself, give a short summary of your interests, and ask if they have any opportunities available for you to work with them. Cast a wide net with this; you may end up sending 50 emails (or more!) and only receiving 1-2 replies. But remember: you only need ONE reply to get your foot in the door and have a position!
- Your Connections: Consider the people you know: your parents, other relatives, your parents’ friends, your teachers, and your friends’ parents. Do you know anyone doing research in a field you’re interested in? If yes, do they have anything you can help with? If not, do they know other people doing projects or research work who would welcome you? Talk with them, share your interests and that you are looking for an opportunity to be involved in research, and see if any connections pan out for you.
- Independent Research: If you have ideas for what you want to research, aren’t able to connect with a local college or professor, don’t know anyone in your field, and aren’t able to pay for some of the paid research opportunities outlined below, consider an independent research project. To be most effective, you should find a mentor (for example, a teacher at your school) who is willing to guide you and oversee your project. Your mentor can help you set up goals and guidelines, but you will need to be very organized and self-motivated to successfully complete an independent project.
No-Cost (Competitive) Sponsored Research Programs
There are a few no-cost research programs for high school students sponsored by colleges; some even offer a stipend to pay you for attending. Acceptance to these programs is extremely competitive. The Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program, MIT Research Science Institute, and the Clark Scholar Program are some examples.
Fee-Based Research
Fee-based research opportunities allow you to work on research projects, and in some cases publish your research, but cost money for you to participate in. The cost varies; research the various opportunities available to find one that is a good fit for your interests and budget.
- Summer research programs at colleges and organizations. A large number of summer programs offer research opportunities to high school students, with a variety of locations, cost, selectivity, program lengths, and subjects. A few examples include the University of Toledo’s Summer Biomedical Science Program in Bioinformatics (virtual program) and Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Columbus) Mechanisms of Health & Human Disease program. Search specifically for high school summer research programs in subjects you are interested in.
- Research companies. Lumiere, Polygence, Collegiate Mentorship Program, Pioneer, Veritas AI, Ladder Internships, and Alpha Scholars are companies specifically for high school students wanting to do research. They will connect you with a mentor and you will work together on a research project; some have publication opportunities as well. Mentors may be professors or PhD students, depending on the program. Research each program further to find the right fit for you. BONUS: Check out the recording below of our Estrela webinar featuring guests from both Polygence and Lumiere Education explaining their programs!
Finally, no matter which path you choose, finding an opportunity to explore your academic interests further through research will benefit you both personally and throughout your college search!