how do you do research as a high school student

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How to do Research in High School: Everything You Need to Know

If you are passionate about a certain subject, doing research in that field is a fantastic way to explore your interests, set the building blocks for a future career, and stand out on college applications. However, for many students, the idea of conducting research seems daunting and inaccessible while in high school and the question of where to start remains a mystery. This guide’s goal is to provide a starter for any students interested in high school research.

Research experience for high school students: Why do research?

Research is a fantastic way to delve into a field of interest. Research students at Lumiere have investigated everything, from ways to detect ocean health, new machine learning algorithms, and the artists of the 19th century. Engaging in research means you can familiarize yourself with a professional environment and develop high-level research skills early on; working with experts means you might discover things you may have never dreamed of before. You are given a valuable opportunity to think ahead and ask yourself foundational questions:

“Is this what I want in a future career?”

“What do I like and dislike about this process?”

As a huge plus (and do not underestimate the value of this!), you will likely gain extremely valuable connections, mentors, and recommenders in working closely with your team.

Let’s face it, the college selection process is becoming more and more competitive each year and admission teams are always looking for new ways to distinguish strong candidates. Doing a research project shows that you are someone with passions and, more importantly, someone with a willingness to take the extra step and explore those passions. You showcase your abilities, ambition, work ethic, eagerness to learn, and professionalism, all at the same time. This will no doubt help you when the time for college applications rolls around.

How to do research in high school: finding opportunities

Now that we’ve covered the ‘why’, let’s cover the ‘how’! There are two ways you can go about this, and it’s a great idea to run these in parallel so that one can serve as a backup for the other.

1. Identify research opportunities and apply strategically: Some opportunities are recurring programs. Usually, these are advertised. These can be structured research programs or internships run by universities, non-profits or government departments.

Organization and preparation were key to my own application processes, so be sure to start thinking ahead. Note that most research programs take place in the summer and require applications that are due by January or February. Make a spreadsheet of programs you’d be interested in and take note of their application deadlines, cost, required materials, etc. Applications often have you write essays and submit recommendation letters, so you want to think about those in advance as well.

2. Cold email to find research opportunities that are not advertised: Another way to pursue research outside of the programs is to try contacting people directly and get involved in their research projects. This would mainly involve university faculty, but you might also find a mentor elsewhere; for instance, if you are interested in medical work, you could contact someone at your local hospital. If you are interested in government, you might reach out to your local representative. If you don’t have any personal connections with faculty members in your field, cold emailing them is the way to go. You’ll need to email a lot of researchers; chances are some are busy, some aren’t in need of interns, and some simply don’t check their emails. To up your chances, you should try reaching out to at least 25 people of interest.

For cold emailing, you’ll be asking for opportunities that may not be advertised. You’ll need to prepare an “email template” of sorts that you’ll be sending out to everyone. It should start with an introduction—who are you, where are you from, how do you know this person—and include a set of your skills and interests that you could bring to the table. Keep this email short, friendly and to the point. Don’t be afraid to follow-up if they don’t respond within the first two weeks! Your message might have just gotten lost in their inbox. You’ll also want to update your resumé to attach to the email be sure to include any relevant coursework, accomplishments, and experience in the field.

Types of research opportunities for high school students

1. do a structured research program in high school.

Structured research programs are excellent ways to gain experience under some top researchers and university faculty, and often include stays at actual labs or college campuses with a wide variety of peers, mentors, and faculty. Examples of some competitive research programs include Research Science Institute (RSI) hosted by MIT, the Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS) offered by Carnegie Mellon, and a program hosted by the Baker Institute at Rice University for students interested in political science. For more options, here’s a list of 24 programs for this upcoming summer that we’ve compiled for you!

Another great way of deep-diving into an area of your interest and doing university-level research is through 1-1 mentorship.

Lumiere Research Scholar Program

Founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers, Lumiere offers its own structured research programs in which ambitious high school students work 1-1 with top PhDs and develop and independent research paper.

Students have had the opportunity to work on customized research projects across STEM, social sciences, AI and business. Lumiere’s growing network of mentors currently has over 700, carefully selected PhDs from top universities who are passionate about leading the next generation of researchers. The program is fully virtual! You can find the application form here .

Also check out the Lumiere Research inclusion Foundation , a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students.

Veritas AI’s Summer Fellowship Program

Veritas AI has a range of AI programs for ambitious high school students , starting from close-group, collaborative learning to customized project pathways with 1:1 mentorship . The programs have been designed and run by Harvard graduate students & alumni.

In the AI Fellowship, you will create a novel AI project independently with the support of a mentor over 12-15 weeks. Examples of past projects can be found here .

Apply now !

2. Work with a professor in high school

Research typically asks for an advisor, professional, or mentor. So how does someone end up doing research with a researcher in high school? The very first thing you need to do is identify an area of interest. If you really enjoy biology at school, perfect. If you find history fascinating, you’ve found your topic. The important thing is that you’re truly interested in this area; any discipline is fair game!

3. Participate in competitions and fairs

There are many research competitions and fairs available for high school students to participate in. For example, the Davidson Institute offers cash scholarships for student projects in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature, music, or philosophy. The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair is a particularly well-known competition for students who have completed independent research projects. Research fairs are a great way to motivate students in pursuing their own interests, showing initiative and drive. Winning a competition also looks great on a resumé! Check out Lumiere’s guide to research competitions here .

4. Pursue your own passion projects

A passion project can mean more than just a presentation made for competition. For example, a student I know created an app to track music trends at our school and then analyzed the data on his own—just for fun! It was a great story to include on his future internship applications. Take a look at Lumiere’s guide for passion projects here .

5. Write a research paper

Once you’ve pursued your own research project, writing a research paper is a next great step. This way, you have a writing sample you’ll be able to send to colleges as an additional supplement, or to labs and researchers for future opportunities. It’s also a fantastic exercise in writing. We know that many high school students might struggle with learning how to write a research paper on their own. This is something you might work with your high school science teacher on, or with the guidance of a Lumiere mentor.

6. Research internships

These can be standalone or part of a research program. In looking for a more structured research experience, a research internship can be particularly valuable in building strong foundations in research. There are always tons of internship opportunities available in all different fields, some as specific as medical research . If you are wondering how to get a research internship in high school, then check out our blog posts and apply!

Things to keep in mind when working with a researcher.

You’ve gotten into a research program! Now you want to do the best job possible. There are a few things to keep in mind while conducting research.

1. Maintain a professional and friendly demeanor

Chances are, there are many things you don’t know or haven’t learned about this field. The important thing is to keep an open mind and remain eager to learn. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or to offer to help with anything, even if it’s not in your job description. Your mentor will appreciate your willingness to adapt, follow procedures, and engage with challenging material.

2. Keep track of what’s happening

Open up your notes app or get a small journal to remember what has happened in each step of the process. I remember the hardest part of writing my college essays was the very beginning: trying to come up with a list of memorable moments to talk about. If you’re looking to write about your research experience in your college application, you need to remember the moments where you struggled, where you learned, where you almost gave up but didn’t, where you realized something, even the moment you first stepped into the lab! If you are given feedback: write that down! If you are asked to reflect on everything you learned: write that down! This will be incredibly important for now and for later.

3. Ask questions

Not only is your mentor there as a potential future recommender, but they are also there to help you learn as much as possible. Absorb as much as you can from them! Ask as many questions as you can about their career, their previous research, their education, their own moments of realization, etc. This will help you discover what this career really entails and what you might look for in navigating your own future career.

Making the most out of your research: How to publish a research paper in high school

A question we often get is whether or not you need to publish your research for you to mention it in your college application. While the answer is no, the experience is a great one to have and definitely allows your work to stand out amongst your peers. Lumiere has published a complete guide to publishing research in high school here . What’s important to keep in mind is that there are various journals that specifically accept high school research reports and papers, such as the Concord Review or the Journal of Emerging Investigators. In our articles below, we go through a detailed guide of what these journals are and how a student might best approach the submission process.

Useful guides for publishing a research paper in high school

The Concord Review: The Complete Guide To Getting In (lumiere-education.com)

The John Locke Essay Competition

The Complete Guide to the Journal of Emerging Investigators (lumiere-education.com)

Research is an incredibly rewarding learning experience for everyone. While high school may seem early, it’s always better to start sooner rather than later, both for your college applications and for your own personal progress. Although the process may seem daunting at first, we hope we’ve broken it down in a way that’s simple and digestible. And if you want extra support, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program is always here to help!

Amelia is a current junior at Harvard College studying art history with a minor in economics. She’s enthusiastic about music, movies, and writing, and is excited to help Lumiere’s students as much as she can!

The Complete Guide to Independent Research Projects for High School Students

Indigo Research Team

If you want to get into top universities, an independent research project will give your application the competitive edge it needs.

Writing and publishing independent research during high school lets you demonstrate to top colleges and universities that you can deeply inquire into a topic, think critically, and produce original analysis. In fact, MIT features "Research" and "Maker" portfolio sections in its application, highlighting the value it places on self-driven projects.

Moreover, successfully executing high-quality research shows potential employers that you can rise to challenges, manage your time, contribute new ideas, and work independently. 

This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to take on independent study ideas and succeed. You’ll learn how to develop a compelling topic, conduct rigorous research, and ultimately publish your findings.

What is an Independent Research Project?

An independent research project is a self-directed investigation into an academic question or topic that interests you. Unlike projects assigned by teachers in class, independent research will allow you to explore your curiosity and passions.

These types of projects can vary widely between academic disciplines and scientific fields, but what connects them is a step-by-step approach to answering a research question. Specifically, you will have to collect and analyze data and draw conclusions from your analysis.

For a high school student, carrying out quality research may still require some mentorship from a teacher or other qualified scholar. But the project research ideas should come from you, the student. The end goal is producing original research and analysis around a topic you care about.

Some key features that define an independent study project include:

● Formulating your own research question

● Designing the methodology

● Conducting a literature review of existing research

● Gathering and analyzing data, and

● Communicating your findings.

The topic and scope may be smaller than a professional college academic project, but the process and skills learned have similar benefits.

Why Should High School Students Do Independent Research?

High school students who engage in independent study projects gain valuable skills and experiences that benefit and serve them well in their college and career pursuits. Here's a breakdown of what you will typically acquire:

Develop Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills

Research and critical thinking are among the top 10 soft skills in demand in 2024 . They help you solve new challenges quickly and come up with alternative solutions

An independent project will give you firsthand experience with essential research skills like forming hypotheses, designing studies, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting results. These skills will serve you well in college and when employed in any industry.

Stand Out for College Applications

With many applicants having similar GPAs and test scores, an Independent research study offer a chance to stand out from the crowd. Completing a research study in high school signals colleges that you are self-motivated and capable of high-level work. Showcasing your research process, findings, and contributions in your application essays or interviews can boost your application's strengths in top-level colleges and universities.

Earn Scholarship Opportunities

Completing an independent research project makes you a more preferred candidate for merit-based scholarships, especially in STEM fields. Many scholarships reward students who show initiative by pursuing projects outside of class requirements. Your research project ideas will demonstrate your skills and motivation to impress scholarship committees. For example, the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology rewards students with original independent research projects in STEM fields. Others include the Garcia Summer Program and the BioGENEius challenge for life sciences.

Gain Subject Area Knowledge

Independent projects allow you to immerse yourself in a topic you genuinely care about beyond what is covered in the classroom. It's a chance to become an expert in something you're passionate about . You will build deep knowledge in the topic area you choose to research, which can complement what you're learning in related classes. This expertise can even help inform your career interests and goals.

Develop Time Management Skills

Time Management is the skill that lets you effectively plan and prioritize tasks and avoid procrastination. With no teacher guiding you step-by-step, independent study projects require strong time management, self-discipline, and personal responsibility – skills critical in college and adulthood.

Types of Independent Research Projects for High School Students

Understanding the different types and categories can spark inspiration if you need help finding an idea for an independent study. Topics for independent research generally fall into a few main buckets:

Science Experiments

For students interested in STEM fields, designing and carrying out science experiments is a great option. Test a hypothesis, collect data, and draw conclusions. Experiments in physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, and psychology are common choices. Science experiment is best for self-motivated students with access to lab equipment.

Social Science Surveys and Studies  

Use research methods from sociology, political science, anthropology, economics, and psychology to craft a survey study or field observation around a high school research project idea that interests you. Collect data from peers, your community, and online sources, and compile findings. Strong fit for students interested in social studies.

Literary Analysis Paper

This research category involves analyzing existing research papers, books, and articles on a specific topic. Imagine exploring the history of robots, examining the impact of social media on mental health, or comparing different interpretations of a classic novel. If you are an English enthusiast, this is an easy chance to showcase your analytical writing skills.

Programming or Engineering Project

For aspiring programmers or engineers, you can take on practical student projects that develop software programs, apps, websites, robots, electronic gadgets, or other hands-on engineering projects. This type of project will easily highlight your technical skills and interest in computer science or engineering fields in your college applications

Historical Research

History research projects will allow you to travel back and uncover the past to inform the future. This research involves analyzing historical documents, artifacts, and records to shed light on a specific event or period. For example, you can conduct independent research on the impact of a local historical figure or the evolution of fashion throughout the decades. Check to explore even more history project ideas for high school students .

Artistic and Creative Works

If you are artistic and love creating art,  you can explore ideas for independent study to produce an original film, musical composition, sculpture, painting series, fashion line, or other creative work. Alongside the tangible output, document your creative process and inspirations.

Bonus Tip: Feel free to mix different ideas for your project. For example, you could conduct a literature review on a specific historical event and follow it up with field research that interviewed people who experienced the event firsthand.

How To Conduct an Independent Research Project

Now that you have ideas for project topics that match your interests and strengths, here are the critical steps you must follow to move from mere concept to completed study.

1. Get Expert Guidance and Mentorship

As a high school student just starting out in research, it is advised to collaborate with more experienced mentors who will help you learn the ropes of research projects easily. Mentors are usually professors, post-doctoral researchers, or graduate students with significant experience in conducting independent project research and can guide you through the process. 

Specifically, your mentor will advise you on formulating research questions, designing methodologies, analyzing data, and communicating findings effectively. To quickly find mentors in your research project area of interest, enroll in an online academic research mentorship program that targets high school students. You’d be exposed to one-on-one sessions with professors and graduate students that will help you develop your research and publish your findings.

The right mentor can also help transform your independent project ideas into a study suitable for publication in relevant research journals. With their experience, mentors will guide you to follow the proper research methods and best practices. This ensures your work meets the standards required, avoiding rejection from journals. 

2. Develop a Compelling Research Question

Once you are familiar with the type of independent research best suited to your strengths and interests, as explained in the previous section, the next step is to develop a question you want to answer in that field. This is called a research question and will serve as the foundation for your entire project.

The research question will drive your entire project, so it needs to be complex enough to merit investigation but clear enough to study. Here are some ts for crafting your research question:

●  Align your research question(s) with topics you are passionate about and have some background knowledge. You will spend a significant amount of time on this question.

●  Consult with your mentor teacher or professor to get feedback and guidance on developing a feasible, meaningful question

●  Avoid overly broad questions better suited for doctoral dissertations. Narrow your focus to something manageable, but that still intrigues you.

●  Pose your research question as an actual question, like "How does social media usage affect teen mental health?" The question should lay out the key variables you'll be investigating.

●  Ensure your question and desired approach are ethically sound. You may need permission to study human subjects.

●  Conduct preliminary research to ensure your question hasn't already been answered. You want to contribute something new to your field.

With a compelling research question as your compass, you're ready to start your independent study project. Remember to stay flexible; you may need to refine the question further as your research develops.

3. Set a Timeline and Write a Proposal

After defining your research question, the next step is to map out a timeline for completing your research project. This will keep you organized and help you develop strong time management skills.

Start by creating a schedule that outlines all major milestones from start to finish. In your schedule, allow plenty of time for research, experimentation, data analysis, and compiling your report. Always remember to build in some cushion for unexpected delays.

Moreover, you can use tools like Gantt charts to design a timeline for an independent research project . Gantt charts help you visualize your research project timeline at a glance. See the video below for a tutorial on designing a Gantt chart to plan your project schedule:

[YouTube Video on How to Make a Gantt Chart: https://youtu.be/un8j6QqpYa0?si=C2_I0C_ZBXS73kZy ]

Research Proposal

To have a clear direction of the step-by-step process for your independent study, write a 1-2 page research proposal to outline your question, goals, methodology, timeline, resources, and desired outcomes. Get feedback from your mentor to improve the proposal before starting your research. 

Sticking to your timeline requires self-discipline. But strive to meet your goals and deadlines; it will build invaluable real-world skills in time and project management. With a plan in place, it's time to move forward with your research.

4. Do Your Research

This is the active phase where a student is conducting a research project. The specific method you will follow varies enormously based on your project type and field. You should have your methodology outlined in your approved research proposal already. However, most independent research has a similar basic process:

• Review existing studies : Perform a literature review to understand current knowledge on your topic and inform your own hypothesis/framework. Read relevant studies, articles, and papers.
• Create methodology materials : Design your independent research methodology for gathering data. This may involve experiments, surveys, interviews, field observations, or analysis of existing artifacts like texts or datasets.
• Permissions and Equipment :  Secure any necessary equipment and permissions. For example, if doing interviews, you'll need a recording device and consent from participants.
• Collect your data : For science projects, perform experiments and record results. For surveys, recruit respondents and compile responses. Gather enough data to draw valid conclusions.
• Analyze the data using appropriate techniques : Quantitative data may involve statistical analysis, while qualitative data requires coding for themes. Consult your mentor for direction.
• Interpret the findings : Take care not to overstate conclusions. Look for patterns and relationships that shed light on your research question. Always maintain rigorous objectivity.

While a student's project methodology and its execution are unique, ensure you follow the standard practices in your field of interest to ensure high-quality acceptable results. You can always refer to the plan in your research proposal as you diligently carry out the steps required to execute your study. Ensure you have detailed records that document all your processes.  

5. Write Your Final Paper and Presentation

Once you've completed your research, it's time to summarize and share your findings with the world by writing the final paper and designing its presentation. This involves synthesizing your work into clear, compelling reporting.

Drafting the paper will likely involve extensive writing and editing. Be prepared to go through multiple revisions to get the paper polished. Follow the standard format used in academic papers in your field;  your mentor can provide you with examples of independent study related to yours. The final product should include: 

• Abstract : A short summary of your project and conclusions.
• Introduction : Background on your topic, goals, and research questions.
• Literature Review : Summary of relevant existing research in your field.
• Methods : Detailed explanation of the methodology and process of your study.
• Results : Presentation of the data and main findings from your research. Using visual representations like charts was helpful.
• Discussion : Objective interpretation and analysis of the results and their significance.
• Conclusion : Summary of your research contributions, limitations, and suggestions for future work.
• References/Bibliography : Full citations for all sources referenced.

Adhere to clear academic writing principles to keep your writing objective and straightforward. Generally, stick to a 10-15 page length limit appropriate for student work. However, you may need to write more depending on your project type.

6. Research Presentation

After writing your research project report, you should prepare a presentation to share your research orally. Moreover, a research presentation is a tangible opportunity to practice public speaking and visual communication skills. Your presentation will include slides, handouts, demonstrations, or other aids to engage your audience and highlight key points in your independent study project.

Once you have written your final paper, you will likely want to publish it in relevant journals and publications. For detailed tips see our guide on how to publish your student research paper . Some options you have to formally publish your high school-level independent research include:

• Submitting your paper to academic journals and competitions
• Presenting at symposiums and science fairs
• Sharing on online research databases
• Adding your work to college applications

Publishing your independent project allows you to share your findings with broader scholarly and student audiences. It also helps amplify the impact of all your hard work.

Independent Research Project Examples

To spark creative ideas for independent research projects, it can be helpful to read through and examine examples of successful projects completed by other high school students in recent years. Here are some inspiring examples:

●  Using machine learning to diagnose cancer based on blood markers (bioinformatics)

●  Applying feature engineering and natural language processing to analyze Twitter data (data science)

●  Investigating connections between stress levels and HIV/AIDS progression (health science)

●  The Relationship between Color and Human Experience

These published i ndependent research project examples demonstrate the impressive research high schoolers take on using the Indigo research service with mentors from different fields. Let these case studies motivate your creative investigation and analysis of the best ideas for your project.

Need Mentorship for Your Independent Research Project?

As outlined in this guide, conducting a rigorous independent research study can be challenging without proper guidance from experts, especially for high school students. This is why partnering with an experienced research mentor is so crucial if your goal is to produce publishable research work.

With Indigo's structured research programs and ongoing expert feedback, you can elevate your high school independent study to a professional level. To get matched with the perfect research mentor aligned with your academic interests and passions, apply to Indigo Research now.

Indigo Research connects high school students with PhD-level researchers and professors who provide one-on-one mentorship through the entire research process - from refining your initial topic idea all the way through analyzing data, writing up results, and finalizing your findings.

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31 Research Opportunities + Internships for High Schoolers in 2024

What’s covered:.

• Research Opportunities and Internships for High School Students
• How to Find Research Opportunities in High School
• How Will Doing Research Impact Your College Chances?

Research drives innovation across every field of study, from natural sciences to health to history. Pursuing curiosity can impact industries, drive policy, and help us to better understand the world around us. Without curiosity and research, our society would surely stagnate. 

Contrary to popular belief, however, you don’t have to be a seasoned professional to conduct meaningful research. There are plenty of opportunities for high school students to get a head start on their future careers and contribute to substantial change. Keep reading to learn about 30 great opportunities for students looking for early chances to conduct research! 

Research Opportunities and Internships for High School Students 

1. memorial sloan kettering human oncology and pathogenesis program.

Application Deadline: February 9

Location: New York, NY

Duration: Eight weeks (June 27 – August 22)

Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) is one of the most well-known cancer centers in the world. The Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP) at MSK hosts a Summer Student Program for students to conduct independent research projects while participating in extracurricular activities, training, and other opportunities.  

During the eight-week program, participants work with a mentor who will act as a supervisor to help them develop their research skills. Additionally, students have the opportunity to complete an independent research project that aligns with their mentor’s work. All participants will present their projects at a poster session at the end of the summer.

To participate, you must have completed at least 9th grade by June 2024, be at least 14 years old by June 27, have a 3.5 GPA in science subjects, and submit two letters of recommendation. This is a paid opportunity—participants will receive a stipend. 

2. Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program  

Application Deadline: January 5 

Duration: Seven weeks (June 24 – August 8) 

The Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program allows high school students to conduct real, innovative research over seven weeks through the renowned Rockefeller University, under the guidance of leading scientists. 

SSRP scholars will be able to design and conduct their own research project as part of a themed research track, which is modeled after a Rockefeller research topic and/or technique, with the help of scientist mentors from the Rockefeller community. Most of the research will be conducted in the RockEDU Laboratory—a 3,000-square-foot research space specifically dedicated to developing biomedical research skills.

Students must be at least 16 years old by the start of the program to participate.  

3. Lumiere Research Scholar Program

Application Deadline : Varies by cohort. Main summer deadlines are March 15, April 15, and May 15

Location:  Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!

Duration: Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year

Founded by Harvard & Oxford researchers, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program pairs high-school students with PhD mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project . At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have written an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as medicine, computer science, psychology, physics, economics, data science, business, engineering, biology, and international relations.

This program is designed to accommodate your schedule—you can participate in the summer, fall, winter, or spring, and the program is also conducted fully remotely. While you must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate high academic achievement (most students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3), no previous knowledge of your field of interest is required. The cost of the program ranges from $2,800 to $8,900, but financial aid is available.

Note that this is a selective program. Last year, over 4000 students applied for 500 spots in the program. You can find more details about the application here .

4. Research Science Institute (RSI)

Application Deadline: December 13 

Location: Cambridge, MA

Duration: Five weeks (June 23 – August 3) 

The prestigious RSI, which takes place at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) annually, brings together 100 of the world’s top high school students. The free program blends on-campus coursework with off-campus science and technology research. 

Participants complete individual research projects while receiving mentorship from experienced scientists and researchers, and present their findings through oral and written reports in a conference-style setting at the end of the program. 

5. NYU Tandon – Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering (ARISE)

Application Deadline: March 6

Duration: 10  weeks (June 3 – August 9)

Open to New York City high school students who will complete 10th or 11th grade in June 2024, the ARISE program provides access to college-level workshops and lab research across fields like bio, molecular, and chemical engineering, robotics, computer science, and AI.

Over the course of 10 weeks—four virtual and six in person—participants will receive guidance from graduate or postdoctoral students at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. 

6. Simons Summer Research Program

Application Deadline: February 7

Location: Stony Brook, NY

Duration: Five weeks (July 1 – August 9) 

During Stony Brook ’s Simons Summer Research Program, high school students conduct hands-on research in areas like science, math, and engineering while working with faculty mentors. Simons Fellows have the opportunity to join real research teams and learn about laboratory equipment and techniques. They also attend weekly faculty research talks and participate in special workshops, tours, and events. 

At the closing poster symposium, students will receive a stipend for their participation. To apply, you must be at least 16 years old by the start of the program and currently be in your junior year. 

7. SPARK Summer Mentorship Program

Application Deadline: N/A

Location: Greater Seattle area

Duration: 8-10 weeks 

SPARK is a summer mentorship program that pairs high-achieving and highly motivated high schoolers with industry experts, university professors, and mentors to conduct research on customers and financial markets. The program is only open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.  

8. MDI Biological Laboratory – Biomedical Bootcamp 2024

Application Deadline: March 18 

Location: Bar Harbor, ME

Duration: One week (July 15 – 19) 

In this bootcamp, students will receive a hands-on introduction to biomedical research at MDI Biological Laboratory. Participants will learn essential scientific skills such as experimental design and hypothesis testing, cutting-edge laboratory techniques, data analysis, bioinformatics, and scientific communication. 

During the program, scientists and bioentrepreneurs at the lab will help participants explore scientific ethics at large, as well as career paths in biomedicine, research, and entrepreneurship in Maine and beyond.

Participants must be at least 16 years old by the start of the program and must be entering their junior or senior year in September 2024, or graduating in June 2024. 

9. Boston University – Research in Science & Engineering (RISE) Internship  

Application Deadline: February 14  

Location: Boston, MA

Duration: Six weeks (June 30 – August 9)  

RISE is a six-week program for rising seniors with an interest in pursuing a major and/or career in STEM. There are a multitude of tracks available, in areas such as astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, and neuroscience. In each track, students conduct research under the mentorship of Boston University faculty, postdoctoral fellows, or graduate students. They will also attend weekly workshops with their peers. 

10. The Wistar Institute – High School Program in Biomedical Research

Application Deadline: March 31 

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Duration: Four weeks (July 15 – August 8) 

A leading biomedical research organization, The Wistar Institute is an ideal setting for students to learn research skills. Participants will complete their own research project while being trained in a principal investigator’s laboratory. They’ll also attend seminars, receive mentorship, and deliver a final presentation about their work.

Students are expected to participate Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Absences of more than two consecutive days cannot be accommodated. Students will receive a stipend of $1,000 upon completion of the program, to compensate for commuting costs or other personal expenses accrued during the program. 

11. California Academy of Sciences – Careers in Science (CiS) Intern Program

Application Deadline: April 1, 2024

Location: San Francisco, CA

Duration: Multi-year, year-round participation (after school and on weekends)

This long term program gives San Francisco students from communities that are underrepresented in STEM the opportunity to learn about the world of science and sustainability. Students receive mentorship, develop career skills, and more—all while getting paid for their work. Students also attend workshops and conferences throughout the course of the program. 

12. NASA OSTEM Internship

Application Deadline: February 2

Location: Varies

Duration: Varies

NASA offers a variety of internships for high school students across its numerous campuses. Interns gain real-world work experience by working side by side with research scientists and engineers, which will strengthen their resume and help prepare them for their eventual careers. All participants must be at least 16 years old and enrolled in high school full time.

13. New-York Historical Society Student Historian Internship Program

Application Deadline: April 7

Duration: July 9 – August 15

Not all research is conducted in STEM subjects! Developed for students interested in history, the New-York Historical Society’s Student Historian Program gives participants the opportunity to conduct research on a history topic—2024’s theme is Our Composite Nation: Frederick Douglass’ America . During the program, participants will work with historian mentors, visit history archives around New York City, lead gallery tours, and develop their historical thinking, communication, and digital media skills.

Applicants must be entering grades 10, 11, or 12, and live in the New York City metro area. This opportunity is unpaid for most participants, but some interns with demonstrated financial need can potentially receive a stipend.

14. Adler Planetarium Summer High School Internship  

Application Deadline: March 1

Location: Chicago, IL

Duration: Six weeks (July 8 – August 14)

During this summer internship program, students will learn about the Adler Planetarium and the career opportunities within it and planetariums and museums in general, in areas ranging from Visitor Experience and Learning to Research. Students will also get the chance to see how research gets translated into a museum experience. 

15. Zuckerman Institute Brain Research Apprenticeships in New York at Columbia University (BRAINYAC)

Application Deadline: TBA for 2025 program

Duration: Eight weeks  

BRAINYAC participants receive the rare opportunity to work on research in a lab at Columbia University , one of the most prestigious institutions in the world, as high school students, which results in a stronger, more comprehensive understanding of how scientific discovery happens. They connect with real scientists, acquire essential research and laboratory skills, and learn about advances in neuroscience research. 

In order to apply, you must be in 10th or 11th grade and must be nominated by one of the program’s partners—S-PREP, Lang Youth Medical, Double Discovery Center, Columbia Secondary School, or BioBus.  

16. Brookfield Zoo King Conservation Science Scholars Program

Application Deadline: Rolling admission 

Location: Brookfield, IL

Duration: N/A

Interactive workshops, fun activities, research, and community-based projects are at the core of this exciting internship. It’s an excellent opportunity for students who love animals and also want to gain research skills in the domains of zoology, environmental science, and conservation. 

As a King Scholar, you’ll learn about different topics through Foundation Courses, such as Diversity Awareness and Introduction to Conservation, all while networking with others and preparing for college and an eventual career in a related field. After one year of participation, you’ll be invited to apply for scholarships and paid positions at the zoo. 

17. The Science Research Mentoring Program (SRMP) at the American Museum of Natural History  

Application Deadline: March 8

Duration: One year (August to June) 

The American Museum of Natural History is one of the most iconic and fascinating places in New York City. Its Science Research Mentoring Program is an amazing opportunity for NYC high school students to conduct a yearlong research project with Museum scientists. 

Students in SRMP get paid to learn how scientific research is conducted. Depending on their topic of study, students can learn a variety of different research skills, like working with DNA in the lab, analyzing data from space-based telescopes, reading scientific articles, and learning to code and analyze data in Python, R, and other programming languages. 

18. Anson L. Clark Scholars Program

Application Deadline:   February 15

Location: Lubbock, TX

Duration: Seven weeks (June 16 – August 1) 

Through the Anson L. Clark Scholar Program, an intensive seven-week summer research program for twelve highly qualified high school juniors and seniors, students will gain hands-on experience with practical research alongside experienced and knowledgeable faculty at Texas Tech University .

Students can choose to participate in research in one field from a broad variety of options, including cell and molecular biology, chemistry, computer science, economics, engineering, history, and more! 

To apply, students must complete an online application that includes short essays, high school transcripts, test scores (at least a PSAT if no others are available), three recommendations (at least two from teachers), and a list of the student’s top five activities.

19. UChicago Data Science Institute Summer Lab Program  

Application Deadline: January 16 

Duration: Eight weeks (June 10 – August 2)

The Data Science Institute Summer Lab Program is an immersive eight-week paid summer research program at the University of Chicago . During the program, high school and undergraduate students are paired with a data science mentor, whose expertise could be in computer science, data science, social science, climate and energy policy, public policy, materials science, biomedical research, or another related field.

Participants will hone their research methodology, research practice, and teamwork skills. No prior research experience is required to apply. All participants will receive access to applied data science research, which they will use to craft a research project. The project findings will be presented in a video that will be shown at an end-of-summer symposium.

20. UT Austin College of Natural Sciences High School Research Academy

Application Deadline: March 24

Location: Austin, TX

Duration: Five weeks (June 10 – July 17) 

Through UT Austin ’s HSRA, high school students participate in interdisciplinary research projects being conducted by active College of Natural Sciences laboratories in fields such as biochemistry, biology, environmental science, genetics, neuroscience, genome engineering, data analytics, ecology, and more. 

There is a scholarship fund for underserved groups, so some stipends and free tuition scholarships may be available to students with demonstrated financial need. 

21. Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience – Summer Research Internship

Location: Jupiter, FL

Duration: Six weeks (June 17 – July 26) 

The MPFI Summer Research Internship offers rising juniors and seniors an immersive laboratory experience where they can learn from seasoned researchers. The program is designed specifically for students with an interest in brain structure, function and development, and the advanced imaging techniques and technologies used in neuroscience. 

Program participants will participate in research projects alongside MPFI scientists, prepare a written scientific abstract based on their research project, and deliver a short presentation at the end of the summer. Research tracks include neuroscience, scientific computer programming, and mechanical engineering as it relates to neuroscience.

Applicants must be entering their junior or senior years in a Palm Beach or Martin County high school, be residents of one of those two counties, and be at least 16 by the beginning of the internship. Interns will be paid at a rate of $12.50 per hour.

22. Lincoln Park Zoo Malott Family Zoo Intern Program

Application Deadline: March 11 

Duration: Seven weeks (June 24 – August 9) 

During this paid seven-week program, high school students learn how to educate others about animal and conservation sciences while crafting digital messages to engage audiences. The program culminates in a final project. Throughout the internship, students meet with researchers and the Animal Care staff to explore careers in the animal science and conservation fields. 

Applicants must be Chicago residents between the ages of 15-18, and must be entering grades 10-12 or their freshman year of college by the start of the internship.

23. The Scripps Research High School Internship Program  

Application Deadline: April 19

Location: La Jolla, CA

Duration: Seven weeks  

The Scripps Research Institute’s La Jolla, California headquarters is proud to offer a seven-week hands-on research experience for San Diego County high schoolers. The program is specially designed to expose students to careers in the biological and chemical sciences, to provide hands-on laboratory experience, and to motivate and prepare students for continuing education in STEM. 

Because Scripps is committed to increasing the number of students from underrepresented communities in STEM college programs, a special emphasis is placed on identifying and recruiting students who are from groups that are historically underrepresented in the sciences. All students will receive a $4,760 stipend.

24. QuarkNet Summer Research Program  

Application Deadline: January 31

Location: DuPage County, IL

Duration: Seven weeks (June 17 – August 2) 

High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a strong interest in STEM have a unique opportunity to work with scientists on research projects during this paid seven-week program at the prestigious Fermilab, located just outside of Chicago near Batavia, IL.

Interns are encouraged to indicate areas in which they have a particular interest, although research projects vary yearly based on the work ongoing at the lab. Broadly speaking, Fermilab’s focus is on particle physics.

Required application materials include a questionnaire, a letter of recommendation, and an essay. To apply, students must have U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status and must provide evidence of identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Participants will be paid at a rate of $17.20 per hour.

25. RISE Environmentor Internship

Location: Far Rockaway, NY

Duration: Six weeks (July 1 – August 15)

The Environmentor Internship offers a great opportunity for 9th through 11th graders who live or attend school near the Rockaway Peninsula to gain firsthand research experience. Participants are mentored by scientists from local universities and research institutions as they work on projects focused on the Rockaway shoreline. Past research topics have included sea turtle strandings, octopus behavior, mussel denitrification, and dolphin fin morphology.

Students will also take part in water safety courses, receive CPR training, and explore on-water activities like kayaking and surfing. Students receive up to a $1,200 stipend, as well as community service hours for their participation in the program.

26. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)

Application Deadline: February 24

Location: Stanford, CA

Duration: Eight weeks (June 10 – August 1)

Students in this summer program are given the chance to perform research on a medically oriented project and work side by side with Stanford University students, researchers, and faculty. Students can choose from eight areas of research, including topics like immunology, cancer biology, and bioinformatics, which are all designed to increase their interest in the biological sciences and provide a deeper understanding of how scientific research is conducted.

The program is open to current high school juniors and seniors. Students will receive a minimum $500 stipend for their participation in the program.

27. Secondary Student Training Program

Application Deadline: February 16

Location: Iowa City, IA

Duration: June 19 – July 26

High schoolers in grades 10 and 11 can take part in an immersive research experience, which will allow them to explore their interests, enhance their academic skills, and build relationships with their peers during this research-focused summer program.

Participants can choose from a multitude of research areas, ranging from biology to industrial and systems engineering to religious studies. The program culminates with students creating and presenting a poster of their findings. All participants will live on the University of Iowa ‘s campus for the duration of the program, and have access to all of the university’s libraries, study areas, and computer facilities.

Although this program is quite expensive, with a fee of $7,500, financial aid is available to cover up to 95% of the cost.

28. Young Scholars Summer STEMM Research Program

Location: Urbana, IL

Duration: Six weeks (June 20 – August 2)

This program, offered by the prestigious Grainger College of Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) , allows students to gain hands-on research experience in fields such as cancer immunology, AI, physics, quantum mechanics, and electrical engineering. They will also build valuable general life skills by participating in seminars on topics ranging from the college admission process to how to communicate scientifically.

The program is open to rising 10th through 12th graders from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

29. Summer Science Program (SSP)

Duration: Varies depending on location and field of focus

Students in the SSP get the chance to work in small teams on a real research project and gain firsthand experience taking and analyzing data. Research opportunities are offered in three fields—astrophysics, biochemistry, and genomics—and are held at a variety of institutions, including University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Georgetown University , Purdue University , and New Mexico State University .

The program is open to high school juniors, although a small number of exceptional sophomores have attended the program. You must be between 15-19 to participate, and have completed prerequisite coursework, which varies by field. Financial aid is available for this program.

30. The Jackson Laboratory Summer Student Program

Application Deadline: January 29

Location: Bar Harbor, ME, and Farmington, CT

Duration: 10 weeks (June 1 – August 10)

Students immerse themselves in genetics and genomics research while learning about laboratory discovery and scientific communication, as well as building professional skills. Over the course of the 10-week program, students work with a mentor to develop a research project, implement their plan, analyze their data, and report their results.

This prestigious program is competitive. Just 40 students are selected to participate annually. Participants receive a $6,500 stipend and have their room, board, and travel expenses covered.

31. Fred Hutch Summer High School Internship Program

Application Deadline: March 31

Location: Seattle, WA

Duration: Eight weeks (June 24 – August 16) 

This full-time, paid internship opportunity offers students a chance to immerse themselves in activities at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, one of the top cancer research centers in the world. The program begins with two weeks of laboratory training and is followed by six weeks of mentored activities, research seminars, workshops focused on college and careers, and social activities.

The program is open to high schoolers entering their senior year with a strong interest in science and high academic achievement, and is specifically aimed at students from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical science. Interns receive a stipend upon successful completion of the program.

How to Find Research Opportunities in High School 

Define your area of interest .

Before you start looking for opportunities, narrow your area of interest a bit, whether it’s cancer, engineering, computer science, neuroscience, or something else entirely. Also bear in mind that while there may be more STEM opportunities available for high school students, research isn’t limited to these fields—research is also a key component of the social sciences, humanities, and other non-STEM fields. 

While you should be somewhat specific about what you’re hoping to research, don’t narrow your scope so much that it’s impossible to find a valuable opportunity, especially since opportunities for high schoolers in general are more limited than they are for students who have completed at least some college.

Talk to People in Your Immediate Circle 

Teachers, neighbors, your family, parents of friends, friends of your parents—any of these people could know about a research opportunity for you, or at least know someone else who does. Throughout your life, you will find that networking is often the key to finding career opportunities. 

Leveraging your network can help you uncover unique opportunities crowdsourced by the people who know you best—the best opportunities aren’t always hosted by large universities or programs. 

Reach Out to Local Institutions and Laboratories 

In addition to networking with your immediate circle, reach out to local facilities, such as labs, hospitals, clinics, and universities that conduct research. Even if opportunities aren’t publicized, these institutions and laboratories may be willing to make room for you. Remember: when pitching your idea, don’t make it too niche—this will make it more difficult to find a fit and market your skills to labs. 

Cast a Wide Net 

Research opportunities are hard to secure, especially when you’re a young student, so you need to be persistent. You may need to write a hundred emails, but if you put in the effort and cast a wide net, you’ll vastly improve your chances of landing a great opportunity. 

Try not to be too picky, either. Of course, you shouldn’t just accept any offer , especially if it doesn’t appeal to you. But even if the opportunity doesn’t align perfectly with your skills and interests, it can still be a great chance to gain experience and make you a better candidate for future experiences.

How Will Doing Research Impact Your College Chances? 

How much participating in research enhances your college admissions profile depends on many factors, including the scope of the project, the prestige of the program or institution, your individual role and performance, the institution’s connections to or sponsorships by certain colleges, and even how much weight a college places on extracurricular activities in general. 

Generally speaking, there are four tiers of extracurricular activities that colleges think about when reviewing applicants’ activities. Selective, competitive, and prestigious activities are often found in the top tiers, Tier 1 and Tier 2. Tier 1 includes things such as being a highly recruited basketball player or an award-winning national science fair competitor. 

Tier 2 is similar, but is usually reserved for activities that are less exceptional than those in Tier 1. Tiers 3 and 4 are reserved for more common extracurricular achievements, such as holding school leadership positions or being a member of a debate team.

Research usually falls into Tier 2, and some particularly prestigious opportunities could even be Tier 1. That’s because it’s somewhat unusual for high school students to conduct research in professional and collegiate settings, so it’s more likely to impress colleges than other kinds of extracurricular activities.

Do you want to find out the impact research and other extracurricular activities might have on your chances of admission to top colleges and universities? Try using CollegeVine’s free chancing calculator ! 

Our tool evaluates your admissions profile, by accounting for factors like your grades,standardized test scores, and extracurriculars (including research!) to show you how you stack up against other applicants and how likely you are to get into hundreds of different colleges and universities. You’ll also receive tips on how to improve your profile and your odds—all for free.

Disclaimer: This post includes content sponsored by Lumiere Education.

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Articles & Advice > Majors and Academics > Blog

Why and How You Can Get Into Research in High School

Conducting a research project in high school can give you a huge leg up on your college applications. Here's why it's important and how to find opportunities.

by Stephen Turban Director, Lumiere Education

Last Updated: Mar 16, 2023

Originally Posted: Mar 9, 2022

As standardized tests are becoming optional for many major colleges and universities, admission teams are looking for new ways to distinguish between strong candidates. Qualitative opportunities like research projects have grown in popularity for students applying to college. These projects showcase passion and help provide proof of depth of a student’s abilities. Many students may be interested in doing research but often face the problem of how to get started. Where do you find research opportunities in high school? What should you look for? Here’s why research experience is so important for students and college admission, plus different ways to get into it.

Why do research in high school?

Research is becoming increasingly common for high school students. It’s a great way to explore areas of interest more deeply and develop academic passions—and not just in STEM fields. As a director of the Lumiere Research Scholar Program , I’ve seen students gain a truly world-class level of knowledge in fields they’re interested in through independent research. Students have investigated the strongest machine learning algorithm to detect cell nuclei, novel ways to detect ocean health in the high seas, and comparisons of 14 th -century Japanese and 19 th -century Impressionist art. In each project, students leave with a unique, deep understanding of the area they explored.

Research experience also has benefits when students apply to colleges and universities. In a recent survey of students who did research in high school, 99% of them used their experience in some way in the application for early admission. In addition, students who had done research were 26% more likely to be accepted to an Ivy League school for Early Action or Early Decision admission than the average applicant. As researchers, we want to be careful not to draw a causal link between these two. But what is true is that students who get into top schools are more likely to do research.

Related: Easy Ways to Find Research Experience in High School

How to find research opportunities

If research is so valuable, how do you find opportunities to do it? Unlike in college, where research universities often provide opportunities for students to get involved, high schools rarely provide chances for research in the curriculum—AP Research or the IB extended essay being notable exceptions. With this in mind, there are two main ways to get research experience in high school.

Research programs

Your first option is to find a research program designed for high school students. This could range from highly competitive national programs like MIT’s Research Science Institute to programs that are only available for local populations. There’s also been an increase in online research programs that provide opportunities for students to work with researchers, like this list of 24 research programs that are available this upcoming summer that students could consider. 

Cold-emailing professors and networking

Another way to pursue research is to try contacting a college faculty member directly. This can be a great way to find a research mentor and get involved in a project. If you have any connections to faculty members through family or your school, this is probably the most effective first step. This usually means there will already be some level of trust between the faculty member and you as the student, making it more likely for the researcher to take you on. If you don’t have any personal connections, try cold-emailing faculty members. To do this, you need to create an example email that shows why you’re interested in working with the faculty member and what you would add to the project. Here’s an example email to a professor who has done research on open offices:

Subject: Helping your research—Rock Bridge High School junior

Hi Professor Smith,

This is Stephen—a rising junior at Rock Bridge High School. I recently read your research paper on open offices in the Harvard Business Review , was fascinated, and wanted to reach out. Would you have 15 minutes to discuss how I could help your research?  

For a bit of background, I’ve spent the past three years working on my skills in Python and data analysis. I know that your research involves a lot of quantitative work, so I wanted to see if I could help out with that—or anything else that needs some work!

Long-term, I’m hoping to become researcher like you. So, I’d love the opportunity to work with a researcher that I admire like yourself!  

Yours, Stephen

The key here is to cast a wide net—you should try reaching out to at least 25 faculty members or PhD researchers—and show the value you can add to their work. Note how in this email I talk about how I have skills with Python that I could use to help Professor Smith’s research. I also try to draw a connection between him and myself by talking about my long-term ambitions to be a researcher. The key to email is keeping it short and to the point as well as making sure to follow up. Researchers are busy people, so they might miss your first email. Don’t be afraid to send a follow-up message. They’ll appreciate the persistence that shows!

Related: How to Write a Strong Professional Email People Will Read

How to showcase research experience on college applications

So let’s say you’ve done research—now what? How do you show it to potential schools? There are numerous ways to showcase your research in your college applications , from including it on your activities list to writing about it in some of your supplemental essays. In our most recent survey of Early Decision admits, we found that students who were accepted Early Decision and Early Action were 33% more likely to ask their research advisor for a letter of recommendation. The key is to make your research one data point in a broader story about you and your interests. It should connect to what you want to study and the other activities you’ve done. For example, one student who did research with us completed a project related to astrophysics. In her essay, she wrote about working as a stocker at a local grocery store and how some of these same astrophysics concepts related to the movement of customers in the store. The key is to make the research a proof point connected to other proof points of the type of student you are.

Does research need to be published to showcase?

A question I often get is whether you need to publish your research for colleges to take notice. The short answer is no—very few college students, much less high school students, will ever get their research published. There are some selective high school research publications you could consider. If a student gets published, it does give an added level of legitimacy to their research, but it’s certainly not necessary. The key is that the research process itself is rigorous and that you’re able to write about it clearly on your applications.

Related: Unique Ways to Stand Out on Your College Applications  

Research is hard but worthwhile. If you’re excited by a subject and would like to explore it more deeply, then research could be a great opportunity for you. It won’t be easy, and some papers can take years to finish!  But if you’re interested in it, you can join the emerging number of students who are doing research in high school!

Looking for research powerhouses to add to your college search? Check out our list of Excellent Research Universities   that are members of the American Association of Universities!

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About Stephen Turban

Stephen Turban is one of the founders of Lumiere Education  and a Harvard University graduate. He founded the Lumiere Research Scholar Program as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-on-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.

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NSF 101: High school students, undergraduate and post-baccalaureate scholar funding opportunities

The U.S. National Science Foundation supports multiple programs for high school, undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students to help fund research opportunities.

There are several ways to find these programs, including the funding search on NSF's website and the NSF Education & Training Application, or ETAP .

To help you begin your search, listed below are opportunities available for high school, undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students. Many of these opportunities require a principal investigator, or PI (a researcher who oversees a lab), to submit the grant proposal on behalf of the student. These include opportunities for supplemental awards, which require a PI to already have an active grant. Programs where students can submit proposals directly are noted by an asterisk (*); others require both a PI and their institution to apply.

If students need help finding a PI, they can search for researchers with NSF grants using the Awards Advanced Search . By checking the active awards box and typing in a university or research institution in the "Organization" box on the top right, or by selecting a state in the box underneath, students should be able to find PIs with active grants in their area. Students should then email the PIs to ask about research opportunities and if the investigator would be willing to submit the supplement request or grant.

High school students

• High School Student Research Assistantships (MPS-High) This supplemental grant aims to foster interest in mathematics and physical sciences for high school students. This grant is generally under $6,000 per student and should be submitted by a PI.  
• Research Assistantship for High School Students (RAHSS) RAHSS is a supplement for PIs with an active grant from the Directorate for Biological Sciences and aims to foster interest in pursuing biological sciences. This grant is generally less than $6,000 per student.

Undergraduate students

• Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) and Supplemental Awards * REU awards are designed for U.S. citizens, nationals or permanent residents who are undergraduates in any area funded by NSF. There are two ways to access this funding: 1) PIs may include REU awards [V(3]   as a supplemental for a new or renewal grant, or 2) students may apply to REU Sites at different research institutions. While NSF funds REU Sites, students apply via the sites, not NSF. Different sites may have different requirements, so be sure to check the requirements if interested. NSF has sites separated by topic.
• Astronomical Sciences
• Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
• Biological Sciences
• Computer and Information Science and Engineering
• Cyberinfrastructure
• Department of Defense
• Earth Sciences
• Engineering
• Ethics and Values Studies
• International Science and Engineering
• Materials Research
• Mathematical Sciences
• Ocean Sciences
• Polar Programs
• Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
• STEM Education
• Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program * This program provides scholarships, stipends and programmatic support to science, technology, engineering and mathematics majors or professionals who want to become K-12 teachers. Colleges, universities and other institutions (which can be found using the program's Project Locator ) determine the recipients, not NSF. There are also frequently asked questions , including what is considered a STEM major by the Noyce Program. There are three tracks: Track 1: Scholarships and Stipends This track provides a scholarship of $10,000 to full tuition for STEM majors and STEM professionals. For each year a person is on the scholarship, they are required to teach in high-need local school districts for two years within eight years of finishing their bachelor's degree. Track 2: Teaching Fellowships This track is for STEM professionals who want a master's degree with a teacher certification or licensure. Recipients receive $10,000 to full tuition for the final year of their degree if they are attending school full time or two years if part time. They must be a full-time teacher for four years in a high-need local school district within six years of graduating and take on a leadership role within the school or district. During these four years, they must receive an annual supplement of $10,000 per year. Track 3: Master Teaching Fellowships This track is for K-12 STEM teachers who already have their teaching certificate or licensure, possess a bachelor's or master's degree and participate in a program for developing teacher leaders. These recipients must serve as a full-time teacher in a high-need local school district for five years within seven years of starting in the program. For elementary school teachers, they should teach math and/or science for at least 50% of their classroom teaching responsibilities. Recipients are also required to take on leadership roles in the school or district. They receive a $10,000 per year supplement while participating. If recipients do not have a master's degree in education or STEM, they must enroll and complete the degree within the first year. They will receive funding for one year of completing their master's.

Post-baccalaureate

• Computer and Information Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowships (CSGrad4US) The fellowship is for people who have a bachelor’s degree in computer science and working in industry but want to pursue a doctoral degree in computer science. The fellowship provides in-depth mentoring for post-baccalaureates who are considering a transition from industry jobs to a doctoral program by helping them identify and applying graduate programs and finding a research mentor. It also provides for a year of post-baccalaureate mentoring and the application process for graduate school, and a $34,000 stipend for 3 out of the 5 years the fellow is earning their degree. I n addition, another NSF 101 provides more information.
• Geoscience Research Experiences for Post-Baccalaureate Students (GEO-REPS) Supplemental Funding Opportunity This supplemental funding is for post-baccalaureate scholars who would like to engage in research opportunities but are not enrolled in graduate school. Only PIs with active funding from the Directorate for Geosciences may request a supplement to an existing award and must receive approval from their program officer to submit a request. In the request, mentors must identify the post-baccalaureate participant and potential research project. Priority is given to individuals from historically excluded or underrepresented groups in geoscience research and those who did not have access to opportunities to begin or complete a research experience as an undergraduate due to pandemic-related interruptions. The funding is for up to 12 months and post-baccalaureate recipients are expected to research full-time with a minimum stipend of $650 per week.  
• Research and Mentoring for Post-Baccalaureates in Biological Sciences (RaMP) This program supports networks of researchers who in turn provide full-time research, mentoring and training opportunities for recent college graduates who had no or minimal research experience during their undergraduate education. PIs who research biological topics and their institutions would apply for this grant. Post-baccalaureate participants are supported by a stipend of at least $32,500 per year for three years. More information is available on ETAP.  
• Post-Baccalaureate Research Experiences for LSAMP Students (PRELS) Supplemental Funding Opportunity This opportunity is for post-baccalaureate students who were members of the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation Program. These students must have:
• been in good standing in LSAMP as undergraduates.
• earned their bachelor's degree in STEM no more than 24 months prior to being selected for the program.
• not currently enrolled in any degree program.
• intend to apply to a STEM graduate program or career after this program. This award can last up to 12 months with a stipend of $25,000. Institutions that apply for this grant on behalf of PIs must be a lead institution for a LSAMP program. In addition, up to $5,000 — including materials, supplies and travel — per PRELS research scholar may be requested.  Up to $5,000 may be requested in support of each faculty member.

Multiple Education Levels

• Advanced Technological Education (ATE) This grant for students at two-year colleges and high schools supports the education of technicians in high-technology fields. ATE has multiple tracks that are supported through education-industry partnerships, and has worked with other programs, such as the National Institute of Standards Manufacturing Extension Partnerships , Manufacturing USA Institutes and NSF Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers program . The application for this program should be submitted by a PI and their associated organization.  
• Directorate of Geosciences- Veterans Education and Training Supplement (GEO-VETS) Opportunities This opportunity is specifically for U.S. veterans with an interest in geosciences (i.e., atmospheric and geospace, earth, ocean and polar sciences) to work with researchers currently funded by the Directorate for Geosciences. Veterans should be one of the following:
• Full- or part-time STEM undergraduate student at a two- or four-year university.
• Full- or part-time STEM graduate student.
• K-12 STEM teacher.
• STEM faculty at a two-year university. The researcher the veteran wishes to work with, not the veteran, should submit the supplemental request.
• Summer Scholars Internship Program * This program allows for undergraduate and graduate students to work as an intern for NSF for 10-weeks during the summer to understand science administration and the impacts of federal policies on science and engineering. Those interested in this program should apply through the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities National Internship Program or Quality Education for Minorities Network Talent Development and Innovation in Science Summer Internships [FD(5]  .

This extensive list shows the ways NSF helps to train the next generation of STEM researchers and teachers with hands-on learning. If you are interested in learning more about any of these programs, reach out to the contacts listed on the award webpages.

Keep a look out for part two of this series, which will focus on graduate and post-doctoral scholar funding opportunities!

There are several ways to find these programs, including the funding search on NSF's website  and the NSF Education & Training Application, or ETAP .

About the Author

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How to Publish a Research Paper In High School: 18 Journals and Conferences to Consider

By Alex Yang

Graduate student at Southern Methodist University

9 minute read

So you've been working super hard writing a research paper , and you’ve finally finished. Congrats! It’s a very impressive accolade already, but there’s a way to take it a level further. As we’ve talked about before in our Polygence blog, “ Showcasing your work and sharing it with the world is the intellectual version of ‘pics or it didn’t happen.’ ” Of course, there are lot of different ways to showcase your work , from creating a Youtube video to making a podcast. But one of the most popular ways to showcase your research is to publish your research. Publishing your research can take the great work you’ve already done and add credibility to it, and will make a stronger impression than unpublished research. Further, the process of having your work reviewed by advanced degree researchers can be a valuable experience in itself. You can receive feedback from experts and learn how to improve upon the work you’ve already done.

Before we dive into the various journals and conferences to publish your work, let’s distinguish between the various publishing options that you have as a high schooler, as there are some nuances. Quick disclaimer: this article focuses on journals and conferences as ways to showcase your work. There are also competitions where you can submit your work, and we have written guides on competing in premier competitions like Regeneron STS and competing in Regeneron ISEF . 

Publishing Options for High School Students

Peer-reviewed journals.

This is rather self-explanatory, but these journals go through the peer review process, where author(s) submit their work to the journal, and the journal's editors send the work to a group of independent experts (typically grad students or other scientists with advanced degrees) in the same field or discipline. These experts are peer reviewers, who evaluate the work based on a set of predetermined criteria, including the quality of the research, the validity of the methodology, the accuracy of the data, and the originality of the findings. The peer reviewers may suggest revisions or leave comments, but ultimately the editors will decide which suggestions to give to the student. 

Once you’ve received suggestions, you have the opportunity to make revisions before submitting your final product back to the journal. The editor then decides whether or not your work is published.

Non-Peer-Reviewed Journals

These are just journals that do not undergo a review process. In general, peer-reviewed journals may be seen as more credible and prestigious. However, non-peer-reviewed journals may make it easier and faster to publish your work, which can be helpful if you are pressed for time and applying to colleges soon .

Pre Print Archives

Preprint archives or servers are online repositories where student researchers can upload and share their research papers without undergoing any review process. Preprints allow students to share their findings quickly and get feedback from the scientific community, which can help improve the research while you’re waiting to hear back from journals, which typically have longer timelines and can take up to several months to publish research. Sharing your work in a preprint archive does not prohibit you from, or interfere with submitting the same work to a journal afterwards.

Research Conferences

Prefer to present your research in a presentation or verbal format? Conferences can be a great way to “publish” your research, showcase your public speaking skills, speak directly to your audience, and network with other researchers in your field. 

Student-led Journals vs Graduate Student / Professor-led Journals 

Some student-led journals may have peer-review, but the actual people peer-reviewing your work may be high school students. Other journals will have graduate students, PhD students, or even faculty reviewing your work. As you can imagine, there are tradeoffs to either option. With an advanced degree student reviewing your work, you can likely expect better and more accurate feedback. Plus, it’s cool to have an expert look over your work! However, this may also mean that the journal is more selective, whereas student-led journals may be easier to publish in. Nonetheless, getting feedback from anyone who’s knowledgeable can be a great way to polish your research and writing.

Strategy for Submitting to Multiple Journals

Ultimately, your paper can only be published in one peer-reviewed journal. Submitting the same paper to multiple peer-reviewed journals at the same time is not allowed, and doing so may impact its publication at any peer-reviewed journal. If your work is not accepted at one journal, however, then you are free to submit that work to your next choice and so on. Therefore, it is best to submit to journals with a strategy in mind. Consider: what journal do I ideally want to be published in? What are some back-ups if I don’t get published in my ideal journal? Preprints, like arXiv and the Research Archive of Rising Scholars, are possible places to submit your work in advance of seeking peer-reviewed publication. These are places to “stake your claim” in a research area and get feedback from the community prior to submitting your paper to its final home in a peer-reviewed journal. You can submit your work to a preprint prior to submitting at a peer-reviewed journal. However, bioRxiv, a reputable preprint server, recommends on their website that a preprint only be posted on one server, so that’s something to keep in mind as well.

Citation and Paper Formats

All of the journals listed below have specific ways that they’d like you to cite your sources, varying from styles like MLA to APA, and it’s important that you double-check the journal’s requirements for citations, titling your paper, writing your abstract, etc. Most journal websites have very detailed guides for how they want you to format your paper, so follow those closely to avoid having to wait to hear back and then resubmit your paper. If you’re looking for more guidance on citations and bibliographies check out our blog post!

18 Journals and Conferences to Publish Your Research as a High Schooler

Now that we’ve distinguished the differences between certain journals and conferences, let’s jump into some of our favorite ones. We’ve divided up our selections based on prestige and reliability, and we’ve made these selections using our experience with helping Polygence students showcase their research .

Most Prestigious Journals

Concord review.

Cost: $70 to Submit and $200 Publication Cost (if accepted)

Deadline: Fixed Deadlines in Feb 1 (Summer Issue), May 1 (Fall), August 1 (Winter), and November 1 (Spring)

Subject area: History / Social Sciences

Type of research: All types of academic articles

The Concord Review is a quarterly journal that publishes exceptional essays written by high school students on historical topics. The journal has been around since 1987 and has a great reputation, with many student winners going to great universities. Further, if your paper is published, your essays will be sent to subscribers and teachers all around the world, which is an incredible achievement.

Papers submitted tend to be around 8,000 words, so there is definitely a lot of writing involved, and the Concord Review themselves say that they are very selective, publishing only about 5% of the essays they receive.

We’ve posted our complete guide on publishing in the Concord Review here.

Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI)

Deadline: Rolling

Subject area: STEM 

Type of research: Original hypothesis-driven scientific research

JEI is an open-access publication that features scientific research papers written by middle and high school students in the fields of biological and physical sciences. The journal includes a comprehensive peer-review process, where graduate students and other professional scientists with advanced degrees will review the manuscripts and provide suggestions to improve both the project and manuscript itself. You can expect to receive feedback in 6-8 weeks.

This should be the go-to option for students that are doing hypothesis-driven, original research or research that involves original analyses of existing data (meta-analysis, analyzing publicly available datasets, etc.). This is not an appropriate fit for students writing literature reviews. Finally, a mentor or parent must submit on behalf of the student.

We’ve had many Polygence students successfully submit to JEI. Check out Hana’s research on invasive species and their effects in drought times.

STEM Fellowship Journal (SFJ)

Cost: $400 publication fee

Subject area: All Scientific Disciplines

Type of research: Conference Proceedings, Review Articles, Viewpoint Articles, Original Research

SFJ is a peer-reviewed journal published by Canadian Science Publishing that serves as a platform for scholarly research conducted by high school and university students in the STEM fields. Peer review is conducted by undergraduate, graduate student, and professional reviewers.

Depending on the kind of research article you choose to submit, SFJ provides very specific guidelines on what to include and word limits.

Other Great Journal Options

National high school journal of science (nhsjs).

Cost: $250 for publication 

Deadline: Rolling 

Subject area: All science disciplines 

Type of research: Original research, literature review

NHSJS is a journal peer reviewed by high schoolers from around the world, with an advisory board of adult academics. Topics are STEM related, and submission types can vary from original research papers to shorter articles.

Curieux Academic Journal

Cost: $185-215

Subject area: Engineering, Humanities, and Natural Science, Mathematics, and Social Science

Type of research: Including but not limited to research papers, review articles, and humanity/social science pieces.

Curieux Academic Journal is a non-profit run by students and was founded in 2017 to publish outstanding research by high school and middle school students. Curieux publishes one issue per month (twelve per year), so there are many opportunities to get your research published. 

The Young Scientists Journal 

Deadline: December

Subject area: Sciences

Type of research: Original research, literature review, blog post

The Young Scientists Journal , while a popular option for students previously, has paused submissions to process a backlog. The journal is an international peer-reviewed journal run by students, and creates print issues twice a year. 

The journal has also been around for a decade and has a clear track record of producing alumni who go on to work in STEM.

Here’s an example of research submitted by Polygence student Ryan to the journal.

Journal of Research High School (JRHS)

Subject area: Any academic subject including the sciences and humanities

Type of research: Original research and significant literature reviews.

JRHS is an online research journal edited by volunteer professional scientists, researchers, teachers, and professors. JRHS accepts original research and significant literature reviews in Engineering, Humanities, Natural Science, Math, and Social Sciences.

From our experience working with our students to help publish their research, this journal is currently operating with a 15-20 week turnaround time for review. This is a bit on the longer side, so be mindful of this turnaround time if you’re looking to get your work published soon.

Youth Medical Journal

Deadline: March (currently closed)

Subject area: Medical or scientific topics

Type of research: Original research, review article, blog post, magazine article

The Youth Medical Journal is an international, student-run team of 40 students looking to share medical research.

We’ve found that this journal is a good entry point for students new to research papers, but when submissions are busy, in the past they have paused submissions. 

Journal of High School Science (JHSS)

Subject area: All topics

Type of research: Original research, literature review, technical notes, opinion pieces

This peer-reviewed STEAM journal publishes quarterly, with advanced degree doctors who sit on the journal’s editorial board. In addition to typical STEM subjects, the journal also accepts manuscripts related to music and theater, which is explicitly stated on their website.

Due to the current large volume of submissions, the review process takes a minimum of 4 weeks from the time of submission.

Whitman Journal of Psychology

Subject area: Psychology

Type of research: Original research, podcasts

The WWJOP is a publication run entirely by students, where research and literature reviews in the field of psychology are recognized. The journal is run out of a high school with a teacher supervisor and student staff.

The WWJOP uniquely also accepts podcast submissions, so if that’s your preferred format for showcasing your work, then this could be the journal for you!

Cost: $180 submission fee

Subject area: Humanities

Type of research: Essay submission

The Schola is a peer-reviewed quarterly journal that showcases essays on various humanities and social sciences topics authored by high school students worldwide. They feature a diverse range of subjects such as philosophy, history, art history, English, economics, public policy, and sociology.

Editors at Schola are academics who teach and do research in the humanities and social sciences

Critical Debates in Humanities, Science and Global Justice

Cost: $10 author fee

Subject area: Ethics and frontiers of science, Biology and ecosystems, Technology and Innovation, Medical research and disease, Peace and civil society, Global citizenship, identity and democracy, Structural violence and society, Psychology, Education, AI, Sociology, Computer Science, Neuroscience, Cultural politics, Politics and Justice, Computer science and math as related to policy, Public policy, Human rights, Language, Identity and Culture, Art and activism

Critical Debates is an international academic journal for critical discourse in humanities, science and contemporary global issues for emerging young scholars

International Youth Neuroscience Association Journal

Subject area: Neuroscience

Type of research: Research papers

Although this student peer-reviewed journal is not currently accepting submissions, we’ve had students recently publish here. 

Here’s an example of Nevenka’s research that was published in the November 2022 issue of the journal.

Preprint Archives to Share Your Work In

Subject area: STEM, Quantitative Finance, Economics

arXiv is an open access archive supported by Cornell University, where more than 2 million scholarly articles in a wide variety of topics have been compiled. arXiv articles are not peer-reviewed, so you will not receive any feedback on your work from experts. However, your article does go through a moderation process where your work is classified into a topic area and checked for scholarly value. This process is rather quick however and according to arXiv you can expect your article to be available on the website in about 6 hours. 

Although there’s no peer review process, that means the submission standards are not as rigorous and you can get your article posted very quickly, so submitting to arXiv or other preprint archives can be something you do before trying to get published in a journal.

One slight inconvenience of submitting to arXiv is that you must be endorsed by a current arXiv author, which can typically be a mentor or teacher or professor that you have. Here’s an example of a Polygence student submitting their work to arXiv, with Albert’s research on Hamiltonian Cycles.

Subject area: Biology

Type of research: Original research

bioRxiv is a preprint server for biology research, where again the research is not peer-reviewed but undergoes a check to make sure that the material is relevant and appropriate.

bioRxiv has a bit of a longer posting time, taking around 48 hours, but that’s still very quick. bioRxiv also allows for you to submit revised versions of your research if you decide to make changes.

Research Archive of Rising Scholars (RARS)

Subject area: STEM and Humanities

Type of research: Original research, review articles, poems, short stories, scripts

Research Archive of Rising Scholars is Polygence’s own preprint server! We were inspired by arXiv so we created a repository for articles and other creative submissions in STEM and the Humanities.

We launched RARS in 2022 and we’re excited to offer a space for budding scholars as they look to publish their work in journals. Compared to other preprint archives, RARS also accepts a wider range of submission types, including poems, short stories, and scripts.

Conferences to Participate In

Symposium of rising scholars.

Deadline: Twice a year - February and July

Polygence’s very own Symposium of Rising Scholars is a bi-annual academic conference where students present and share their research with their peers and experts. The Symposium also includes a College Admissions Panel and Keynote Speech. In our 8th edition of the Symposium this past March, we had 60 students presenting live, approximately 70 students presenting asynchronously, and over 100 audience members. The keynote speaker was Chang-rae Lee, award-winning novelist and professor at Stanford University.

We’re looking to have our 9th Symposium in Fall of 2023, and you can express your interest now. If you’re interested to see what our Polygence scholars have presented in the past for the Symposium, you can check out their scholar pages here.

Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS)

Deadline: Typically in November, so for 2024’s competition look to submit in Fall 2023

Subject area: STEM topics

JSHS is a Department of Defense sponsored program and competition that consists of first submitting a written report of your research. If your submission is selected, you’ll be able to participate in the regional symposium, where you can present in oral format or poster format. A select group from the regional symposium will then qualify for the national symposium.

One of the great things about JSHS compared to the journals mentioned above is that you’re allowed to work in teams and you don’t have to be a solo author. This can make the experience more fun for you and your teammates, and allow you to combine your strengths for your submission.

Related Content:

Top 8 Business Journals to Publish Your Research

Why Teens Should Attend the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC)

How to Brainstorm Your Way to Perfect Research Topic Ideas

Top 20 Most Competitive Summer Programs for High School Students

Research Opportunities for High School Students

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How to Find Research Opportunities as High School Students

• March 4, 2022
• Career Guidance , College Admission Guidance , Parents Must Read , Under Graduate

Many students are excited by working on research. However, they find themselves stuck when it comes to getting started. Where should they go to find research opportunities? What should they be looking for? In this post, we’ll outline various ways to get into research, as well as how to use it in your college admission process.

Why do research in high school?  

Research is becoming increasingly common for high school students to take part in. As a director of the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, a high school research program, I’ve seen students gain a world-class level of knowledge in the field that they are interested in.

I’ve seen students in their research projects investigate how to identify the strongest machine learning algorithm to detect cell nuclei, how to develop a novel way to detect ocean health on the high seas, or a novel comparison of 14th-century Japanese and 19th-century Impressionist art. In each project, students left with a uniquely deep understanding of the area they explored. 

When students apply to universities, this unique understanding comes in handy. In a recent poll of students who completed research in high school, 99% of those who applied for early admissions used their research in some way.

Furthermore, students who conducted research were 26% more likely than the average candidate to get accepted to an Ivy League university’s EA/ED program. As researchers, we must be cautious not to infer a causal relationship between the two. However, it is true that students who are accepted into elite schools are more likely to conduct research.

Read 25 Passion Project Ideas for High School Students to Improve College Admission Chances .

How to find research opportunities as a high school student? 

So, if research is so valuable, how do you find opportunities to do it? Unlike in college, where research universities often provide opportunities for students to get involved, high schools rarely provide research opportunities in the curriculum (AP Research or the IB extended essay being notable exceptions). With this in mind, there are two main ways to get research experience in high school.

Participate in a Research Program

The first is to take part in a research program designed for high school students. There are several options to consider, based on the kind of research you want to conduct as well as the experience you are looking to have with the program.

These could range from highly competitive national programs like Research Science Institute – a prestigious program hosted by MIT for those with an interest in STEM, to research programs based on laboratory study and hands-on experiences such as NYU’s ARISE program , a combination of lab research and college-level workshops in fields such as robotics and engineering.

If you are looking to work one on one with a research mentor , online research programs like the Lumiere Research Scholar Program can be a good fit. But if you’re looking to work with a larger research team , a program like the Simons Summer Research Program , where students can join research teams and consult faculty members, might be an option.

To help you with more options to choose from, here’s a list of 30 research programs that are available this upcoming summer that you could consider. 

Cold emailing professors/networking  

Another alternative for conducting research is to personally contact a faculty member. This can be an excellent approach to finding a research mentor and participating in a study. This is generally the most successful initial step if you have any links to faculty members through family or your school.

This usually indicates that the faculty member and the student have already established a level of trust, making it more probable for the researcher to take you on. The other option is for you to cold-email faculty members. To do this, you need to create an example email that shows why you are interested in working with the faculty member and what you would add. Here’s an example outreach email for a professor who has done research on open offices:

Cold Email Example

Subject: Helping your research – Rock Bridge High School Senior

Hi Professor Smith,

This is Stephen – a rising junior at Rock Bridge High School. I recently read your research paper on Open Offices in the Harvard Business Review, was fascinated, and wanted to reach out. Would you have 15 minutes to discuss how I could help out with your research?

For a bit of background, I’ve spent the past three years working on my skills in python and data analysis. I know that your research involves a lot of quantitative work, so I wanted to see if I could help out with that – or anything else that needs some work!

Long-term, I’m hoping to become a researcher like you. So, I’d love the opportunity to work with a researcher that I admire like yourself!

Yours, Stephen

Three quick pointers to remember when cold emailing professors: 

• Cast a wide net 

While the email above is my tested approach to having faculty members respond to outreach emails, the reality is that what matters most is the number of professors you reach out to. Many faculty members just won’t have time, so it is important to spread out who you reach out to. I recommend reaching out to at least 25 faculty members or PhD researchers to get started.

• Show the value you can add to the professor

Note how above, in example #1, I talk about how I have some skills with Python that I could use to help Professor Smith’s research. I also try to draw a connection between the researcher and myself by talking about my long-term ambitions to be a researcher!

• Be concise and follow up

The key to the email is to keep it short, easy to read, and to the point, and remember to follow up. Sometimes (AKA a lot of the time) researchers are busy, so they might miss your first email. Don’t feel awkward following up. They will appreciate the persistence that it shows.

How do I show research experience in my college application?

So, let’s say that you’ve done the research – now what? How can you show it to potential schools? There are numerous ways to use research in the application process, from showcasing it on the activities list to writing about it in some of your main or supplementary essays .

In our most recent survey of ED admits, we found that students who were accepted ED/EA were 33% more likely to ask their research advisor for a letter of recommendation .

The key is to use the research as one piece of evidence in a larger narrative about you and your passions. The research should be related to what you wish to study and what you’ve done previously.

One of the students that worked with us on research completed an astrophysics study, for example. She went on to mention in her undergraduate essay that she used to ponder about some of these same astrophysical principles while working as a stocker at a local grocery store, and how they related to the consumer movement in the shop. Making the research an evidence point connected to other proof points of the type of student you are is the key.

One other option – Lumiere Research Scholar Program

Consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program , a selective online high school program for students founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers. The program pairs you with a full-time researcher to develop your own independent research project, in any discipline of your choice. Last year over 1500 students applied to 500 slots in the research program! You can find the application form here.

About Stephen Turban:

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere Education 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.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn . 

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• Open access
• Published: 02 December 2020

Enhancing senior high school student engagement and academic performance using an inclusive and scalable inquiry-based program

• Locke Davenport Huyer   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1526-7122 1 , 2   na1 ,
• Neal I. Callaghan   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-8214-3395 1 , 3   na1 ,
• Sara Dicks 4 ,
• Edward Scherer 4 ,
• Andrey I. Shukalyuk 1 ,
• Margaret Jou 4 &
• Dawn M. Kilkenny   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3899-9767 1 , 5  

npj Science of Learning volume  5 , Article number:  17 ( 2020 ) Cite this article

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The multi-disciplinary nature of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers often renders difficulty for high school students navigating from classroom knowledge to post-secondary pursuits. Discrepancies between the knowledge-based high school learning approach and the experiential approach of future studies leaves some students disillusioned by STEM. We present Discovery , a term-long inquiry-focused learning model delivered by STEM graduate students in collaboration with high school teachers, in the context of biomedical engineering. Entire classes of high school STEM students representing diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds engaged in iterative, problem-based learning designed to emphasize critical thinking concomitantly within the secondary school and university environments. Assessment of grades and survey data suggested positive impact of this learning model on students’ STEM interests and engagement, notably in under-performing cohorts, as well as repeating cohorts that engage in the program on more than one occasion. Discovery presents a scalable platform that stimulates persistence in STEM learning, providing valuable learning opportunities and capturing cohorts of students that might otherwise be under-engaged in STEM.

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Academic ecosystems must evolve to support a sustainable postdoc workforce

Introduction.

High school students with diverse STEM interests often struggle to understand the STEM experience outside the classroom 1 . The multi-disciplinary nature of many career fields can foster a challenge for students in their decision to enroll in appropriate high school courses while maintaining persistence in study, particularly when these courses are not mandatory 2 . Furthermore, this challenge is amplified by the known discrepancy between the knowledge-based learning approach common in high schools and the experiential, mastery-based approaches afforded by the subsequent undergraduate model 3 . In the latter, focused classes, interdisciplinary concepts, and laboratory experiences allow for the application of accumulated knowledge, practice in problem solving, and development of both general and technical skills 4 . Such immersive cooperative learning environments are difficult to establish in the secondary school setting and high school teachers often struggle to implement within their classroom 5 . As such, high school students may become disillusioned before graduation and never experience an enriched learning environment, despite their inherent interests in STEM 6 .

It cannot be argued that early introduction to varied math and science disciplines throughout high school is vital if students are to pursue STEM fields, especially within engineering 7 . However, the majority of literature focused on student interest and retention in STEM highlights outcomes in US high school learning environments, where the sciences are often subject-specific from the onset of enrollment 8 . In contrast, students in the Ontario (Canada) high school system are required to complete Level 1 and 2 core courses in science and math during Grades 9 and 10; these courses are offered as ‘applied’ or ‘academic’ versions and present broad topics of content 9 . It is not until Levels 3 and 4 (generally Grades 11 and 12, respectively) that STEM classes become subject-specific (i.e., Biology, Chemistry, and/or Physics) and are offered as “university”, “college”, or “mixed” versions, designed to best prepare students for their desired post-secondary pursuits 9 . Given that Levels 3 and 4 science courses are not mandatory for graduation, enrollment identifies an innate student interest in continued learning. Furthermore, engagement in these post-secondary preparatory courses is also dependent upon achieving successful grades in preceding courses, but as curriculum becomes more subject-specific, students often yield lower degrees of success in achieving course credit 2 . Therefore, it is imperative that learning supports are best focused on ensuring that those students with an innate interest are able to achieve success in learning.

When given opportunity and focused support, high school students are capable of successfully completing rigorous programs at STEM-focused schools 10 . Specialized STEM schools have existed in the US for over 100 years; generally, students are admitted after their sophomore year of high school experience (equivalent to Grade 10) based on standardized test scores, essays, portfolios, references, and/or interviews 11 . Common elements to this learning framework include a diverse array of advanced STEM courses, paired with opportunities to engage in and disseminate cutting-edge research 12 . Therein, said research experience is inherently based in the processes of critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration. This learning framework supports translation of core curricular concepts to practice and is fundamental in allowing students to develop better understanding and appreciation of STEM career fields.

Despite the described positive attributes, many students do not have the ability or resources to engage within STEM-focused schools, particularly given that they are not prevalent across Canada, and other countries across the world. Consequently, many public institutions support the idea that post-secondary led engineering education programs are effective ways to expose high school students to engineering education and relevant career options, and also increase engineering awareness 13 . Although singular class field trips are used extensively to accomplish such programs, these may not allow immersive experiences for application of knowledge and practice of skills that are proven to impact long-term learning and influence career choices 14 , 15 . Longer-term immersive research experiences, such as after-school programs or summer camps, have shown successful at recruiting students into STEM degree programs and careers, where longevity of experience helps foster self-determination and interest-led, inquiry-based projects 4 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 .

Such activities convey the elements that are suggested to make a post-secondary led high school education programs successful: hands-on experience, self-motivated learning, real-life application, immediate feedback, and problem-based projects 20 , 21 . In combination with immersion in university teaching facilities, learning is authentic and relevant, similar to the STEM school-focused framework, and consequently representative of an experience found in actual STEM practice 22 . These outcomes may further be a consequence of student engagement and attitude: Brown et al. studied the relationships between STEM curriculum and student attitudes, and found the latter played a more important role in intention to persist in STEM when compared to self-efficacy 23 . This is interesting given that student self-efficacy has been identified to influence ‘motivation, persistence, and determination’ in overcoming challenges in a career pathway 24 . Taken together, this suggests that creation and delivery of modern, exciting curriculum that supports positive student attitudes is fundamental to engage and retain students in STEM programs.

Supported by the outcomes of identified effective learning strategies, University of Toronto (U of T) graduate trainees created a novel high school education program Discovery , to develop a comfortable yet stimulating environment of inquiry-focused iterative learning for senior high school students (Grades 11 & 12; Levels 3 & 4) at non-specialized schools. Built in strong collaboration with science teachers from George Harvey Collegiate Institute (Toronto District School Board), Discovery stimulates application of STEM concepts within a unique term-long applied curriculum delivered iteratively within both U of T undergraduate teaching facilities and collaborating high school classrooms 25 . Based on the volume of medically-themed news and entertainment that is communicated to the population at large, the rapidly-growing and diverse field of biomedical engineering (BME) were considered an ideal program context 26 . In its definition, BME necessitates cross-disciplinary STEM knowledge focused on the betterment of human health, wherein Discovery facilitates broadening student perspective through engaging inquiry-based projects. Importantly, Discovery allows all students within a class cohort to work together with their classroom teacher, stimulating continued development of a relevant learning community that is deemed essential for meaningful context and important for transforming student perspectives and understandings 27 , 28 . Multiple studies support the concept that relevant learning communities improve student attitudes towards learning, significantly increasing student motivation in STEM courses, and consequently improving the overall learning experience 29 . Learning communities, such as that provided by Discovery , also promote the formation of self-supporting groups, greater active involvement in class, and higher persistence rates for participating students 30 .

The objective of Discovery , through structure and dissemination, is to engage senior high school science students in challenging, inquiry-based practical BME activities as a mechanism to stimulate comprehension of STEM curriculum application to real-world concepts. Consequent focus is placed on critical thinking skill development through an atmosphere of perseverance in ambiguity, something not common in a secondary school knowledge-focused delivery but highly relevant in post-secondary STEM education strategies. Herein, we describe the observed impact of the differential project-based learning environment of Discovery on student performance and engagement. We identify the value of an inquiry-focused learning model that is tangible for students who struggle in a knowledge-focused delivery structure, where engagement in conceptual critical thinking in the relevant subject area stimulates student interest, attitudes, and resulting academic performance. Assessment of study outcomes suggests that when provided with a differential learning opportunity, student performance and interest in STEM increased. Consequently, Discovery provides an effective teaching and learning framework within a non-specialized school that motivates students, provides opportunity for critical thinking and problem-solving practice, and better prepares them for persistence in future STEM programs.

Program delivery

The outcomes of the current study result from execution of Discovery over five independent academic terms as a collaboration between Institute of Biomedical Engineering (graduate students, faculty, and support staff) and George Harvey Collegiate Institute (science teachers and administration) stakeholders. Each term, the program allowed senior secondary STEM students (Grades 11 and 12) opportunity to engage in a novel project-based learning environment. The program structure uses the problem-based engineering capstone framework as a tool of inquiry-focused learning objectives, motivated by a central BME global research topic, with research questions that are inter-related but specific to the curriculum of each STEM course subject (Fig. 1 ). Over each 12-week term, students worked in teams (3–4 students) within their class cohorts to execute projects with the guidance of U of T trainees ( Discovery instructors) and their own high school teacher(s). Student experimental work was conducted in U of T teaching facilities relevant to the research study of interest (i.e., Biology and Chemistry-based projects executed within Undergraduate Teaching Laboratories; Physics projects executed within Undergraduate Design Studios). Students were introduced to relevant techniques and safety procedures in advance of iterative experimentation. Importantly, this experience served as a course term project for students, who were assessed at several points throughout the program for performance in an inquiry-focused environment as well as within the regular classroom (Fig. 1 ). To instill the atmosphere of STEM, student teams delivered their outcomes in research poster format at a final symposium, sharing their results and recommendations with other post-secondary students, faculty, and community in an open environment.

The general program concept (blue background; top left ) highlights a global research topic examined through student dissemination of subject-specific research questions, yielding multifaceted student outcomes (orange background; top right ). Each program term (term workflow, yellow background; bottom panel ), students work on program deliverables in class (blue), iterate experimental outcomes within university facilities (orange), and are assessed accordingly at numerous deliverables in an inquiry-focused learning model.

Over the course of five terms there were 268 instances of tracked student participation, representing 170 individual students. Specifically, 94 students participated during only one term of programming, 57 students participated in two terms, 16 students participated in three terms, and 3 students participated in four terms. Multiple instances of participation represent students that enrol in more than one STEM class during their senior years of high school, or who participated in Grade 11 and subsequently Grade 12. Students were surveyed before and after each term to assess program effects on STEM interest and engagement. All grade-based assessments were performed by high school teachers for their respective STEM class cohorts using consistent grading rubrics and assignment structure. Here, we discuss the outcomes of student involvement in this experiential curriculum model.

Student performance and engagement

Student grades were assigned, collected, and anonymized by teachers for each Discovery deliverable (background essay, client meeting, proposal, progress report, poster, and final presentation). Teachers anonymized collective Discovery grades, the component deliverable grades thereof, final course grades, attendance in class and during programming, as well as incomplete classroom assignments, for comparative study purposes. Students performed significantly higher in their cumulative Discovery grade than in their cumulative classroom grade (final course grade less the Discovery contribution; p  < 0.0001). Nevertheless, there was a highly significant correlation ( p  < 0.0001) observed between the grade representing combined Discovery deliverables and the final course grade (Fig. 2a ). Further examination of the full dataset revealed two student cohorts of interest: the “Exceeds Expectations” (EE) subset (defined as those students who achieved ≥1 SD [18.0%] grade differential in Discovery over their final course grade; N  = 99 instances), and the “Multiple Term” (MT) subset (defined as those students who participated in Discovery more than once; 76 individual students that collectively accounted for 174 single terms of assessment out of the 268 total student-terms delivered) (Fig. 2b, c ). These subsets were not unrelated; 46 individual students who had multiple experiences (60.5% of total MTs) exhibited at least one occasion in achieving a ≥18.0% grade differential. As students participated in group work, there was concern that lower-performing students might negatively influence the Discovery grade of higher-performing students (or vice versa). However, students were observed to self-organize into groups where all individuals received similar final overall course grades (Fig. 2d ), thereby alleviating these concerns.

a Linear regression of student grades reveals a significant correlation ( p  = 0.0009) between Discovery performance and final course grade less the Discovery contribution to grade, as assessed by teachers. The dashed red line and intervals represent the theoretical 1:1 correlation between Discovery and course grades and standard deviation of the Discovery -course grade differential, respectively. b , c Identification of subgroups of interest, Exceeds Expectations (EE; N  = 99, orange ) who were ≥+1 SD in Discovery -course grade differential and Multi-Term (MT; N  = 174, teal ), of which N  = 65 students were present in both subgroups. d Students tended to self-assemble in working groups according to their final course performance; data presented as mean ± SEM. e For MT students participating at least 3 terms in Discovery , there was no significant correlation between course grade and time, while ( f ) there was a significant correlation between Discovery grade and cumulative terms in the program. Histograms of total absences per student in ( g ) Discovery and ( h ) class (binned by 4 days to be equivalent in time to a single Discovery absence).

The benefits experienced by MT students seemed progressive; MT students that participated in 3 or 4 terms ( N  = 16 and 3, respectively ) showed no significant increase by linear regression in their course grade over time ( p  = 0.15, Fig. 2e ), but did show a significant increase in their Discovery grades ( p  = 0.0011, Fig. 2f ). Finally, students demonstrated excellent Discovery attendance; at least 91% of participants attended all Discovery sessions in a given term (Fig. 2g ). In contrast, class attendance rates reveal a much wider distribution where 60.8% (163 out of 268 students) missed more than 4 classes (equivalent in learning time to one Discovery session) and 14.6% (39 out of 268 students) missed 16 or more classes (equivalent in learning time to an entire program of Discovery ) in a term (Fig. 2h ).

Discovery EE students (Fig. 3 ), roughly by definition, obtained lower course grades ( p  < 0.0001, Fig. 3a ) and higher final Discovery grades ( p  = 0.0004, Fig. 3b ) than non-EE students. This cohort of students exhibited program grades higher than classmates (Fig. 3c–h ); these differences were significant in every category with the exception of essays, where they outperformed to a significantly lesser degree ( p  = 0.097; Fig. 3c ). There was no statistically significant difference in EE vs. non-EE student classroom attendance ( p  = 0.85; Fig. 3i, j ). There were only four single day absences in Discovery within the EE subset; however, this difference was not statistically significant ( p  = 0.074).

The “Exceeds Expectations” (EE) subset of students (defined as those who received a combined Discovery grade ≥1 SD (18.0%) higher than their final course grade) performed ( a ) lower on their final course grade and ( b ) higher in the Discovery program as a whole when compared to their classmates. d – h EE students received significantly higher grades on each Discovery deliverable than their classmates, except for their ( c ) introductory essays and ( h ) final presentations. The EE subset also tended ( i ) to have a higher relative rate of attendance during Discovery sessions but no difference in ( j ) classroom attendance. N  = 99 EE students and 169 non-EE students (268 total). Grade data expressed as mean ± SEM.

Discovery MT students (Fig. 4 ), although not receiving significantly higher grades in class than students participating in the program only one time ( p  = 0.29, Fig. 4a ), were observed to obtain higher final Discovery grades than single-term students ( p  = 0.0067, Fig. 4b ). Although trends were less pronounced for individual MT student deliverables (Fig. 4c–h ), this student group performed significantly better on the progress report ( p  = 0.0021; Fig. 4f ). Trends of higher performance were observed for initial proposals and final presentations ( p  = 0.081 and 0.056, respectively; Fig. 4e, h ); all other deliverables were not significantly different between MT and non-MT students (Fig. 4c, d, g ). Attendance in Discovery ( p  = 0.22) was also not significantly different between MT and non-MT students, although MT students did miss significantly less class time ( p  = 0.010) (Fig. 4i, j ). Longitudinal assessment of individual deliverables for MT students that participated in three or more Discovery terms (Fig. 5 ) further highlights trend in improvement (Fig. 2f ). Greater performance over terms of participation was observed for essay ( p  = 0.0295, Fig. 5a ), client meeting ( p  = 0.0003, Fig. 5b ), proposal ( p  = 0.0004, Fig. 5c ), progress report ( p  = 0.16, Fig. 5d ), poster ( p  = 0.0005, Fig. 5e ), and presentation ( p  = 0.0295, Fig. 5f ) deliverable grades; these trends were all significant with the exception of the progress report ( p  = 0.16, Fig. 5d ) owing to strong performance in this deliverable in all terms.

The “multi-term” (MT) subset of students (defined as having attended more than one term of Discovery ) demonstrated favorable performance in Discovery , ( a ) showing no difference in course grade compared to single-term students, but ( b outperforming them in final Discovery grade. Independent of the number of times participating in Discovery , MT students did not score significantly differently on their ( c ) essay, ( d ) client meeting, or ( g ) poster. They tended to outperform their single-term classmates on the ( e ) proposal and ( h ) final presentation and scored significantly higher on their ( f ) progress report. MT students showed no statistical difference in ( i ) Discovery attendance but did show ( j ) higher rates of classroom attendance than single-term students. N  = 174 MT instances of student participation (76 individual students) and 94 single-term students. Grade data expressed as mean ± SEM.

Longitudinal assessment of a subset of MT student participants that participated in three ( N  = 16) or four ( N  = 3) terms presents a significant trend of improvement in their ( a ) essay, ( b ) client meeting, ( c ) proposal, ( e ) poster, and ( f ) presentation grade. d Progress report grades present a trend in improvement but demonstrate strong performance in all terms, limiting potential for student improvement. Grade data are presented as individual student performance; each student is represented by one color; data is fitted with a linear trendline (black).

Finally, the expansion of Discovery to a second school of lower LOI (i.e., nominally higher aggregate SES) allowed for the assessment of program impact in a new population over 2 terms of programming. A significant ( p  = 0.040) divergence in Discovery vs. course grade distribution from the theoretical 1:1 relationship was found in the new cohort (S 1 Appendix , Fig. S 1 ), in keeping with the pattern established in this study.

Teacher perceptions

Qualitative observation in the classroom by high school teachers emphasized the value students independently placed on program participation and deliverables. Throughout the term, students often prioritized Discovery group assignments over other tasks for their STEM courses, regardless of academic weight and/or due date. Comparing within this student population, teachers spoke of difficulties with late and incomplete assignments in the regular curriculum but found very few such instances with respect to Discovery -associated deliverables. Further, teachers speculated on the good behavior and focus of students in Discovery programming in contrast to attentiveness and behavior issues in their school classrooms. Multiple anecdotal examples were shared of renewed perception of student potential; students that exhibited poor academic performance in the classroom often engaged with high performance in this inquiry-focused atmosphere. Students appeared to take a sense of ownership, excitement, and pride in the setting of group projects oriented around scientific inquiry, discovery, and dissemination.

Student perceptions

Students were asked to consider and rank the academic difficulty (scale of 1–5, with 1 = not challenging and 5 = highly challenging) of the work they conducted within the Discovery learning model. Considering individual Discovery terms, at least 91% of students felt the curriculum to be sufficiently challenging with a 3/5 or higher ranking (Term 1: 87.5%, Term 2: 93.4%, Term 3: 85%, Term 4: 93.3%, Term 5: 100%), and a minimum of 58% of students indicating a 4/5 or higher ranking (Term 1: 58.3%, Term 2: 70.5%, Term 3: 67.5%, Term 4: 69.1%, Term 5: 86.4%) (Fig. 6a ).

a Histogram of relative frequency of perceived Discovery programming academic difficulty ranked from not challenging (1) to highly challenging (5) for each session demonstrated the consistently perceived high degree of difficulty for Discovery programming (total responses: 223). b Program participation increased student comfort (94.6%) with navigating lab work in a university or college setting (total responses: 220). c Considering participation in Discovery programming, students indicated their increased (72.4%) or decreased (10.1%) likelihood to pursue future experiences in STEM as a measure of program impact (total responses: 217). d Large majority of participating students (84.9%) indicated their interest for future participation in Discovery (total responses: 212). Students were given the opportunity to opt out of individual survey questions, partially completed surveys were included in totals.

The majority of students (94.6%) indicated they felt more comfortable with the idea of performing future work in a university STEM laboratory environment given exposure to university teaching facilities throughout the program (Fig. 6b ). Students were also queried whether they were (i) more likely, (ii) less likely, or (iii) not impacted by their experience in the pursuit of STEM in the future. The majority of participants (>82%) perceived impact on STEM interests, with 72.4% indicating they were more likely to pursue these interests in the future (Fig. 6c ). When surveyed at the end of term, 84.9% of students indicated they would participate in the program again (Fig. 6d ).

We have described an inquiry-based framework for implementing experiential STEM education in a BME setting. Using this model, we engaged 268 instances of student participation (170 individual students who participated 1–4 times) over five terms in project-based learning wherein students worked in peer-based teams under the mentorship of U of T trainees to design and execute the scientific method in answering a relevant research question. Collaboration between high school teachers and Discovery instructors allowed for high school student exposure to cutting-edge BME research topics, participation in facilitated inquiry, and acquisition of knowledge through scientific discovery. All assessments were conducted by high school teachers and constituted a fraction (10–15%) of the overall course grade, instilling academic value for participating students. As such, students exhibited excitement to learn as well as commitment to their studies in the program.

Through our observations and analysis, we suggest there is value in differential learning environments for students that struggle in a knowledge acquisition-focused classroom setting. In general, we observed a high level of academic performance in Discovery programming (Fig. 2a ), which was highlighted exceptionally in EE students who exhibited greater academic performance in Discovery deliverables compared to normal coursework (>18% grade improvement in relevant deliverables). We initially considered whether this was the result of strong students influencing weaker students; however, group organization within each course suggests this is not the case (Fig. 2d ). With the exception of one class in one term (24 participants assigned by their teacher), students were allowed to self-organize into working groups and they chose to work with other students of relatively similar academic performance (as indicated by course grade), a trend observed in other studies 31 , 32 . Remarkably, EE students not only excelled during Discovery when compared to their own performance in class, but this cohort also achieved significantly higher average grades in each of the deliverables throughout the program when compared to the remaining Discovery cohort (Fig. 3 ). This data demonstrates the value of an inquiry-based learning environment compared to knowledge-focused delivery in the classroom in allowing students to excel. We expect that part of this engagement was resultant of student excitement with a novel learning opportunity. It is however a well-supported concept that students who struggle in traditional settings tend to demonstrate improved interest and motivation in STEM when given opportunity to interact in a hands-on fashion, which supports our outcomes 4 , 33 . Furthermore, these outcomes clearly represent variable student learning styles, where some students benefit from a greater exchange of information, knowledge and skills in a cooperative learning environment 34 . The performance of the EE group may not be by itself surprising, as the identification of the subset by definition required high performers in Discovery who did not have exceptionally high course grades; in addition, the final Discovery grade is dependent on the component assignment grades. However, the discrepancies between EE and non-EE groups attendance suggests that students were engaged by Discovery in a way that they were not by regular classroom curriculum.

In addition to quantified engagement in Discovery observed in academic performance, we believe remarkable attendance rates are indicative of the value students place in the differential learning structure. Given the differences in number of Discovery days and implications of missing one day of regular class compared to this immersive program, we acknowledge it is challenging to directly compare attendance data and therefore approximate this comparison with consideration of learning time equivalence. When combined with other subjective data including student focus, requests to work on Discovery during class time, and lack of discipline/behavior issues, the attendance data importantly suggests that students were especially engaged by the Discovery model. Further, we believe the increased commute time to the university campus (students are responsible for independent transit to campus, a much longer endeavour than the normal school commute), early program start time, and students’ lack of familiarity with the location are non-trivial considerations when determining the propensity of students to participate enthusiastically in Discovery . We feel this suggests the students place value on this team-focused learning and find it to be more applicable and meaningful to their interests.

Given post-secondary admission requirements for STEM programs, it would be prudent to think that students participating in multiple STEM classes across terms are the ones with the most inherent interest in post-secondary STEM programs. The MT subset, representing students who participated in Discovery for more than one term, averaged significantly higher final Discovery grades. The increase in the final Discovery grade was observed to result from a general confluence of improved performance over multiple deliverables and a continuous effort to improve in a STEM curriculum. This was reflected in longitudinal tracking of Discovery performance, where we observed a significant trend of improved performance. Interestingly, the high number of MT students who were included in the EE group suggests that students who had a keen interest in science enrolled in more than one course and in general responded well to the inquiry-based teaching method of Discovery , where scientific method was put into action. It stands to reason that students interested in science will continue to take STEM courses and will respond favorably to opportunities to put classroom theory to practical application.

The true value of an inquiry-based program such as Discovery may not be based in inspiring students to perform at a higher standard in STEM within the high school setting, as skills in critical thinking do not necessarily translate to knowledge-based assessment. Notably, students found the programming equally challenging throughout each of the sequential sessions, perhaps somewhat surprising considering the increasing number of repeat attendees in successive sessions (Fig. 6a ). Regardless of sub-discipline, there was an emphasis of perceived value demonstrated through student surveys where we observed indicated interest in STEM and comfort with laboratory work environments, and desire to engage in future iterations given the opportunity. Although non-quantitative, we perceive this as an indicator of significant student engagement, even though some participants did not yield academic success in the program and found it highly challenging given its ambiguity.

Although we observed that students become more certain of their direction in STEM, further longitudinal study is warranted to make claim of this outcome. Additionally, at this point in our assessment we cannot effectively assess the practical outcomes of participation, understanding that the immediate effects observed are subject to a number of factors associated with performance in the high school learning environment. Future studies that track graduates from this program will be prudent, in conjunction with an ever-growing dataset of assessment as well as surveys designed to better elucidate underlying perceptions and attitudes, to continue to understand the expected benefits of this inquiry-focused and partnered approach. Altogether, a multifaceted assessment of our early outcomes suggests significant value of an immersive and iterative interaction with STEM as part of the high school experience. A well-defined divergence from knowledge-based learning, focused on engagement in critical thinking development framed in the cutting-edge of STEM, may be an important step to broadening student perspectives.

In this study, we describe the short-term effects of an inquiry-based STEM educational experience on a cohort of secondary students attending a non-specialized school, and suggest that the framework can be widely applied across virtually all subjects where inquiry-driven and mentored projects can be undertaken. Although we have demonstrated replication in a second cohort of nominally higher SES (S 1 Appendix , Supplementary Fig. 1 ), a larger collection period with more students will be necessary to conclusively determine impact independent of both SES and specific cohort effects. Teachers may also find this framework difficult to implement depending on resources and/or institutional investment and support, particularly if post-secondary collaboration is inaccessible. Offerings to a specific subject (e.g., physics) where experiments yielding empirical data are logistically or financially simpler to perform may be valid routes of adoption as opposed to the current study where all subject cohorts were included.

As we consider Discovery in a bigger picture context, expansion and implementation of this model is translatable. Execution of the scientific method is an important aspect of citizen science, as the concepts of critical thing become ever-more important in a landscape of changing technological landscapes. Giving students critical thinking and problem-solving skills in their primary and secondary education provides value in the context of any career path. Further, we feel that this model is scalable across disciplines, STEM or otherwise, as a means of building the tools of inquiry. We have observed here the value of differential inclusive student engagement and critical thinking through an inquiry-focused model for a subset of students, but further to this an engagement, interest, and excitement across the body of student participants. As we educate the leaders of tomorrow, we suggest that use of an inquiry-focused model such as Discovery could facilitate growth of a data-driven critical thinking framework.

In conclusion, we have presented a model of inquiry-based STEM education for secondary students that emphasizes inclusion, quantitative analysis, and critical thinking. Student grades suggest significant performance benefits, and engagement data suggests positive student attitude despite the perceived challenges of the program. We also note a particular performance benefit to students who repeatedly engage in the program. This framework may carry benefits in a wide variety of settings and disciplines for enhancing student engagement and performance, particularly in non-specialized school environments.

Study design and implementation

Participants in Discovery include all students enrolled in university-stream Grade 11 or 12 biology, chemistry, or physics at the participating school over five consecutive terms (cohort summary shown in Table 1 ). Although student participation in educational content was mandatory, student grades and survey responses (administered by high school teachers) were collected from only those students with parent or guardian consent. Teachers replaced each student name with a unique coded identifier to preserve anonymity but enable individual student tracking over multiple terms. All data collected were analyzed without any exclusions save for missing survey responses; no power analysis was performed prior to data collection.

Ethics statement

This study was approved by the University of Toronto Health Sciences Research Ethics Board (Protocol # 34825) and the Toronto District School Board External Research Review Committee (Protocol # 2017-2018-20). Written informed consent was collected from parents or guardians of participating students prior to the acquisition of student data (both post-hoc academic data and survey administration). Data were anonymized by high school teachers for maintenance of academic confidentiality of individual students prior to release to U of T researchers.

Educational program overview

Students enrolled in university-preparatory STEM classes at the participating school completed a term-long project under the guidance of graduate student instructors and undergraduate student mentors as a mandatory component of their respective course. Project curriculum developed collaboratively between graduate students and participating high school teachers was delivered within U of T Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (FASE) teaching facilities. Participation allows high school students to garner a better understanding as to how undergraduate learning and career workflows in STEM vary from traditional high school classroom learning, meanwhile reinforcing the benefits of problem solving, perseverance, teamwork, and creative thinking competencies. Given that Discovery was a mandatory component of course curriculum, students participated as class cohorts and addressed questions specific to their course subject knowledge base but related to the defined global health research topic (Fig. 1 ). Assessment of program deliverables was collectively assigned to represent 10–15% of the final course grade for each subject at the discretion of the respective STEM teacher.

The Discovery program framework was developed, prior to initiation of student assessment, in collaboration with one high school selected from the local public school board over a 1.5 year period of time. This partner school consistently scores highly (top decile) in the school board’s Learning Opportunities Index (LOI). The LOI ranks each school based on measures of external challenges affecting its student population therefore schools with the greatest level of external challenge receive a higher ranking 35 . A high LOI ranking is inversely correlated with socioeconomic status (SES); therefore, participating students are identified as having a significant number of external challenges that may affect their academic success. The mandatory nature of program participation was established to reach highly capable students who may be reluctant to engage on their own initiative, as a means of enhancing the inclusivity and impact of the program. The selected school partner is located within a reasonable geographical radius of our campus (i.e., ~40 min transit time from school to campus). This is relevant as participating students are required to independently commute to campus for Discovery hands-on experiences.

Each program term of Discovery corresponds with a five-month high school term. Lead university trainee instructors (3–6 each term) engaged with high school teachers 1–2 months in advance of high school student engagement to discern a relevant overarching global healthcare theme. Each theme was selected with consideration of (a) topics that university faculty identify as cutting-edge biomedical research, (b) expertise that Discovery instructors provide, and (c) capacity to showcase the diversity of BME. Each theme was sub-divided into STEM subject-specific research questions aligning with provincial Ministry of Education curriculum concepts for university-preparatory Biology, Chemistry, and Physics 9 that students worked to address, both on-campus and in-class, during a term-long project. The Discovery framework therefore provides students a problem-based learning experience reflective of an engineering capstone design project, including a motivating scientific problem (i.e., global topic), subject-specific research question, and systematic determination of a professional recommendation addressing the needs of the presented problem.

Discovery instructors were volunteers recruited primarily from graduate and undergraduate BME programs in the FASE. Instructors were organized into subject-specific instructional teams based on laboratory skills, teaching experience, and research expertise. The lead instructors of each subject (the identified 1–2 trainees that built curriculum with high school teachers) were responsible to organize the remaining team members as mentors for specific student groups over the course of the program term (~1:8 mentor to student ratio).

All Discovery instructors were familiarized with program expectations and trained in relevant workspace safety, in addition to engagement at a teaching workshop delivered by the Faculty Advisor (a Teaching Stream faculty member) at the onset of term. This workshop was designed to provide practical information on teaching and was co-developed with high school teachers based on their extensive training and experience in fundamental teaching methods. In addition, group mentors received hands-on training and guidance from lead instructors regarding the specific activities outlined for their respective subject programming (an exemplary term of student programming is available in S 2 Appendix) .

Discovery instructors were responsible for introducing relevant STEM skills and mentoring high school students for the duration of their projects, with support and mentorship from the Faculty Mentor. Each instructor worked exclusively throughout the term with the student groups to which they had been assigned, ensuring consistent mentorship across all disciplinary components of the project. In addition to further supporting university trainees in on-campus mentorship, high school teachers were responsible for academic assessment of all student program deliverables (Fig. 1 ; the standardized grade distribution available in S 3 Appendix ). Importantly, trainees never engaged in deliverable assessment; for continuity of overall course assessment, this remained the responsibility of the relevant teacher for each student cohort.

Throughout each term, students engaged within the university facilities four times. The first three sessions included hands-on lab sessions while the fourth visit included a culminating symposium for students to present their scientific findings (Fig. 1 ). On average, there were 4–5 groups of students per subject (3–4 students per group; ~20 students/class). Discovery instructors worked exclusively with 1–2 groups each term in the capacity of mentor to monitor and guide student progress in all project deliverables.

After introducing the selected global research topic in class, teachers led students in completion of background research essays. Students subsequently engaged in a subject-relevant skill-building protocol during their first visit to university teaching laboratory facilities, allowing opportunity to understand analysis techniques and equipment relevant for their assessment projects. At completion of this session, student groups were presented with a subject-specific research question as well as the relevant laboratory inventory available for use during their projects. Armed with this information, student groups continued to work in their classroom setting to develop group-specific experimental plans. Teachers and Discovery instructors provided written and oral feedback, respectively , allowing students an opportunity to revise their plans in class prior to on-campus experimental execution.

Once at the relevant laboratory environment, student groups executed their protocols in an effort to collect experimental data. Data analysis was performed in the classroom and students learned by trial & error to optimize their protocols before returning to the university lab for a second opportunity of data collection. All methods and data were re-analyzed in class in order for students to create a scientific poster for the purpose of study/experience dissemination. During a final visit to campus, all groups presented their findings at a research symposium, allowing students to verbally defend their process, analyses, interpretations, and design recommendations to a diverse audience including peers, STEM teachers, undergraduate and graduate university students, postdoctoral fellows and U of T faculty.

Data collection

Teachers evaluated their students on the following associated deliverables: (i) global theme background research essay; (ii) experimental plan; (iii) progress report; (iv) final poster content and presentation; and (v) attendance. For research purposes, these grades were examined individually and also as a collective Discovery program grade for each student. For students consenting to participation in the research study, all Discovery grades were anonymized by the classroom teacher before being shared with study authors. Each student was assigned a code by the teacher for direct comparison of deliverable outcomes and survey responses. All instances of “Final course grade” represent the prorated course grade without the Discovery component, to prevent confounding of quantitative analyses.

Survey instruments were used to gain insight into student attitudes and perceptions of STEM and post-secondary study, as well as Discovery program experience and impact (S 4 Appendix ). High school teachers administered surveys in the classroom only to students supported by parental permission. Pre-program surveys were completed at minimum 1 week prior to program initiation each term and exit surveys were completed at maximum 2 weeks post- Discovery term completion. Surveys results were validated using a principal component analysis (S 1 Appendix , Supplementary Fig. 2 ).

Identification and comparison of population subsets

From initial analysis, we identified two student subpopulations of particular interest: students who performed ≥1 SD [18.0%] or greater in the collective Discovery components of the course compared to their final course grade (“EE”), and students who participated in Discovery more than once (“MT”). These groups were compared individually against the rest of the respective Discovery population (“non-EE” and “non-MT”, respectively ). Additionally, MT students who participated in three or four (the maximum observed) terms of Discovery were assessed for longitudinal changes to performance in their course and Discovery grades. Comparisons were made for all Discovery deliverables (introductory essay, client meeting, proposal, progress report, poster, and presentation), final Discovery grade, final course grade, Discovery attendance, and overall attendance.

Statistical analysis

Student course grades were analyzed in all instances without the Discovery contribution (calculated from all deliverable component grades and ranging from 10 to 15% of final course grade depending on class and year) to prevent correlation. Aggregate course grades and Discovery grades were first compared by paired t-test, matching each student’s course grade to their Discovery grade for the term. Student performance in Discovery ( N  = 268 instances of student participation, comprising 170 individual students that participated 1–4 times) was initially assessed in a linear regression of Discovery grade vs. final course grade. Trends in course and Discovery performance over time for students participating 3 or 4 terms ( N  = 16 and 3 individuals, respectively ) were also assessed by linear regression. For subpopulation analysis (EE and MT, N  = 99 instances from 81 individuals and 174 instances from 76 individuals, respectively ), each dataset was tested for normality using the D’Agostino and Pearson omnibus normality test. All subgroup comparisons vs. the remaining population were performed by Mann–Whitney U -test. Data are plotted as individual points with mean ± SEM overlaid (grades), or in histogram bins of 1 and 4 days, respectively , for Discovery and class attendance. Significance was set at α ≤ 0.05.

Reporting summary

Further information on research design is available in the Nature Research Reporting Summary linked to this article.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author DMK. These data are not publicly available due to privacy concerns of personal data according to the ethical research agreements supporting this study.

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Acknowledgements

This study has been possible due to the support of many University of Toronto trainee volunteers, including Genevieve Conant, Sherif Ramadan, Daniel Smieja, Rami Saab, Andrew Effat, Serena Mandla, Cindy Bui, Janice Wong, Dawn Bannerman, Allison Clement, Shouka Parvin Nejad, Nicolas Ivanov, Jose Cardenas, Huntley Chang, Romario Regeenes, Dr. Henrik Persson, Ali Mojdeh, Nhien Tran-Nguyen, Ileana Co, and Jonathan Rubianto. We further acknowledge the staff and administration of George Harvey Collegiate Institute and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBME), as well as Benjamin Rocheleau and Madeleine Rocheleau for contributions to data collation. Discovery has grown with continued support of Dean Christopher Yip (Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, U of T), and the financial support of the IBME and the National Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) PromoScience program (PROSC 515876-2017; IBME “Igniting Youth Curiosity in STEM” initiative co-directed by DMK and Dr. Penney Gilbert). LDH and NIC were supported by Vanier Canada graduate scholarships from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and NSERC, respectively . DMK holds a Dean’s Emerging Innovation in Teaching Professorship in the Faculty of Engineering & Applied Science, U of T.

Author information

These authors contributed equally: Locke Davenport Huyer, Neal I. Callaghan.

Authors and Affiliations

Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Locke Davenport Huyer, Neal I. Callaghan, Andrey I. Shukalyuk & Dawn M. Kilkenny

Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Locke Davenport Huyer

Translational Biology and Engineering Program, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Neal I. Callaghan

George Harvey Collegiate Institute, Toronto District School Board, Toronto, ON, Canada

Sara Dicks, Edward Scherer & Margaret Jou

Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education & Practice, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Dawn M. Kilkenny

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Contributions

LDH, NIC and DMK conceived the program structure, designed the study, and interpreted the data. LDH and NIC ideated programming, coordinated execution, and performed all data analysis. SD, ES, and MJ designed and assessed student deliverables, collected data, and anonymized data for assessment. SD assisted in data interpretation. AIS assisted in programming ideation and design. All authors provided feedback and approved the manuscript that was written by LDH, NIC and DMK.

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Correspondence to Dawn M. Kilkenny .

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Davenport Huyer, L., Callaghan, N.I., Dicks, S. et al. Enhancing senior high school student engagement and academic performance using an inclusive and scalable inquiry-based program. npj Sci. Learn. 5 , 17 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-020-00076-2

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How to Gain Research Experience in High School

Padya Paramita

February 3, 2021

If you’re a curious high schooler who enjoys asking questions and digging into the depths of the internet to find answers, you might be wondering how you can gain research experience in high school . The word “research” isn’t restricted to a particular field or subject area—no matter what you want to major in when you go to college, there are plenty of topics and questions waiting to be explored and uncovered further in every field.

The question is, where and how do you start? While it’s true that most research opportunities are designed for students at a college level, there are summer programs, labs, and organizations that have spots for high schoolers on their teams. To help you navigate the various possibilities, I’ve outlined what really constitutes research, how to gain research experience in high school in three different ways, and how these opportunities are viewed by college admissions officers.

What Counts as Research?

Students often have the misconception that research only entails scientific methods and studies, but that is far from the truth. The term “research” refers to an investigative study that you carry out in order to discover new facts and draw a conclusion. It doesn’t have to involve lab coats and test tubes if that’s not your area of interest. As you think about how to gain research experience in high school , note that you can focus on any topic that piques your curiosity. 

Don’t just plan to participate in research for the sake of appearing as an impressive college applicant. Since it involves a significant amount of time, you need to consider your commitment to learning more about the topic. If you genuinely have a question you’ve been excited to explore, that’s when you should consider a research project. You don’t already have to be an expert—the purpose of research is to learn! Even if you do have a lot of knowledge of something like the history of European art, for your research project you might dig into the use of painting methods in Asia or South America instead. 

Any research work should involve a core topic that you’re trying to explore further, as well as reading materials that serve as resources to help you understand the field better. If you’re invested in making new discoveries through reading and writing, research may be a great option for you!

Different Ways You Can Gain Research Experience 

There are a few programs created specifically to help high schoolers gain research experience, although the majority of them do fall within STEM. These include science-centric summer programs and research institutes, often hosted by large universities. If you’re a student who wants to conduct research in a humanities or arts topic, you’d potentially have to go further out of your way and reach out to various institutions about supporting your work. It may sound overwhelming, but as you narrow down your topic, chances are, you’ll find someone whose studies suit your choice of subject.

In most cases, you will need a mentor or supervisor, and for research in the STEM fields, a lab. You’ll also ultimately want to establish a method of presenting the data or your findings. For a pre-existing research lab or center, these opportunities should be easier to pinpoint. If you’re embarking on your own research adventure, you’ll need a proposal that outlines the question/topic, what the scope of your research will be, and if applicable, a mentor you have in mind who wants to take you up on your offer. 

In case you’re wondering whether you should gain experience through a summer program, pre-existing lab/institution, or research proposal, let’s take a more in-depth look at each of them.

InGenius Prep's Academic Mentorships

If you're having trouble finding opportunities to gain research experience in high school, look no further than InGenius Prep's Academic Mentorships . These programs are taught by college professors in a field of your choice—you can opt for a small group program or a one-on-one mentorship. This year's offerings include mentorships in various topics ranging from architecture, digital gaming, robotics, theatre, history, politics, and more.

Summer Programs 

Many universities, foundations, and labs have established summer program options that allow high school students to conduct research. These programs are often very competitive and the applications are usually due in January or February. In some cases, there are early applications due in November or December. For most of these, you’ll have to write essays elaborating on your focus, as well as career aspirations. The programs will evaluate whether you’re a strong fit and determine which faculty member you could pair up with if accepted. The following list includes some top-notch summer programs and research institutes that allow students to explore their interests with more depth:

• Aspirnaut Summer Research Internships for High School Students  
• Boston University – Research in Science & Engineering (RISE)
• Children's Hospital Colorado Child Health Research Internship
• Garcia Scholars – Stony Brook University
• Maine Space Grant Consortium Research Internships for Teachers and Students (MERITS)
• Magee Women's Research Institute High School Summer Internship Program
• National Institutes of Health – Summer Internship in Biomedical Research (SIP)
• Naval Research Laboratory Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program  
• Research Science Institute
• Simons Summer Research Program
• Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
• University of California-Santa Barbara Research Mentorship Program  
• University of Chicago Research in the Biological Sciences (RIBS)

At these programs, you’re often divided into teams and have the opportunity to delve deeper into particular issues. Over the course of the experience, you build your leadership and teamwork skills. Participation in one of these shines brightly on your Common App. Admissions officers know that acceptance at programs such as the Research Science Institute and Garcia Scholars is competitive and that you’re an applicant who has already worked hard in their discipline of choice. 

As you can see, the summer programs which encourage high school student research are heavily concentrated within STEM. While there are plenty of top summer programs geared towards students interested in the humanities, social sciences, and arts , most don’t specifically support student research. The Concord Review History Camp is an example of a summer experience where you can partake in research workshops and write an extensive paper at the end. So, if you’re a prospective economics, literature, or film major, you may have to branch out a little further. 

Reaching Out to Labs or Other Existing Research Programs

Although these aren’t established programs like the ones above, if you’re hoping to join an ongoing research project, you have far more flexibility when asking faculty members if they would consider serving as your mentor. If you’re thinking about how to gain research experience in high school as a chemistry student, you could be drawn to a lab at a local university; pre-meds might approach a research hospital. Art or history students can sometimes conduct research at a relevant museum. If you want to start a research project on the history of a musical genre, for instance, you can reach out to a music journalist or musician that appeals to you.

It can be intimidating to cold email a professor or a field expert. But remember, in most cases, people generally appreciate it when students show interest in their work. Plus, in the long run, colleges will value your initiative. The worst response you can get is that they’re at capacity or aren’t looking for students at the moment. While it definitely helps to reach out to multiple people, realistically, the chances of you receiving many responses are low. This is why it’s extremely important to network and take advantage of any connections you have as you go after research opportunities during high school. 

Think about the areas where you’re interested in conducting research so you can find institutions that line up with your field. Write a cover letter addressed to the head of the group indicating your interests and why you’re intrigued by their research. A cover letter can explain the specificity of what you hope to gain from the experience as well as outline how you would contribute to their group. Include your resumé and make sure it’s up to date. Then take the plunge and reach out to various mentors who are established in your area of interest. If they say yes, you can have a wonderful experience collaborating with others and learning more about a topic that appeals to you. 

Your research team will probably want to present the results at a conference. If you’re lucky, your name could even be included in a journal article! Your supervisor can also write a recommendation as an additional letter of evaluation for college, describing your enthusiasm and determination, along with how your presence was a positive addition. All of these components would stand out to college admissions officers.

Initiating an Independent Research Project

Another option as you’re considering how to gain research experience in high school is conducting your own research project. While not particularly uncommon, admissions officers appreciate students who pursue this route, as it showcases initiative and independence. A teacher from your school may help guide you and provide you with the resources you need.

Consider a community-based experience–such as analyzing whether your local lakes and rivers have excessive levels of a harmful chemical. A project that involves more students could inspire you to build your own research team. It might also be something more personal, such as researching the history of your family and the origin of your ancestors. Either way, develop a research question you’re trying to answer before you set out on a long-term journey. 

No matter what, you’ll want to have something tangible at the end of your research–a finding that can concretely point to and capture the work you’ve done. You could present a poster or deliver a talk based on your findings, depending on the kind of work you’ve done. You could also make a documentary or write an article about all that you’ve found. For example, an oral history exploration could be turned into a podcast or an op-ed! Admissions officers will appreciate your willingness to step out of the standard course assignments at school for experiences that are ambitious. 

Navigating how to gain research experience in high school , and finding the right opportunity not only provides an in-depth look at a subject you’re passionate about, but it also gives you a chance to work on your collaboration, leadership, reading, and writing abilities. If done well, admissions officers will be impressed by your quest for knowledge. Plus, you’ll get to network with experts in your field and meet peers who share similar interests–holding on to these connections might prove to be useful beyond high school!

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How to Get Involved with Research in High School

Madeleine Karydes

Lead admissions expert, table of contents, research in high school.

• Where to start…

Success? We thought so.

Stay up-to-date on the latest research and college admissions trends with our blog team.

Would you like to do hands-on research while in high school? Before we start, we would like to emphasize something. This information is not just for students interested in science! Research is simply the process of discovering new trends, ideas, or phenomenon. This type of discovery can be made in any field, from engineering to history to art to political science.

This may be good news for many of our readers! However, the question still remains: how do you get involved with research, especially as a high schooler?

Where to start…

There are two main ways through which high schoolers can seek out research positions. First, you can apply to a designated research program. Second, you can reach out to researchers and/or faculty of academic institutions on your own.

Research Programs:

Many universities, government think tanks, and other laboratories or academic institutions have established summer research and volunteer programs for high school students. These programs often require applications that are due by January or February, for programs that start in June of that year. The applications often involve essays and recommendation letters, in which the program administrators will use to match you to a particular research faculty upon acceptance.

Examples of some research programs include RSI hosted by MIT for students interested in mathematics, science, and computer science, SIMR hosted by Stanford for students interested in the biomedical sciences, and a program hosted by the Baker Institute at Rice University for students interested in political science.

Venturing Out on Your Own:

Unlike in the established programs described above, you have more flexibility and freedom to choose which faculty you work with when finding research opportunities on your own. Here is a game plan you can follow:

• Define areas of research that you find interesting. We recommend that you keep your interests relatively broad (e.g. Renaissance literature or synthetic biology)
• Identify institutions that supports research in the fields you defined above. You can reach out to universities, hospitals, government think tanks/institutions, and even companies, to name a few.
• Create a generic cover letter addressed to the head of a laboratory or research group, including template sentences that allow you to fill in specifics about the specific research that a particular group does (e.g. “Your research on ______ intrigues me because ______, and I would love to contribute to ______ project”).
• Update your CV/Resume, making sure that it states your credentials and any relevant coursework or previous experiences.

Now comes the part you’ve been working towards…

• Emphasizing that you will work on a voluntary basis (or in other words, for free/without pay) can often help you!
• Email as many researchers as you can, because the yield rate for high school students is often low (again, researchers are very busy)
• If you don’t hear back in two weeks, you can send a follow-up email by replying to your original email. If they still do not respond, move on and email other labs.

If you receive offers from multiple labs or research groups, you can consider the following factors to help you make a final decision:

• Interesting Project? Talk to the researcher about the project you will be working on, and make sure that it is one that is exciting to you and that you can give your full commitment to. The researcher took a chance on you by offering you the position, so you want to give your 100%!
• Interpersonal Dynamic? Go meet members of the lab and research group, and make sure that you feel comfortable with them. Remember, you will be needing their help and the more questions you ask, the better your work will be. If you don’t feel comfortable with the lab, it will not be a good learning experience for you and your work can suffer.
• Funding and Publication Record? Research grants and publication records are often public information that can be found in online databases. Check to see if the lab or research group publishes in high-quality journals, as this reflects the quality of the work that they do. Similarly, make sure that the lab is sufficiently funded, as this can impact the overall work environment and the amount of resources you will have at your disposal.

We help high school students find research opportunities and apply to summer programs. If you are interested in our college counseling program, click below.

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How to teach research skills to high school students: 12 tips

by mindroar | Oct 10, 2021 | blog | 0 comments

Teachers often find it difficult to decide how to teach research skills to high school students. You probably feel students should know how to do research by high school. But often students’ skills are lacking in one or more areas.

Today we’re not going to give you research skills lesson plans for high school. But we will give you 12 tips for how to teach research skills to high school students. Bonus, the tips will make it quick, fun, and easy.

One of my favorite ways of teaching research skills to high school students is to use the Crash Course Navigating Digital Information series.

The videos are free and short (between ten and fifteen minutes each). They cover information such as evaluating the trustworthiness of sources, using Wikipedia, lateral reading, and understanding how the source medium can affect the message.

Another thing I like to integrate into my lessons are the Crash Course Study Skills videos . Again, they’re free and short. Plus they are an easy way to refresh study skills such as:

• note-taking
• writing papers
• editing papers
• getting organized
• and studying for tests and exams.

If you’re ready to get started, we’ll give you links to great resources that you can integrate into your lessons. Because often students just need a refresh on a particular skill and not a whole semester-long course.

1. Why learn digital research skills?

Tip number one of how to teach research skills to high school students. Address the dreaded ‘why?’ questions upfront. You know the questions: Why do we have to do this? When am I ever going to use this?

If your students understand why they need good research skills and know that you will show them specific strategies to improve their skills, they are far more likely to buy into learning about how to research effectively.

An easy way to answer this question is that students spend so much time online. Some people spend almost an entire day online each week.

It’s amazing to have such easy access to information, unlike the pre-internet days. But there is far more misinformation and disinformation online.

A webpage, Facebook post, Instagram post, YouTube video, infographic, meme, gif, TikTok video (etc etc) can be created by just about anyone with a phone. And it’s easy to create them in a way that looks professional and legitimate.

This can make it hard for people to know what is real, true, evidence-based information and what is not.

The first Crash Course Navigating Digital Information video gets into the nitty-gritty of why we should learn strategies for evaluating the information we find (online or otherwise!).

An easy way to answer the ‘why’ questions your high schoolers will ask, the video is an excellent resource.

2. Teaching your students to fact check

Tip number two for teaching research skills to high school students is to teach your students concrete strategies for how to check facts.

It’s surprising how many students will hand in work with blatant factual errors. Errors they could have avoided had they done a quick fact check.

An easy way to broach this research skill in high school is to watch the second video in the Crash Course Navigating Digital Information series. It explains what fact-checking is, why people should do it, and how to make it a habit.

You can explain to your students that they’ll write better papers if they learn to fact-check. But they’ll also make better decisions if they make fact-checking a habit.

The video looks at why people are more likely to believe mis- or disinformation online. And it shows students a series of questions they can use to identify mis- or disinformation.

The video also discusses why it’s important to find a few generally reliable sources of information and to use those as a way to fact-check other online sources.

3. Teaching your students how and why to read laterally

This ties in with tip number 2 – teach concrete research strategies – but it is more specific. Fact-checking tends to be checking what claim sources are making, who is making the claim, and corroborating the claim with other sources.

But lateral reading is another concrete research skills strategy that you can teach to students. This skill helps students spot inaccurate information quickly and avoid wasting valuable research time.

One of the best (and easiest!) research skills for high school students to learn is how to read laterally. And teachers can demonstrate it so, so easily. As John Green says in the third Crash Course Navigating Digital Information video , just open another tab!

The video also shows students good websites to use to check hoaxes and controversial information.

Importantly, John Green also explains that students need a “toolbox” of strategies to assess sources of information. There’s not one magic source of information that is 100% accurate.

4. Teaching your students how to evaluate trustworthiness

Deciding who to trust online can be difficult even for those of us with lots of experience navigating online. And it is made even more difficult by how easy it now is to create a professional-looking websites.

This video shows students what to look for when evaluating trustworthiness. It also explains how to take bias, opinion, and political orientations into account when using information sources.

The video explains how reputable information sources gather reliable information (versus disreputable sources). And shows how reputable information sources navigate the situation when they discover their information is incorrect or misleading.

Students can apply the research skills from this video to news sources, novel excerpts, scholarly articles, and primary sources. Teaching students to look for bias, political orientation, and opinions within all sources is one of the most valuable research skills for high school students.

5. Teaching your students to use Wikipedia

Now, I know that Wikipedia can be the bane of your teacherly existence when you are reading essays. I know it can make you want to gouge your eyes out with a spoon when you read the same recycled article in thirty different essays. But, teaching students how to use Wikipedia as a jumping-off point is a useful skill.

Wikipedia is no less accurate than other online encyclopedia-type sources. And it often includes hyperlinks and references that students can check or use for further research. Plus it has handy-dandy warnings for inaccurate and contentious information.

Part of how to teach research skills to high school students is teaching them how to use general reference material such as encyclopedias for broad information. And then following up with how to use more detailed information such as primary and secondary sources.

The Crash Course video about Wikipedia is an easy way to show students how to use it more effectively.

6. Teaching your students to evaluate evidence

Another important research skill to teach high school students is how to evaluate evidence. This skill is important, both in their own and in others’ work.

An easy way to do this is the Crash Course video about evaluating evidence video. The short video shows students how to evaluate evidence using authorship, the evidence provided, and the relevance of the evidence.

It also gives examples of ways that evidence can be used to mislead. For example, it shows that simply providing evidence doesn’t mean that the evidence is quality evidence that supports the claim being made.

The video shows examples of evidence that is related to a topic, but irrelevant to the claim. Having an example of irrelevant evidence helps students understand the difference between related but irrelevant evidence and evidence that is relevant to the claim.

Finally, the video gives students questions that they can use to evaluate evidence.

7. Teaching your students to evaluate photos and videos

While the previous video about evidence looked at how to evaluate evidence in general, this video looks specifically at video and photographic evidence.

The video looks at how videos and photos can be manipulated to provide evidence for a claim. It suggests that seeking out the context for photos and videos is especially important as a video or photo is easy to misinterpret. This is especially the case if a misleading caption or surrounding information is provided.

The video also gives tools that students can use to discover hoaxes or fakes. Similarly, it encourages people to look for the origin of the photo or video to find the creator. And to then use that with contextual information to decide whether the photo or video is reliable evidence for a claim.

8. Teaching your students to evaluate data and infographics

Other sources of evidence that students (and adults!) often misinterpret or are misled by are data and infographics. Often people take the mere existence of statistics or other data as evidence for a claim instead of investigating further.

Again the Crash Course video suggests seeking out the source and context for data and infographics. It suggests that students often see data as neutral and irrefutable, but that data is inherently biased as it is created by humans.

The video gives a real-world example of how data can be manipulated as a source of evidence by showing how two different news sources represented global warming data.

9. Teaching your students how search engines work and why to use click restraint

Another video from the Crash Course Navigating Digital Information series is the video about how search engines work and click restraint . This video shows how search engines decide which information to list at the top of the search results. It also shows how search engines decide what information is relevant and of good quality.

The video gives search tips for using search engines to encourage the algorithms to return more reliable and accurate results.

This video is important when you are want to know how to teach research skills to high school students. This is because many students don’t understand why the first few results on a search are not necessarily the best information available.

10. Teach your students how to evaluate social media sources

One of the important research skills high school students need is to evaluate social media posts. Many people now get news and information from social media sites that have little to no oversight or editorial control. So, being able to evaluate posts for accuracy is key.

This video in the Crash Course Navigating Digital Information series also explains that social media sites are free to use because they make money from advertising. The advertising money comes from keeping people on the platform (and looking at the ads).

How do they keep people on the platform? By using algorithms that gather information about how long people spend on or react to different photos, posts and videos. Then, the algorithms will send viewers more content that is similar to the content that they view or interact with.

This prioritizes content that is controversial, shocking, engaging, attractive. It also reinforces the social norms of the audience members using the platform.

By teaching students how to combat the way that social media algorithms work, you can show them how to gather more reliable and relevant information in their everyday lives. Further, you help students work out if social media posts are relevant to (reliable for) their academic work.

11. Teaching your students how to cite sources

Another important research skill high school students need is how to accurately cite sources. A quick Google search turned up a few good free ideas:

• This lesson plan from the Brooklyn Library for grades 4-11. It aligns with the common core objectives and provides worksheets for students to learn to use MLA citation.
• This blog post about middle-school teacher Jody Passanini’s experiences trying to teach students in English and History how to cite sources both in-text and at the end with a reference list.
• This scavenger hunt lesson by 8th grade teacher on ReadWriteThink. It has a free printout asking students to prove assertions (which could be either student- or teacher-generated) with quotes from the text and a page number. It also has an example answer using the Catching Fire (Hunger Games) novel.
• The Chicago Manual of Style has this quick author-date citation guide .
• This page by Purdue Online Writing Lab has an MLA citation guide , as well as links to other citation guides such as APA.

If you are wanting other activities, a quick search of TPT showed these to be popular and well-received by other teachers:

• Laura Randazzo’s 9th edition MLA in-text and end-of-text citation activities
• Tracee Orman 8th edition MLA cheet sheet
• The Daring English Teacher’s MLA 8th edition citation powerpoint

12. Teaching your students to take notes

Another important skill to look at when considering how to teach research skills to high school students is whether they know how to take effective notes.

The Crash Course Study Skills note-taking video is great for this. It outlines three note-taking styles – the outline method, the Cornell method, and the mind map method. And it shows students how to use each of the methods.

This can help you start a conversation with your students about which styles of note-taking are most effective for different tasks.

For example, mind maps are great for seeing connections between ideas and brain dumps. The outline method is great for topics that are hierarchical. And the Cornell method is great for topics with lots of specific vocabulary.

Having these types of metacognitive discussions with your students helps them identify study and research strategies. It also helps them to learn which strategies are most effective in different situations.

Teaching research skills to high school students . . .

Doesn’t have to be

• time-consuming

The fantastic Crash Course Navigating Digital Information videos are a great way to get started if you are wondering how to teach research skills to high school students.

If you decide to use the videos in your class, you can buy individual worksheets if you have specific skills in mind. Or you can buy the full bundle if you think you’ll end up watching all of the videos.

Got any great tips for teaching research skills to high school students?

Head over to our Facebook or Instagram pages and let us know!

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Research Tips for High Schoolers

Notes from a 21st century librarian: how to do research.

As a high school student, you are required to do a great deal of research. This trend will only continue when you enter your first year of college. Each generation has been responsible for finding information, facts, and appropriate sources; however, the 21st-century has made research both easier and more difficult. Today’s students can easily ask their iPad a question and receive an answer almost instantaneously. Nearly everything can be Googled, putting important information at your fingertips. Students of yesteryear had to actually drive to a library, look up the name of a particular book and take it home for up to a week. Libraries are still a very important part of modern literacy and research, however most students use a virtual library for academic assignments (READ: “ Best Libraries in South Orange County For Studying “).

Many of your teachers and tutors went to high school prior to the advent of today’s technological convenience. In a way, this puts them at a great advantage. People who learned how to do research the old fashioned way also learned which sources were valid and which were not. They grew along with the power of the Internet and can utilize it today while easily figuring out which answers are legitimate and well-documented and which sources should be entirely ignored. Although today’s students have the advantage of these wonderful technologies, it’s important to know how to do research in a 21st-century virtual library (READ: “ The Student’s Guide to Study Breaks “).

1.  Look for the lock symbol on websites

Some websites have been legitimized and approved to display a neon green lock symbol. Students should strive to use sources and conduct research on these sites. Of course, there are some perfectly valid and useful sites that students can use that do not contain this symbol. It’s important to work with a teacher or tutor to learn how to find appropriate sources prior to leaving for college.

2. Look for the HTTP://

Websites that have the HTTP:// at the beginning of the website are usually valid in some respect.  Most of us don’t look for these series of characters anymore but it’s important to check if they’re there. Remember, just about anybody can put just about anything on the Internet and so it’s important to think about what you should be researching and what is simply a distraction.

3. Balance your sources

When studying current events or the news, it is important to show both sides of the story. Very few current events sources are completely unbiased. They are written by human beings after all. If you are studying a controversial topic, make sure to research and cite sources from both ends of the spectrum. Of course, you can (and should) form your own opinion but it’s crucial to demonstrate that you researched both sides before forming the opinion that you hold.

4. Show adequate support for your argument

If you are doing online research for an argumentative essay, it’s important to cite several different sources in order to demonstrate that your research is comprehensive and complete. For example, if you have cited three articles but they are all from the same source, (PBS, NBC News, etc…) you are really only citing three subsets of one larger source. Research students are graded heavily on their ability to appropriately support their argument. Without adequate support the thesis remains a stated claim.

5. Do not rely on another’s work

Remember, anybody can put anything on the Internet. Teachers, students, researchers, professors, editors, writers and scholars all post information to the Internet. It’s never a good idea to rely on somebody’s work unless they have third-party recognition. Third-party recognition means that the information has been fact checked, edited, and published by a respected source (READ: “ A Letter to My High School Self “). Anything else is simply somebody’s opinion and may or may not be historically correct, well researched, or edited for content. Always do your own research and form your own opinion even if you find easy information online.  You’ll be happy later that you did.

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High School Student Researches Real-Life Marketing

Authentic exploratory research hones students’ business and analysis skills..

Posted May 1, 2024 | Reviewed by Monica Vilhauer

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This is the second post in a series.

What if high school students could conduct methodical research on important questions like graduate students and researchers do? Well, as the students at Laguna Beach High School (LBHS) are demonstrating, they can.

In Part I of this series I interviewed Jun Shen, the passionate teacher and edtech coordinator who runs LBHS’s Authentic Exploratory Research (AER) Program . AER is an independent research course inspired by Palo Alto Unified School District’s Advanced Authentic Research program . The program pairs students with adult mentors (such as LBUSD staff, industry experts, and academics) who assist the teens in researching their own big questions in fields of their choice. Shen’s explanation of how the AER program works, combined with students’ input through the rest of this interview series, lets us glimpse some of the different ways students can use the program to pursue individual passions , as well as how other educators can implement such a program.

LBHS student Aryana Mohajerian was the first to give us an account of her experience in AER and the findings that her AER research produced. Mohajerian’s answers follow each question below.

Jenny Grant Rankin: In short, what was your research study about?

Aryana Mohajerian: In short, my research was about marketing a membership program to different target demographics in a small, high-end, health-conscious, confectionary business in Hawaii.

I analyzed how new marketing efforts will help increase overall revenue and cash flow in the business. The new strategies I implemented were creating a set target market using survey data. I also created a brand kit with all the customer values, color palettes for the website, and copy.

JGR: What were your most important findings?

AM: My most important findings were that it is critical to know the psychology of business and be able to put yourself in the customer’s shoes. I had to figure out what a target market’s values, goals , and mindset are like to better appeal to their logic and emotions when trying to make a sale.

I distributed a survey to better understand the company’s current customers, what their values are, and what draws them towards purchasing.

When proposing ideas for what draws customers to the company, my hypothesis proved correct. 100% of people selected that they value environmental sustainability and the farm-to-table process. 70% of people selected that they are health-conscious consumers and 85% love the Hawaii-island, beachy lifestyle. With these proven conclusions, I created three new membership plans for Lonohana, each targeting a specific audience, according to the survey results.

The first membership was family-oriented, catering to children and their parents. The customer values were inclusivity, appeals to a health-conscious family, and living an active lifestyle in the great outdoors. The second membership caters to young adults. For example, college students or recent graduates living a youthful, and spontaneous lifestyle. This membership was an affordable line of products, since young adults like to have fun on a budget. These young individuals love the island lifestyle of Hawaii and love trying Lonohana’s unique flavors. The third membership was targeted toward more professional and formal individuals. These high-end customers value luxury products and the education behind making them. This membership included informational cards on each bar, describing how it was made and where the ingredients come from.

JGR: What was the biggest thing you learned about conducting research?

AM: The biggest thing I learned about conducting research is that it requires thorough planning and first making a hypothesis of what the results will be. Understanding the psychology behind why people spend money on luxury items was essential because it guided me on how I worded my survey to get the most honest responses from customers. For example, a customer value I noted was a sense of family and community involvement. Therefore, I concluded that customers are likely to purchase membership boxes to have enough gifts on hand for family or community gatherings, which was proven true based on the survey.

JGR: What was the biggest thing you learned about communicating research?

AM: The biggest thing I learned about communicating research is that I need to create an eye-catching, yet simple poster to present at the AER Symposium. When I did my presentation, I mainly focused on the visuals of my project and some easy-to-read graphs. I brought the marketing materials I had made, such as brochures, business cards, and the printed-out brand kit to show my audience. I found that having a hands-on experience with cohesively colored materials helped me get my message across in a fun way that did not bore anyone. Having all these materials helped invoke questions from my audience as well.

JGR: What was your favorite part about AER?

AM: My favorite part about AER was the fact that I was able to work with a real-world company while in high school alongside a mentor who was working my dream job. AER was such a unique opportunity for me to learn about my interest in marketing and the psychology behind why we buy luxury items. Although this was a class, it did not feel like traditional learning because I went out into the real world to enhance a business’s marketing tactics. Learning by doing is the best way to gain experience. I learned a lot more about marketing through my AER project than I did taking “Intro to Marketing” in a dual-enrollment community college class.

It’s exciting to find that the program advanced not only Mohajerian’s research skills but her career skills, as well. That is a common theme in students’ accounts of their AER experiences.

Jenny Grant Rankin, Ph.D., is a Fulbright Specialist for the U.S. Department of State.

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What School Subjects Do You Need in High School?

The subjects you study in high school should allow you to graduate, but you’ll also want classes that will prepare you for college and for life as an adult.

• Subjects Offered in High School
• Subjects Needed to Graduate
• Subjects for College Preparation

Picking high school courses is an exciting process. Core high school subjects like math, science, and language arts are required, but a range of others can be selected. Finally being given more of a choice in what a student studies can be freeing, but also may feel overwhelming, confusing, or stressful.

What courses are best? There's no one right path. First, consider what is needed to graduate. Then, take a look at your options.

Parents and teens can work together to choose school subjects that not only engage their interests but also have their future plans and goals in mind.

For example, students who want to go to college may be required to take more years of a foreign language or other classes required by the schools they are interested in. A student who is interested in pursuing a career in construction may want to take an industrial arts class.

Read on to learn more about selecting courses in high school.

Parents / Nusha Ashjaee 

What School Subjects Are Offered in High School?

Most high schools offer the same basic school subjects: Math, language arts, foreign language, science, social studies, health, and physical education (PE).

However, the exact courses may vary dramatically from school to school. Different high schools—even within the same district—often have different course offerings or special programs. If possible, choose the local high school that provides the programs and classes that best suit your needs and passions.

Below is a list of the most common school subjects. However, individual schools may offer a range of specialized classes, such as mindfulness or engineering.

High School Subjects

• Literature or Language Arts
• Speech and Debate
• Writing or Composition
• Trigonometry or Calculus
• Biology (typically has advanced class options)
• Chemistry (typically has advanced class options)
• Earth or Space Sciences
• Physics (typically has advanced class options)
• US Government
• World History
• Foreign Language, such as Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, and German
• Physical Education and Health
• Arts, such as Music, Photography, Drawing, or Ceramics
• Computer Applications, Graphic Design, or Web Design
• Cooking and other life skills
• Physical Education
• Trade field studies such as Auto Mechanics, Woodworking, or Nursing
• Personal Finance

School Subjects You Need to Graduate

Ideally, teens should start high school with a basic plan of the classes they will need to take to graduate. Every state has different requirements for obtaining a high school diploma, and each school varies greatly in what it offers to give kids a chance to fulfill them. Different schools also vary in the number of classes students take each year.

The school's guidance department can help students understand the graduation requirements and how their coursework aligns with them.

English language arts

Studying the English language and literature is an important part of high school for every student, regardless of their post-school plans. In addition to studying important pieces of literature, English classes teach teens about writing, reading, and speaking.

Most states require four years of English or language arts classes. Colleges require four years of English for admission. The main English classes in high school include:

Mathematics

In high school, students dig into several different types of math . Algebra and geometry are required at most high schools, and students may choose to take advanced math classes if they are offered.

Most states require three or four years of math coursework in high school. The main math classes in high school include:

Basic life sciences (biology) and physical sciences (chemistry and physics) are required at most high schools. These classes often include lab components that allow students to perform hands-on experiments.

Most states require two to three years of science coursework in high school. These may include:

• Biology (typically has advanced class options)
• Chemistry (typically has advanced class options)
• Earth or Space sciences

Social studies and history

Understanding the past and how the world works is important for young adults. In high school, students will study history and government and learn about how social studies affects their lives.

Most states require three to four years of social studies coursework in high school, including:

Foreign languages

Learning a second language is important in today's global world. While many high schools offer foreign language courses, only 11 states require students to take a foreign language course.  

High school students can fill these requirements by learning the basics of at least one foreign language. They may also be able to choose to take advanced classes to learn more.

Common languages offered in high school include:

• Mandarin Chinese

Other possible language offerings include Russian, Latin, American Sign Language, Arabic, and German.

Physical education and health

Physical education and health classes can teach high schoolers how to care for their bodies' fitness, health, and nutritional needs. These courses often touch on the following:

• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Making healthy choices about drugs, alcohol, and nicotine.

Many states require at least one unit of PE and health to graduate. Other states offer these subjects as electives.

School Subjects for College Preparation

Students planning to go to college should consider how colleges will look at their courses during the application process. Grade point average (GPA) is important, but coursework should also demonstrate academic rigor.

When planning, it can be helpful to balance standard high school courses with some that are more challenging. Additionally, students can do this—and even get a head start on college—by taking advanced placement (AP) or college-level classes.

AP classes are more rigorous courses that teach subjects at an introductory college level. Some of the most common AP courses that are available include:

• Calculus AB
• English Literature
• African American Studies

Students who take AP classes have the option to take an AP test in the spring. If they get a certain score, they can get credit for the course at many colleges.

College credit courses

Many high schools offer opportunities to gain college credit through various programs. Your child's academic advisor, teachers, or counseling department can inform them about such offerings.

These may be online or in-person classes through programs offered by colleges and universities, and a professor or a high school teacher may teach them. Dual-credit programs allow students to fulfill their high school requirements while obtaining some college credits free of charge.

School Subject Electives

In addition to the basic classes, there are usually plenty of opportunities to take electives in various areas of study. These can not only broaden a student's academic knowledge but also teach them valuable life skills and inspire their career aspirations .

In some cases, a student may be given the freedom to choose one class from a select group of options required in the school's curriculum. In others, a student may have room in their schedule to choose to study something simply based on their interests and goals.

Examples of elective classes may include:

• Arts, such as music, photography, fashion design, painting, theater, dance, or ceramics
• Computer applications, graphic design, or web design
• Student government
• Forensic science
• Physical education
• Sports medicine
• Trade field studies such as auto mechanics, welding, or nursing
• Personal finance or business

Students on a vocational track may be able to gain some hands-on learning in fields such as metalworks and woodworking. Many schools even offer the opportunity to gain certificates or licenses that will help them in their future careers .

Key Takeaways

Choosing high school classes requires planning both as a student enters school and throughout their high school experience. The right classes are challenging and engaging but not unrealistically rigorous or overwhelming.

An ideal schedule can help a student succeed, enjoy learning, and have a good academic experience while preparing them for their future plans , whatever they may be. Have your teen set up a meeting with their school counselor if they need any help.

The association between neighbourhoods and educational achievement, a systematic review and meta-analysis . J Hous Built Environ . 2016.

50-state comparison . Education Commission of the States . 2019.

High school classes required for college admission . National Association for College Admission Counseling . n.d.

The national K-16 foreign language enrollment survey report . American Councils for International Education . 2017.

Program summary report . College Board. 2019.

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E-Cigarette Use Among Youth

What to know.

E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. youth. No tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, are safe, especially for children, teens, and young adults. Learn more about e-cigarette use among youth.

• In the United States, youth use e-cigarettes, or vapes, more than any other tobacco product. 1
• No tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, are safe, especially for children, teens, and young adults. 2
• Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive. Nicotine can harm the parts of an adolescent's brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control. 2
• E-cigarette marketing, the availability of flavored products, social influences, and the effects of nicotine can influence youth to start or continue vaping. 3 4
• Most middle and high school students who vape want to quit. 5
• Many people have an important role in protecting youth from vaping including parents and caregivers, educators and school administrators, health care providers, and community partners.
• States and local communities can implement evidence-based policies, programs, and services to reduce youth vaping.

E-cigarette use among U.S. youth

In 2023, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among middle and high school students in the United States. In 2023: 6

• 550,000 (4.6%) middle school students.
• 1.56 million (10.0%) high school students.
• Among students who had ever used e-cigarettes, 46.7% reported current e-cigarette use.
• 1 in 4 (25.2%) used an e-cigarette every day.
• 1 in 3 (34.7%) used an e-cigarette on at least 20 of the last 30 days.
• 9 in 10 (89.4%) used flavored e-cigarettes.
• Most often used disposable e-cigarettes (60.7%) followed by e-cigarettes with prefilled or refillable pods or cartridges (16.1%).
• Most commonly reported using the following brands: Elf Bar, Esco Bars, Vuse, JUUL, and Mr. Fog.

Most middle and high school students who vape want to quit and have tried to quit. 5 In 2020:

• 63.9% of students who currently used e-cigarettes reported wanting to quit.
• 67.4% of students who currently used e-cigarettes reported trying to quit in the last year.

Most tobacco use, including vaping, starts and is established during adolescence. There are many factors associated with youth tobacco product use . These include:

• Tobacco advertising that targets youth.
• Product accessibility.
• Availability of flavored products.
• Social influences.
• Adolescent brain sensitivity to nicotine.

Some groups of middle and high school students use e-cigarettes at a higher percentage than others. For example, in 2023: 6

• More females than males reported current e-cigarette use.
• Non-Hispanic multiracial students: 20.8%.
• Non-Hispanic White students: 18.4%.
• Hispanic or Latino students: 18.2%.
• Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native students: 15.4%.
• Non-Hispanic Black or African American students: 12.9%.

Many young people who vape also use other tobacco products, including cigarettes and cigars. 7 This is called dual use. In 2020: 8

• About one in three high school students (36.8%) who vaped also used other tobacco products.
• One in two middle school students (49.0%) who vaped also used other tobacco products.

E-cigarettes can also be used to deliver other substances, including cannabis. In 2016, nearly one in three (30.6%) of U.S. middle and high school students who had ever used an e-cigarette reported using marijuana in the device. 9

• Park-Lee E, Ren C, Cooper M, Cornelius M, Jamal A, Cullen KA. Tobacco product use among middle and high school students—United States, 2022 . MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2022;71:1429–1435.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. E-cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2016. Accessed Feb 14, 2024.
• Apelberg BJ, Corey CG, Hoffman AC, et al. Symptoms of tobacco dependence among middle and high school tobacco users: results from the 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey . Am J Prev Med. 2014;47(Suppl 1):S4–14.
• Gentzke AS, Wang TW, Cornelius M, et al. Tobacco product use and associated factors among middle and high school students—National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2021 . MMWR Surveill Summ. 2022;71(No. SS-5):1–29.
• Zhang L, Gentzke A, Trivers KF, VanFrank B. Tobacco cessation behaviors among U.S. middle and high school students, 2020 . J Adolesc Health. 2022;70(1):147–154.
• Birdsey J, Cornelius M, Jamal A, et al. Tobacco product use among U.S. middle and high school students—National Youth Tobacco Survey, 2023 . MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72:1173–1182.
• Wang TW, Gentzke AS, Creamer MR, et al. Tobacco product use and associated factors among middle and high school students—United States, 2019 . MMWR Surveill Summ. 2019;68(No. SS-12):1–22.
• Wang TW, Gentzke AS, Neff LJ, et al. Characteristics of e-cigarette use behaviors among US youth, 2020 . JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(6):e2111336.
• Trivers KF, Phillips E, Gentzke AS, Tynan MA, Neff LJ. Prevalence of cannabis use in electronic cigarettes among U.S. youth . JAMA Pediatr. 2018;172(11):1097–1099.

Smoking and Tobacco Use

Commercial tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States.

For Everyone

Health care providers, public health.

Student loan forgiveness: Biden announces $7.7B in student loan debt relief for 160K Americans

• Updated: May. 22, 2024, 1:15 p.m. |
• Published: May. 22, 2024, 1:05 p.m.

The Biden administration announced Wednesday that $7.7 billion in student loan debt relief has been disbursed to 160,000 Americans this month. AP

• Katherine Rodriguez | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The Biden administration announced Wednesday that $7.7 billion in student loan debt relief has been disbursed to more than 160,000 Americans this month.

Biden’s administration has been trying to highlight what it sees as monthly progress with its student debt relief programs despite a Supreme Court ruling that blocked the White House’s initial student loan forgiveness plan in 2023.

This latest wave of cancellations brings the total number of Americans who have seen their student debt canceled to 4.75 million, with a total of $167 billion in student debt canceled, according to the White House.

The most recent wave of relief will go to borrowers approved through the Biden administration’s SAVE Plan , Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) for qualifying public service workers or income-driven repayment programs.

Of the borrowers who qualified under the most recent announcement, 66,900 borrowers qualified through the PSLF program and had a total of $5.2 billion forgiven.

More than 54,000 borrowers enrolled in the SAVE plan who took out smaller loans for graduate school got a total of $613 million in relief. And an additional 39,200 borrowers enrolled in income-driven repayment programs had a total of $1.9 billion forgiven.

The Biden administration has been working over the past few months to deliver relief to certain groups of borrowers under a different legal authority. In one example, borrowers with loan balances larger than what they initially borrowed would not have to pay interest on those loans.

The proposals are still being finalized but could take effect as soon as this fall.

Student Loan Forgiveness & Updates

• Biden proposed a new student loan forgiveness plan. Who is eligible for student loan forgiveness?
• Biden announces $1.2 billion in student loan forgiveness for over 150,000 borrowers
• Student loan forgiveness: Cancellations set to begin 5 months early, starting next month
• Student loan forgiveness: Biden cancels $9B in student debt for 125K borrowers
• Student loan payments are due again. See how much N.J. grads owe.

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