Student Research Program Guide
7 programs · why each is worth applying to · deadlines · how to apply
CCIR — Cambridge Centre for International Research
Oxbridge & Ivy League professors · online · highly selective [20% acceptance rate] [Online]
WHY IT'S WORTH IT
• Work 1-on-1 or in tiny groups (2–5) with current faculty at Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard,
MIT, or Stanford
• Produce a full research paper with a letter of recommendation personally written by your
professor mentor
• Access to a physical lab near MIT and a Silicon Valley lab at no extra cost
• ~1/3 of US-bound alumni now study at an Ivy League, MIT, or Stanford
• Listing CCIR on the Common App is powerful — include the sub-20% acceptance rate
UPCOMING DEADLINES
Summer 2026 final deadline
May 15, 2026 — apply now!
Fall 2026 pre-application
Now open (rolling)
HOW TO APPLY
• Submit online application at [Link]/academy
• Competitive global admissions — no prior research experience needed
• Accepted students typically have a 3.3+ unweighted GPA
• Choose Future Scholar Programme (group, 13 weeks) or 1-on-1 Research Mentorship
(year-round)
Apply: [Link]/academy
Lumiere Research Scholar Program
Founded by Harvard & Oxford researchers · 1-on-1 PhD mentorship · grades 9–12 [~500
spots/year] [Online]
WHY IT'S WORTH IT
• Paired 1-on-1 with a PhD scholar from a top university to produce original research
• 4 cohorts per year (fall, winter, spring, summer) — flexible scheduling
• Optional UCSD Extended Studies: earn 3 transferable post-baccalaureate credits on
completion
• Premium track includes journal submission support for publication
• Strong financial aid available through the Lumiere Foundation (nonprofit arm)
UPCOMING DEADLINES
Summer cohort I deadline
May 11, 2026
Summer cohort II deadline
June 23, 2026
HOW TO APPLY
• Fill out online form at [Link] — outline academic background and
research interests
• Shortlisted applicants are invited to an interview about their research goals
• After interview, matched with a mentor whose expertise fits your topic
• Final decision sent after mentor match is confirmed
Apply: [Link]/application
Horizon Academic Research Program (HARP)
Founded by Columbia researchers · oldest 1-on-1 research program · online [Grades 9–12]
[Online]
WHY IT'S WORTH IT
• Produce a 20-page college-level research paper mentored by professors from Harvard,
MIT, Yale, Dartmouth
• One of the few programs offering both quantitative and qualitative research tracks
• Fields include CS, biology, economics, physics, data science, neuroscience, political
theory
• Choose between Professor Seminar (group) or 1-on-1 PhD Labs format
• Structured writing support and trimester-long timeline — builds serious academic
discipline
UPCOMING DEADLINES
Summer 2026 final deadline
May 17, 2026 — very soon!
HOW TO APPLY
• Submit online form at [Link] — include GPA, transcript, and a 750+ word
writing sample
• Answer questions: why Horizon, why your subject, and list 3 potential research topics
• No application fee · financial aid available for households under $75,000/year
• Shortlisted students are interviewed before final decisions
Apply: [Link]/programs
Veritas AI
Founded by Harvard graduates · AI & ML for high schoolers · project-based [Multiple tracks]
[Online]
WHY IT'S WORTH IT
• Learn real AI/ML: linear regression, neural networks, NLP, image classification, AI ethics
• Mentors are PhD candidates and grad students from Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, Google,
Microsoft
• AI Fellowship (12–15 weeks): build your own AI project 1-on-1 for college applications
• Deep Dive tracks: AI + Finance and AI + Medicine for specialized projects
• Accessible worldwide — no geography restrictions
UPCOMING DEADLINES
Summer I regular deadline
May 24, 2026
Summer II deadline
June 21, 2026
HOW TO APPLY
• Fill out online application — share coding background, math courses, areas of interest
• AI Scholars (beginner): no prior coding required — start here if you are new to AI
• AI Fellowship: requires prior Python/AI experience or completion of AI Scholars first
• Rolling admissions with cohorts in spring, summer, fall, and winter
Apply: [Link]
Polygence
Founded by Stanford & MIT researchers · 40+ fields · student-led projects [Most flexible] [Online]
WHY IT'S WORTH IT
• You design your own project — paper, app, prototype, podcast, or anything original
• 2,000+ mentors across 40+ fields: biology, CS, economics, humanities, medicine,
engineering
• Work can be submitted to the Research Archive of Rising Scholars (ranks on Google
Scholar)
• Bi-annual Symposium of Rising Scholars to present your work publicly
• Optional UCI college credit (3 credits) available on completion
• Pods option: 6-week group mini-courses with PhD mentor, great for beginners (from
$495)
UPCOMING DEADLINES
Core program next deadline
May 25, 2026 (apply by 15th of any month for priority)
HOW TO APPLY
• Apply via [Link] — rolling monthly deadlines (15th of each month for priority)
• No interview required — decisions within 2 weeks of deadline
• After acceptance, matched with mentor in 1–3 weeks
• Launchpad (4 sessions) available to help define your project idea before committing
Apply: [Link]/program
Teens in Health
Global nonprofit · student-led mentors · medical & public health writing [Free] [Nonprofit]
WHY IT'S WORTH IT
• Free, global 501(c)(3) nonprofit — no financial barrier whatsoever
• Programs led by teenage mentors — peer-to-peer learning, less intimidating
• Write and publish your own scientific research article on the Teens in Health website
• Summer programs cover human disease, treatment, AI in healthcare, public health
• Spring programs cover general STEM scientific writing — a great starting point
• Community service angle: empowers you to contribute to healthcare's future
UPCOMING DEADLINES
Summer programs
June – late August 2026 (check [Link] for current cohort)
Spring programs
February – April (annual, watch site for 2027 opening)
HOW TO APPLY
• Apply via [Link] — completely free, no fees
• Pick a summer program by topic or spring general STEM writing track
• No prior research background required — learning is built into the program
Apply: [Link]
Algoverse AI Research
Founded 2023 · publish at NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL · mentors from OpenAI, Meta FAIR,
DeepMind [68–73% acceptance at top venues]
WHY IT'S WORTH IT
• The only student program targeting NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, EMNLP — world's most
prestigious AI venues
• 289 students published at NeurIPS 2025 alone — real blind peer review, same process
as PhD labs
• Mentors are principal investigators from Meta FAIR, OpenAI, Google DeepMind,
Stanford, CMU, Cornell Tech
• Algoverse alumni cited by researchers at top universities — extraordinary for high
schoolers
• Alumni admitted to Stanford, MIT, UC Berkeley EECS; recipients of the $10,000
Generation Google Scholarship
• Financial aid and scholarships available for qualified applicants
UPCOMING DEADLINES
Application
Rolling — reviewed on a rolling basis, apply anytime
HOW TO APPLY
• 5-minute online application at [Link] — share projects, coursework,
competition results
• Basic Python familiarity helpful but not required — AI Fundamentals Bootcamp available
for onboarding
• Shortlisted applicants complete a 1–2 hour take-home coding challenge
• 12-week program, fully online, $3,325 fee (includes compute); scholarships available
Apply: [Link]/apply
Quick tip
Apply to multiple programs — many run different cohorts and timelines. Teens in Health
and Polygence are great starting points. CCIR, Horizon, and Algoverse are strongest for
college applications due to selectivity and publication outcomes.