Top colleges and universities seek scholars: students who willingly go above and beyond what’s required of them in their classes because they have a love of learning and boundless curiosity. Why? First, research and scholarship – whether in the sciences, social sciences, or arts and humanities – are core to the mission of top schools across the country. The creation of new knowledge and the contribution to existing scholarship are hallmarks of top universities and colleges and lead to a dynamic learning environment for students.
INTELLECTUAL VITALITY
It should come as no surprise that top colleges are looking to admit students who are defined by their intellectual vitality. Insights from admissions deans show that in today’s hyper-inflated applicant pools, earning top grades and scores will help your application get past “go,” but your love of learning will make your application shine:
- Interviewed by the Notre Dame Observer last spring, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Don Bishop described an admissions approach that “goes after the most intellectually driven, academically talented students, [really looking] at their creativity and motivation for learning, not just their ability to create academic results.”
- UPenn Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Whitney Soule noted that nearly one-third of the students admitted to Penn in the Class of 2026 engaged in academic research during their time in high school, many earning national and international accolades for research that is already pushing the boundaries of academic discovery.
- Among those admitted to Johns Hopkins in the Class of 2026 are students who are “probing important questions of history” and [those who are] “contributing to research advancements—an admitted student holds two patents for the first multi-probe injection EpiPen in the world, and another published research on using computational medicine to predict ovarian cancer.”
PURSUING RESEARCH EXPERIENCE IN HIGH SCHOOL: TOP TIPS
Are you fascinated by the “literature of witness,” the roots of today’s hyper-polarized political landscape, or how AI can improve disease diagnosis? Every research opportunity begins with a key question: what excites your curiosity? Is there a topic in one of your high school classes that you wished you could have studied further? Are there news stories that caught your attention? No matter the topic, this will be an opportunity for you to show colleges that you have the curiosity, critical and analytical thinking skills, and tenacity that would make you an ideal student on their campus.
Once you’ve settled on a topic to pursue, your next step is to come up with a plan to pursue your research interest.
RESEARCH CATEGORIES
Research opportunities generally fall into four broad categories:
1. Independent research at school
You can look to your high school’s curriculum for opportunities to do research, especially in courses like AP Research, the AP Capstone diploma, the IB’s extended essay requirement, or other mentored research projects. Some high schools offer an independent study program, typically done in your junior or senior year. Students come up with a proposed question, develop a curriculum that they will follow, and outline a culminating experience (paper, project, presentation) at the conclusion of the semester.
These high school-based programs offer faculty mentorship and time in the busy school day to pursue research.
2. Top summer research programs
Rising juniors and seniors can choose from an exciting array of research summer programs on college campuses across the country. Most – but not all – are STEM focused but students with a passion for the humanities and social sciences will have options, too. Admission to these programs is based on a competitive application process where, you guessed it, your passion for scholarly work and your prior research experience and awards factor heavily into the selection process.
Securing admission to one of these top summer research programs like MIT’s Research Summer Institute (RSI) or Clark Scholars at Texas Tech will definitely help make you a stand-out college applicant.
Need help with your summer program applications?
Essay Guidance
Get our expert guidance on your college essays.
3. Online mentored research programs
Over the past few years, we’ve seen an increase in the number of online, fee-based programs that connect high school students with a research mentor (typically a PhD candidate, post-doc, or faculty member). In these programs, offered by companies like Polygence, Lumiere, Pioneer Academics, and others, students pursue a research project either during the summer or school year. For younger students looking to gain some research experience – particularly for those whose interests may lie in the humanities and social sciences – these can be good learning experiences. For those motivated to do so, there are also opportunities for students to submit their work to relevant journals, publications, and competitions.
4. Seek out an unpaid research internship with a professor
Many of our students have successfully landed research opportunities at local colleges and universities by “cold-emailing” professors in their area of interest. We love this guidance from Stanford University’s Office of Student Outreach on how to best approach a college professor:
- When emailing a professor, show substantial familiarity with their work, beyond just a skim of their website.
- Say what you have to offer, especially any special skills or relevant academic work.
- Keep your email short and to the point and be clear about what you hope to do. (Hint: be open to support the work in ways that are appropriate to your skills and experience).
In addition, Maria is proud of her long-term volunteer work with Opera North (Lebanon, NH) in fundraising, marketing and audience engagement. She is an avid masters rower with the Upper Valley Rowing Foundation (Hanover, NH) and also serves as a member of its board of directors.
- Class of 2030 Early Application Trends: Reading the Tea Leaves - January 29, 2026
- Exploring the “International Ivies” - December 12, 2025
- Are Bots Reading Your Essay? How AI is Reshaping Selective College Admissions - October 30, 2025
