Student Opportunities » Research Opportunities

Research Opportunities

 

Research Opportunities

 
 
All local universities have programs that allow high school students to work in their labs directly with professors, faculty researchers, and PhD candidates! Most programs are STEM oriented, but UCSD, UCSB, and USC all offer multiple fields in the humanities and social sciences. Summer research programs are extremely valuable on college applications and even job applications post-bachelors, and can last as little as 2 weeks! They are also not as selective as most people think, as many qualified students are too scared to apply and think research is way out of reach. Many programs are also completely free to attend and apply for, but the paid options also give college credit and are extremely worth the seemingly high investment! College can be ridiculously expensive, a few thousand dollar investment for a research course is actually a very good deal!
 
NeuroCamp is a free BRI summer outreach program that brings together a group of 15-20 highly motivated high school students in an instructional course introducing them to neuroscience. Students will learn the fundamentals concepts of neuroscience and basic lab techniques in Molecular Neurobiology, Neurophysiology and Neuroanatomy. The overall goal of the program is to provide an exciting and rewarding introduction to research in neuroscience to a broad range of high school students from the Los Angeles area. Ultimately, NeuroCamp aims to stimulate participants’ interest in college and an educational path leading to careers in science.
 
Application due: April 27, 2025 (11:59 PM)
Requires:
  • Resume
  • Letter of recommendation
  • Statement of interest
This list of application requirements is not necessarily exhaustive and application components may have specific requirements. See the program website for full details.
 
 
 
The USC Young Researchers Program brings motivated public school students in their junior year to do hands-on research in any field under the guidance of faculty and graduate students. Through their experience working in USC labs as well as through workshops designed to introduce students to university-level science, students gain scientific and communication skills, confidence in their ability to succeed at an advanced level, a better understanding of current research in the sciences, and information and connections to help them attend college and pursue careers in science.
 
Application due: March 31, 2025 (11:59 PM)
Requires:
  • Short-answer questions
  • Personal statement
  • Letter of recommendation
This list of application requirements is not necessarily exhaustive and application components may have specific requirements. See the program website for full details.
 
 
 
The Research Scholars program at UC San Diego provides high school students with the opportunity to take a research course for college credit in Bioengineering, Design, Life Sciences, Marine Science, Medicine, or Business. These are 4-5 unit courses that last 5 weeks in summer or spring and start at $1,500. Both online and in-person formats are available. Admissions are rolling for some fields, so the earlier you apply the better your chances!

Application deadlines vary by program and admissions cycle. See the application website for current information.
 
 
 
 
UC Santa Barbara's Summer Research Academies offer a dynamic summer experience that engages qualified high school students in project-based, directed research in STEM, Humanities, and Social Sciences fields. Students will take a 4-unit university course in which they choose and develop a research topic specific to the track they select, under the direction of an instructor who is conducting active research in that field.
 
Students will develop academic and professional skills by presenting their research findings in a capstone seminar, networking with peers, and experiencing university life in a challenging environment. Program costs $2775 without housing; some scholarships are available.
 
Rolling application due: March 31, 2025
Requires:
  • Unofficial transcript
  • Personal statement
  • Short-response questions
This list of application requirements is not necessarily exhaustive and application components may have specific requirements. See the program website for full details.
 
 
 
The Student Research Internship Program is a free 10-week summer program designed for high school, undergraduate, graduate and professional students. The primary goal is to equip students interested in health sciences, statistics, and computational/computer science to become future leaders in the realm of translational medical research. 
 
Deadline: March 31, 2025
Requires:
  • Resume
  • Unofficial transcript
  • Statement of purpose
  • 1-minute video
  • Letter of recommendation
 
 
 
Founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program helps students work 1-on-1 with a Ph.D. mentor to learn about the cutting edge in any field of their interest and produce an independent research project. The individual research program is 12 weeks, $2,800 and culminates in a 15-page research paper. Lumiere scholars average 20% acceptance rate to Ivy league schools relative to the normal 5%.
 
Application deadlines:
  • February 9, 2025 (Early Admission)
  • March 9, 2025 (Priority Admission)
  • April 13, 2025 (Regular Admission I)
  • May 11, 2025 (Regular Admission II)
  • June 23, 2025 (Summer Cohort II)
 
Caution: this program (and programs like it) have recently been criticized for being a "pay to publish" scheme. Some admissions officers view programs like this as being disreputable and lacking academic rigor, while others may not care as much.