- About Us
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- About Us
- About Us
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- About Us
What is Horizon Academic?
Horizon Academic (HARP) is a trimester-long online research program for extraordinary high school students to refine their interest in an academic subject. Students will develop a college-level research project under the individualized guidance of a professor from a globally renowned university.
How Does It Work?
Horizon scholars choose their own field of inquiry and work with their professor to develop a unique research proposal. After a trimester of reading, writing, and exploring, Horizon scholars finish their final projects, most often a 20-25 page research paper. By showcasing a student's very best work, Horizon gives students the opportunity to get letters of recommendation, seek outside recognition of the quality of their work, and demonstrate their exceptional talent to universities.
How We Support Student Research
Instruction on foundational knowledge on the research subject
Assist in refining a research question
Advise on the stages & conduct of research
Familiarize students with common methodologies
Support in the writing process via the Virtual Writing Center
Insights on how to gain recognition for high quality papers
Mentorship in time management
Identifying useful articles and datasets
Student Benefits
Scholarship with Purpose
A space to signal and discover an academic passion.
Horizon Academic prioritizes academic freedom. Hence, our students are free to choose any research topic they would like that's relevant to the course they are taking.
Polished Research Manuscript
A paper that represents the true potential of each student.
Upon completion of the Horizon Academic Research Program, students walk away with a polished research manuscript that may be submitted to science fairs, academic conferences, essay contests, or journals for publication.Unrivaled University Faculty Attention
A long-term relationship with highly acclaimed university faculty.
Horizon Academic supports its scholars with individualized guidance whereby students have the opportunity to earn a letter of recommendation. Our courses offer a 1:1 or 1:2 faculty to student ratio.Enhanced Writing Skills
An early start to university life and adapting to its expectations.
Professors hold students to high standards in their academic writing. So students who do college-level writing early on are better prepared for the challenges of college life.College Admissions Advantages
A challenging experience that can inform university application essays.
Universities admissions value students who demonstrate their investment to their studies outside the traditional school day. Horizon students stand out because it's rare & challenging to complete a 20 page long paper in high school, much less outside the of classroom during free time.Learning Beyond Borders
A remote resource for conducting research not subject to geographical barriers.
Horizon scholars may participate in the program from anywhere in the world, as long as they have a computer and a reliable internet connection.Course Offerings
Horizon Seminar
- Taught by professors and lecturers with decades of teaching experience
- Offered for topics with broad appeal
- Group classes have an average of 4 students (no more than 6)
Horizon Labs
- Taught by PhD researchers who are emerging experts in their fields
- Offered by specialized topics
- All classes are taught on a 1 on 1 basis
Alumni Reviews
Horizon Seminar
"I got into the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program at UMICH, largely because of the work I did with Horizon."Danielle
John L. Miller Great Neck North High School
"I loved the whole program, I just loved it. It felt like some part of me was doing something that really matters, like I was contributing to something bigger."Gunay
Robert College
Meet Danielle's & Gunay's Mentor:
Edoardo Gallo
Assistant Professor and Director of Studies (Economics) at University of Cambridge
Dr. Gallo is also the Ajit Singh Official Fellow in Economics at Queens' College, Cambridge and a Fellow at the Cambridge Endowment for Research in Finance. His research sits at the intersection of the economics of networks, experimental economics, and behavioral economics questioning how the structure of social networks causally affects individual behavior and economic outcomes.
"A big thank you to you for all that you've done for me, from the Horizon program to the publication process after. You have gone over and beyond."Darynne
Branksome Hall
Meet Darynne's Mentor:
James Truncer
Lecturer at Harvard University Extension School, Former Lecturer at Stanford University
Dr. Truncer has taught environmental engineering and environmental systems collapse courses at Harvard & Stanford University. His work has led to an interest in sustainability issues with regard to changing agricultural production, urbanization, resource use, and systems collapse.
"One of the most exciting parts of Dr. Rezvani's class is that he never directly tells us how to think about a problem because it may hinder our intellectual development; he will seek our opinions and encourage everyone to participate in the discussion."Ally Huang
Western Academy of Beijing
"To be able to have an academic paper signed with one's own name, for high school students is a very breakthrough thing!"Xing (Tamia) Wentong
Liaoning Province Experimental High School
Meet Ally's & Tamia's Mentor:
David Rezvani
Research Assistant Professor at Dartmouth College
David Rezvani has previously taught at Harvard University, MIT, Oxford University, and Boston University. His research interests include political integration, Asian politics, and US foreign policy. Rezvani's work has appeared in the Political Science Quarterly, Journal of Contemporary Asia, Ethnopolitics, and the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences.
Horizon Labs
"I'm attending UCLA for neuroscience and actually decided that I love this major and want to pursue it as my career after completing the Horizon research program."Prarthna
Dhirubhai Ambani International School
Meet Prarthna's Mentor:
Elisa
PhD Researcher at the University of Chicago
Elisa researches in a clinical addiction and a fMRI memory laboratory, where she hopes to uncover more about the similarities and differences between various types of addictions and how individuals experience substance use and dependence. Her interest lies in the neural basis of motivated behaviors leading to substance abuse, reuse, and maintenance of addiction.
"It’s an opportunity to showcase my work to the entire world. Horizon has invested a lot into helping me through the process."Karthik
James Logan High School
Meet Karthik’s Mentor:
Parsa A.
Research Associate at the University of Cambridge
Parsa's work focuses on Statistical Genetics. He has both academic and commercial experience in the application of statistical analysis to generate commercial and scientific value. Parsa also co-founded an online technology platform allowing the open source online generation of content by users.
"It was a great learning experience, and I will carry what I learned throughout college and in my future career."Harshitha
Canton High School
Meet Harshitha’s Mentor:
Patrick Liu
PhD Researcher at the University of Oxford
Patrick studies Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics at the University of Oxford. His research takes a neurobiology approach to understanding the molecular processes underlying sleep homeostasis and how neural circuits are able to temporally integrate information to effect meaningful behavioral output.
"My time with Horizon helped me prepare extensively for research in similar fields at university!"Diya
Jayashree Periwal International School
Meet Diya's Mentor:
Nadia Nasreddin
PhD Researcher at the University of Oxford
Nadia works at the Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics at the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease, looking into the link between inflammation and tumorigenesis, with the ultimate goal of improving patient management and treatment.
Examples of Our Students' Work
Horizon Academic alumni may submit their final manuscript to be included in our pre-print server, enabling them to quickly share their work with others.
Students interested in pursuing publication opportunities may apply to external journals, or they may apply to have their papers published in the Horizon Academic Research Journal.
Our Purely Online Program, By the Numbers
Since 2016
We have had the privilege of working with some of the best high school students in the world on academic research projects since 2016.
1051 Students
We have worked with 1051 students to complete independent research projects though our program.
More than 600 Research Specializations
Our program offers more than 600 research specializations, tailored to the interests of our students and at the forefront of the latest research developments
20 - 25 Hours
Of class time with professors, instructional, and publishing staff.
A 20-25 Page Paper
Is the final product that students complete.
99 Instructors
With whom we collaborate, drawn from every Ivy League university, as well as Oxford, Cambridge, UCLA, Stanford, Georgia Tech, and MIT.
65%
65% of our students in Summer 2020 hailed from the United States.
34 Countries
Our international students and faculty hail from 34 countries.
26 Subjects
We offer 26 subjects and more than 350 subtopics for student research.
Horizon © 2024