For high schoolers interested in diving into authentic research experiences, summer programs can be great options to explore! Today, many leading universities and research centers run highly selective, rigorous presearch programs for high school students. One such opportunity is Stony Brook University’s Simons Summer Research Program—a competitive program that can help you spend your school break building lab skills and gaining advanced research experience that can help you stand out on future college and job applications!
With a low acceptance rate, STEM-focused research opportunities, and residential experience, this program is among the authentic research opportunities you can consider if you want to dive into a science field of choice over the summer.
Before you make a decision, here is everything you should know about the Simons Summer Research Program!
What is the Simons Summer Research Program?
The Simons Summer Research Program is a commuter and residential pre-college program hosted by Stony Brook University in New York. It is designed for high school students who wish to engage in hands-on research in science, mathematics, or engineering.
This program typically runs for six weeks during the summer, with a minimum daily commitment of four hours. As a participant, you will join a research team led by a mentor within the university and contribute to the group’s work in a meaningful way.
The key highlights of the program are its selective admissions process, with about ~5% applicants accepted each year, and mentored research experiences across the sciences and math. The program also offers participants a monetary stipend for completing their research!
Quick facts for applicants
Program location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Dates and duration: June 29 – August 7 (six weeks)
Eligibility: Rising 12th graders, i.e., current high school juniors
Application deadline: February 5 (can vary by year)
Tuition: Free! No participation fee; however, residential students need to pay a $2,450 housing and dining fee. You can check out the complete details here.
Program focus and structure
High school participants selected for this program are referred to as Simons Fellows. As a Simons Fellow, you will join any one of Stony Brook University’s research teams and contribute to its research efforts.
Research work
You will spend at least four hours every day working on one of the following areas of research: Applied Mathematics & Statistics, Atmospheric Sciences, Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Biomedical Informatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Ecology & Evolution, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Geosciences, Marine Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, Medicine, Microbiology & Immunology, Neurobiology & Behavior, Orthopaedics, Pharmacological Sciences, and Physics & Astronomy.
While contributing to research work, you will learn how to use various laboratory tools and familiarize yourself with different lab techniques. You will also have a faculty mentor guiding you throughout the program. You can find the mentor details here.
At the end of the program, you will present your research findings through a written research abstract and a research poster at a closing symposium, where you will also receive a stipend award.
Other program activities
In addition to working within your assigned research team, your schedule during the program will also include lectures, workshops, field trips, and more. You will attend weekly seminars led by research faculty and undergo lab safety training in the first week.
Application guidelines and admission process
This program is open to high school students who will begin their senior year after the summer break. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are at least 16 years old by the first day of the program.
The program accepts both independent applications and school-based nominations. However, it only accepts two students per school. So, before applying, you will need to meet with the teacher at your high school who is responsible for selecting the students who will participate in the program. Schools must select the nominees by January 30. If you are chosen to represent your school at the Simons Summer Research Program, you will receive an invitation to apply.
Application materials: Online application, nomination from a high school teacher, transcript/grade report, and two recommendation letters
In your online application, which must be completed in one sitting within four hours, you will be asked to upload a transcript/grade report in PDF format. You are allowed to upload an unofficial one at the time of application. The application portal will require you to answer a few questions. You need to answer each of them in fewer than 300 words without using any AI tools. During registration, you can choose your top three preferred mentors/areas of research interest.
The program will also ask you to provide the names and contacts of two teachers (preferably math or science teachers). Following the form submission, an email will be automatically sent to them. The teachers need to send in their recommendation letters on your behalf by February 13. If you have previously worked with a research mentor, you can also include their contact information and have them send an additional recommendation letter for you.
After submitting your online application, you will receive a code that allows you to make updates until February 5. If you will receive your fall semester grades after this date, you can email the grade report to [email protected].
The program sends admission notifications in early April. If selected, you will also receive the name of your mentor/research supervisor. Following this, the university recommends that you contact your research mentor to discuss whether you need to do any pre-reading before coming to the lab. You will also be expected to submit proof of medical insurance coverage, liability waivers, emergency contact forms, and other documents, if necessary.
Student Experience and Outcomes
Simons participants have built projects across STEM research areas, including bioinformatics, statistics, ecology, and pharmacological sciences. You can check out past projects and alumni here. Overall, program alumni were able to gain valuable research experiences and build connections during SSRP. Some of them have also gone on to submit their work to prestigious research competitions! A Simon Fellow from the 2023 batch, Nikita Agrawal (mentored by Dr. Brian Colle), presented her research project titled “Using Machine Learning to Improve Tropical Cyclone Forecasts across the Atlantic Basin” at the Regeneron ISEF 2024 in Los Angeles and won a Fourth Place Grand Award in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Category and Science Communication Special Award from NOAA.
Additionally, for the past several years, Simons fellows have consistently featured in the Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS), a prestigious competition that awards monetary prizes to top high school researchers in the country!
Pros and cons
Pros
- Access to mentorship: SSRP is a mentored research program, allowing you to work closely with Ph.D. faculty across disciplines, including engineering, biology, medicine, computer science, and math.
- Exposure to advanced academic research: The program provides you with insights into ongoing research and teaches you to read and write scientific literature.
- Opportunity to use advanced laboratory equipment: As a participant, you will join research teams in labs and learn how to work with observation and examination equipment.
- No prior research experience required: The program is open to all high school students in the U.S. who are interested in conducting research, regardless of prior exposure or similar experience.
Cons
- Highly competitive: The program selects about 5% of applicants out of 1,000+ applicants, limiting the cohort to about 40 students each year, making it difficult to get into.
- Considerable time commitment: The program requires complete in-person participation and a commitment of at least four hours every day! This can mean you may not be able to explore other summer opportunities or extracurriculars.
- Residential costs: While the program is free to attend, it is an in-person experience, making it expensive for students outside Stony Brook, NY, who have to relocate for the summer. Additionally, if you choose to live on the Stony Brook University campus, you will have to pay for housing and dining, which typically costs ~$2,400!
Additional information for applicants
- The program can serve as a platform to submit your work to national competitions, given that you and your faculty mentor mutually agree to engage in follow-up work after the summer program ends. If you are joining the program to participate in national science competitions, you must communicate your goals before starting in the program.
- In addition to Simons SRP, Stony Brook University runs various programs for high school students keen on conducting research in STEM fields like artificial intelligence, engineering, physics, and more. You can find the full list here. Simons applicants are even encouraged to contact professors regarding research projects that are not part of any program and request to join the selected professor’s research team.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
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