Summer programs are a great way to explore your academic interests while you are in high school. From pre-college programs to internships and research immersions, today, you can choose from a wide range of opportunities to learn advanced concepts, gain hands-on work experience, build new skills, and strengthen your college applications. Among these opportunities, New York University’s ARISE is a mentored research program that allows you to dive into STEM research over the summer.
If you are looking for early exposure to STEM research, lab experience, and real-world projects, ARISE could be an option worth exploring.
Before you make a decision, here is everything you should know about NYU ARISE!
What is ARISE?
The Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering (ARISE) program is a summer program hosted by New York University. It is designed for high school students interested in learning about and engaging in STEM research while undergoing foundational STEM and research training. The program typically runs for 10 weeks in the summer and is split into two structured phases:
Four-week online training (typically, early June – end of June): The first four weeks of ARISE consist of a training period, during which you will learn research skills, safety guidelines, and scientific writing. This part of the program is virtual and involves asynchronous components.
Six-week lab research (typically, end of June – early August): The next six weeks of ARISE are dedicated to lab work, allowing you to work on a real-world project. Through this phase, you will collaborate with and learn from NYU faculty and gain exposure to advanced academic research. Your work will culminate in a research poster that you will present during the program’s concluding events. This is an in-person component for which students will report to their labs from 9 am – 4 pm, Monday to Friday.
Extended research opportunity (September onwards): Often, ARISE offers participants an extended research opportunity following the summer program. However, the availability of such opportunities varies, depending on lab and mentor availability.
Quick facts for applicants
Location: New York University, New York, NY
Dates and duration: About 10 weeks, June 1 – August 14
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors who are residents of New York City and are enrolled in NYC schools
Application deadline: February 21
Tuition: None! The program is funded by the Pinkerton Foundation.
Stipend: $1,000
Program focus and curriculum
ARISE offers all participants practical research experiences through workshops, extensive in-lab experience, and guidance from NYU faculty members. You will spend over 120 hours doing hands-on work in one of NYU’s labs, working with advanced technology and contributing to the lab’s overall objectives. Opportunities are typically available across a wide range of research areas, including civil engineering, micro-bioengineering, genomics, machine learning, mechatronics, music research, data science, and more.
Aside from diving into a STEM field in depth, you will also learn how to put your findings together in a research poster. At the end of the program, you will present your poster at a colloquium as well as a poster symposium at the American Museum of Natural History. Additionally, the program offers group and 1-on-1 support for the college application process and opportunities to build professional development skills, such as public speaking and communication. To summarize, here are the key components you can expect as a participant:
- Hands-on research and lab experience
- Mentorship from NYU faculty
- Development of a research poster
- A colloquium and a poster symposium
- Professional skill development opportunities
- 1-on-1 college application support
Eligibility and application details
ARISE is open to rising high school juniors and seniors in the upcoming school year. Students must be full-time residents of New York who attend an NYC school. Students from historically excluded groups are encouraged to apply. For the application, students typically submit an online application form and a recommendation letter.
Application timeline
- Applications open: January 6
- Applications close: February 21
- Round 1 notification: March 7
- Round 2 notification: March 20
- Group interviews: March 22 – 26
- Round 3 notification: March 26 – 28
- One-on-one interviews: March 30 and 31
- Participation confirmation: April 9
This timeline and exact dates can vary slightly by year.
Selectivity
ARISE is known to be a competitive program, although there are no official, publicly available details regarding the acceptance rate for the program. While there is no specific GPA cutoff, most successful applicants have a strong academic record as well as demonstrated interest in STEM subjects.
Student experience and outcomes
Past participants highlight hands-on activities as a key strength of the program, as students gain practical experience working with Python, QGIS (quantum geographic information system), robots, simulations, and 3D printing, depending on the assigned lab. Participants also gain experience while working on real-world projects such as the reconstruction of the behavior of our early ancestors, maximizing solar cell efficiency, and building a robotic arm. They often look forward to the experience of working within NYU labs and learning from the university’s graduate and postdoctoral students.
A few ARISE participants have also highlighted features like opportunities to connect with a diverse group of peers, present their work at the ARISE Colloquium, access mentorship, and work with real data. You can check out students’ experience and testimonials here and here.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Real mentored lab experience at NYU: ARISE can be an authentic way to gain research experience and work within a real laboratory. This can prepare you for future research work and university academic environments. Additionally, you will work under the mentorship of NYU faculty, gaining insights into career paths in STEM and the scientific discovery process. Such rigorous, hands-on experience can also boost your profile.
- Lab training: The four-week training phase can help you learn about lab safety procedures and research basics, which can serve as a foundation for program-specific as well as future STEM work.
- No financial barrier: ARISE is worth considering if you are looking for highly accessible and affordable ways to spend your summer learning something new, as it is an entirely free research program that also offers a stipend.
Cons
- Competitive admissions and rigorous application process: ARISE has a selective admissions process that limits participation to high schoolers who meet all the criteria and perform well during the selection process. You also have to be prepared for a multi-round application process that includes group and individual interviews.
- Intense workload and significant time commitment: ARISE runs for 10 weeks, making it a full-time summer commitment. During your participation, you will not have room for other summer engagements or extracurriculars.
- Limited to NYC residents: This criterion makes ARISE inaccessible to high schoolers outside New York City who might be interested in exploring research at NYU labs.
Final thoughts
ARISE is worth considering for motivated NYC high school students who are interested in STEM fields and are looking for real research experiences. If you live in NYC and are looking to take up hands-on work, undergo laboratory training, gain experience in creating research posters, practice scientific writing, and boost presentation skills, this program could be a good fit. This is also an opportunity to access faculty mentorship, explore fields and career paths in STEM, and experience working at a renowned university before committing to a college degree.
If you live outside NYC and/or are exploring similar opportunities, you can check out selective programs like Anson L. Clark Scholars Program and MIT’s Research Science Institute (RSI).
Image source – NYU