Updated October 2026
TL;DR
The MIT THINK Scholars Program supports high school students with science, technology, and engineering project ideas. Selected finalists can receive up to $1,000 in project reimbursements, weekly mentorship from MIT undergraduate team members, and a four-day visit to MIT if travel is possible. The program is free to apply to and requires a proposal for a project that can be completed in one semester. This guide covers eligibility, proposal requirements, selection criteria, and what finalists receive. If you want to conduct a research project with academic guidance, explore the Horizon Academic Research Program.
If you’re a high school student with an idea for a science, technology, or engineering project, the MIT THINK Scholars Program gives you a way to propose it before building a finished project. The program selects finalists for project funding of up to $1,000, weekly mentorship from MIT undergraduate team members, and a possible visit to MIT. Applicants must be high school students with a permanent U.S. address. The next application deadline has not yet been confirmed. For more options, read our guide to competitive STEM programs for high school students.
A quick overview: what is the MIT THINK Scholars Program?
The MIT THINK Scholars Program is a science, research, and innovation program for high school students. It is organized by a group of MIT undergraduates and was founded in 2008. THINK stands for Technology for Humanity, guided by Innovation, Networking, and Knowledge.
THINK is meant for students who have done a lot of background research on a project idea but do not have the resources to carry it out. You write a proposal in the fall. If you are selected, you get mentorship and funding in the spring to build your project from home. The work ends with a final presentation, and you may visit MIT’s campus.
You do the project during the school year, so you can keep up with your regular classes.
Fast facts
Location: Project work takes place remotely. Finalists may attend a four-day visit to MIT if travel is possible.
Project period: The previous cycle ran from February to June. Dates for the next cycle have not been confirmed.
Eligibility: High school students with a permanent U.S. address.
Application deadline: The previous cycle closed on January 1, 2026. The next deadline has not been announced.
Application fee: Free.
Project funding: Up to $1,000 in reimbursable project expenses for selected finalists.
Mentorship: Weekly meetings with MIT THINK team members.
What does MIT THINK teach you?
THINK does not have lectures. You learn by planning and building your own project. The program focuses on the early stages of research, such as coming up with an idea, reading what others have done, and checking whether you can finish. Over the semester, you move from a written plan to a working prototype or a finished study.
Here are the skills you build:
- Technical writing: You write a proposal like the ones undergraduates submit for grants. It has an abstract, an idea section, and a plan, and you cite your sources in APA format.
- Feasibility analysis: You learn to tell the difference between a good idea and a project you can finish. You have to fit your work into one semester and a $1,000 budget.
- Budgeting: You decide how to spend your grant. You estimate costs for parts such as sensors, lab supplies, or cloud computing, and you explain why you need each one.
- Prototyping: You build, test, fail, look at the data, and try again, whether you work on a machine learning model or a physical device.
What kinds of projects can you propose?
MIT THINK accepts science, technology, and engineering proposals across areas such as green technology, practical devices, and software applications. Your proposal should identify a problem, explain what existing research or solutions already cover, and describe how you will develop and evaluate your idea.
The project must be possible to complete within one semester and a budget of $1,000. Review the guidelines for proposal guidelines and announcements about past finalists.
How does the admissions process work, and who is eligible?
MIT THINK reviews project proposals in two stages. The team first selects semifinalists, who are invited to a video interview. Up to six finalist projects are then selected.
To apply, you must:
- Be a full-time high school student.
- Have a permanent address in the United States.
- Submit a project proposal individually or with one other student.
- Submit no more than one proposal per academic year.
The previous cycle opened on November 1, 2025, and closed on January 1, 2026. Semifinalists were scheduled to be announced and interviewed in late January, with finalists announced in February. The next cycle’s dates have not been confirmed.
Check the official MIT THINK website for the next application announcement and the current eligibility requirements.
What goes into a THINK proposal?
The proposal has five parts:
- Title and abstract: A summary of up to 250 words that covers your goal, why it matters, the problem, your solution, and what you expect to find.
- Idea: A close look at the problem. You give background, show why the problem matters, and explain what makes your approach different. Published research should support this section.
- Plan: Your steps, a timeline, the resources you need, and the problems you might face. You show a clear path from your idea to a finished project.
- Personal: A short section about your background, your interests, and why this project matters to you.
- References: Every source you used, in APA format.
You can find more details in the program guidelines here.
How do judges score your proposal?
The THINK team looks at five things:
- Impact: Does the problem matter, and would your solution make a difference?
- Innovation: Is your approach new, or is it a copy of an existing tutorial?
- Clarity: Is your proposal specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound?
- Feasibility: Can you build this with $1,000 and a few months?
- Benefit: How much would your project gain from THINK’s funding and mentorship?
The last point is easy to miss. If you could finish your project without THINK’s help, your proposal is weaker. Say what the money and mentors would let you do that you cannot do now.
How competitive is the MIT THINK?
THINK chooses six finalists a year. One guide to the program reports 1,042 applications for the 2025 to 2026 cycle, which would put the acceptance rate below 1%. THINK does not publish its own application numbers, so treat this as an estimate. In either case, the odds are low, and you should have a plan for your project if you are not selected.
How much does MIT THINK cost?
Applying costs nothing. If you are selected, you can receive up to $1,000 to buy technology, software, or lab equipment for your project.
If you are invited to MIT, THINK pays for the trip, including your flight, your room, and your food. This means you can apply even if you cannot afford the parts for your idea.
What happens after you are selected?
Here is how the spring goes for finalists:
- Late January: THINK announces finalists and tells them about mentorship from MIT professors and researchers in their field.
- February: Finalists get guidance on their projects, and the weekly meetings with THINK team members begin.
- February to June: You build your project. Your mentors help with technical problems, resources, and your progress.
- June: You present your results to the THINK team, the other finalists, and MIT students. If travel is possible, you visit MIT for four days to tour labs, present your research to students and faculty, and meet the THINK team.
You become an MIT THINK Scholar after you finish your project.
What do past students say about MIT THINK?
Students talk about two things: mentors and freedom. Your mentors are MIT undergraduates on the THINK team, and you meet them every week. They help you work through problems and decide what to try next.
Kevin Meng, a past finalist, said the program “turns the science fair paradigm on its head.” He meant that THINK pays for ideas, and most competitions judge finished work. He also described how friendly the campus was during his visit, and he said students in the dorms offered to help with his physics homework. Other students say the best part was watching an idea that started as a thought on their phone turn into a real project.
How does MIT THINK compare to other STEM programs?
| Program | What you do | When | Cost | Who can apply |
| MIT THINK | Propose and build your own project with mentors | February to June, mostly remote, with a trip to MIT if possible | Free; up to $1,000 for your project | High school students in grades 9 to 12 with a permanent U.S. address |
| RSI | Spend six weeks on research at MIT | Summer; 2027 applications close December 11, 2026 | Free | High school juniors |
| Clark Scholars Program | Spend seven weeks on research at Texas Tech University | Summer | Free, with a $750 stipend when you finish your report | U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are at least 17, rising seniors or recent graduates |
RSI and Clark Scholars place you in an existing research setting. THINK asks you to design your own project. Some students do both in different years, so you do not have to choose between them. For more programs in engineering, see our lists of free engineering programs and engineering research opportunities.
What does completing MIT THINK do for you?
- College admissions: Becoming a THINK Scholar shows that you can plan a project, manage a budget, and finish what you start.
- Competitions: Some alumni go on to enter competitions such as the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair and the Regeneron Science Talent Search, and many attend top STEM universities.
- Network: You get to know MIT students and other finalists, and you see what life at MIT is like.
Strengths and considerations
Strengths
- THINK funds your idea: Most competitions ask for a finished project. THINK supports the process, so you can apply before you have built anything.
- The grant helps: $1,000 is a large budget for a high school project. It lets you buy good sensors or paid software instead of making do with cheaper parts.
- You meet MIT students: The weekly meetings and the MIT trip give you a close look at student life at MIT.
Considerations
- It is very selective: With six finalists, most applicants are not selected.
- You manage your own time: No one checks on you each day. If you tend to put work off, you may fall behind on your milestones.
- It is easy to plan too much: A common mistake is a proposal that is too big. You need to cut your project down to something you can finish in one semester.
How can you make your proposal stronger?
- Start narrow: Pick one problem you can describe in a sentence. A narrow idea is easier to finish and easier for judges to understand.
- Read before you write: Find at least five papers on your topic. The Idea section needs them, and they help you see what is new about your work.
- Price every part: List each item you plan to buy, with the cost. A budget that adds up shows judges that your plan is real.
- Show your timeline: Break the semester into steps with dates. If a step could go wrong, say what you will do about it.
- Explain why you need THINK: Tell the judges what the funding and mentors would let you do that you cannot do now.
- Follow the format: Read the guidelines twice and keep to the length limits. Ask a teacher to read your draft.
For more on building a strong application, see our guide on how to get into a top high school research program.
What if you are not selected?
Most applicants are not, so plan for it. You can still build your project with a smaller budget, enter a science fair, or look for a mentor. A written proposal that you have already researched is also useful for other programs. Our list of competitive summer research opportunities shows where to apply next.
One more option: the Horizon Academic Research Program
If you want a mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider the Horizon Academic Research Program. It is a selective virtual program where you do advanced research and write a research paper on a subject you choose. Horizon has worked with more than 1,000 high school students and offers more than 600 research specializations.
Verdict: Is MIT THINK for you?
MIT THINK is for students who like to build. If you have ideas for inventions and need money for parts, it can be a good fit, especially if you are curious about how things work and you stick with problems. If you prefer a program where a professor gives you a dataset and a procedure, THINK may feel too open. If you want to prove that your idea works and you will do the work to show it, there are few better programs.
Questions to ask before you apply to MIT THINK
Yes. THINK accepts science, technology, and engineering ideas, and these include green technology, practical devices, and software applications. Whatever you choose, your proposal needs a clear goal and a plan you can finish in one semester.
It depends. Your proposal is a plan, and plans change as you build. You meet your mentors every week, so you can adjust your scope early, and you present your results at the end, so a clear account of what happened and why matters.
Yes. You apply to THINK by January 1, and the project work runs from February to June, so the timing leaves room for other applications. Check each program’s own rules about dates and commitments before you plan.
You can look for a program built around research that ends in a paper. If you want to work with a professor or PhD mentor from your first question to a finished paper, you can explore the Horizon Academic Research Program.
Image source: Horizon Academic Research Program