Skills You Acquire via independent Research as a High Schooler

Why Participate in Horizon Academic
Lifelong Skills
Resume-Building Matters, but Skills Matter More

We believe that doing college-level research helps high school to become better writers, thinkers, and people. Students become better analytical writers by writing a 5,000 word essay, and they learn time management skills and how to complete long-term projects. They also gain perspective on their choice of major in university and insight into possible careers in research and academia, by being able to study subjects that interest them but are absent from the high school curriculum. They also become better critical thinkers, gaining the ability to synthesize information, gather and interpret data, grapple with ambiguity, and cut through dense academic jargon to arrive at an informed opinion about scholarly literature. They also become better communicators, learning work effectively alongside university faculty, as well as to clearly explain their findings to a wider audience.
How Does Horizon Academic Help Students in the College Admissions Process?

In an ever-more competitive admissions landscape, "standing out" matters.

Standing Out, So Colleges See
Who You Really Are
In a stack of thousands of applications, how is yours different?
Completing college level research projects as a high school student makes you unique. Professors are busy people, and it's rare for a professor to work with a high school student on a research project. Most college students don't write a 25 page research paper until well into their college careers. Doing so in high school is exceptional and helps you stand out among thousands of other candidates.
An Assessment from a Professor or Researcher

Grades and assessments show how well you did.
All students at Horizon Academic get a letter grade from their professor or instructor as well as detailed final project feedback on what they did well and areas for improvement.
A Supplement to the College Application
Many universities allow supplemental documents in their applications.
Many universities such as Cornell, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania allow students to send supplemental documents along with an application. Many of our students have send their paper abstracts as application supplements.
Letters of Recommendation and Publication
For students who truly excel.
Our students who do their very best work and impress their professors or TA can request a letter of recommendation for admission to college. Students whose papers are truly exceptional can even get their work published in a journal, accepted at a conference, or selected by an essay contest.
Proof Positive You Can Succeed
In a high-intensity selective program.
Perhaps the best proof that you're capable of college-level work is to do college level work, early on in your academic career. By working with college faculty in a challenging and selective program, you signal to admissions officers that you are up to the challenges of being a student at an elite university.
Depth in Your Extracurriculars
Demonstrate commitment and depth in your after school activities.
More and more colleges such as the University of Chicago, George Washington University, and many top liberal arts colleges have become test optional. Without the SAT or ACT, how you spend your time after school matters more than ever. Yet many students commit to a wide range of extracurriculars, at the expense of depth and long-term improvement. Doing a long-term research project demonstrates that you're different and that you finish everything that you start.