Updated October 28, 2026.
Start with the student in front of you, not with a ranking of prestigious programs. A current junior can apply to RSI or the Summer Science Program. A sophomore cannot, and pretending otherwise wastes a season. A sophomore who wants research this year should look at MIT PRIMES. A history student should be writing a history paper, not forcing the work into a science journal because the logo looks impressive. Here is how I would sort it.
Which path fits which student
| Student | A path the rules allow | What finished work looks like | A poor fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEM, current junior | RSI, cost-free, deadline December 11, 2026. Or the Summer Science Program, which opens applications in December 2026. | RSI: an individual project, an oral report, and a written report. SSP: one research track with about 35 other students, for five weeks. | Applying as a sophomore or a senior. Both programs say those grades are not eligible. |
| STEM, current sophomore, or a junior who wants the school year | MIT PRIMES or PRIMES-USA. Free. The posted deadline is November 2, 2026. Local PRIMES is in person for Greater Boston. PRIMES-USA is remote. | A year of research or guided reading, alongside school. | Treating PRIMES as a summer backup for RSI. It is not a summer institute. |
| Pre-med, still in high school | A life-science track the student is eligible for, such as SSP biochemistry (biology, chemistry, and strong algebra) or cell biology (biology and algebra II), if the student is a current junior. | A project the student can explain, plus room in the activities list for service the student actually did. The AAMC competencies for entering medical students are broader than a lab line. | A certificate that claims clinical hours the student cannot describe. |
| Humanities or history | A long history paper, submitted to The Concord Review if it meets that journal's rules. | Sole-authored history in English, Turabian endnotes, $70 to submit. The Review says it publishes about 5 percent of essays received. | Sending a history essay to a science journal because the logo looks scientific. |
| Two interests at once | One question with one method. The second interest can be a later paper. | A single artifact another person can read without a tour of every club. | Two programs whose dates collide. SAMS, for example, does not allow a conflicting program. |
Start with the rule, then the work
RSI's 2027 sessions are June 20 to July 31 at MIT and June 27 to August 7 at Stanford. CEE says students apply in the junior year, that sophomores and seniors are not eligible, and that the program is cost-free. The application asks for essays on the student's goals in STEM, two recommendations (a third is the maximum), the transcript, and PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP scores the student has. CEE recommends a PSAT math score of at least 740 and an evidence-based reading and writing score of at least 700, or ACT math of at least 33 and verbal of at least 34, and says lower scores need other evidence. Details are in the RSI application guide.
The Summer Science Program is five weeks and asks for one track. Coursework has to be for a grade and finished by June. Self-study does not count, and AP classes are not required. For 2027 it is not using PSAT, SAT, ACT, or AP scores, except English-proficiency scores for international students. The 2026 fee was $11,800. The 2027 fee was not posted yet. The SSP guide has the tracks.
PRIMES is the school-year option, and it is free. A student outside Greater Boston applies to PRIMES-USA, not to the in-person section. The deadline on the PRIMES site is November 2, 2026. A student who has not started the form should not assume there is time to assemble it for this cycle. The comparison of RSI, Simons, PRIMES, and SSP is the research programs guide.
Pre-med and humanities are not the same file
The AAMC premed competencies are written for students entering medical school, not for ninth grade. They are still the right reminder: science competency sits next to thinking, reasoning, and professional competencies. A high school research summer does not replace later clinical experience, and it does not need a fabricated hour total. If the student wants a lab project, use a program whose site names the work. If the student wants to write, The Concord Review is a history journal with a published fee and a published acceptance share, described in the publishing guide.
For a student who needs a weekly structure and does not have a nomination or a nearby lab, a mentorship is a different decision. Ask who the mentor is, what the student will finish, and what the family pays after aid. The mentorship comparison is written for that question. Cold emails to professors are a third path, and most go unanswered. The note on those emails is about writing one that a busy lab can answer.
Before the family picks a logo, open the free research deadline list. It covers competitions, summer research programs, and student journals, and it does not require an account.
Questions families ask
Should every student do the same research program?
No. RSI and the Summer Science Program take current juniors only. MIT PRIMES takes sophomores and juniors, and the in-person section is for Greater Boston. A program the student is not allowed to enter is not a plan.
Is lab research required for a pre-med student in high school?
No medical school requires a high school paper. The AAMC publishes competencies for students entering medical school, and research is only one piece of that list. A pre-med file still needs the academic record and, later, clinical and service experience the student can describe accurately.
Where does a history paper go if the student is not aiming at a science journal?
The Concord Review publishes history research by students who have not yet enrolled in college. It charges $70 per essay, asks for Turabian endnotes, and says it publishes about 5 percent of essays received. A science journal is the wrong address for that paper.
Can one student combine a science project and a humanities paper?
Yes, if each piece has one question and a method. Two unfinished projects are weaker than one paper a reader can follow. Pick the output that matches the coursework the student already has.
Sources
- Center for Excellence in Education, RSI 2027, October 6, 2026, and the RSI application page.
- Summer Science Program, getting started and fees.
- MIT PRIMES.
- The Concord Review, submitting a paper.
- AAMC, premed competencies for entering medical students.
- Carnegie Mellon SAMS, on the rule against a conflicting program.
Where to go next
Related topics