Updated November 2026
TL;DR
The RSI summer program is a free, six-week research program for high school juniors, run by the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) with MIT and, from 2027, Stanford. You spend a week in STEM classes, then five weeks on your own research project with a mentor, and finish with a written paper and a conference-style talk. It admits fewer than 2.5% of applicants, and the RSI 2027 application closes at 11:59 p.m. ET on December 11, 2026.
Most high school science asks you to follow a method and get the expected result. The Research Science Institute (RSI) asks you to do what working scientists do: read what's already known, design a project, deal with the experiment that fails and defend your findings to experts. RSI has run since 1984 and now brings about 100 students to MIT each summer; in 2027, it adds a 50-student session at Stanford.
That makes summer 2027 the best shot at RSI in years, but only if you start now. The deadline is about five weeks away, and you'll need two recommendations, your transcript and your test scores ready by then.
Looking for more research options? See our lists of free summer science research programs for high school students and summer research programs for international high school students, or read our review of Stanford's SIMR program.
What is the RSI summer program, and what does it cost?
The RSI summer program is a free, six-week research program held in person, and CEE covers educational, housing and dining costs for every student it admits. You pay only a non-refundable $75 application fee, which CEE may waive if you show financial need, plus your travel, which CEE's FAQ doesn't say it covers. CEE describes the research weeks as "business hours plus," so plan on a full-time summer.
|
Detail |
What you need to know |
|
Host |
Center for Excellence in Education (CEE), with MIT; a Stanford session starts in 2027 |
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Format |
In person and residential, six weeks |
|
Dates |
2027 dates not posted; usually late June to early August (2026 ran June 28 to August 8) |
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Cost |
Free to attend; $75 application fee, waivable for financial need |
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Eligibility |
High school juniors who are at least 16 by July 1, 2027 |
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Acceptance rate/cohort size |
Under 2.5%; about 100 students at MIT plus 50 at Stanford |
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2027 deadline |
December 11, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET (U.S. applicants) |
|
Decisions |
March 2027 |
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Best for |
Juniors with a strong math or science record who want a full-time, mentored research summer |
Who can apply to RSI?
RSI is for high school juniors: you apply in the fall of junior year and attend the summer before senior year. CEE's application page and application FAQs set these rules:
Grade: you must have one year of high school left after the program. High school seniors are not eligible.
Age: at least 16 by July 1, 2027.
U.S. citizens and permanent residents: apply directly to CEE, including U.S. citizens studying overseas.
International students: apply through your own country's selection process, which has its own schedule (see RSI's international outreach page).
School type: public, private and homeschooled students can all apply.
If you're a senior, under 16 or not ready for RSI's December deadline, Ladder Internships is open to high school students in any grade, with remote, eight-week start-up internships in fields such as AI, healthcare and biotech, and engineering.
How hard is it to get into RSI? The RSI acceptance rate
Very hard. CEE says RSI receives more than 2,500 U.S. and 600 international applications each year and accepts fewer than 2.5% of applicants, with about 100 students at MIT and, from 2027, 50 more at Stanford. That puts RSI among the most selective high school programs in the country.
CEE's test score guidance is high: a PSAT Math score of 740 or more and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing of 700 or more, an SAT Math of 750 or more, or an ACT Math of 33 and verbal of 34. CEE says it reviews applications holistically, so strong essays, recommendations and research experience can make up for slightly lower scores.
What research can you do at RSI?
RSI covers math, the sciences and engineering, and your mentor assigns the project, so you can't bring your own or continue an earlier one. The 2026 papers CEE honored as distinguished written papers and oral presentations show the range: supersingular isogeny graphs in pure math, safe reinforcement learning for walking robots, a gene-therapy design for a rare neurodevelopmental syndrome, and the early universe's reionization in astrophysics.
MIT's math department alone takes about a dozen RSI students each year, pairing each with a math graduate student who meets them every weekday. You can browse their past RSI math projects back to 2007.
8 things that make MIT's Research Science Institute worth it
1. RSI takes you through the whole research process
At RSI, you do research from start to finish rather than helping on someone else's task. CEE says students read current literature in their field, carry out a detailed research plan and deliver their findings. That arc, from a vague question to a defended result, is what most high school science never gets to.
2. RSI starts with a week of college-level STEM classes
Your first week at RSI is seminars on current research in biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, physics and the humanities, taught by accomplished professors. You get your research assignment at the end of that week, and many students start reading advanced texts that first weekend.
3. RSI gives you five weeks with an experienced mentor
The heart of RSI is a five-week research internship guided by experienced scientists and researchers. Five weeks is long enough to hit a dead end, rethink your approach and still finish, which is the part of research a weekend workshop can't show you.
4. RSI is free to attend
CEE calls RSI the first cost-free summer program to combine on-campus STEM coursework with off-campus research. Tuition, housing and meals are covered, so cost doesn't decide who goes. Your only expense is the $75 application fee (waivable for need) and your travel.
5. RSI is expanding to Stanford in 2027
For the first time, RSI will run a second session at Stanford University in summer 2027 for 50 students, while RSI at MIT continues with about 100. CEE says the Stanford session follows the same format: a week of STEM classes, then a five-week research internship. CEE's application page doesn't yet explain how students are placed at each campus, so contact RSI if you have a preference.
6. RSI's cohort is international
RSI brings together students from across the U.S. and around the world, with partner programs in countries such as Bulgaria, China, India, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. You'll spend six weeks living and working with some of the most driven STEM students from around the world.
7. RSI ends with a conference-style presentation, and some students win awards
Every RSI student writes a research paper and gives an oral presentation at a conference-style symposium. A panel of experts picks five papers and five presentations each year, and each winner receives a $1,000 scholarship from Regeneron. Evening lectures from Nobel laureates and technology entrepreneurs, plus field trips to labs and science facilities, fill in the rest of the summer.
8. RSI connects you to a 3,300-person alumni network
CEE has served 3,302 RSI students since the program began, and alumni include CRISPR pioneer Feng Zhang (RSI '99). CEE runs alumni events and webinars and has a 20-plus-member RSI alumni committee, so the connections last well beyond the six weeks.
Can RSI help with your college applications?
RSI is one of the most respected programs a STEM applicant can list, but it doesn't guarantee admission to MIT or anywhere else, and neither CEE nor MIT presents it as a path into MIT. What colleges notice is what you can explain: the question you chose, what went wrong in the lab or proof and how you changed course, and the research or coursework RSI led you to pursue next.
Ladder Internships places high school students in remote, eight-week start-up internships, where they work on a real project with a company coach, at 5 to 10 hours a week and with full financial aid available. It's a practical way to build work you can talk about in an essay, during the school year or on a different timeline from RSI's.
How do you apply to RSI, and when is the 2027 deadline?
U.S. citizens and permanent residents apply online through CEE's RSI application by 11:59 p.m. ET on December 11, 2026. CEE says late applications aren't considered for any reason. You'll need:
Application form and essays: responses about your goals in science, technology, engineering or math, plus a list of honors and awards.
Recommendations: from two teachers (math or science) or a research supervisor. If you've done a research project of four weeks or longer, ask that supervisor. CEE accepts up to three letters.
Official transcript: uploaded by your counselor or registrar.
Test scores: all your PSAT, SAT, ACT and AP scores. CEE strongly encourages taking the PSAT.
Application fee: $75, non-refundable, with waivers for financial need.
|
Step |
Date |
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U.S. application deadline |
December 11, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET |
|
International deadlines |
Set by each participating country; check with your country's selection agency |
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Decisions |
March 2027 (everyone hears at the same time; no rolling admission) |
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RSI at MIT |
Summer 2027, dates not yet posted; 2026 ran June 28 to August 8 |
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RSI at Stanford |
Summer 2027, schedule to be announced by CEE |
Ask your recommenders this week: with a December 11 deadline, they'll want at least a month. International students should use the international application portal only after confirming their country's process with CEE.
Common questions about MIT's Research Science Institute
What happens in your first week at RSI?
You attend a week of seminars on current research in biology, chemistry, engineering, math, physics and the humanities. At the end of the week, your mentor gives you your research assignment, and you join your lab or research group the following week.
When do RSI decisions come out?
CEE notifies all applicants at the same time in March, so RSI 2027 decisions should arrive in March 2027. There's no rolling admission, and CEE doesn't give individual feedback on rejected applications.
Can international students apply to RSI?
Yes, but through their own country's selection process rather than the U.S. application. CEE asks international students to confirm their country participates before applying, and each country sets its own deadline.
What if RSI's deadline or eligibility rules don't work for you?
If you're a senior, younger than 16 or can't get an application ready by December 11, you can still do serious work this year. Ladder Internships places high school students in remote, eight-week start-up internships with a company coach, including in AI, healthcare and biotech, and engineering, with full financial aid available. The next deadline is November 15, 2026, for the Winter I cohort starting December 7, 2026.
Contact us at contact@ladderinternships.com if you have any questions!