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How to Build an Independent Research Project in High School

Looking for ways to get more involved in your academics, dive deep into one subject, and better prepare yourself for college? Let’s talk research. 

In this guide, I’m going to outline how you can build a research project, find a mentor, and even publish your research—all while in high school. This comes from my experience studying for my PhD at Harvard Business School, directing the Lumiere Research Scholar Program , and doing research myself in high school. 

What is an independent research project?  

Independent research is basically a rigorous investigation into an academic question. What you study and the way you go about doing the research can vary widely between academic disciplines and scientific fields, but what connects all projects is a step-by-step approach to trying to answer the question. This might involve advanced data analysis, a review of dozens of scientific papers, or an experiment that you design and run.

In the research program I help run for high school students, we’ve had students who have written on many high school research project topics. These include climate change’s impact on the economy in Mumbai, non-viral delivery mechanisms for CRISPR/cas9, and an analysis of the AI strategy of the European Union. Do those sound way too impressive? Each of these projects were different in their approach and were built by high school students with no prior research experience.

In short, you can do it! 

An independent research project:

Analyzes a scientific question

Uses a rigorous methodology to answer the question

Draws on existing literature/scientific research

Involves writing a research paper or similar academic output (e.g., poster, academic presentation)

(Usually) requires mentorship from a research expert in the field 

Why should you do an independent research project?  

I see two main reasons to do an independent project: 1) to explore an area of academic interest that you’re particularly excited about and go far deeper than you could in a class, and 2) to build a project that reflects your interests and abilities to the outside world (I’ll explain more in a second).

Reason #1: To learn about an area that excites you  

Research is all about trying to discover something new. To do so, you have to go deep into a particular topic.

One high school student I mentored was interested in how organizations work. In particular, she was interested in her school system—the United World Colleges (UWC)—and how it came together to achieve its mission.

To research the school system, she decided on a qualitative (AKA interview-based) research project. To start, she made a list of 50 influential people in the UWC system (administrators, teachers, board members, and volunteers), found the emails and LinkedIns of each, and then reached out to them. She held over 25 interviews over Zoom, asking them about the school system and what challenges they faced. After a few interviews, she focused her research project on the topic of student selection. At the same time, we read research papers on related topics. She finally built a theory around the decentralized nature of the school system and how it influenced how students were selected.

In the end, she wrote a research paper that pushed her to go far deeper than any class on psychology! And you can too.

Whatever your interest, research will force you to go far deeper than you’ve gone on the topic. You’ll spend time learning about the cutting edge of the field. Then from there, you’ll try to build something new. 

Reason #2: Showcase your interests & abilities to the outside world

Universities tend to think research projects reflect a student’s high level of academic ability and drive. For example, in a 2014 research project on which summer activities were important for admission officers , research was ranked as second most important, following internships. In the same report, The University of Chicago admission office said, “ We give research prominence because as a research institution, we certainly like to see students engaging in research at the high school level .”

We conducted a research project exploring admission outcomes of students who took part in the Lumiere research program and listed research in their application. We found that students who did research as part of the program were 26% more likely to be admitted to a top 10 school than the average pool of applicants. Of course, we can’t claim that doing research means you’re more likely to get into any school—there are confounding factors such as baseline academic ability, intellectual curiosity, or parental background. But this is a useful data point to show that academically strong students often do research. 

So how do you actually build it?? 

How to Build an Independent Research Project

Step #1: identify a topic or area of interest  .

The first step is to identify an area that interests you. The more specific you can be the better, but you can be broad if you have a mentor who can guide you.

I usually recommend students try to get to the level of a sub-field when describing their interests. That means that you should be more specific than saying “economics,” but you don’t need to be as specific as saying, “I’m interested in the impact of Massachusetts state subsidies on consumption of electric vehicles in 2019” (an actual research project we’ve seen!). If you end up with, “I’m interested in the economics of climate change,” that’s enough to get started. In general, the more specific you can get, the better. 

To narrow your interests, I recommend reading widely in your field, including books on the topic, online articles, and research publications. Unless you have experience reading academic papers, I’d start with more public-facing writing (e.g., in magazines or books) to help you understand the field before reading more dense academic articles. 

For example, when I want to learn about business-related topics, I often read online magazines like the Harvard Business Review or research popular books on the topic by Googling. I then try to read the most popular book that comes up multiple times and that's (ideally) written by a professor. (Pro-tip: Books are nice because they’re usually written for a generalist audience and so are easier to start with. But, if they’re written by an academic, you can usually be confident that it’s rigorous!).

As I read the book, I’ll write down which papers and researchers get mentioned, then Google it/them to learn more.  

Step #2: Find a mentor (if you can)

After identifying a broad area of interest, invest time in  finding a mentor. Certainly, you do not need to work with a mentor to conduct research. But, in my experience, it’s hard to get started on a research project without some guidance. So, unless you’ve done research multiple times in the past, I recommend working with a mentor who can guide you.

If a mentor isn’t available, there’s still a lot you can do to get started. Read books in the field you’re interested in, join online communities for young researchers (Discord and Reddit have a few), and consider starting a blog that summarizes some of your learnings. These are all things you can do without a mentor. 

How do you find a mentor? The best profile of a mentor is a current researcher in the field. For example, this could be a professor working in that topic area, a PhD student, or an employee at a private lab/think tank. A second-best option would be a teacher in your school who has experience in that field and is willing to work with you on it. Ultimately, having someone is better than not, so try to loop in someone to guide you, even if just for accountability! 

You can find these researchers by attending a summer research program (here’s a list of 15 free summer research programs ) or by doing outreach yourself. That outreach could be warm (e.g., talking to the teachers and counselors in your school about your interests, asking family to see whether they have connections to researchers), or it could also be cold. If you’re looking to do cold outreach, the key is to 1) cast your net wide (reach out to 25+ researchers), 2) show how you can add value to the researcher, and 3) be persistent! Ideally, your mentor is willing to meet with you at a minimum once every few weeks to help you work on your project. Anything less than that won’t be enough guidance. 

Step #3: Define a research question  

With a mentor onboard, the next step is to identify a research question. Now your readings need to go deeper than in step #1. The best research questions are:

Specific : You need it to be specific for you to contribute to research in that area.

Researchable : You have the resources and time to do the research.

Interesting : You should care about what you’re exploring.

I’ve found that research questions require multiple iterations. The key is to propose specific ideas early on, but to take regular feedback from your mentor to refine it. If you don’t have a mentor, try to search around to see whether the idea that you’ve proposed has been studied before. You can do this by Googling your research question or by using Google Scholar (the best free platform to find academic articles). You want an idea that other people are interested in (and, therefore, have searched for before) but that hasn’t been answered. This usually takes a few tries before you find a research question that fits your interests and that you can realistically complete. 

Side Note: What about lab-based research? In a lab setting, you usually have less flexibility to pick the research question you’re interested in. That is because most labs are set up with a specific research purpose in mind, so they already have an area they want to explore. That’s ok! Just recognize that you’ll need to take more feedback from your mentor as to what topic to study in the lab.  

Step #4: Do the research!  

The next step is to do the research itself. Research can vary field-by-field—imagine how different physics research is from business research! Here are a few ways you can perform research:

Literature reviews

Data Analysis

Experiments

Interviews and Qualitative studies

Theoretical papers

You can find a ton of resources online to show you how to conduct each of these. If you’re wondering what each of these look like, below I show you a few example student projects to get you thinking. 

Step #5: Write up your results (and rewrite … and rewrite)

As you do your research, you should start writing about your results. I suggest reading at least five other papers on similar topics just to see how those authors structure their papers. For first-time researchers, imitating the style and tone of other professional researchers will be a great way for you to develop a paper that looks and feels like other papers in the field. For example, in many experimental research papers, an academic paper will follow a structure that includes an abstract, context, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion format. You could follow that structure or create your own. 

As you write, I highly recommend you get regular feedback from your mentor. Just like with your college essay , writing a great research paper requires writing and rewriting. The key is to write in the style of your academic field and to make your findings as clear as possible for an outside reader. You’re now an expert in your area of research, but your reader may not be! 

Three High School Research Topics That Worked  

Below, I profile three students who did research papers as part of the Lumiere Research Scholar Program. 

“Cap or No Cap? What Can Governments Do to Promote Production and Consumption of Electric Vehicles?”  Abstract The importance of the federal electric vehicle (EV) subsidy—the United States’ largest EV purchase incentive—in combating climate change is controversial in part because of the lack of empirical evidence. Although intuitive economic theory suggests that subsidies generally increase sales, research on the actual effect of the federal subsidy remains limited. This paper examines the effect of the federal subsidy on EV sales. Employing historical time series data from the Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center, EV units are separated into treatment and control units based on whether they are receiving the federal subsidy, allowing for a difference in differences (DiD) model structure including an initial estimate and regressions of linear and log-linear form. The federal subsidy has a substantial positive effect on EV sales, though the high standard error prevents rejection of the null at the 5% level. Above all, if, as the present study suggests, the high standard error is primarily due to a lack of sales data, then there is a need for future evaluations of the effect of the federal subsidy using more frequent time series data, as well as data from more units. — — —

Why it worked

This research paper, written by a junior in Massachusetts, investigated the impact of federal subsidies on the consumption of electric vehicles. They used a dataset collected by the Federal Department of Energy and used an advanced statistical model to measure the impact of the subsidy. The student submitted to and was ultimately published by the Cornell Undergraduate Review . The paper worked because it showed a deep knowledge of both the context of the electric vehicle market and the student’s comfort level with using statistical models common in economics research. 

Example #2:

Using Novel Data Sources to Improve the Ocean Health Index of the High Seas Abstract This paper highlights the indispensable work of the ocean in sustaining life on earth, and particularly its role in climate regulation, through the framework of the Ocean Health Index (OHI). It focuses on the high seas, a region that covers half the earth’s surface but remains unexplored and much less understood than coastal waters. This paper critically evaluates data and evidence gaps in the OHI for the high seas and proposes the application of state-of-the-art climate change databases and technology, that if incorporated into the assessment, would reflect the ocean’s contribution in this sphere. Last but not least, this paper makes recommendations for the conservation of the high seas and its teeming wildlife. — — —

Why It worked

In this paper, a student analyzed the ocean health index (OHI) and proposed novel ways to improve its measurements in the high seas. This paper combined both a literature review, analyzing the origins and purpose of the OHI, and data collection to show additional data sources that the OHI could use to improve. The final recommendations were practical and showed a unique level of understanding of what the OHI is and could be.

Example #3:

The Forgotten Third: A Comparison of China, US, and the European Union’s AI Development Abstract In the 21st century, great power competition dominates the field of international relations. Much has been written about the US and China rivalry for technological dominance, specifically in artificial intelligence. But these analyses are missing one essential player: Europe. I ask will China use its advancements in artificial intelligence to overtake the United States as a superpower, disrupting the US hegemon, just as the United States once did in a post-cold war era with the USSR. Europe is developing its own strategy and capabilities to rival those of the US and China. I use a cross-country qualitative case study method to examine advancements in artificial intelligence across the US, China, and Europe, specifically France and Germany. To determine each states’ leadership and capabilities, I compare them across their AI dreams, hardware, research, and ecosystem. In this comparison I find that whilst China’s numbers outcompete the US and Europe in total output, there are multiple criterium, notably in top tier development, where there is still a significant gap China needs to close between its rivals. Thus, providing an opportunity for Europe, specifically France and Germany, to develop and lead certain criterium regarding core AI development. This paper contributes to existing scholarship on artificial intelligence and US-China relations by adding the European dimension.  — — —

This paper involved a qualitative case study analysis of AI development across different countries. The paper works because it addresses a hot topic (AI development), but does so in a novel and interesting way (looking at Europe as the third player in a China-U.S. AI power struggle). The author concludes that there’s opportunity for European countries, particularly Germany and France, to play a role in the development of AI capabilities. 

I’ve finished my research paper—now what? Publications, competitions, and ways to show off what you did

To showcase your research, you can consider submitting it to publications. Usually, publications will send your paper to a group of anonymous reviewers (usually researchers) who will offer comments and decide whether your work will be accepted or not. Usually, you’ll have time to resubmit revisions if you don’t get in the first time.

If you’re interested in a deep dive on publication, check out this guide on how to publish your research in high school. You’ll want to find a publication that caters to high school or college students and that has a rigorous peer-review process. In general, there are a few types of targets to consider. 

Highly Selective High School & College Publications

The first type of journals that students should think about are highly selective high school and college-level publications. These journals include the Concord Review or the Columbia Junior Science Journal . For example, the above economics research paper was published in the Cornell Undergraduate Economic Review , a rigorous college-level journal for university-level economic papers. This student was the first high school student to ever be published in the journal, a clear signal of competence to others.

The most selective journals include both a rigorous review process and a limited number of spots in the journal. The Concord Review , for example, accepts about 45 student research papers each year out of an estimated 900 submissions. The Columbia Junior Science Journal , similarly, publishes between 10-20 papers each year. Most of these journals require original research or data collection of some sort.   

Rigorous, Peer Reviewed High School Publications

The next level of journals are rigorous, peer-reviewed publications. These journals, such as the Journal of Emerging Investigators or the Journal of Student Research , have a peer-review process. These journals have requirements on the type of papers that are accepted (e.g., some will accept new data analyses, some will accept literature reviews). These journals do not have a certain number of slots predefined, but they do have a bar for what type of research they’ll accept. 

For these journals, students will submit their paper and the journal will assign (or ask you to identify) a potential set of reviewers for the paper. These reviewers will be researchers in the field who have earned a PhD. The reviewers will then offer comments. The Journal of Emerging Investigators stands out here among these journals as being one of the most rigorous and providing the most in-depth, critical feedback to students.

Research Conferences  

Another place to showcase your research is at research conferences. In some fields, like computer science, conferences are actually more common places to publish work than journals. One advantage of research conferences is that they often accept abstracts of research instead of full-length research articles, lowering the amount of effort required to get accepted. Also, many conferences want more researchers to populate the conference, again making the admission process easier. Example conferences for high school students to consider include the Harvard Science Research Conference and the Sigma Xi Annual Meeting . Search, too, for field-specific conferences based on your research paper topic, perhaps by Googling “student research conference + [topic area]” or “research conference + [topic area].”

Competitions

Finally, a common way to showcase your research is in the form of a student competition. Science fairs, such as ISEF Regeneron , are one common way for students to showcase their work. But there are dozens of others, including the Genius Olympiad, John Locke Essay Competition , and the STEM Fellowship Competition . 

Competitions can be one of the most impactful ways to show your work because it’s a powerful signal if you win. As a bonus, competitions usually allow you to submit your research paper to publications and to competitions at the same time (check your publications requirements before doing that though!).

Conclusion: Research is a great way to learn and showcase what you can do

If you want to explore an area of interest deeply, there’s no better way to do it than by building a research project. Research is a great learning tool to help you become an expert in a particular field. As you build a project (and then show it off!), you’ll help create a spiky profile that can help in the admission process. 

Special thanks to Stephen for writing this blog post.

Stephen is one of the founders of the Lumiere Research Scholar Program and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1:1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper. In the 2020-2021 school year, over 1,500 students applied to the program. 

How to Do Research in High School

Research is a crucial skill for high school students to develop, but it can be intimidating to know where to start. Whether you're working on a class project, preparing for college applications, or simply interested in exploring a topic, learning how to conduct research effectively can make all the difference.

In this blog post, we'll explore some key tips and strategies for doing research in high school, including how to choose a topic, locate credible sources, and organize your findings. By the end, you'll be equipped with the tools you need to tackle any research project with confidence!

What is a high school research project?

A research project is a common task assigned to high school students that involves investigating a topic of interest and presenting your findings in a structured and organized manner. Research projects can take many forms, from written essays to multimedia presentations, and can cover a wide range of subjects, from history and science to literature and art.

The goal of a research project is to develop your critical thinking and analytical skills by conducting independent research and analyzing credible sources to draw your own conclusions about a topic. While research projects can be challenging, they can also be incredibly rewarding, giving you the opportunity to explore a subject in depth and showcase your knowledge and creativity.

Some examples of research projects high schoolers can tackle:

Investigating the effects of climate change on local ecosystems and wildlife populations, and proposing solutions to address these issues.

Analyzing the impact of social media on mental health and well-being, and exploring strategies for promoting healthy social media use among young people.

Analyzing the impact of a particular policy or law on a community or population, and proposing potential changes or improvements.

Investigating the causes and effects of a particular historical event, and analyzing its significance in shaping the modern world.

Benefits of high school research projects

Research is a valuable skill that can benefit high school students in many ways. Conducting research helps students develop critical thinking skills, improve their problem-solving abilities, and learn to effectively communicate their ideas. Below are some benefits of doing research in high school!

CRITICAL THINKING

Research projects require students to evaluate information, analyze data, and draw conclusions based on evidence. By engaging in these activities, students develop critical thinking skills that are essential for success in college and the workplace. They learn to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and think creatively to solve problems.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Working on a project often involves presenting findings in written or oral form. Through this process, students improve their communication skills and learn to express their ideas clearly and persuasively. They also develop the ability to tailor their message to different audiences and adapt their communication style to fit the context.

EXPLORE PERSONAL INTERESTS

Projects allow students to explore topics that they are passionate about and to delve into areas of interest in greater depth. This can be a great way to develop expertise in a particular subject area and to gain a deeper understanding of complex issues. It also provides an opportunity for students to connect with mentors and experts in their field of interest, building valuable networks and connections for future opportunities.

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How to get started with research in high school.

Starting a research project in high school can be a daunting task, but breaking it down into smaller steps can make it more manageable. Below are some practical steps to get started with a research project in high school!

FIND A RESEARCH MENTOR

One of the best ways to get started with a research project as a high schooler is to receive guidance from an experienced project mentor. At Inspirit AI, our high school students work closely with Ivy League project mentors to help them build their own AI projects.

Inspirit AI Scholars is a 10 session (25-hour) program that exposes high school students to fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Taught by our team of graduate students from Stanford, MIT, and more, students receive a personalized learning experience in small groups with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1. You can learn more about Inspirit AI Scholars here .

CHOOSE A TOPIC

The first step in any research project is to choose a topic. Select a topic that interests you and aligns with your academic goals. It’s important to choose a topic that is researchable and has enough available resources to support your research.

CONDUCT A LITERATURE REVIEW

Once you have chosen a topic, conduct a literature review to see what research has already been done on the topic. This will help you identify potential gaps in knowledge and can inform your research question. Make sure to document your sources and take detailed notes.

DEVELOP A RESEARCH QUESTION

Based on your literature review, develop a research question that you would like to answer through your research. Your research question should be specific, clear, and researchable. It should also align with your academic goals and interests.

GATHER DATA

Depending on your research question, you may need to gather data through surveys, interviews, or experiments. Make sure to follow ethical guidelines and obtain informed consent from any participants.

ANALYZE AND INTERPRET DATA

Once you have gathered your data, analyze it using statistical software or other methods. Interpret the results and draw conclusions based on your findings.

COMMUNICATE YOUR FINDINGS

Finally, communicate your findings through a research paper, presentation, or poster session. Make sure to document your sources and follow any formatting guidelines provided by your teacher or school.

By following these practical steps, you can successfully complete a research project in high school and develop important skills for future academic and professional pursuits.

Examples of high school research projects

Research projects are an excellent way for high school students to apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to real-world scenarios. Here are three examples of high school research projects that can help students develop important skills for future academic and professional pursuits.

INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF MUSIC ON MEMORY RETENTION

In this project, the student can explore how listening to music can affect memory retention. They could conduct an experiment where participants listen to music while completing a memory task, and compare their performance to a control group that completes the task without music. The student could collect data, analyze the results, and draw conclusions about the effects of music on memory.

STUDYING THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON MENTAL HEALTH

In this project, the student could research the relationship between social media use and mental health outcomes. They could conduct a survey to gather data on social media use and mental health symptoms such as anxiety and depression. The student could then analyze the data and draw conclusions about the potential impact of social media on mental health.

INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NATURAL REMEDIES FOR HEADACHE RELIEF

In this project, the student could explore the effectiveness of various natural remedies for headache relief. They could research different remedies, such as essential oils, acupuncture, or herbal teas, and conduct experiments to determine their effectiveness. The student could collect data on headache frequency and severity before and after trying each remedy, and compare the results to a control group that does not use any remedies. The student could then draw conclusions about the effectiveness of each remedy and which ones are most effective.

About Inspirit AI

AI Scholars Live Online is a 10 session (25-hour) program that exposes high school students to fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Taught by our team of graduate students from Stanford, MIT, and more, students receive a personalized learning experience in small groups with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.

By Isaac Jiang, Inspirit AI Ambassador

Top 15 Summer Programs for High School Students in California

Research projects for high schoolers: exploring the world of financial analysis.

More From Forbes

Why high schoolers should consider pursuing published research.

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How can a high school student pursue research and get published? originally appeared on Quora : the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

Answer by Kristen Moon, Founder & CEO at Moon Prep, on Quora :

Regardless of their future career interests, high school students who are curious and enjoy discovering answers to questions should consider research. Research isn’t restricted to just the STEM field; there are countless questions in every field that need to be answered.

Research can be a life-changing experience for a high schooler. It gives them a chance to gain hands-on instruction beyond the classroom and be exposed to the dynamics of a lab environment. In addition, students learn how to work with others as they gain analytical, quantitative and communication skills.

Participating in research can also give students a competitive edge when applying to college. This is especially true for candidates of BS/MD programs , where medical-focused activities are expected. Some BS/MD programs, like Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s 7-Year Program , are specially designed to train future physician-scientists.

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How To Pursue Research

While many students want to secure a research position, it isn’t always easy to know how to get started and make progress. Here are a few different methods students can pursue to gain research experience.

Look For Local Research Projects

Depending on where you live, you might be able to find local labs at universities, hospitals or companies where you can get research experience. Start local first to see what types of positions might be available to students.

When reaching out, add a cover letter that is tailored to each specific organization. You should introduce yourself in a way that demonstrates your academic background, your interest in their research and how you would like to contribute on a voluntary basis. The email should also include your CV or resume so that they can see any relevant coursework or experiences you may have.

When sending out these emails, remember to cast a wide net. These organizations are getting emails from college and graduate students, too, so you might need to email quite a few people before you get a response. If you don’t hear back within two weeks, send a follow-up email. Oftentimes, persistence pays off.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions or if you don’t have local options available, you can also consider virtual opportunities. Virtual work might be a good option due to the flexibility that often accompanies it.

However, cold-emailing professors or companies can be time-consuming and a risk. Even if you secure a position, you need to ensure that you are being flexible and realistic. Some positions might only be available during the hours students are at school, so expecting to get a position that will work around your class schedule or weekends only might be unrealistic. Having open availability and working on their timetable will make more opportunities feasible.

In addition, for these types of positions, you will need to show you can add value. This might require you to learn new skills on your own time, like a new coding language, so you can contribute to the success of the project.

Join A Summer Camp Or Structured Research Program

A structured research program can be the most beneficial experience for students because there is often a clear plan in place: students are expected to show up for a set number of hours per week and have clearly established deliverables on what will be accomplished during that time.

Camps like Rising Researchers, which are open to high school students of all ages, even give students college credit and help the students get their research published at the end of the camp. Nicole Cooksey, one of the instructors at Rising Researchers, says, “Rising Researchers helps students go beyond static learning—the hands-on camp means students acquire new skills and the ability to write a research paper.”

Some parents might hesitate to commit to a paid summer camp. While many of the most prestigious summer camps like Research Summer Institute (RSI) and Texas Tech’s Clark Scholars program are free, they are often very competitive and only open to students over the age of 16 or 17. Paid programs can be a good alternative because it still provides students with dedicated instructors whose sole focus will be on mentoring the student.

Start An Independent Research Project

Pursuing independent research is another option, but it is not a good fit for every student because it requires long-term commitment and dedication in order to make progress. Students who undertake this task should be prepared to spend at least a year from start to finish researching, writing their paper and submitting it for publication. The review and publication step can often take the longest, sometimes more than one year. For high school seniors, this could mean their paper might not be published before college application season kicks off.

How To Get Started

For the self-starters who want to begin an independent research project, the first step should be to make a list of your future career interests. Writing it down can help you decide what areas of research you might want to consider. Next, read previous research journals to get an idea of topics that might be of interest to you and possible to do on your own.

Once you have settled on a general topic, think about what questions you want to ask and answer in your research. These questions will help you create your thesis statement, which should address a specific question or problem.

The final step is to gather your sources and begin writing your paper. Look for resources from reputable sites, such as:

• PubMed: A great tool for finding research articles on a variety of subjects
• PubMed Central: Curates research articles without paywalls
• Google Scholar: Find Primary literature on all scientific topics
• Directory of Open Access Journals: Find additional open-access journals here
• CDC - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• The Public Library of Science: find peer-reviewed articles for free

Add Research To Your Student Resume

Undertaking a research project when you are still in high school requires effort on your part, but your persistence can pay off. Adding research to your student resume can help you stand out to competitive colleges and demonstrate a strong passion for a particular subject.

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How does a highschool student intern under a professor?

I have read that interning under a professor can not only help you gain a better understanding of a subject but also it can look good on your college resume. I was wondering how I could possibly do this in ninth grade. Do I email the professor I want to research under or does he have to ask me or can it be both?

• 3 Where are you in the world? –  Frames Catherine White Commented Jul 28, 2017 at 2:55
• 7 What do you expect the professor to gain from this? Supervising someone can take significant time, which professors are short of, and in many fields even a late undergraduate may not be able to provide any meaningful contribution to research. –  Jessica B Commented Jul 28, 2017 at 5:56
• 6 Where you live and your age are important information because there might be relevant youth protection legislation that makes it even less likely that a professor would take you as an intern. There might be limitations on the hours you are allowed to work, the kind of work you can do and on your liability. –  user9482 Commented Jul 28, 2017 at 10:36
• You may want to look into maths, physics and chemistry Olympiads, who is in charge of organizing them nearby you. These are events for high school students which provide links to universities. When I attended the national Spanish Olympiad there were a few participants that had been training with college professors. This would open up the possibility of doing research to you. It goes without saying that you must be really smart for a professor to be interested in mentoring you at this stage. –  Miguel Commented Aug 2, 2017 at 1:29

4 Answers 4

Your goals are laudable and do not be discouraged by naysayers who say high schoolers should not get research experience. I had research experience in high school working with biologists at an army base and National Wildlife Refuge when I was in high school.

Now, to answer your question. The short answer is do legwork and research nearby universities. Here are examples I know about:

• Some universities have formal outreach programs for high school students such as this archaeologist program .
• Some professor will take high school students as interns. For example, my advisor lists his high school interns on his CV . Note that CV is basically an academic resume.

Here are suggestions for finding these opportunities:

Try to find a "mentor" who is doing research. Ask them for an informational interview . This could be someone who works as a scientist or maybe one of our high school science teachers. You probably know someone who knows a scientist even if your personally do not. Ask your parents, high school teachers, family friends, scout leaders, people from church, etc. if they know anyone. Basically, tell them "I think I want to be a scientist. Do you know anyone who is one that I could ask about their job?" Do not hound this person about their job or expect to get an internship with them. Instead, ask them how they would get an internship if they were in your shoes.

Browse and search homepages of universities and their academic departments and faculty. This will let you see what type of research exists at the school and might help

• Look at the "Continuing education" or "public outreach" or similar programs such as Upward Bound .
• Expand your search beyond universities. Look for internships at nearby industries or government facilities (e.g., government labs, state parks, wildlife reservoirs, fisheries centers, etc). All of these places employ scientists including chemists, geneticists, biologists, ecologists, and more.

Note in case you live in a rural area: Even if you are in a rural area or small town, people do research. You county likely has an extension agent (For example, Wisconsin has UW-Extension and your state if in the US likely has one too). Some people wrongly think of farmers as backwards people, but they are wrong. Modern farming uses lots of science. In addition to extension, look to ag for other scientific applications such as genetics and self driving cars. These companies have representation in rural areas. Even if you do not want to study these fields, seeing what they do would still help you to better understand research.

In the field of life sciences, I've seen five methods:

1. Research programs for high school students

Most research programs are for undergraduates, but there are occasional listings for research programs for high school students. Examples in Canada include:

• The Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute SciHigh summer research internship . It's for Grade 11 and 12 students, and it's based on a 500-word essay, two references, and a resume.
• The Gene Researcher for a Week program by the CIHR's (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) Institute of Genetics . It's a week-long internship over March Break that teaches you either wet lab or dry lab techniques. You must be 16 years or older.
• The Hamilton Health Sciences Summer Bursary . It's a 7-week summer internship for Grade 11 and 12 students in Hamilton, Ontario.
• Sunnybrook Hospital's Focused Ultrasound High School Summer Research Program . You must be 16 years or older.

2. Science competitions

You can either participate in a competition that place you in a laboratory, or win a competition to earn a laboratory position (either as a direct prize, or to strengthen your applications to future research positions). Examples in Canada include:

• The Sanofi Biogenius Competition . You apply to enter a competition, and the organization connects you with a lab to manifest your research proposal.
• The Canadian Brain Bee . It's a written neuroscience competition, and the national champion wins a research placement at a neuroscience lab.

3. Cold emailing

This was my path. Below is a plan based on what worked for me:

• Develop a theoretical background to the level of a first-year undergrad. The most popular intro book in biology is called Campbell Biology .
• Find a list of labs you wish to apply to. Go to the websites of local universities, and create a short list of professors whose work interests you.
• Read the description of each professor's research, then read their recent publications (often listed on their website). You can look copies of their papers on a website called PubMed .
• At the same time, train yourself in wet and dry lab techniques. Familiarity with Excel is a must. You can try to train yourself in wet lab techniques at your high school (I entered a biology competition and trained myself in lab techniques after school), and learn software at home.
• Email the professors. Be courteous, keep each email relatively short, and don't expect a response. You'll likely have to email a large number before you get a reply. If you actually familiarize yourself with their research, this should take a long time before you earn an acceptance (if at all). Don't spam a copy-pasted email.

4. Connections

If your parent or relative is a researcher (or knows someone who is), you can ask them. Many high school interns work in the lab of a parent or relative.

The bottom line

If you're interested in becoming a scientist, research experience is a great way to see if the field is right for you. To become a strong applicant for a research position, you'll need high grades, strong reference letters, and an advanced theoretical background. You can earn these by studying efficiently in school, and getting involved in extracurriculars.

But above all, take some time to enjoy high school . Go on dates, explore your interests in areas irrelevant to research or career, and spend time with your friends. It helps prevent burnout, and the most productive life sciences researchers in the world balance their time, even those who lack genius-level IQ.

Best of luck with whatever path you wish to travel.

As others have pointed, the response to this question highly depends on your location. Your best chance is probably to look for some program that encourages high school-university partnerships.

For instance, I've advised one high school student as a part of the STARS program in Missouri (Students and Teachers As Research Staff), which encourages faculty in Missouri to advise high school students during the summer. This kind of experience is usually far more profitable for the student and the faculty than randomly sending out emails as there's already a predefined project on which the student will work, usually advised by a graduate student. Those students usually work by developing a piece of software or assisting assembling experimental set-ups that are not very critical to the project. The student I supervised even managed to publish as first author in a very reputable journal.

In Brazil, for instance, I know that there are junior scientific initiation scholarships that are granted to exceptional high school students (often regional/national olympiad medalists) to spend time working in a reputable university lab and taking courses.

I encourage you to look for such programs in your state/country, as they will strongly facilitate your entry and your time as a junior researcher. Ask your high school councelor or teachers if they are aware of programs in your area.

As enthusiastic as I'm sure you are about working in a research lab, it really wouldn't be in the best interests of any academic to bring a high school student into their lab.

Undergraduate degrees in the sciences, as much as anything else, teach students how to behave appropriately in a lab setting as well as chemical handling et cetera.

Working research labs are busy places with the work never being done for PhD students right up to the group leader, as such, I doubt that there would be many out there willing to take on such a big commitment.

I think, for now, the best you can do is to keep working hard at school, ask the lab technicians at your school if you can help out and see if you can build up some lab experience that way but maybe wait till you get to university for the research labs.

• 2 Good answer. Just one small point to add: Some colleges offer visits to highschool students, like "get to know the university/the lab/etc." These can range from a short guided tour up to a whole week being introduced to the beauty of the field, and might be a good chance for an interested highschool student to get a first impression and maybe even increase chanced to get into this college later. –  Dirk Commented Jul 28, 2017 at 8:49
• 6 Not all labs are this complicated. CS labs, in general, don't really have any technical skills as pre-requisite... I don't disagree with your general conclusion, but we have no idea the location or the field, it might be doable. –  Fábio Dias Commented Jul 28, 2017 at 12:28
• That's a very fair point, my background means I automatically always assume science when I see lab but you're right. –  Derek Commented Jul 28, 2017 at 12:37
• 1 When I was in grad school, 2 or 3 professors regularly had high school students as interns in their toxicology wet labs. The students functioned as well as undergrads at doing lab work. –  Richard Erickson Commented Jul 28, 2017 at 12:43
• The OP didn't specifically mention research labs. There is a lot of research not done in labs. My own field of mathematics is an example! –  Jim Conant Commented Jul 31, 2017 at 17:25

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How to Gain Research Experience in High School

Padya Paramita

February 3, 2021

If you’re a curious high schooler who enjoys asking questions and digging into the depths of the internet to find answers, you might be wondering how you can gain research experience in high school . The word “research” isn’t restricted to a particular field or subject area—no matter what you want to major in when you go to college, there are plenty of topics and questions waiting to be explored and uncovered further in every field.

The question is, where and how do you start? While it’s true that most research opportunities are designed for students at a college level, there are summer programs, labs, and organizations that have spots for high schoolers on their teams. To help you navigate the various possibilities, I’ve outlined what really constitutes research, how to gain research experience in high school in three different ways, and how these opportunities are viewed by college admissions officers.

What Counts as Research?

Students often have the misconception that research only entails scientific methods and studies, but that is far from the truth. The term “research” refers to an investigative study that you carry out in order to discover new facts and draw a conclusion. It doesn’t have to involve lab coats and test tubes if that’s not your area of interest. As you think about how to gain research experience in high school , note that you can focus on any topic that piques your curiosity. 

Don’t just plan to participate in research for the sake of appearing as an impressive college applicant. Since it involves a significant amount of time, you need to consider your commitment to learning more about the topic. If you genuinely have a question you’ve been excited to explore, that’s when you should consider a research project. You don’t already have to be an expert—the purpose of research is to learn! Even if you do have a lot of knowledge of something like the history of European art, for your research project you might dig into the use of painting methods in Asia or South America instead. 

Any research work should involve a core topic that you’re trying to explore further, as well as reading materials that serve as resources to help you understand the field better. If you’re invested in making new discoveries through reading and writing, research may be a great option for you!

Different Ways You Can Gain Research Experience 

There are a few programs created specifically to help high schoolers gain research experience, although the majority of them do fall within STEM. These include science-centric summer programs and research institutes, often hosted by large universities. If you’re a student who wants to conduct research in a humanities or arts topic, you’d potentially have to go further out of your way and reach out to various institutions about supporting your work. It may sound overwhelming, but as you narrow down your topic, chances are, you’ll find someone whose studies suit your choice of subject.

In most cases, you will need a mentor or supervisor, and for research in the STEM fields, a lab. You’ll also ultimately want to establish a method of presenting the data or your findings. For a pre-existing research lab or center, these opportunities should be easier to pinpoint. If you’re embarking on your own research adventure, you’ll need a proposal that outlines the question/topic, what the scope of your research will be, and if applicable, a mentor you have in mind who wants to take you up on your offer. 

In case you’re wondering whether you should gain experience through a summer program, pre-existing lab/institution, or research proposal, let’s take a more in-depth look at each of them.

InGenius Prep's Academic Mentorships

If you're having trouble finding opportunities to gain research experience in high school, look no further than InGenius Prep's Academic Mentorships . These programs are taught by college professors in a field of your choice—you can opt for a small group program or a one-on-one mentorship. This year's offerings include mentorships in various topics ranging from architecture, digital gaming, robotics, theatre, history, politics, and more.

Summer Programs 

Many universities, foundations, and labs have established summer program options that allow high school students to conduct research. These programs are often very competitive and the applications are usually due in January or February. In some cases, there are early applications due in November or December. For most of these, you’ll have to write essays elaborating on your focus, as well as career aspirations. The programs will evaluate whether you’re a strong fit and determine which faculty member you could pair up with if accepted. The following list includes some top-notch summer programs and research institutes that allow students to explore their interests with more depth:

• Aspirnaut Summer Research Internships for High School Students  
• Boston University – Research in Science & Engineering (RISE)
• Children's Hospital Colorado Child Health Research Internship
• Garcia Scholars – Stony Brook University
• Maine Space Grant Consortium Research Internships for Teachers and Students (MERITS)
• Magee Women's Research Institute High School Summer Internship Program
• National Institutes of Health – Summer Internship in Biomedical Research (SIP)
• Naval Research Laboratory Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program  
• Research Science Institute
• Simons Summer Research Program
• Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
• University of California-Santa Barbara Research Mentorship Program  
• University of Chicago Research in the Biological Sciences (RIBS)

At these programs, you’re often divided into teams and have the opportunity to delve deeper into particular issues. Over the course of the experience, you build your leadership and teamwork skills. Participation in one of these shines brightly on your Common App. Admissions officers know that acceptance at programs such as the Research Science Institute and Garcia Scholars is competitive and that you’re an applicant who has already worked hard in their discipline of choice. 

As you can see, the summer programs which encourage high school student research are heavily concentrated within STEM. While there are plenty of top summer programs geared towards students interested in the humanities, social sciences, and arts , most don’t specifically support student research. The Concord Review History Camp is an example of a summer experience where you can partake in research workshops and write an extensive paper at the end. So, if you’re a prospective economics, literature, or film major, you may have to branch out a little further. 

Reaching Out to Labs or Other Existing Research Programs

Although these aren’t established programs like the ones above, if you’re hoping to join an ongoing research project, you have far more flexibility when asking faculty members if they would consider serving as your mentor. If you’re thinking about how to gain research experience in high school as a chemistry student, you could be drawn to a lab at a local university; pre-meds might approach a research hospital. Art or history students can sometimes conduct research at a relevant museum. If you want to start a research project on the history of a musical genre, for instance, you can reach out to a music journalist or musician that appeals to you.

It can be intimidating to cold email a professor or a field expert. But remember, in most cases, people generally appreciate it when students show interest in their work. Plus, in the long run, colleges will value your initiative. The worst response you can get is that they’re at capacity or aren’t looking for students at the moment. While it definitely helps to reach out to multiple people, realistically, the chances of you receiving many responses are low. This is why it’s extremely important to network and take advantage of any connections you have as you go after research opportunities during high school. 

Think about the areas where you’re interested in conducting research so you can find institutions that line up with your field. Write a cover letter addressed to the head of the group indicating your interests and why you’re intrigued by their research. A cover letter can explain the specificity of what you hope to gain from the experience as well as outline how you would contribute to their group. Include your resumé and make sure it’s up to date. Then take the plunge and reach out to various mentors who are established in your area of interest. If they say yes, you can have a wonderful experience collaborating with others and learning more about a topic that appeals to you. 

Your research team will probably want to present the results at a conference. If you’re lucky, your name could even be included in a journal article! Your supervisor can also write a recommendation as an additional letter of evaluation for college, describing your enthusiasm and determination, along with how your presence was a positive addition. All of these components would stand out to college admissions officers.

Initiating an Independent Research Project

Another option as you’re considering how to gain research experience in high school is conducting your own research project. While not particularly uncommon, admissions officers appreciate students who pursue this route, as it showcases initiative and independence. A teacher from your school may help guide you and provide you with the resources you need.

Consider a community-based experience–such as analyzing whether your local lakes and rivers have excessive levels of a harmful chemical. A project that involves more students could inspire you to build your own research team. It might also be something more personal, such as researching the history of your family and the origin of your ancestors. Either way, develop a research question you’re trying to answer before you set out on a long-term journey. 

No matter what, you’ll want to have something tangible at the end of your research–a finding that can concretely point to and capture the work you’ve done. You could present a poster or deliver a talk based on your findings, depending on the kind of work you’ve done. You could also make a documentary or write an article about all that you’ve found. For example, an oral history exploration could be turned into a podcast or an op-ed! Admissions officers will appreciate your willingness to step out of the standard course assignments at school for experiences that are ambitious. 

Navigating how to gain research experience in high school , and finding the right opportunity not only provides an in-depth look at a subject you’re passionate about, but it also gives you a chance to work on your collaboration, leadership, reading, and writing abilities. If done well, admissions officers will be impressed by your quest for knowledge. Plus, you’ll get to network with experts in your field and meet peers who share similar interests–holding on to these connections might prove to be useful beyond high school!

Tags : research in high school , research , stem majors , How to Gain Research Experience in High School , research experience

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How-To Guide for Research Projects for High School Students

Conducting research projects in high school can be daunting. Fortunately, you can certainly dive into your passion and curiosity with the right guidance and resources.

If you are wondering how to go about research projects for high school, we have you covered. This article will show you how to conduct research projects and identify a great research topic.

Borrowing from the famous saying, “pics, or it didn’t happen,” we will show you how to showcase your research paper to reflect your skills, self-discipline, and intellectual curiosity.

How Can I Pursue an Independent Research Project?

Studies show that working independently in the right way on an impressive personal project is deemed a great way to impress colleges, and many believe it is especially the case if you are in STEM. But it should not be the main reason you conduct independent research.

This is because if students pursue what is deemed as effective to impress colleges, it will become a “formula”. Once it becomes a formula, it won’t be distinguishable anymore. Only when students are following their true interests, it will truly impress colleges for admissions.

Do you love reading, questioning, and finding your own discoveries? Independent research projects not only allow you to pursue your passion but also to sharpen your commitment, critical thinking, self-discipline, and initiative. In turn, this helps you stand out from other students in your college applications while also broadening your education and knowledge.

Let us get into ways in which you can pursue independent research while in high school.

Through your high school

One of the common ways to pursue research is by utilizing the resources and teachers in your high school. This is because the resources are readily available, and your teachers may be willing to advise your project and provide helpful feedback.

While you may conduct research independently from your high school, it may be important to connect your research to your school.

For example, if your research project focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math, you can find out if it fits a science fair or a related competition that your school participates in. Additionally, if your school provides credit for independent studies, it would be ideal for a teacher in that particular discipline to be your adviser.

Working with a college professor

Another way to pursue an independent research project is by reaching out to a local college professor and requesting that they be your mentor. This is important because those mentors have the highest level of expertise, knowledge, mentoring skills, and ethics. If you can get such guidance and advice on your research paper, it will be the ideal resource.

When looking for a college professor to help you with your research, ensure that they are willing and able to be your mentor and have expertise in the subject area you are pursuing.

Besides a college professor, you can also contact previous judges and instructors in science fairs and summer programs or scientists and professionals from a local company related to your research project for guidance.

When looking for a mentor outside your high school environment:

• Develop a list of future education and career interests
• Brainstorm potential research topics relating to your passion or interest
• Look up ongoing research studies by professors or doctoral degree-seeking students with a local college or university
• Ask family members if they know any researchers who they could connect you with
• Incorporate your activities resume to help the mentor get to know you better

Joining a reputable mentorship program

Although working with a teacher from your school or a local professor is ideal for a successful solo endeavor (aka a great research project and paper), most students often prefer a more structured research program.

Students need to carefully examine the research opportunities available to them. There are many newly emerged opportunities that are not established yet. Students may just end up with a college application and the impression that they followed the research as a college application formula to impress the colleges.

Picking the right mentorship program is key. Find out about the program’s qualifications, selectivity, history, and industry recognition, and then make your decision.

For this reason, students can juggle courses, standardized tests, and extracurricular activities in their school while pursuing their research interests and advancing their education.

How Do I Find a Good Research Topic?

Developing a good topic for your research project is very important. Why?

• It gives you a guideline that helps you write the research paper
• It determines the overall structure of your research paper

Ideally, a good research topic will form the basis of your project and help you stay on track with the structure and research process. For this reason, it is the most important part of your project.

So, how do you form a great research topic?

Choose a topic that interests you

High school students conducting a research project can tap into their passions by choosing a research paper topic they are interested in.

This is important because you will be reading and writing for hours. So, you should consider picking a subject you feel enthusiastic about.

Ask a difficult question

A good research topic seeks an answer to a difficult question using data, academic sources, and critical thinking.

Whether it is scientific research or a project based on another discipline, you should not shy away from questions you have no answers to in the beginning. This will help spark curiosity and discovery as you get deeper into your research project.

Be specific

Once you have identified a subject of interest, it is important to narrow down your research topic as much as possible. This is essential because it helps you focus on a specific question and goal.

For example, instead of having a broad research topic like “the effects of social media,” you can narrow it down to “the effects of social media on the mental health of young adults.”

Other tips for finding great research ideas for your project include:

• Narrow the topic down to something with academic relevance
• Opt for something you would like to pursue academically or professionally
• Ask yourself, what is the impact of my research paper on myself and my community?

What Makes an Ideal Research Paper?

Think of a research paper for high school students as a college essay that is lengthier, requires much more research, and has to comply with research standards. Although they require more work, research papers allow you to discover more about a topic and demonstrate your research ability. Additionally, students can display their ability to formulate a convincing argument.

When writing your research paper, you want to use a style related to the specific academic field. In addition, it is advisable to write in a way that shows your findings as clearly as possible, especially to an outside reader who may not be an expert in that field. For this reason, an ideal high school research paper will have the following elements:

Title – This area covers your research project title, name, and institution. However, check with your adviser as you may be required to include additional information on the cover page.

Introduction – An introduction summarizes your goals for the project. Besides the thesis statement, you can include the problems and solutions you anticipate encountering.

Literature Review – This shows the theories and sources on which your project is based. You should ensure that your sources are academically credible. Proper formatting of citations is also important.

Research Methodology – This section shows the research methods you have used in your paper. The methods must be explicitly pointed out, whether a statistical evaluation or a scientific method.

Data Analysis – This is one of the most important parts of your research. You are required to analyze the data obtained through your research, introduce new information, and present your findings objectively.

Results – The results section allows you to analyze data gathered using the research methods stated earlier. Here, you will also be required to show the implications suggested and any shortcomings encountered.

Conclusion – A good conclusion merges the thesis statement, research methodology, and data analysis to show the goal and purpose of your research along with key findings.

Reference Page – Here is where you refer to the academic sources, journals, and other publications consulted throughout your project. Again, you should consult your adviser on the citation format to use, such as the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), the Modern Language Association (MLA), and the American Psychological Association (APA).

How Do I Showcase My Research?

Having finished your independent research project, the next thing to consider is having your work published. Although this should NOT be your reason to pursue research opportunities for high school students, publishing your successful endeavor can be a way for you to share your great work and research skills.

So, how do you go about this?

One of the ways students can showcase their research work is by submitting to high school and college-level publications. Some examples are Columbia Junior Science Journal and the Concord Review, among others.

Peer-reviewed publications, like the Journal of Emerging Investigators, are also a perfect way to showcase your work. You can also participate in competitions like science fairs or attend research conferences.

However, for high school students starting out, focusing too much on the pressure of publication can lead to stagnation and a stressful, less fulfilling experience. It is important to focus your energy on the knowledge gained and the lessons learned through the research experience, not just whether your work is published.

Learn More About Independent Research With Pioneer Academics

Conducting an independent research program can be challenging, especially considering school courses, exams, and extracurricular activities. For this reason, many students value the holistic academic structures and resources from the Pioneer Research Program as it helps aspiring researchers stay organized and focused on their research studies.

The Pioneer Research Program is the only fully-accredited virtual research institute for high school students. As a result, the online research program has the highest standards of selectivity and academic rigor. Additionally, the program has a 10-year track record of its students continuing on to the most selective colleges.

Pioneer’s rigorous academic system involves students working one-on-one with university professors in advanced study and research of a topic of their interest, culminating in a full-length, undergraduate-level research paper. The program is conducted entirely online, allowing more than 5,000 high school students from 77 countries worldwide to participate since 2012.

To learn more and get started, sign up for a Pioneer info session today.

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Research Tips for High Schoolers

Notes from a 21st century librarian: how to do research.

As a high school student, you are required to do a great deal of research. This trend will only continue when you enter your first year of college. Each generation has been responsible for finding information, facts, and appropriate sources; however, the 21st-century has made research both easier and more difficult. Today’s students can easily ask their iPad a question and receive an answer almost instantaneously. Nearly everything can be Googled, putting important information at your fingertips. Students of yesteryear had to actually drive to a library, look up the name of a particular book and take it home for up to a week. Libraries are still a very important part of modern literacy and research, however most students use a virtual library for academic assignments (READ: “ Best Libraries in South Orange County For Studying “).

Many of your teachers and tutors went to high school prior to the advent of today’s technological convenience. In a way, this puts them at a great advantage. People who learned how to do research the old fashioned way also learned which sources were valid and which were not. They grew along with the power of the Internet and can utilize it today while easily figuring out which answers are legitimate and well-documented and which sources should be entirely ignored. Although today’s students have the advantage of these wonderful technologies, it’s important to know how to do research in a 21st-century virtual library (READ: “ The Student’s Guide to Study Breaks “).

1.  Look for the lock symbol on websites

Some websites have been legitimized and approved to display a neon green lock symbol. Students should strive to use sources and conduct research on these sites. Of course, there are some perfectly valid and useful sites that students can use that do not contain this symbol. It’s important to work with a teacher or tutor to learn how to find appropriate sources prior to leaving for college.

2. Look for the HTTP://

Websites that have the HTTP:// at the beginning of the website are usually valid in some respect.  Most of us don’t look for these series of characters anymore but it’s important to check if they’re there. Remember, just about anybody can put just about anything on the Internet and so it’s important to think about what you should be researching and what is simply a distraction.

3. Balance your sources

When studying current events or the news, it is important to show both sides of the story. Very few current events sources are completely unbiased. They are written by human beings after all. If you are studying a controversial topic, make sure to research and cite sources from both ends of the spectrum. Of course, you can (and should) form your own opinion but it’s crucial to demonstrate that you researched both sides before forming the opinion that you hold.

4. Show adequate support for your argument

If you are doing online research for an argumentative essay, it’s important to cite several different sources in order to demonstrate that your research is comprehensive and complete. For example, if you have cited three articles but they are all from the same source, (PBS, NBC News, etc…) you are really only citing three subsets of one larger source. Research students are graded heavily on their ability to appropriately support their argument. Without adequate support the thesis remains a stated claim.

5. Do not rely on another’s work

Remember, anybody can put anything on the Internet. Teachers, students, researchers, professors, editors, writers and scholars all post information to the Internet. It’s never a good idea to rely on somebody’s work unless they have third-party recognition. Third-party recognition means that the information has been fact checked, edited, and published by a respected source (READ: “ A Letter to My High School Self “). Anything else is simply somebody’s opinion and may or may not be historically correct, well researched, or edited for content. Always do your own research and form your own opinion even if you find easy information online.  You’ll be happy later that you did.

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Qualitative vs. quantitative data analysis: How do they differ?

Learning analytics have become the cornerstone for personalizing student experiences and enhancing learning outcomes. In this data-informed approach to education there are two distinct methodologies: qualitative and quantitative analytics. These methods, which are typical to data analytics in general, are crucial to the interpretation of learning behaviors and outcomes. This blog will explore the nuances that distinguish qualitative and quantitative research, while uncovering their shared roles in learning analytics, program design and instruction.

What is qualitative data?

Qualitative data is descriptive and includes information that is non numerical. Qualitative research is used to gather in-depth insights that can't be easily measured on a scale like opinions, anecdotes and emotions. In learning analytics qualitative data could include in depth interviews, text responses to a prompt, or a video of a class period. 1

What is quantitative data?

Quantitative data is information that has a numerical value. Quantitative research is conducted to gather measurable data used in statistical analysis. Researchers can use quantitative studies to identify patterns and trends. In learning analytics quantitative data could include test scores, student demographics, or amount of time spent in a lesson. 2

Key difference between qualitative and quantitative data

It's important to understand the differences between qualitative and quantitative data to both determine the appropriate research methods for studies and to gain insights that you can be confident in sharing.

Data Types and Nature

Examples of qualitative data types in learning analytics:

• Observational data of human behavior from classroom settings such as student engagement, teacher-student interactions, and classroom dynamics
• Textual data from open-ended survey responses, reflective journals, and written assignments
• Feedback and discussions from focus groups or interviews
• Content analysis from various media

Examples of quantitative data types:

• Standardized test, assessment, and quiz scores
• Grades and grade point averages
• Attendance records
• Time spent on learning tasks
• Data gathered from learning management systems (LMS), including login frequency, online participation, and completion rates of assignments

Methods of Collection

Qualitative and quantitative research methods for data collection can occasionally seem similar so it's important to note the differences to make sure you're creating a consistent data set and will be able to reliably draw conclusions from your data.

Qualitative research methods

Because of the nature of qualitative data (complex, detailed information), the research methods used to collect it are more involved. Qualitative researchers might do the following to collect data:

• Conduct interviews to learn about subjective experiences
• Host focus groups to gather feedback and personal accounts
• Observe in-person or use audio or video recordings to record nuances of human behavior in a natural setting
• Distribute surveys with open-ended questions

Quantitative research methods

Quantitative data collection methods are more diverse and more likely to be automated because of the objective nature of the data. A quantitative researcher could employ methods such as:

• Surveys with close-ended questions that gather numerical data like birthdates or preferences
• Observational research and record measurable information like the number of students in a classroom
• Automated numerical data collection like information collected on the backend of a computer system like button clicks and page views

Analysis techniques

Qualitative and quantitative data can both be very informative. However, research studies require critical thinking for productive analysis.

Qualitative data analysis methods

Analyzing qualitative data takes a number of steps. When you first get all your data in one place you can do a review and take notes of trends you think you're seeing or your initial reactions. Next, you'll want to organize all the qualitative data you've collected by assigning it categories. Your central research question will guide your data categorization whether it's by date, location, type of collection method (interview vs focus group, etc), the specific question asked or something else. Next, you'll code your data. Whereas categorizing data is focused on the method of collection, coding is the process of identifying and labeling themes within the data collected to get closer to answering your research questions. Finally comes data interpretation. To interpret the data you'll take a look at the information gathered including your coding labels and see what results are occurring frequently or what other conclusions you can make. 3

Quantitative analysis techniques

The process to analyze quantitative data can be time-consuming due to the large volume of data possible to collect. When approaching a quantitative data set, start by focusing in on the purpose of your evaluation. Without making a conclusion, determine how you will use the information gained from analysis; for example: The answers of this survey about study habits will help determine what type of exam review session will be most useful to a class. 4

Next, you need to decide who is analyzing the data and set parameters for analysis. For example, if two different researchers are evaluating survey responses that rank preferences on a scale from 1 to 5, they need to be operating with the same understanding of the rankings. You wouldn't want one researcher to classify the value of 3 to be a positive preference while the other considers it a negative preference. It's also ideal to have some type of data management system to store and organize your data, such as a spreadsheet or database. Within the database, or via an export to data analysis software, the collected data needs to be cleaned of things like responses left blank, duplicate answers from respondents, and questions that are no longer considered relevant. Finally, you can use statistical software to analyze data (or complete a manual analysis) to find patterns and summarize your findings. 4

Qualitative and quantitative research tools

From the nuanced, thematic exploration enabled by tools like NVivo and ATLAS.ti, to the statistical precision of SPSS and R for quantitative analysis, each suite of data analysis tools offers tailored functionalities that cater to the distinct natures of different data types.

Qualitative research software:

NVivo: NVivo is qualitative data analysis software that can do everything from transcribe recordings to create word clouds and evaluate uploads for different sentiments and themes. NVivo is just one tool from the company Lumivero, which offers whole suites of data processing software. 5

ATLAS.ti: Similar to NVivo, ATLAS.ti allows researchers to upload and import data from a variety of sources to be tagged and refined using machine learning and presented with visualizations and ready for insert into reports. 6

SPSS: SPSS is a statistical analysis tool for quantitative research, appreciated for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive statistical tests, which makes it ideal for educators and researchers. With SPSS researchers can manage and analyze large quantitative data sets, use advanced statistical procedures and modeling techniques, predict customer behaviors, forecast market trends and more. 7

R: R is a versatile and dynamic open-source tool for quantitative analysis. With a vast repository of packages tailored to specific statistical methods, researchers can perform anything from basic descriptive statistics to complex predictive modeling. R is especially useful for its ability to handle large datasets, making it ideal for educational institutions that generate substantial amounts of data. The programming language offers flexibility in customizing analysis and creating publication-quality visualizations to effectively communicate results. 8

Applications in Educational Research

Both quantitative and qualitative data can be employed in learning analytics to drive informed decision-making and pedagogical enhancements. In the classroom, quantitative data like standardized test scores and online course analytics create a foundation for assessing and benchmarking student performance and engagement. Qualitative insights gathered from surveys, focus group discussions, and reflective student journals offer a more nuanced understanding of learners' experiences and contextual factors influencing their education. Additionally feedback and practical engagement metrics blend these data types, providing a holistic view that informs curriculum development, instructional strategies, and personalized learning pathways. Through these varied data sets and uses, educators can piece together a more complete narrative of student success and the impacts of educational interventions.

Master Data Analysis with an M.S. in Learning Sciences From SMU

Whether it is the detailed narratives unearthed through qualitative data or the informative patterns derived from quantitative analysis, both qualitative and quantitative data can provide crucial information for educators and researchers to better understand and improve learning. Dive deeper into the art and science of learning analytics with SMU's online Master of Science in the Learning Sciences program . At SMU, innovation and inquiry converge to empower the next generation of educators and researchers. Choose the Learning Analytics Specialization to learn how to harness the power of data science to illuminate learning trends, devise impactful strategies, and drive educational innovation. You could also find out how advanced technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI) can revolutionize education, and develop the insight to apply embodied cognition principles to enhance learning experiences in the Learning and Technology Design Specialization , or choose your own electives to build a specialization unique to your interests and career goals.

For more information on our curriculum and to become part of a community where data drives discovery, visit SMU's MSLS program website or schedule a call with our admissions outreach advisors for any queries or further discussion. Take the first step towards transforming education with data today.

• Retrieved on August 8, 2024, from nnlm.gov/guides/data-glossary/qualitative-data
• Retrieved on August 8, 2024, from nnlm.gov/guides/data-glossary/quantitative-data
• Retrieved on August 8, 2024, from cdc.gov/healthyyouth/evaluation/pdf/brief19.pdf
• Retrieved on August 8, 2024, from cdc.gov/healthyyouth/evaluation/pdf/brief20.pdf
• Retrieved on August 8, 2024, from lumivero.com/solutions/
• Retrieved on August 8, 2024, from atlasti.com/
• Retrieved on August 8, 2024, from ibm.com/products/spss-statistics
• Retrieved on August 8, 2024, from cran.r-project.org/doc/manuals/r-release/R-intro.html#Introduction-and-preliminaries

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How to Get a Research Assistant Position in High School

Do you have a plan for applying to college?

With our free chancing engine, admissions timeline, and personalized recommendations, our free guidance platform gives you a clear idea of what you need to be doing right now and in the future.

In a time of increasingly competitive college admissions, good grades and strong test scores on their own just aren’t enough to set yourself apart from a pool of qualified candidates. These days, extracurriculars, strong recommendations, service projects, and real world experiences all play a role in college admissions.

If you’re considering a path in the sciences, a research assistant position is an invaluable real world experience. Working in an actual science lab and gaining experience working with real data and participating in authentic experiments lends insight that can’t be found through regular coursework or reading a textbook.

Research assistant positions can be hard to come by and competitive to secure in their own right, so your experience as a research assistant is also indicative of your dedication, ambition, and ability to succeed at a high level in the field of sciences.

In this post, we’ll outline what to expect in a research assistant position, where to find research assistant positions, and how to secure a research assistant position. If you’re interested in getting a research assistant position in high school, read on to learn more.

Should I Get a Research Assistant Position in High School?

Holding down a job or internship in high school is not something to be taken lightly. With any additional commitment comes increased responsibility. You need to know yourself to know how much you can take on at once.

A job can provide financial benefits, exemplify your ability to juggle multiple commitments, and show your dedication to the field. But if doing so comes at the expense of your grades, existing commitments, or relationships with friends and family, it may ultimately not be good choice for you. To learn more, read CollegeVine’s Should I Get a Job Or Do An Unpaid Internship?  

Research positions typically require a significant, prolonged time commitment. Although you may be able to limit your weekly hours to as few as five, you typically won’t be able to get a position that lasts for fewer than six weeks, and many programs that are shorter in duration require substantially more hours per week.

Be sure to consider the extent of the commitment carefully before you commit. Even worse than not getting a research assistant position at all would be getting one and then having to leave it prematurely due to overextending yourself.

What Is a Research Assistant?

A research assistant is typically a low-level lab assistant who works for either minimal pay or through an unpaid internship. Responsibilities range depending on the program and the specific lab in which you’re working.

Some lead scientists will limit an assistant’s roles to things like sweeping the floor and entering long lists of data into computer spreadsheets. Typically, if your work is limited to responsibilities such as these, you can expect to be paid a stipend for your duties.

On the other hand, some scientists will allow you to be involved in the actual experimentation, will let you contribute to experimental design, and will even mentor you during your time at the lab. In cases such as this, you will typically work as an unpaid intern, since you receive much more out of the experience.

Most formal research assistant programs are competitive and take place as residential or day-student programs offered during summer months.

The alternative is finding a research assistant position outside of a formal program. These positions can be difficult to find and are generally less organized or established, so you will need to be clear about your expectations and find out exactly what is expected of you in advance.

Where to Find Research Assistant Positions

There are a number of different sources to consider when trying to find a research assistant position. To begin your search, you will need to identify exactly what type of research assistant position you’re interested in pursuing.

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Formal Research Assistant Programs

If you’re interested in a well-established program and you’re available during the summer months, you should consider a formal, residential research assistant program at a college. Some well-respected examples include MIT’s Research Science Institute and Stanford’s Office of Science Outreach Programs . Some of these programs have significant scholarships available and MIT’s Research Science Institute is completely free for the 70 students it accepts each year.

If you live within commuting distance of a college or a scientific research center, you might also be able to find summer programs offered to day students. For example, Princeton’s Laboratory Learning Program primarily attracts students from central New Jersey who gather five days a week for approximately seven weeks each summer to participate in rigorous scientific research projects.   The University of Washington also offers several similar programs, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts is a prime example of a professional scientific research center that offers mentorships to local students. 

If you live within commuting distance of a college or scientific research center, check their website or contact the head of the science department in which you’re interested to see if any research programs exist for high school students. Some may even be available year-round.

Informal Research Assistant Positions

If you are not interested in or are not able to participate in a formal research assistant program, you can still find research assistant positions, but the process will involve a lot more initiative on your part. It won’t be as simple as filling out an online application.

The easiest way to get started is to do some networking. Ask your parents or other mentors if they have any contacts at local universities or scientific laboratories who might be able to point you in the right direction. Also check with teachers at your school. Having a personal contact won’t necessarily get you a position, but it can at least get you in touch with the right person to discuss any opportunities that might exist.

Keep in mind, though, that if a college or lab offers a formal research assistant program, you should NOT try to circumvent the application process and arrange your own research position. Doing so shows disregard for the existing process and will likely result in your exclusion from any available positions. Instead, be sure to follow whatever application processes are already in place.

If there are no formal programs established and you do not have a connection to help you get started, begin to arrange your own research assistant position by browsing the website of local colleges or research labs and identifying between six and eight scientists with whom you’d be interested in working. Narrow your search based on their specific area of focus and what you’re genuinely interested in learning about through your potential position.    

Once you have created a list of six to eight possible mentors, send an email to each of them. It’s best to email rather than calling, since an unsolicited phone call to their place of work might seem intrusive or at least more time consuming than they’d prefer.

In your emails, address them professionally with their appropriate titles, such as Professor or Doctor. State what type of project you’re looking for, specifying what research area, why you’re interested in it, and some possible research questions you’ve considered in that field.

Express your eagerness to learn and your flexibility to fill whatever roles are available. Then, outline your availability including daily hours and state the time period you’re interested in working, be it summer only, part-time during the semester, or the entire school year.

As you outline your availability, remember that some labs will not consider an intern who can’t commit to working at least six weeks. It is sometimes not worth the time in training if a project cannot be seen through from beginning to end.

Attach a resume to your email. It should include your work experience, relevant courses with grades, overall GPA, summer programs you’ve participated in, any awards or skills, and of course your phone number and email address. If aren’t sure how write a resume, check out our post 5 Steps to a Rad Resume .

After you send your email, keep in mind that most scientists are very busy people. It is not uncommon to ignore this type of request, especially if the scientist either receives a large number of them or has no interest in hosting a research assistant. Don’t be offended; it is nothing personal.

If you don’t hear back from any scientists after two or three weeks, it is okay to follow up regarding your email once, but absolutely do not do so more than once.

If you send your email to six to eight scientists, hopefully at least one will get back to you, and even if he or she cannot host you, hopefully he or she will be able to point you in the right direction. If not, don’t be discouraged. You can start again from scratch by sending your email to another six to eight individuals.

Remember, this process might be lengthy and seem burdensome at first, but the experience of securing and participating in a research assistant position is an invaluable one on multiple levels. The real world experiences and insights it provides are unparalleled for an aspiring scientist or engineer, and the positive impression it adds to your college application is an additional perk.

Looking for help navigating the road to college as a high school student? Download our  free guide for 9th graders , and our  free guide for 10th graders . Our guides go in-depth about subjects ranging from  academics ,  choosing courses ,  standardized tests ,  extracurricular activities ,  and much more !

Also, be sure to check out these CollegeVine posts to learn more extracurriculars and academics for students intending to pursue a career in science or engineering:

• Should I Get a Job or Do An Unpaid Internship?
• How to Spend Your Summer as a Prospective Math Major (And Why Math is a Great Career Path)
• What You Should Be Thinking About as a Junior – Part II: Extracurriculars and Summer Activities
• How to Spend Your Summer as an Aspiring Engineer
• Summer Activities for the Prospective Pre-Med Student
• A Beginner’s Guide to the Science Fair
• How to Choose a Winning Science Fair Project Idea
• The Ultimate Guide to Science Olympiad

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Kennesaw State physics major pursues life-changing research

KENNESAW, Ga. | Aug 19, 2024

The junior from Smyrna said classes in astronomy and physics taught her how physical forces effect everything around her, and she wanted to immerse herself in them. So, she came to Kennesaw State University for the opportunity to conduct research right away as a freshman.

“Honestly, the research opportunities drew me to KSU,” said Manqueros, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in physics in Kennesaw State’s College of Science and Mathematics . “Other colleges mainly take graduate students for their research, and I knew that at KSU I could do meaningful research even if I was an undergraduate student.”

That desire for meaningful research drew her to the lab of professor Kisa Ranasinghe, who creates bioactive glass that can transport nanoparticles that treat various ailments. Manqueros approached Ranasinghe at an early-semester meeting for physics majors after hearing the professor discuss her work; Manqueros was hooked, and Ranasinghe was impressed.

“When someone stops me to say they’re interested in my research and want to learn more, that’s an indicator, right?” Ranasinghe said. “For a freshman to take that initiative and show that amount of enthusiasm is truly impressive. Very quickly I found out she has great potential.”

From that day forward, Manqueros poured herself into the life-changing research into bioglass, which isn’t really glass but a conduit that acts like glass to bring therapeutic nanoparticles into the body. Manqueros said cerium oxide nanoparticles within the bioglass can interact to treat Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, diabetes, and other physical and neurological conditions. The first part of her explanation, though, involves demystifying the idea of glass in the body.

“A lot of times when we say we're doing research on glass that we can put into your body, people freak out because they imagine the glass breaking — it’s not like that,” she explained. “The simple fact that we work with glass to better people's health — that's something that I really want to get across to people. What we do from the physics point of view is study those nanoparticles and how they interact within the glass.”

Manqueros investigated these problems as a Birla Carbon Scholar this summer. She also has been the lead author on an abstract for a poster presentation that published earlier this year in the Georgia Journal of Science, and she presented findings at the Georgia Academy of Science conference in March, where she won first prize for undergraduate oral presentations in the division that covers physics, mathematics, computer science, and engineering.

Ranasinghe said Manqueros’ future is wide-open, though Manqueros said the future will involve more physics, either a master’s degree or a doctorate while continuing the research into bioglass. Life-changing research with societal impact will keep her engaged for a long time to come, she said.

“I actually enjoy what I do,” she said. “Oftentimes when you're doing work as a physicist, people don't see the meaning in what you do because they wonder why we need to study this. This research is impacting anyone who has some sort of disease or wants to improve their health or their body. I like that I have a direct impact on people's lives through the research that I do here at KSU.”

– Story by Dave Shelles

Photos by Matt Yung

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu .

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Race and LGBTQ Issues in K-12 Schools

What teachers, teens and the u.s. public say about current curriculum debates, table of contents.

• What do teachers think students should learn about slavery and gender identity?
• Should parents be able to opt their children out of learning about certain topics?
• How often do topics related to race and LGBTQ issues come up in the classroom?
• How do teachers’ views differ by party?
• What teachers think students should learn about slavery and gender identity
• Should parents be able to opt their children out of learning about race and LGBTQ issues?
• Influence over curriculum
• What teens want to learn about slavery
• What teens want to learn about gender identity
• 4. Public views on parents opting their children out of learning about race and LGBTQ issues
• Acknowledgments
• Teacher survey methodology
• Teen survey methodology
• General public survey methodology

Pew Research Center conducted this study to better understand how public K-12 teachers, teens and the American public see topics related to race, sexual orientation and gender identity playing out in the classroom.

The bulk of the analysis in this report is based on an online survey of 2,531 U.S. public K-12 teachers conducted from Oct. 17 to Nov. 14, 2023. The teachers surveyed are members of RAND’s American Teacher Panel, a nationally representative panel of public school K-12 teachers recruited through MDR Education. Survey data is weighted to state and national teacher characteristics to account for differences in sampling and response to ensure they are representative of the target population.

For the questions for the general public, we surveyed 5,029 U.S. adults from Nov. 9 to Nov. 16, 2023. The adults surveyed are members of the Ipsos KnowledgePanel, a nationally representative online survey panel. Panel members are randomly recruited through probability-based sampling, and households are provided with access to the Internet and hardware if needed. To ensure that the results of this survey reflect a balanced cross section of the nation, the data is weighted to match the U.S. adult population by gender, age, education, race and ethnicity and other categories.

For questions for teens, we conducted an online survey of 1,453 U.S. teens from Sept. 26 to Oct. 23, 2023, through Ipsos. Ipsos recruited the teens via their parents, who were part of its KnowledgePanel. The survey was weighted to be representative of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 who live with their parents by age, gender, race and ethnicity, household income, and other categories. The survey on teens was reviewed and approved by an external institutional review board (IRB), Advarra, an independent committee of experts specializing in helping to protect the rights of research participants.

Here are the questions used for this report , along with responses, and the survey methodology .

Throughout the report, references to White, Black and Asian adults include those who are not Hispanic and identify as only one race. Hispanics are of any race. The views and experiences of teachers and teens who are Asian American or part of other racial and ethnic groups are not analyzed separately in this report due to sample limitations. Data for these groups is incorporated into the general population figures throughout the report.

All references to party affiliation include those who lean toward that party. Republicans include those who identify as Republicans and those who say they lean toward the Republican Party. Democrats include those who identify as Democrats and those who say they lean toward the Democratic Party.

Political leaning of school districts is based on whether the majority of those residing in the school district voted for Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

Amid national debates about what schools are teaching , we asked public K-12 teachers, teens and the American public how they see topics related to race, sexual orientation and gender identity playing out in the classroom.

A sizeable share of teachers (41%) say these debates have had a negative impact on their ability to do their job. Just 4% say these debates have had a positive impact, while 53% say the impact has been neither positive nor negative or that these debates have had no impact.

And 71% of teachers say teachers themselves don’t have enough influence over what’s taught in public schools in their area.

In turn, a majority of teachers (58%) say their state government has too much influence over this. And more say the federal government, the local school board and parents have too much influence than say they don’t have enough.

Most of the findings in this report come from a survey of 2,531 U.S. public K-12 teachers conducted Oct. 17-Nov. 14, 2023, using the RAND American Teacher Panel. 1 The survey looks at teachers’ views on:

• Race and LGBTQ issues in the classroom ( Chapter 1 )
• Current debates over what schools should be teaching and the role of key groups ( Chapter 2 )

It follows a fall 2022 survey of K-12 parents that explored similar topics.

This report also includes some findings from a survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 ( Chapter 3 ) and a survey of U.S. adults ( Chapter 4 ). For details about these surveys, refer to the Methodology section of this report. Among the key findings:

• 38% of teens say they feel comfortable when topics related to racism or racial inequality come up in class (among those who say these topics have come up). A smaller share (29%) say they feel comfortable when topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity come up.
• Among the American public , more say parents should be able to opt their children out of learning about LGBTQ issues than say the same about topics related to race (54% vs. 34%).

We asked public K-12 teachers what they think students should learn in school about two topics in particular:

• Whether the legacy of slavery still affects the position of Black people in American society today.
• Whether a person’s gender can be different from or is determined by their sex at birth.

For these questions, elementary, middle and high school teachers were asked about elementary, middle and high school students, respectively.

The legacy of slavery

Most teachers (64%) say students should learn that the legacy of slavery still affects the position of Black people in American society today.

About a quarter (23%) say students should learn that slavery is part of American history but no longer affects the position of Black people in American society. Just 8% say students shouldn’t learn about this topic in school at all.

Majorities of elementary, middle and high school teachers say students should learn that the legacy of slavery still has an impact on the lives of Black Americans.

Gender identity

When it comes to teaching about gender identity – specifically whether a person’s gender can be different from or is determined by their sex assigned at birth – half of public K-12 teachers say students shouldn’t learn about this in school.

A third of teachers think students should learn that someone can be a boy or a girl even if that is different from the sex they were assigned at birth.

A smaller share (14%) say students should learn that whether someone is a boy or a girl is determined by their sex at birth.

Views differ among elementary, middle and high school teachers. But teachers across the three levels are more likely to say students should learn that a person’s gender can be different from their sex at birth than to say students should learn gender is determined by sex at birth.

Most elementary school teachers (62%) say students shouldn’t learn about gender identity in school. This is much larger than the shares of middle and high school teachers who say the same (45% and 35%).

What parents and teens say

Parents of K-12 students are more divided on what their children should learn in school about these topics.

In the 2022 survey , 49% of parents said they’d rather their children learn that the legacy of slavery still affects the position of Black people in American society today, while 42% said they’d rather their children learn that slavery no longer affects Black Americans.

When it comes to gender identity, 31% of parents said they’d rather their children learn that gender can be different from sex at birth. An identical share said they would rather their children learn gender is determined by sex at birth. Another 37% of parents said their children shouldn’t learn about gender identity in school.

Teens, like parents, are more divided than teachers on these questions. About half of teens (48%) say they’d rather learn that the legacy of slavery still affects the position of Black Americans today. Four-in-ten would prefer to learn that slavery no longer affects Black Americans.

And teens are about evenly divided when it comes to what they prefer to learn about gender identity. A quarter say they’d rather learn that a person’s gender can be different from their sex at birth; 26% would prefer to learn that gender is determined by sex at birth. About half (48%) say they shouldn’t learn about gender identity in school.

For more on teens’ views about what they prefer to learn in school about each of these topics, read Chapter 3 of this report.

Most public K-12 teachers (60%) say parents should not be able to opt their children out of learning about racism or racial inequality in school, even if the way these topics are taught conflicts with the parents’ beliefs. A quarter say parents should be able to opt their children out of learning about these topics.

In contrast, more say parents should be able to opt their children out of learning about sexual orientation or gender identity (48%) than say parents should not be able to do this (33%).

On topics related to both race and LGBTQ issues, elementary and middle school teachers are more likely than high school teachers to say parents should be able to opt their children out.

How teachers’ views compare with the public’s views

Like teachers, Americans overall are more likely to say parents should be able to opt their children out of learning about sexual orientation or gender identity (54%) than to say they should be able to opt their children out of learning about racism or racial inequality (34%).

Across both issues, Americans overall are somewhat more likely than teachers to say parents should be able to opt their children out.

For more on the public’s views, read Chapter 4 of this report.

Most teachers who’ve been teaching for more than a year (68%) say the topics of sexual orientation and gender identity rarely or never came up in their classroom in the 2022-23 school year. About one-in-five (21%) say these topics came up sometimes, and 8% say they came up often or extremely often.

Topics related to racism or racial inequality come up more frequently. A majority of teachers (56%) say these topics came up at least sometimes in their classroom, with 21% saying they came up often or extremely often.

These topics are more likely to come up in secondary school than in elementary school classrooms.

As is the case among parents of K-12 students and the general public, teachers’ views on how topics related to race and LGBTQ issues should play out in the classroom differ by political affiliation.

• What students should learn about slavery: 85% of Democratic and Democratic-leaning teachers say students should learn that the legacy of slavery still affects the position of Black people in American society today. This compares with 35% of Republican and Republican-leaning teachers who say the same.

• What students should learn about gender identity: Democratic teachers are far more likely than Republican teachers to say students should learn that a person’s gender can be different from the sex they were assigned at birth (53% vs. 5%). Most Republican teachers (69%) say students shouldn’t learn about gender identity in school.
• Parents opting their children out of learning about these topics: 80% of Republican teachers say parents should be able to opt their children out of learning about LGBTQ issues, compared with 30% of Democratic teachers. And while 47% of Republican teachers say parents should be able to opt their children out of learning about racism and racial inequality, just 11% of Democratic teachers say this.

A majority of public K-12 teachers (58%) identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party. About a third (35%) identify with or lean toward the GOP. Americans overall are more evenly divided: 47% are Democrats or Democratic leaners, and 45% are Republicans or Republican leaners .

• For details, refer to the Methodology section of the report. ↩

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Tips From a High School Senior: Researching Colleges

• By Matthew Schwartz

Published June 1, 2021 | Last Updated November 22nd, 2023 at 09:39 am

No article can tell you which college your child should go to or how to choose the college that’s right for them.  Ultimately, the only person who knows what school is best for your child is your child.

What someone like me, a high school senior, can do however, is talk about my own experiences researching colleges and offer tips that were most useful for me during the process.

These are suggestions you can apply to your own child’s college search, because one of the most helpful things to have when making a decision is information.

I took the initiative when researching colleges. I didn’t know what I wanted in a school, but I was willing to spend the time scouring websites, reaching out to current students, and accepting all the help I could get during what was a stressful and sometimes cumbersome process.

My Strategy for Researching Colleges

Create a spreadsheet.

You’re going to gather a lot of information when researching colleges, and you’ll need somewhere to keep it all organized.

A spreadsheet doesn’t sound very exciting, but making a list in Airtable of all the colleges I was interested in—along with fields for their essay prompts, majors, admission deadlines, and student body size—gave me an easy way to directly compare schools. This also made it easier to share my findings with my parents and college counselor.

I used the R2C Insights Tool to gather admissions data, particularly the breakdown of the early admissions vs. regular admissions acceptance rates. I could also quickly see what percent of enrolled students were admitted early decision. This was helpful in determining if there were advantages to applying early at certain schools .

Start Online

The easiest place to find information about the colleges you are looking at is on the internet. 

College Websites

Some college websites can be confusing. It took me too long to find out which courses were offered and who taught them. But once I did, the information I gathered helped me understand specifically what I would have the opportunity to learn if I attended each school.

I tried to find course catalogs through college websites, but I often had more success searching on Google for the catalogs.

Be on the lookout for prerequisites for the courses your child is interested in. If you can, check out which courses your child would take within their specific major as well.

After going through this process with multiple schools, you can compare the different courses your child would take at various schools and decide which ones most interest them.

Be sure to see what activities the school has to offer, along with people to contact within the departments they’re interested in. It’s a good idea to reach out to members of the faculty; they can often answer questions more in-depth than what’s found on the website.

I found lists published by some schools of what graduates have gone on to do after their studies extremely helpful. While researching schools, I wasn’t sure which major to declare. But being able to see a list, such as this one from the University of Pennsylvania , opened my eyes to what I wanted to study and which school would help me get my dream job. These lists are typically found in the career services part of a college’s website.

Online Forums

A college website will tell you all the things the college wants you to know, but a forum is where you can find out what’s really going on. For me, Reddit was the best source of student information for the colleges I was looking at.

Many of my questions had already been asked and had multiple comments from current students at the school. From there, I found out things about social life, the best teachers, and the quality of dorms.

As with most of the internet, it’s best to take everything you read from a forum with a grain of salt. Reddit users are  typically   anonymous, and while that sometimes leads to more honest comments about their experience, it can also mean that the person posting never actually attended the university in question.

Other websites I found helpful were College Confidential , Quora , and the reviews section of Niche . Using these websites gives a comprehensive view of a school from students’ perspectives.

One way to hear about the student experience at a college is to watch videos on YouTube. Many channels are run by students attending a particular college 

One playlist I found helpful was “ 73 Questions with a University Student .” The videos, which are filmed as a student walks across their campus, gave me a feel for what the average student at each school is like.

Even if a school your child is looking at hasn’t been covered by a 73 Questions episode, I guarantee you can still find other videos and channels on YouTube dedicated to their dream schools. Some of these channels have videos where students share the essays that got them accepted or tips for standing out on that school’s application. While I wouldn’t get caught up in their specific high school extracurriculars or scores, hearing about the things their school looks for can help your child better craft their application.

Talking with Current Students

Reaching out.

I was surprised to discover that more people are willing to talk to people who politely reach out than I expected. 

Knowing I wouldn’t be able to visit every school in person, I began to search for students online with whom I could talk. Initially, I reached out to my college counselor to see if she knew any alumni who were willing to talk. She gave me their emails, and I sent out an introductory message. 

For other schools, I went to LinkedIn and searched for my high school. From there, I went to the alumni tab and searched for the names of specific colleges. This is also a helpful tool for seeing the types of jobs people with certain majors get after attending different schools.

Here’s an example of a message I sent on LinkedIn, abiding by its 300-character limit:

My name is Matthew and I’m a rising senior at (high school name). I’m particularly interested in (college name), but haven’t been able to visit. I was wondering if you have time for a quick call to talk about your experience there, any insights you have, and possible connections to (high school name).

Getting people to respond is easier if the message is direct and to the point.

Coming Up with Questions

When talking with a former or current college student, my goals were to create a better picture of what it would be like at the school. Talking to people who had experiences at my high school that they could relate to their college experience made the conversation more productive and effective.

Doing specific research on their school ahead of time can help you come up with detailed questions. For example, if I were talking to someone from Dartmouth, I’d ask them about the quarter system and what they liked and disliked about it.

Instead of spending time asking questions that could be answered online, I wanted to use this opportunity to find out about life at the school.

How friendly are professors? Where do you hang out on the weekends? Are there any comparisons that could be made to high school?

Asking questions like these helped me learn about what the college is actually like.

Additionally…

Virtual tours benefit those who aren’t able to travel, are unable to visit multiple schools, or can’t afford flights around the country.

Now, prospective students have a more equal opportunity to decide what school is right for them and show demonstrated interest in the school’s admissions office by attending virtual events.

The number one thing you can do when researching colleges is to gather information and keep it organized. Collect it from as many sources as you can to get the fullest picture, and then compare schools in the fields that matter most to your child.

Use  R2C Insights  to help find merit aid and schools that fit the criteria most important to your student. You’ll not only save precious time, but your student will avoid the heartache of applying to schools they aren’t likely to get into or can’t afford to attend.  

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