Research opportunities for high school students

Turn Passions Into Projects

Work with an expert mentor to explore your interests and unleash your passion through a personalized research project.

92%

of Polygence students accepted at R1 research universities

2,000+

Completed projects, and counting!

1,500+

Expert Mentors from top US universities

40+

Countries represented by Polygence students

Why Polygence?

Polygence is an online research program founded by Harvard, MIT and Stanford researchers dedicated to democratizing access to research opportunities for high school students.

Star icon-2

Personalized Program

  • Online research opportunities
  • One-on-one mentorship
  • Flexible scheduling
  • Leverage your academic interests
People icon

Expert Mentorship

  • Work one-on-one with a researcher in the field
  • Receive personal feedback and advice from an academic expert
  • Learn insider tips on research positions
House icon

College Credit

  • Earn college credit from the University of California
  • Get a headstart in applying research methods
  • Write a research paper
Rocket icon-2

Passion Projects

  • Present at a conference
  • Launch your app
  • Produce a podcast
  • Write a novel
  • Publish a paper

Projects that help you get into your dream college

92%

of Polygence students accepted at R1 research universities

88%

of students said things they learned in their Polygence projects will help or have already helped them succeed in college

80%

of students said Polygence had influenced what they’d like to study in college or do for their career

Which Polygence Program is right for you?

Waving student in front of a laptop

The Core Program

The Polygence Core Program pairs students with an expert mentor to explore their unique research interest over a structured 10-session project, deepening the student’s research skills and building a student-driven research outcome they can proudly showcase.

Two students reading their notes

The Pathfinders Bundle

The Pathfinders Bundle is a two-part research program that pairs students with expert mentors to explore areas of research and refine a unique project idea. Students then partner with an expert to complete that research over the course of a 13-session project.

A student showcasing her research

Premium Showcasing Bundle

The Premium Showcasing Bundle is a two-part research and publication project experience that pairs students with a set of expert mentors to both support their research and design a structured plan for sharing their research work creatively in a publication or showcasing opportunity.

Polygence and UCI x Gifted and Talented Institute (GATI) college credit program

We are proud to partner with the pre-collegiate Gifted and Talented Institute at University of California Irvine, one of the top US research universities, to award college credits for research papers written in our mentorships.

Polygence and University of California partnership

Passion Project Examples

Mentor Spotlight

Filter by subject

No mentors found for this subject, yet.

Expert mentors from top universities and industries

Polygence mentors are selected based on their exceptional academic background, teaching experience, and unique ability to inspire the next generation of innovative thinkers.

Our expert mentors come from the top universities in the world. Once you embark on your Polygence project, we take into account your background and passion to match you with the best mentor for you. Polygence has a pool of 2000+ mentors with over 40 subjects represented, so we can find the right expert to guide you throughout your research. Your mentor will coach you through your project and expose you to academic research beyond the high school level.

Universities and Industries

Interested in becoming a mentor?

Our Innovation Partners

Stanford University badge

Stanford University and Polygence research partnership

Polygence has partnered with Stanford University to provide state-of-the-art pedagogical feedback for our mentors.

Learn more
MIT University badge

MIT and Polygence partner through the Sandbox Innovation Program

Polygence was incubated at MIT as part of its Sandbox Innovation Program.

Learn more

Forbes recently recognized Jin’s far-reaching impact on education with a place on its 30 Under 30 List for 2023

Polygence co-founder Jin Yun Chow