College admissions today are brutal. Everyone’s got great grades, leadership roles, and community service. So more and more students are turning to academic research as a way to stand out. One of the most well-known research programs in this space is Indigo Research. But is it actually worth the time and money?
I’ve spent a lot of time researching the research programs (yes, ironic) and wanted to share what I’ve learned — especially after reading some older blog posts that haven’t aged well.
The Case Against Indigo — And What’s Missing
You might’ve seen critiques that go something like this: “Indigo charges too much. The publications don’t matter. The mentors aren’t real professors. Just cold email a lab for free.”
That sounds smart on paper. But having looked deeper — and seen the results Indigo kids are getting — I don’t think those criticisms hold up anymore.
1. “The journals don’t matter.”
This one shows up a lot. It’s true that publishing in a high school journal won’t impress a Stanford research department. But that’s not the point. Publishing through Convergence Journal (the new Indigo/NYAS peer-reviewed publication) shows that a student has done rigorous academic work, followed through on a major project, and contributed something thoughtful to an academic conversation — even if it’s not Nobel Prize material.
Admissions officers aren’t expecting groundbreaking research. They’re looking for intellectual maturity and focus. Convergence is now one of the few legit peer-reviewed journals built for high schoolers, and it’s backed by the New York Academy of Sciences. That matters.
2. “Mentors are just grad students doing a side hustle.”
A lot of Indigo mentors are in PhD programs — and that’s a good thing. These are people who live and breathe research, and many are closer in age and mindset to high schoolers than tenured professors. What’s more important is that Indigo mentors are trained to teach, and the program has a rigorous curriculum (designed by a Harvard PhD) that scaffolds the research process in ways most labs don’t.
Also: if you’re picturing some overworked grad student giving you two Zoom calls and ghosting you, that’s not how Indigo works. Students meet with mentors weekly, have structured checkpoints, and get publication support, admissions strategy, and even UCSB college credit for presenting at Indigo’s academic conference.
3. “Just cold email a professor for free.”
If you can make this work, go for it. But it’s not as easy as Reddit makes it sound. Professors get hundreds of emails from high schoolers, and most don’t have the time (or institutional approval) to take on minors in their labs. I’ve sent those emails. I’ve heard nothing back. So have most people I know.
Indigo isn’t for students who already have research mentors at top universities — it’s for students who don’t, and still want to do serious, college-ready work. It’s a structured, guided way to get there.
4. “Kids who get into Ivies would have gotten in anyway.”
Maybe. But Indigo’s own data shows that their students had a 15.05% Ivy League acceptance rate this year — over 3x the global average. Their admits to schools like Cambridge, Oxford, Penn, and Stanford are equally impressive.
Sure, many Indigo students are already high achievers. But that doesn’t invalidate the value of the program — it reinforces it. Top students are choosing Indigo because it gives them a clear, high-quality path to building an academic spike.
So… Is Indigo Worth It?
If you’re looking for a research program that guarantees world-shifting discovery, probably not. But if you want structured mentorship, a flexible schedule, real outcomes (like publication or conference presentations), and a boost to your academic narrative, then yes — Indigo is 100% worth considering.
It’s not the only path. But for students who don’t have a lab connection, who want to dive deep into a topic they care about, and who want support from trained mentors — Indigo is a smart investment. Especially in 2025, when research is fast becoming one of the most compelling ways to stand out on college applications.
And yeah, it’s not cheap. But if you can afford it — or can get partial support through your school or counselor — it might just be one of the best academic investments you make in high school.
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About Eashan Iyer:
I am a founding member of The Qurios Institute and an incoming student at Brown University. In 2023, I co-authored a research paper in the field of theoretical physics. I am also an Eagle Scout and a senior at The Academy for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering in Rockaway, NJ. Learn more about me at my website and LinkedIn.
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