Research can feel intimidating as a high schooler. What’s an abstract? Where do you even publish? With the right approach, though, it can genuinely strengthen your college application. Here’s how to get started.
By Tejjas Kaul
Why research is worth your time
In research, age is just a number. If you show genuine interest and put in the work, you can contribute to real discoveries alongside university students and professionals. And beyond padding your resume, research:
- sharpens your critical thinking
- builds real problem-solving skills
- shows you how ideas actually work in the real world
Start with what you actually like
Research is a lot more than lab coats and microscopes. Before you go cold emailing every biologist in a 50-mile radius, figure out what you actually care about. Biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, whatever it is, a clear sense of your interests will steer the whole project. Think about your favorite subjects, your activities, and where you might want to head after school. You don’t want this to feel like a chore.
💡 Research takes real time and effort to do well, so test the waters with smaller self-paced projects before you dive into something big.
Compete at science fairs
Science fairs are one of the best ways to present your work and get it in front of the wider scientific community. The big one is the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), where you present your findings, get feedback from judges, and meet other student researchers. But everyone starts somewhere, so begin with a local, officially recognized science fair and work your way up.
Look beyond your school
Some of the best opportunities are outside your school. Reach out to local universities, research institutions, or professionals in your field. Many universities run summer research programs built specifically for high schoolers, with hands-on lab time and the chance to work next to experienced researchers. One warning: stick to trusted programs. A lot of schools run “proxy” programs that charge a lot and deliver little. Rishab breaks down which ones are worth it here: STEM Summer Programs for High Schoolers (Research, Camps, Internships).
Find a mentor
A good mentor or advisor makes a huge difference. Look for teachers, professors, or professionals who can walk you through the process. There’s nothing wrong with asking family and friends in your field to help you get a first taste, but once you have momentum, build your own connections instead of leaning on who you know. A strong mentor helps you sharpen your research question, design your experiments, and make sense of your results, and they will keep helping across future projects and showcases.
💡 Struggling to land an internship or mentorship? Try this: Rishab Jain Internship Guide | PDF
Build the skills that carry over
Research is more than running experiments. Spend time on the skills underneath it: reviewing the literature, analyzing data, and communicating your findings clearly. Those carry into everything you do later, in school and beyond. Once you feel confident, test yourself against other student researchers at the International Research Olympiad.
Final thoughts
Doing research in high school is genuinely rewarding, and it can shape where you go academically and professionally. Identify your interests, use the resources around you, compete, look outside your school, and find good mentors. Do that, and you will be in a strong position to do real work.
🌟 As long as you can tell a real story about your work, research sets you apart, because it shows ingenuity and follow-through. So take on the hard parts, stay curious, and let genuine curiosity, not prestige, drive you.
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