Everything You Need to Know About Tufts University's TUBERS Program

If you’re an ambitious high school student interested in biomedical research, consider applying to Tufts University’s Tufts University Biomedical Engineering Research Scholars (TUBERS) Program. This program is an introductory program into biomedical research, and will cover foundational biomedical engineering principles and their applications in studying cells, tissues and organs. 

In this blog, we cover the program details, eligibility, cost, and evaluate whether this program is worth applying for. 

What is the TUBERS Program?

The Tufts University Biomedical Engineering Research Scholars (TUBERS) program is a 6-week, fully on-site, commuter program where you will learn basic experimental protocols and lab techniques, which you’ll use to work on a final project. An added bonus is that these projects can be submitted to local and national science competitions, and you can further pursue this research after this program. 

The program typically runs for six weeks between the first week of July and the second week of August every year. The dates for the 2024 program were July 1-August 16, 2024. Do note that housing is not provided for the participants and they’ll need to make their own arrangements for daily commute to the Medford campus. 

Who is Eligible to Apply for the Tufts University Biomedical Engineering Research Scholars (TUBERS) Program

High school students who will be at least 16 years old by the start of the program (tentatively July 1st, 2025), with a strong academic background and interest in biomedical engineering are eligible to apply. 

The commuter nature of the program makes it a good choice for local Medford and Somerville-based students; out-of-area students are also eligible to apply, as long as they can make their housing arrangements and commute daily. 

How much does this program cost?

This is a free program and there is no application fee!

What subject areas are covered in the program?

TUBERS program is offered by Tufts University’s Department of Bioengineering and will cover topics like biomedical engineering basics, methodologies, and how it can be used to study cells, tissues, and organs. The main learning objective of this program is an introduction to various research techniques and experimental protocols which you'll use to test hypotheses as part of your project. 

Each student will work on a subject assigned to him/her at the beginning of the program. You’ll work in one of the research labs in the Department of Bioengineering and this will determine the field in which you will carry out your project. 

For instance, the Oudin Lab welcomes high school students every year. The research area of focus of this lab is Cellular biology, genetics, and cancer metastasis and one of the former TUBERS program participants in the Oudin Lab worked on a project titled -  Role of the Extracellular Matrix in Liver Metastasis. 

What does a typical day in the program look like?

TUBERS is a six-week program and participants are expected to work on their projects while adding to their knowledge base throughout the duration. Most of the days will begin at 9 am and your daily work will be expected to be completed by 3 pm. You will spend most of your time working on improving your research skills in the lab, where you will be guided by graduate or undergraduate students for academic support and mentorship. 

Is it Prestigious?

While there is no official acceptance rate shared on the program’s website, being a six-week research-based program at one of the top private universities in the U.S., this is a highly selective program. 

How can I apply for the program?

Students interested in the TUBERS program need to submit an online application which will become active for the 2025 program soon and can be accessed here. The application also requires submission of your school transcript, and a reference letter from a science teacher outlining your passion for science and should mention any lab experience that you may have. Finally, you and a parent should acknowledge reading the TUBERS Waiver/ Commitment Pledge, sign the second page of the document, and send it alongside your application. 

Will attending the TUBERS program help me get into Tufts University?

The TUBERS program will help you build good connections in the biomedical industry and the research aspect of the program will definitely boost your profile but participating will not directly impact your chances of getting into Tufts University. As per the data available on the website, a few participants from the previous cohorts were accepted to Tufts undergraduate programs. 

Pros

1. You get to work on projects related to ongoing research in biomedical engineering: 

This is a research-focused program and one of the benefits of participating in it is that you will not only learn about various research techniques and steps required to complete a project and paper presentation, you will also apply these to work on a project of your own. This project will be headed by one of the accomplished researchers/professors at Tufts University and will be related to their field of work. Some of the projects from previous cohorts included: Effect of Molecular Weight of Silk Fibroin on the Dityrosine Cross-linking, Optimization of Channeled Bioreactor to Mimic the Flow of Blood Vessels in Silk Heart Patches, and Transdermal Delivery of Proteins Using Lipid-Like Nanoparticles. 

2. You will work with state-of-the-art lab instruments and expand your academic learning: 

As part of your project requirements, you will spend the majority of your time in a research lab, learning about biomedical engineering research techniques​. You will learn from the leaders in the industry and get to observe how researchers work in a lab and use some of the world-class instruments under their guidance. 

3. You can use the projects you work on to participate in science fairs and competitions: 

You are encouraged by the faculty to use the projects that you have worked on during the program to enter local science fairs, which can help you make it to the national-level competitions. These competitions will add to your profile and will also help you become eligible to win prizes and college scholarships! This will be another incentive for you to work hard during the program.

4. There is no application fee: 

Research-intensive summer programs at top universities are seldom free and are often residential in nature, which adds to the cost. TUBERS is completely free of cost and since it is a commuter program, you can also attend to other commitments once you are done with your work for the day. While there is no cost to attend, you are expected to make your own travel arrangements and if you are an out-of-state student, there will be accommodation and food costs to take care of. 

Cons

1. The program is designed to cater to local students and out-of-state students will have to bear significant costs: 

While TUBERS is a free program, students need to make their own travel arrangements to the Medford Campus every day. This is manageable for local students but if you are from out-of-state this will be an additional cost alongside accommodation. Also, while there is no information available on the website, it is safe to assume that international students might not be accepted into the program. 

2. No guarantees of admission into Tufts University: 

The program’s rigor and research component makes it a good addition to your resume but in no way does it guarantee that you will be accepted to Tufts undergraduate programs. As it is not a paid program, it will certainly help your application stand out in front of the admissions officers but again, keep in mind that this program is not a stepping stone for admission into Tufts University or any other college. 

Our Review

This will be a rewarding experience for any high school student interested in gaining hands-on research experience and as it is a free program, it will definitely be a boost to your college application. You will get to work on real-life projects under accomplished faculty and receive academic guidance from undergraduates and graduate students in the department and mentors leading the research. 

You will work in one of the laboratories at Tufts University campus and will have access to all the resources, like the library which can help you explore your academic passions. You will get the feel of living on the campus and throughout the program, you can interact with other summer scholars, and researchers, which will help improve your worldview and help you learn from others. 

Overall, this is a great program as it provides a comprehensive research opportunity to high school students and you will also get to work on an independent research project! The program concludes with a paper presentation, so you will get the feel of how it is to plan your project, do the literature survey, and finally present your findings in a professional setting. With a small cohort every summer, you will have enough opportunities to have meaningful interactions with your peers and faculty at Tufts University. A few things to keep in mind though is that this is not a paid program and non-local students will have to bear significant costs. As research is the main focus of this program, there is little focus on academics and you might not be able to prepare for competitive exams. 

If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. 

You can find the application link here.

If you’re looking to build a project/research paper in the field of AI & ML, consider applying to Veritas AI! 

Veritas AI is founded by Harvard graduate students. Through the programs, you get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn AI & ML with us. You can apply here!

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