10 Computer Science Research Programs for High School Students in New York
If you are a high school student in New York who is interested in conducting research in computer science, chances are that you are looking for summer programs in your area as a valuable addition to your application.
In this post, we have curated a list of 10 computer science programs in New York that will enable you to experience university level research, and gain guidance from professionals in the field. Note that some programs are internships, but they will also allow you to conduct research in your interested field!
Location: Remote - you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: $4,900 (for the AI Fellowship Program)
Application Deadline: There are 4 cohorts (You can apply here!)
Upcoming deadline for the winter 2023 cohort: December 3, 2023
Program Dates: Cohort starts on December 16, 2023
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school
Veritas AI is founded and run by Harvard graduate students.Through our programs,students get to build their foundations in computer science and artificial intelligence. In the AI Fellowship program, students work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, CMU, Oxford and more to develop independent research papers or hands-on projects. Through the program you learn various concepts in computer science, data science, and artificial intelligence like neural networks, image classification, natural language processing, sentiment analysis, coding using python, and more.
The Veritas AI Fellowship is a good option for students with some prior Python experience and those who are interested in creating a unique project at the intersection of computer science. In the past students have worked on projects like predictive models of college decisions, detecting tweets related to natural disasters, and more! You can check out more past projects here.
Lumiere Research Scholars Program - Tech Track
Cost:
Lumiere Individual Research Program - $2,800
Lumiere Premium Research and Publication Program - $4,800
Lumiere Research Fellowship - $8,400
Location: Virtual
Application deadline: Rolling, cohort-based. Applications for the winter cohort are now open. You can apply here!
Program dates: Upcoming - December 18
Eligibility: High school students
Founded by Harvard and Oxford PhDs, Lumiere is a selective research program for high school students, where students work one-on-one with a PhD mentor to develop an independent research paper. The program offers an array of disciplines and you can opt to focus on computer science like criminal data analysis using machine learning, the application of computer vision based robotics to avoid obstacles, using computer science to predict weather changes, and more! . Due to its one-on-one nature, you can expect to learn the most recent developments in the field and expand your skill sets by working directly with experts.
An added bonus is the opportunity you get to interact with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, CMU and more. This program is a particularly good option if you are interested in interdisciplinary research and want to create an individual research paper.
Horizon Academic Research Program
Location: Virtual
Application Date: May 21, 2024 for the summer cohort, and September 25, 2024 for the fall cohort
Program Dates:
Summer seminar - June 24, 2024 - September 2, 2024
Fall seminar - October 23, 2024 - February 19, 2025
Lab dates are flexible, but you must apply 4 weeks in advance.
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! Only a couple of tracks require formal prerequisites, more details of which can be found here.
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, psychology, and more! It is one of the very few research programs for high school students that offers a choice between quantitative and qualitative research!
Applied Research Innovations in Science and Engineering (ARISE)
Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, New York
Cost: No cost
Application deadline: March (tentatively, based on previous years)
Program dates: June- August (tentatively, based on previous years)
Eligibility: Students who will complete 10th or 11th grade by June 2024 can apply. Students applying must be NYC residents.
Through ARISE, you experience 2-weeks of college-level coursework, and then supplement this with 5 weeks of conducting research in a lab, all while being mentored by a graduate or postdoctoral student! You will gain experience in college-level research, expository writing, scientific methods, professional development, and ethics. You will conclude the program with a professional poster presentation and colloquium.
The subjects you can experience at ARISE are computer science, AI, machine learning and more! You can explore the full subject list here.
Cost: No cost; stipend provided
Location: Varies, different for each internship offered
Application Deadline: Varies from internship to internship
Program Dates: Varies from internship to internship, but should be in one of these three cohorts
Fall - from late August/early September to mid-December (16 weeks)
Spring - from mid-January to early May (16 weeks)
Summer - from late May/early June to August (10 weeks)
Eligibility:
High School Students
Must be a U.S. Citizen
Have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagements provides internship opportunities at all their locations around America. In New York, you can opt for internships at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. However, if you live away from one, NASA now conducts virtual internships as well!
For the Summer 2024 internships, most NASA internships are done as a part of their year-round Climate Change Research Initiative. So your internships will be structured around climate change research, for example, one opportunity is exploring the dynamics of exoplanetary atmospheres and oceans with ROCKE-3D!
Students interested in pursuing computer science in university can consider this program as it’s a great value-add for college applications, owing to the reputation and prestige of this program as well as NASA.
Stony Brook University’s Computer Science and Informatics Summer Research Experience Program (CSIRE)
Location: Stony Brook University, New York and virtual. There is no residential option; you must commute to and from Stony Brook University if you select the in-person program.
Cost: $2,800. Financial aid is available.Application Deadline: To be announced
Program Dates: June-August (tentatively, based on previous years dates)
Eligibility: Applicants must be high school students studying and residing in the United States.
The intensive six-week-long CSIRE program at Stony Brook University is designed to provide high school students with research experience in computer science and informatics.
Students work in a lab mentored by a faculty or a Ph.D. student on a hands-on research project in various computer science and informatics areas, such as artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, software engineering, and human-computer interaction.
In addition to this research experience, CSIRE allows students to contribute to ongoing research at the university, offers a combination of research seminars, career seminars, networking opportunities, on-campus lab tours, and allows students to present their research findings at conferences or symposiums at the conclusion of the program.
Syracuse University Engineering and Computer Science Research Internship
Cost: No cost; stipend provided
Location: Greater Syracuse Area
Application Deadline: While the dates for the next cohort have not been announced, expect the deadline to be 2 months before the internship.
Program Dates: 6 weeks during the summer months
Eligibility:
Be a rising senior in the Greater Syracuse area.
Be in good academic standing.
Syracuse University offers a 6-week, non-residential summer internship for rising seniors in the greater Syracuse area. Interns are exposed to advanced engineering and computer science research intended to stimulate and deepen their interest in STEM careers.
In the program, you will participate in a university-level research project while receiving mentoring from SU research faculty and graduate and undergraduate students. The program culminates with you presenting your research at a symposium with other high school and undergraduate research interns.
Through your hands-on research project, you will learn how to:
Participate in laboratory safety training.
Learn laboratory and college-level library research techniques.
Develop a research plan.
Maintain a laboratory notebook or its equivalent.
Analyze data for your research project.
Display and present data in a poster format for the research symposium.
Boyce Thompson Institute Internships
Cost: No cost; stipend provided ($4,000 for 7 weeks)
Location: Cornell University Campus, Ithaca, New York
Application Deadline: March 31 (tentatively, based on previous years dates)
Program Dates: June 27 - August 11(tentatively, based on previous years dates)
Eligibility:
Students must be 16 years or older by the end of June.
Students must currently reside in the Ithaca region.
You cannot be a graduating senior.
If you are interested in computational biology, the Boyce Thompson Institute Internship is a great opportunity. Done alongside Cornell University and the USDA, this 7-week internship allows you to gain research experience within plant science and computational biology.
As an intern, you will be paired with a research mentor, typically a graduate student of a postdoctoral researcher, and a faculty mentor. You will work alongside your mentors on a predetermined project.
Apart from conducting research, you can join undergraduate researchers for professional development lectures and discussions. Moreover, Boyce Institute organizes local field trips and training sessions as well!
The program culminates in a symposium in August, where you can present your findings through a scientific poster. BSI Internships are an excellent opportunity to conduct research alongside leading researchers and faculty, all while getting opportunities for training!
Cost: No cost; stipend provided ($1,000 for 6 weeks)
Location: CUNY Campus
Application Deadline: While not specified, expect it to be in fall.
Program Dates: Spring semester + 6 weeks in the summer.
Eligibility:
Be a NYC public high school sophomore or junior in good academic standing:
CUNY Eligibility Benchmarks (75+ ELA Regents and/or 80+ Math Regents)
Primarily high school juniors, however, it is open to all high school students.
The STEM RA program is an opportunity for NYC high school students to take part in a 2-semester program. The first section of the program is a pre-college College Now science course in the spring and the other half is the chance to conduct hands-on research with CUNY faculty in the summer.
The pre-college course will strengthen your basic research skills such as formulating researchable questions, reading scientific literature and more. An added bonus is that you will receive 2 college credits for the course!
Upon successful completion of this course, you can participate in a 6-week summer research experience with CUNY research faculty. Following this program’s completion, you can apply to participate in the New York City Science & Engineering Fair (NYCSEF)!
Location: Remote
Application Deadline: February (tentatively, based on previous years)
Program Dates: June - December (tentatively, based on previous years)
Eligibility:
All high school juniors who are U.S. Citizens or permanent residents.
Strong academic record.While they have not specified a cutoff, you should expect PSAT math scores to be at least 740 (or higher) and evidence-based reading/ writing scores to be 700 (or higher). ACT math scores should be at least 33, and verbal scores should be at least 34.
Passion for science, technology, engineering, and math - which is demonstrated through extracurricular activities, essays, and letters of recommendation.
MITES Semester is a program by MIT and is a 6-month hybrid STEM program where you can deep dive into science and engineering disciplines. In this program, you will choose one project-based course, followed by a supplemental core course, which can either be in computer science, calculus, physics, science writing, or communication.
Through this program, you can delve into interdisciplinary subjects that involve computer science. For instance, past projects have included computational biology, embedded systems, machine learning, robotics, thermodynamics, climate change, and more.
At the end of the MITES program, you will receive a written evaluation from your instructor outlining your strengths and growth areas and highlighting your contributions to the class. This is a valuable supplement for any college application!
Note: MIT strongly encourages students from underrepresented and low socioeconomic backgrounds to apply.
CUNY Crest’s High School Initiative in Remote Sensing of the Earth Systems Engineering and Sciences
Cost: No cost; stipend of $1000 provided
Location: CUNY Campus + Remote
Application Deadline: While not specified, expect it to be in fall.
Program Dates: 7 weeks in the summer.
Eligibility:
Open to all high school students who are currently enrolled in or completed algebra 1 & 2 with a minimum average of B.
Have a SAT Math Score of 500 or higher/ an ACT Math Score of 21 of higher.
Have a SAT Critical Reading score of 480 or higher/ an ACT English score of 20 or higher/ N.Y. State English Regents score of 75 or higher.
Other N.Y. State Requirements:
Score of 70 or higher in Algebra I (Common Core) AND successful completion of the Algebra 2/Trigonometry or higher-level course
Score of 80 or higher in either Integrated Algebra, Geometry or Algebra 2/Trigonometry AND successful completion of the Algebra 2/Trigonometry or higher-level course
Score if 75 or higher in one of the following - MATH A or MATH B or Sequential II or Sequential II
The HIRES program by CUNY aims to recruit and train student communities with little or no access to high quality STEM education. In this program, you will be assigned a research project and mentors (who are graduate students & faculty at CUNY) to undertake research with a focus in climate, water, weather, ecosystem services, social and environmental justice.
While the program does focus on environmental science research, there is an element of computer science as well as CUNY additionally offers technical workshops in remote sensing, Python and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in order to improve your research!
If you’re looking to build unique projects in the field of AI/ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
Veritas AI was founded by Harvard graduate students, and through the programs, you get a chance to learn the fundamentals of AI and computer science while collaborating on real-world projects. You can also 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 data science and AI with us. You can apply here!Image Source: ARISE Logo