If you are a high school student, looking to apply to the top universities in the U.S, you might want to consider applying to various pre-college options, including immersions, internships, and research programs. In this blog, we will be reviewing one such program, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program,that allows you to independently produce a research paper. 

What is Lumiere Education? 

Founded by researchers at Harvard and Oxford, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a selective program where students work 1-1 with a researcher from a top university, to produce a university-level research project. 

What are the programs I can participate in?

Lumiere offers 3 different programs, each of which has a slightly different structure when it comes to the curriculum covered: 

1.Individual Research Program

The Individual Research Program is 12 weeks long and you will work 1-on-1 with a research mentor to create an independent research paper on a topic of your interest! The topic selected can span any field from computer science and math to psychology and history.  

If you choose to do the Individual Research Program, you can expect 9 individual sessions with your paired mentor, 2 individual sessions with a writing coach and 5 workshops on the research process. The program culminates with your own 15-page research paper, which you can use for fairs, or even mention in the activities section of the Common App!

The typical timeline for this program will look like this:

If you’re looking for a shorter program and are not necessarily looking for publication or you have commitments during the academic year, we recommend choosing this program!

2. Premium Research & Publication Program

The Premium Research & Publication Program is a slightly longer program and is 16-20 weeks long. The aim of this program is to write a high-quality research paper and publish your research in a prestigious high-school or college-level journal. 

In this program, you can expect 15 individual sessions with your paired mentor, 4 individual sessions with a writing coach and 5 workshops on the research process. In addition to this, you will also get 4 individual sessions with a publication specialist, and a customized publication plan created by the Lumiere publication team!  

It is important to note that publication can never be guaranteed, and while Lumiere does give multiple sessions with publication specialists and attempts to publish, it is also dependent on the nature and quality of your research. 

3. Research Fellowship

The last program that you can opt for is the research fellowship which is for 6-12 months. In this fellowship, you will create a detailed study, typically involving original data collection and analysis, that is comparable to real-world academic papers, and can be published in a reputed international journal. 

In the Research Fellowship, you will receive 24-30 individual sessions with your mentor, 6 individual sessions with a writing coach, 5 workshops on the research process. You will also get 4 individual sessions with a publication specialist, along with publishing and sharing your paper at a college-level journal, or prestigious competition or conference!

If you have a topic that fits within your niche, and you wish to showcase your dedication towards exploring this topic - we recommend you select this program. This program would also be useful if you intend to submit your paper to prestigious competitions such as MIT’s THINK or ISEF Regeneron.

Here is a side by side comparison of all the programs:

Where is the program conducted?

All the programs in Lumiere are completely virtual and conducted in an online format. This is beneficial because you will save time commuting, and you can balance other activities throughout the summer. However, you might lose out with the in-person experience and interactions, so you have to prioritize your requirements before you commit. 

When are the dates and deadlines for each program?

The Lumiere Research Scholar Program has multiple cohorts through the years - these are the deadlines for the next few cohorts: 

• Spring 2024:

• Application Deadline - 14 January, 2024

• Cohort Start Date - 5 February, 2024

• Summer 2024:

• Early Admission Deadline - 18 February, 2024

• Priority Application Deadline - 17 March, 2024

• Regular Application Deadline 1 - 14 April, 2024

• Regular Application Deadline 2 - 12 May, 2024

• Cohort Start Date- 3 June, 2023

• Summer II 2024:

• Application Deadline - 26 June, 2024

• Cohort Start Date - 15 July, 2024

What is the cost of the program?

The Individual Research Program  costs $2,800, while the Premium Research and Publication Program and the Research Fellowship costs $4,800 and $8,400 respectively.

While Lumiere does offer need-blind financial aid, if you are a low-income student, you can opt for the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation which offers the Individual Research program at no cost. 

Note that while there is no cut-off for income, past inclusion scholars have typically come from households earning less than $50,000 annually (for a typical household of 4) with minimum assets

Can you get credit for your project in Lumiere? 

Lumiere has an academic partnership with the University of California, San Diego’s Extended Studies division. This division offers programs focused on professional-level training and opportunities for skill advancement. 

If you successfully complete any of the Lumiere programs, UCSD Extended Studies offers 3 units of post-baccalaureate credit! During the cohort, you can opt for enrolling in the credit program where you’ll be guided on this process and will pay a processing fee to UCSD Extended Studies. After the program, you will receive your transcript and credit units. 

Is Lumiere selective?

There are no set acceptance numbers; however, there are 2 stages of the application process, including an online application and the interview round. So you can expect some degree of selectivity. 

In terms of impact on college admissions, previous Lumiere students have mentioned their experience and projects on their resumes and college applications and have received acceptances from universities like Princeton, UPenn, Stanford, Cambridge, and UC Berkeley.

What are some of the research areas and topics I can work on?

You can conduct research in multiple subjects including Physics, Computer Science, International Relations, Economics, Psychology and Gender Studies! 

Some examples of past topics include:

• Physics - Is the measurement theory consistent with quantum theory?

• Social Science - Rethinking Urban Disaster Management: A Case Study of Mumbai’s Inclusion of Informal Workers. 

• Biology - Using deep learning approaches to segment, detect, and extract the cellular nuclei from fluorescence microscopy images.

• Art History - The changing of environmental landscapes through the ages. 

What are the pros and cons?

Pros:

1. There are multiple cohorts throughout the year

Having multiple cohorts through the year is an added bonus as you can choose a program that is convenient for you. If you’ve already committed to an intensive summer program such as RSI, you might not have time to balance other activities. However, with Lumiere, you can select the cohort that matches your needs!

2. Lumiere offers full financial aid

If cost is a barrier for your extracurriculars, you can always opt for full financial aid based on the need to eliminate any financial barriers that students may have. 

3. You will work with mentors from top universities

As a participant in any of Lumiere’s programs, you will work with mentors from top universities such as Harvard, Oxford, Stanford, and Columbia, to name a few. Working with a mentor from a top university can give you an opportunity to learn from their expertise, and you can create a valuable network that can help with college applications. You can can leverage this opportunity to give your college application a boost by requesting your mentor to write a personalized LOR for you at the end of the program.

4. You have the flexibility to choose your own topic

Applying to other research opportunities hosted by private institutes or universities usually involves restricting yourself to a set curriculum and set of topics.. Lumiere gives you the flexibility to choose a topic you are interested in and provides you with a lot more scope to study and learn from multiple topics and disciplines.

5. You will have a robust addition to your portfolio by the end of the program.

Regardless of which program, the end result of this program will be a research paper. Opting for a program where you’ll have a final project will be useful as you can use this project for your college applications - either through getting them published, applying for competitions, or even mentioning this in the activities section of your Common App.

Cons: 

1. You may miss in-person networking opportunities.

Compared to in-person opportunities, there is a noticeable lack of exposure in terms of networking. This can be overcome with a bit of extra effort to reach out to people; however, if you work better in person, you might need to look for other programs.

2. Doing research with Lumiere is not a replacement for summer pre-college programs, particularly for the community experience or “college” experience 

Summer school programs such as Harvard Summer School or MIT’s Summer Program have the benefit of offering you a college-like experience in terms of housing, social experience and academics. As Lumiere is fully virtual, you might miss out on getting the immersive experience of a university student. However, do note that some summer schools and Lumiere will offer a similar final output which is a research paper (or project).

3. It is not as selective as other prestigious programs. 

There are other summer programs, such as MIT’s RSI or Princeton’s Summer Journalism Program, which are extremely selective and are viewed quite favorably by college admissions officers. However, you can always combat this gap by attempting to submit your work to a prestigious competition or journal that will increase the value of your work. For example, some students at Lumiere have published their work in journals such as Concord Review, Stanford Intersect, and Journal of Emerging Investigators. 

What are Lumiere students saying about their experience?

We have taken reviews about Lumiere from Trust Pilot, and students like Ojas Lynbrook, who was the winner of the MIT THINK competition (which he used his Lumiere research project for!) said “Lumiere paired me up with the perfect mentor, who helped me turn my ambitions of doing research in biology into a reality. The program schedule was extremely flexible, and helped me create two separate projects in our time together. Lumiere and my mentor helped me create concrete projects around my passions and have empowered me to keep pushing the boundaries of science.”.

Another student, Estar Awad Dawad said that Lumiere helped her develop her “self-learning capabilities, improve my reading skills, and enhance my academic writing abilities”. She also states that this experience was significant and she “was able to showcase in my Minerva University application with a 2% acceptance rate.". 

How could you use a Lumiere research project in your college application?

Every Lumiere Program produces some form of a research paper, regardless of whether you choose to get it published. If you’ve worked on such a project, it would be meaningful to include this in your college application. 

When an admission officer sees this experience and your contribution to creating a project, it showcases your determination and passion to go the extra mile to develop a project that addresses a real-world issue. 

If you participate in a Lumiere Program a key component is how you mention this experience in your college application. Here are a few ways you can mention it:

1. Submit your project to a competition/reputed journal.

If your project or research paper was able to place in competitions such as ISEF Regeneron or get published in reputable journals, itt increases the value of your research as it shows your capability to produce quality work that is beyond the scope of a high school student. 

2. Add the project to your portfolio and activity list.

You can mention your Lumiere project in your activities section in your CommonApp. You can mention deliverables of project milestones that can be considered as ‘work’.

Pro Tip - always use quantitative metrics to show your project’s impact.

If you want to show a meaningful impact, we always recommend using quantitative parameters.

3. Talk about it in your essay. 

You can always use your Lumiere experience in one of your college essays (e.g. a supplemental essay). For example, if your essay asks you to talk about your choice of a subject or a major, you could use your project to talk about your interests and passion for the subject.

Our Review

If you’re looking for a program that gives you the flexibility and independence to conduct research on a topic of your choice, while also having access to mentorship, Lumiere is a solid option. This is especially helpful if you’re a student who has a niche interest that you’d like to conduct research on.

One great aspect of Lumiere is the mentors who come from top universities, so you can expect to receive great mentorship and expert instruction. Moreover, the program will give you publication or showcase guidance, which will help you increase the value of your project for college applications.

When looking at testimonials from students, some common points we’ve seen about Lumiere is the program structure, the flexibility of research choice, and the guidance and mentorship received! Some students have also mentioned how a LOR from their mentor has boosted their college application, which is something you can always look out for! 

The cost might definitely be a barrier for this program as it is on par with some summer schools; however, you can always apply for financial aid, and apply to the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation. Note that  financial aid applications and applications to the foundation are usually more competitive.

If you are looking for extremely selective research programs such as RSI or Anson Clark Scholars, you might want to look at Lumiere as more of a safety option.

You can find the application form here. 

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 - Lumiere Education Logo