Research Mentorship for High School Students

The place where you create what sets you apart

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Outcomes That Matter

The program where possibilities become a portfolio

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Research Mentorship Program

The experience where curiosity becomes distinction

Polygence student at Stanford

What is Polygence?

Polygence student in session

Polygence is an online research mentorship program that pairs high school students one-on-one with PhD-level expert mentors to create original research projects, passion projects, and internships.

  • Founded in 2019

  • Over 10,000 alumni

  • 150+ of subject areas

  • 5.9x acceptance rates to T25 Universities

What do students say about Polygence?

My project taught me a lot about self-discipline and time management, two skills that have allowed me to succeed throughout college. I feel that my Polygence project taught me a lot about how to plan ahead for big tasks, how to deal with setbacks, and how to set realistic goals/deadlines.

Rebeca Gutierrez student photo

Tulane

The opportunity to conduct mentor-guided research with Polygence in high school was highly formative in developing my interest in research and the life sciences, my college application process, and my decision to major in neuroscience.

Lauren Kim student photo

Harvard

Compared to school it was more in-depth, and a lot more focused on me. At school it’s more you check the box, you turn in the assignment. With Polygence it was more working toward actually learning… I felt more like I was doing it for myself.

Sophia Beck student photo

Yale

My Polygence mentor was incredibly supportive and always offered any resources to not only aid my pursuit of research and paper writing, but also to help in my college decision process and later research endeavors.

Camdyn Wu student photo

USC

I wanted a mentor who could challenge me and make sure my research was actually good quality. Working with someone who has real research experience completely changed how I approached my project—from the methodology to the ethics to the questions I asked.

Bailey Zhang student photo

Stanford

I really appreciated getting the full independence of writing a research paper and having someone that I could always ask questions and get feedback from. It really helped me grow and understand more about what I’m passionate about and what I want to pursue in college.

Madeline Lee student photo

Cornell

Being able to author a literature review in high school through Polygence was really empowering and helped me become interested in pursuing research in college. It taught me a lot of valuable skills in scientific writing and prepared me for writing long papers in college.

Noora Mathur student photo

UC Davis

The project has taught me a lot in the areas of cancer biology and genetics. The guidance has helped me become more confident in working towards finding new solutions to solve scientific problems, even in my college career. It has also led me to work towards pursuing a career path in medicine as well.

Shravan Kannan student photo

UC Berkeley

I know research is hard and frustrating sometimes. But Polygence gives you someone who is knowledgeable. These mentors are great people. If it wasn’t for my mentor, I wouldn’t be at Bowdoin or have the confidence I do now.

Mukudzei Seramani student photo

Bowdoin

That project really sparked my interest in machine learning and computer vision. From that experience, I learned about different computer vision algorithms, and I’ve been able to explore them more at UC Berkeley. After my first project, I gained a lot of knowledge and even published a research paper.

Ethan Kou student photo

UC Berkeley

Participating in Polygence helped me become more involved in the scientific field, especially with research. The topic of my research project also influenced me for my major, which is microbiology, because I wanted to learn more about how biology works in microenvironments.

Vincent Nguyen student photo

UCSD

Coming into my Polygence project... I was very interested in policy at the time. Thinking about ways to bring in the breadth of my knowledge across different areas really allowed me the ability, with the help of my mentor, to incorporate this wide range of perspectives and create something I was proud of.

Samuel Desai student photo

Stanford

Polygence was a large part of my acceptance, as the research I did granted me acceptance into their Neubauer Scholars Program.

Zoe Renazile-Winter student photo

Tufts

For me, researching at Polygence wasn't just some extracurricular—instead, it was an engaging hobby that I couldn't wait to work on after school.

Emir Durakovic student photo

Northeastern

Working on an independent research project fostered my lasting passion for psychology and neuroscience. The project, which focused on psychological disorders, strengthened my research skills and deepened my commitment to these fields.

Jingyao Guo student photo

Rice

I had a very meaningful experience working on my project. It was one of the first opportunities where I witnessed firsthand how machine learning can be applied to real-world data to predict outcomes and solve practical problems. What further enhanced the experience was having a Polygence mentor to guide me at every step.It made for a fun and interactive learning experience in spite of this being a new and unknown area to me.

Arjun Ramakrishnan student photo

UVA

My mentor helped me work through lengthy research papers, breaking them down to find what I needed. She also helped me with the art side of my project. Her feedback was honest and helpful, and I really appreciated her guidance.

Davina Yahar student photo

UC Berkeley

The students who stand out aren't the ones checking every box—they're the ones who pursue something they're genuinely passionate about. Polygence gave me the chance to explore an idea that genuinely mattered to me—and that project ended up shaping both my college application and the direction I wanted to take my education.

Tiffany Phan student photo

Brown

The idea that you can do anything, or you can have an effect on a really big problem or in a really big world, is something that I really developed through Polygence and with my mentor. We would go through papers together, and I could discuss my ideas and bounce them off of her.

Chloe Berkowitz student photo

UC Berkeley

This was my first time doing any sort of research, and I had no idea what a literature review was. Polygence allowed me to dip my toes into it. Doing the literature review project in high school inspired me to do more in psychology, and it led me to where I am now.

Valerie Kuo student photo

UCLA

Polygence was just sort of an extension of a passion of mine that I felt like was finally being seen. I’ve always really loved what Polygence has brought me, and so it felt like it had, like, a huge ripple effect on my life.

Lydia Olivieri student photo

Cornell

Polygence was kind of this perfect transition from the academic level of my high school to where I hoped to see myself in college, engaging in real, meaningful research and creating a very long paper that I ended up being super proud of. Every step of the process will, in some capacity, benefit you in the future, even if you don’t realize it in the moment.

Eileen Lincoln student photo

Brown

The great thing about Polygence is that my mentor and I don’t just have to focus our conversations on the project or learning. He helps me make decisions and advance my knowledge of the field. Overall, it’s more than just, ‘Here, learn this, do this.’ There’s a lot of personal connection between me and my mentor.

Luke Jain student photo

MIT

Polygence helped bridge the gap between being assigned work in school and learning to take initiative. Even though the projects are student-driven, there's always a constant support system.

Manasvi A. Student video screenshot Image

UPenn

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What programs does Polygence offer?

Intellectual portfolio

Polygence is committed to helping students build a unique intellectual portfolio, a growing body of work shaped by a student’s ideas, interests, and experiences—tangible proof of the thinker they are becoming.

Core program

Core Projects

Mentored Research

A personalized, project-based research experience in which a middle or high school student works one-on-one with an expert PhD mentor over 3–6 months to turn a passion into an original, tangible project. Unlike other research mentorship programs, Polygence supports a multitude of project outcomes, including university-level research papers, prototypes, mobile apps, podcasts and more.

The Core Program is designed for motivated students who want to explore an academic interest in depth and produce unique work that sets them apart for college and beyond. Students choose their own topic and are matched with a mentor who shares their passion.

Pathways shape

Scholar Pathways

Mentored Research

An elevated, personalized research experience in which middle and high school students work one-on-one with expert PhD mentors over 6–12 months to complete two connected projects: the first builds foundational knowledge in a chosen field, and the second develops original insights and contributions.

Pathways is modeled after the journeys of Polygence's most successful students, helping them build an intellectual portfolio that demonstrates growth over time. Each project culminates in a tangible outcome, such as a university-level research paper, prototype, mobile app, or podcast. The Scholar Pathways Program is designed for ambitious students ready to go beyond a single project and pursue significant academic achievement.

Launchpad program

Launchpad

Pre-Project Brainstorming

Launchpad helps students define their project idea prior to their Core program experience. It includes 3 sessions where students brainstorm with 3 different mentors to land a project idea that sparks their curiosity.

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Showcasing Support

Help with Publishing

A specialized post-project program that supports students as they pursue the most ambitious outcomes: from peer-review journals to science fairs & more.

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UC Irvine & GATI

R1 University Credit

In partnership with the Gifted and Talented institute, this add-on course gives you access to UC Irvine’s library and 3 transferable credits from UC Irvine & GATI with a passing grade on your research paper.

Pods group courses

Pods

Subject Exploration

A 6-week group course, Polygence Pods are where young students test interests and build foundations.

Work Lab program

Work Lab

Project-Based Internships

Polygence Work Lab is a 6-week project-based internship with startup founders and university innovation hubs. Students aged 15 and up work on a real project for a real business.

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Hybrid Programs

On-Campus + Research

An on-campus summer program that culminates with an online mentored research project. High School students turn the inspiration of an in-person experience into a tangible outcome.

Why do students choose Polygence?

Your project is truly yours

Your project is truly yours — not a preset research assignment

Students choose Polygence because they want to explore their own ideas, not complete someone else’s.

Flexible by design

Flexible by design — not one-size-fits-all

Unlike programs built around a fixed cohort or cookie-cutter outcome, Polygence gives students the structure and space to explore their interests deeply and create work with real impact.

Deeper mentorship from experts

Deeper mentorship from experts who help you grow as a thinker

Students choose Polygence because they don’t just need someone to supervise a project — they need someone to help them think differently.

Why do parents choose Polygence?

Help your student stand out

Help your student stand out where it matters most

Parents choose Polygence because it helps students develop the experiences, skills, and body of work that strengthen their college applications.

An investment that builds skills for a lifetime

An investment that builds skills for a lifetime

Polygence provides long-term value by helping students develop transferable skills, expert mentor relationships, and a portfolio of work they can build on throughout their academic journey.

Safe, supported experience

A safe, supported experience

Polygence provides a trusted mentorship experience through background-checked mentors, a Mentor Match Guarantee, transparent progress tracking, and dedicated support from start to finish.

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Learn more about independent research, career discovery, college admissions, Polygence programs, and more.

Our Partnerships

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