Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program (ASDRP) Essays Guide 2026

The Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program (ASDRP) is a nonprofit research institution in Fremont, California that provides high school students with the opportunity to conduct original, cutting-edge research in biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, psychology, medicine, engineering, and more. ASDRP is highly competitive, with acceptance rates as low as 3% for the summer session regular deadline and 12-31% for other deadlines. The program operates year-round with spring, summer, and fall sessions, and most researchers stay for multiple years. It is a great program for ambitious freshman to apply to who are seeking to acquire research experience that will help them be admitted into more exclusive programs in their sophomore and junior years.

ASDRP values diversity, rigor, and passion in its student researchers, and firmly believes in accessibility to opportunities in STEM for all. Test scores, grade point averages, and involvement in academic competitions are not defining criteria for admissions. No prior research experience is required, only an appetite to learn and desire to be a scientist. A willingness to learn a lot very quickly is critical for success in research. ASDRP alumni have gone on to attend top universities like Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and Cornell, with many publishing research papers in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at conferences. This article will guide you on how to approach the various essays required as part of the application process.

1. Why are you applying for the Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program? Why do you want to commit a large chunk of your time to doing scientific research? What questions or fields in science and engineering interest you, and why? What do you hope to do in STEM, at the Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program and beyond?

This is a multi-part question that combines a "why this program" essay, a motivation essay, a field of interest essay, and a goals essay. While you could answer each component separately, the strongest responses will weave all elements together into a cohesive narrative.

Why ASDRP and Why Research?

As with all essays of this nature, specificity is key. Being vague, silly, or whimsical for the sake of whimsy will not suffice for a serious research program like ASDRP. There are a limited number of valid goals and aspirations a young researcher should expect from this program. These include: learning how to navigate peer-reviewed literature; understanding how statistics can be used to generate insights from data and quantify how reliable or meaningful those insights are; learning to communicate scientific findings effectively to both colleagues and laypeople; identifying a problem that sparks your imagination due to the depth and complexity of its exploration and related challenges; and fostering the desire to push your limits by tackling problems that have yet to be solved.

I may have overlooked a few other valid motivations, but as you can see from the examples provided, the only truly valid ones are intimately tied to the research process itself. The key isn't to cram all of these motivators into your essay. Instead, focus on selecting the reasons that you prioritize the most given your lived experiences and show the reader a snippet of those experiences to establish a strong personal motivation for those reasons.

Fields of Interest

When discussing which questions or fields interest you, you want to start with a strong personal anecdote that shows the reader a deep-seated personal reason for why you want to study this particular field. It should be one that will make the reader instantly be on your side. Then, describe the moment when you became aware of this topic, and briefly discuss the classes, competitions, or examples of using your passion for this topic that you have pursued. To conclude this section, talk about how falling in love with this topic has changed you for the better, or discuss what you hope to accomplish by pursuing your studies in this topic.

Goals at ASDRP and Beyond

For the goals portion, I suggest articulating a very clear vision of your objectives. Specifically, you should mention the highest degree you intend to pursue, the subject area of focus, the type of career you aim to achieve with that degree, and how pursuing this career will contribute to making a significant positive impact on the world. The purpose of this section is to provide a compelling personal reason for your ambitions, clearly state your goals, and demonstrate to the reader the meaningful impact that can result from your success. Finally, conclude by discussing how ASDRP will play an indispensable role in helping you accomplish your goals.

2. Please discuss any previous science/math/computer science coursework. Please include your grades in these courses, if applicable. Please provide explanations for any grades that you think are not representative of your true potential.

This is a factual question, but you should approach it strategically. List all relevant courses including honors, AP, college-level, and online courses from platforms like Coursera, edX, or Khan Academy. Include your grades as requested. The important secondary component is the opportunity to explain any grades that don't reflect your abilities.

If you have grades that need explanation, be honest but strategic. Valid explanations might include: illness or family circumstances during that period, or a particularly challenging transition (new school, family move). The key is to show what you learned from the experience and how you've grown. Don't make excuses, take ownership while providing context. ASDRP explicitly states that grades are not always a good reflection of one's scientific ability, so use this space to demonstrate self-awareness and growth mindset.

3. If you have any other experience in STEM (such as clubs or volunteering) that you wish to discuss, please do so here.

The objective here is to demonstrate how deeply you engage with your interests in STEM. Highlight activities that not only bring you joy but also benefit from your application of scientific or mathematical thinking. For instance, if you enjoy reading science fiction, you could delve into how it inspires you to use your knowledge of physics to analyze and explain the plausibility of the feats described in the story. Alternatively, if you're passionate about playing card games, you might discuss how you use statistics to optimize your deck, ensuring the best possible chance of drawing a balanced hand.

If you've participated in science clubs, competitions (Science Olympiad, math olympiads, hackathons, etc.), tutoring, or STEM-related volunteering, describe these with specificity. The key is to show depth of engagement rather than breadth of activities. Admissions committees at elite programs prefer students who have pursued focused interests deeply, going all in through research, competitions, and tackling real-world problems, over students who have a long list of superficial involvements.

4. How would you contribute diversity to STEM? (Diversity is broadly defined)

The goal of ASDRP is to provide a transformative STEM opportunity to those from backgrounds with limited opportunities to pursue STEM at the level they wish. It also aims to help those who, through inadequate representation in media and history, may be led to believe there isn't a place for them in STEM. Diversity here is broadly defined, it can include racial/ethnic background, socioeconomic status, geographic origin, gender identity, disability status, unique life experiences, or non-traditional paths to STEM interest.

It is better to go into detail about one or two aspects of your background than to cover multiple dimensions superficially. The key is to show the reader that you would benefit from ASDRP in such a way that its mission is accomplished as it pertains to your continued pursuit of a STEM education. If you faced obstacles, ensure that you present them in ways that demonstrate they could not have been easily overcome by just "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps" or using the internet. If you have impacted your community to improve equity and inclusion for those from underrepresented backgrounds, ensure you paint a vivid before-and-after picture of what you did, and explain how you overcame any challenges in the process.

You can also interpret "diversity" through the lens of intellectual diversity, unique perspectives, unconventional thinking, or interdisciplinary interests that you would bring to a research team. Conclude by expressing how you'll contribute to ASDRP's mission of making STEM accessible to all.

5. Do you have any hands-on science experience or laboratory research experience? If so, please provide a detailed discussion of what you did, with whom you worked, what your specific tasks were, what you accomplished, etc.

For this essay, the key is to show the reader, not just tell them, what you learned. For example, don't say you learned how to do PCR; show them you doing PCR, and give them a front-row seat into how your mind works as you are troubleshooting a failed reaction. Don't say you learned how to code Python; show them you coding in Python, navigating through a data analysis problem. This doesn't need to be a beautifully written essay. The important thing is that you convey how you can solve problems, specifically which types of problems you solved, using the skills you learned from your laboratory experiences.

Make sure to show the reader your understanding of the research process, how you formulated questions, designed experiments or analyses, and interpreted results. Be specific about your individual contributions versus what the broader team accomplished. Reviewers want to understand your specific role and what you personally learned and achieved.

If you don't have prior research experience, don't worry, ASDRP explicitly states that prior research experience is not required. In this case, you can discuss relevant classroom lab experiences, independent projects, or leave this section brief while focusing your energy on the other essays.

6. File Upload: Scientific papers, posters, or papers from science class

If you have research products to share, upload them. This could include research papers you've authored or co-authored, posters you've presented, or particularly strong papers from science classes. Quality matters more than quantity, only upload materials that represent your best work. If you don't have materials to upload, don't stress; this is optional and many successful applicants don't have prior publications.

If you want help applying to ASDRP or any other summer research program, or would just like someone to help you strengthen your overall extracurriculars, schedule a free consultation with an admissions expert today.