BU RISE: Research in Science & Engineering
Boston University's premier six-week research program.
Work 40 hours weekly alongside distinguished faculty, contribute to real scientific breakthroughs, and launch your path to Regeneron finalists and published researchers.
~8-10%
Acceptance Rate
6
Weeks of Research
40
Hours per Week
~190
Students Selected
The Full Research Immersion Experience
BU RISE isn't a summer camp with lab tours. It's a full-time research internship where you spend 40 hours per week in a working university laboratory, contributing to real scientific projects alongside faculty, postdocs, and graduate students.
Every summer, approximately 190 rising high school seniors from across the United States converge on Boston University's campus for six weeks of intensive research. The Internship track places you directly in a faculty lab, tackling projects designed to develop genuine technical and analytical skills. The Practicum track offers structured, collaborative research in computational neurobiology or data science. Both tracks culminate in a Poster Symposium where you present your findings, a preview of the academic conferences you'll attend throughout your career.
What Sets BU RISE Apart: Faculty Matching Process
Unlike programs that assign you to a lab, BU RISE uses a matching system where faculty researchers review your application and choose whether to host you as their intern. You'll list three faculty members whose research interests align with yours, and you'll only receive admission if a professor agrees to mentor you. This mutual selection means you're working with someone who genuinely wants you in their lab, on research that genuinely excites you.
Real Lab Immersion
40 hours per week in working research labs. You're not observing, you're contributing to ongoing scientific projects using state-of-the-art equipment and techniques.
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Regeneron Pipeline
BU RISE alumni regularly become Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists and scholars. Your summer research can become your senior year competition project.
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Publication Opportunities
Alumni have coauthored papers in Physical Review Letters, IEEE Xplore, The Astronomical Journal, and other peer-reviewed journals. Real contributions to real science.
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College Preview
Live in BU dorms, eat in dining halls, experience campus life. Six weeks of independence that prepares you for undergraduate research and beyond.
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Two Tracks: Choose Your Research Style
BU RISE offers two distinct pathways, both rigorous, both rewarding. Your choice depends on whether you want to dive directly into independent lab research or prefer a more structured, collaborative environment.
40 hours/week in a faculty research lab
One-on-one mentorship with faculty, postdocs, or grad students
Design and execute your own research project
Choose from 15+ research areas
Must list three faculty mentors in application
Admission requires faculty agreement to host you
Work eligible for Regeneron STS submission
Weekly workshops with Practicum students
Practicum Track
Independent Lab Research
Two-hour morning lectures + four hours of lab work
Guided by BU instructors (not individual faculty)
Collaborative group research projects
Summer 2026: Computational Neurobiology or Data Science
Structured syllabus with real research outcomes
Final results still unpredictable, genuine discovery
Weekly site visits to Boston's biotech industry
Receive letter of evaluation from instructor
Both tracks include weekly workshops on the scientific process, research ethics, reading papers, making posters, and networking. All students present at the final Poster Symposium.
Internship Track
Independent Lab Research
Research Areas: Find Your Field
BU RISE Internship students can pursue research across Boston University's world-class science and engineering departments. Before applying, you'll explore faculty profiles to identify professors whose work matches your interests.
Astronomy
Computer Science
Mechanical Engineering
Pharmacology & Physiology
Public Health
Biology
Earth & Environment
Anatomy & Neurobiology
Neuroscience
Nutrition
Biomedical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Biochemistry & Cell Biology
Physics
Chemistry
Mathematics & Statistics
Virology & Microbiology
Psychology & Brain Sciences
Practicum Track Focus Areas (Summer 2026)
Computational Neurobiology: Explore the computational mechanisms underlying brain function
Data Science: Apply statistical methods and programming to analyze complex datasets
The Competitive Reality
BU doesn't publish official acceptance rates, but with approximately 190 students admitted from hundreds of applicants each year, the acceptance rate is estimated at 8-10%. This is comparable to the most competitive pre-college STEM programs in the country.
~190
Students Admitted
6
Weeks Duration
15+
Research Areas
40
Hour Per Week
Program Costs (Summer 2026)
BU RISE is a tuition-based program with limited financial aid available. Plan your budget accordingly:
~$5,350
Tuition
~$470
Service Fees
~$3,120
Room & Board (14 meals)
~$75
Application Fee
Financial aid available for qualifying students. The John Snyder and Phyllis Snyder BU IMPACTS Scholarship provides need-based support. A $1,000 nonrefundable deposit secures your spot upon acceptance.
The Competitive Reality
Alumni regularly become Regeneron finalists, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and win national science competitions. Here's a sampling of recent achievements:
Alumni have gone on to Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and other top universities, and careers in science, engineering, and medicine.
Class of 2022
Amith Varambally
Regeneron Science Talent Search Finalist. Coauthored paper in Physical Review Letters on superconducting devices—featured in MIT News, Phys.org, and SciTechDaily.
Class of 2022
Michelle Su
Regeneron STS Top 300 Scholar. Coauthored paper published in IEEE Xplore (2025).
Class of 2022
William Longtin
National Merit Finalist, US Presidential Scholar Semifinalist. Published papers in Journal of Student Research and Journal of Emerging Investigators.
Class of 2022
Mia Rozenberg
ISEF Finalist. 1st place in Cellular Biology at International Forum on Research Excellence. 2nd place at Florida State Science Fair.
Class of 2022
Katie Lu
ISEF First Place and Best of Category. Regeneron STS Top 300 Scholar.
Class of 2022
Mateo H. Hernandez
ISEF Finalist. National Hispanic Scholar. Mirabeau B. Lamar Award for Excellence in Education.
The BU RISE Application: Four Essays That Matter
BU RISE evaluates applicants holistically: grades, course rigor, standardized tests (optional for 2026), recommendation, and essays. But your essays are where you demonstrate the genuine scientific curiosity that separates admitted students from the rest.
300 words
Essay 1: Why You Selected Your Subject of Interest
This is your "why major" essay for BU RISE. Share the spark that drew you to this field, a class, project, research experience, or personal moment. Explain why it matters to you and how it connects to your goals. Be specific: generic enthusiasm for "science" won't distinguish you from hundreds of other applicants.
250 words
Essay 2: Your Academic Achievements
Go beyond listing honors. Highlight the lessons, skills, and persistence behind your achievements. Include a challenge you overcame to show resilience and growth. Prioritize achievements that connect to STEM or demonstrate readiness for research—awards matter less than what they reveal about your character.
200 words
Essay 3: Why You Want to Attend BU RISE
Be specific about what excites you: the mentorship model, the hands-on lab work, BU's research environment, specific faculty whose work you've explored. This is a "why us" essay, demonstrate that you've done your homework and understand what makes BU RISE distinctive.
250 words — Internship Track Only
Essay 4: Faculty Mentor Alignment
List three BU faculty members whose research interests align with yours. Explain specifically how their work connects to your interests. This isn't optional flavor, it's critical to your admission. Faculty review your application and decide whether to host you. Generic descriptions of "interesting research" won't cut it.
Application Timeline for Summer 2026
BU RISE follows a multi-stage admissions process, particularly for the Internship track where faculty must agree to host you. Plan accordingly:
December 15, 2025
Applications open. Begin reviewing faculty profiles immediately, for Internship applicants, identifying the right three mentors is critical.
February 4, 2026
Application deadline at 11:59 PM EST. All materials including essays, transcripts, and financial aid documents must be submitted.
February 11, 2026
Recommendation deadline. Ensure your recommender (STEM teacher, counselor, or research supervisor) submits by this date.
Late February – March 2026
Matching phase (Internship track). Qualified applications are shared with faculty researchers. Your application may go to the three professors you listed, plus others whose interests align with yours.
March – April 2026
Admission decisions released 6-8 weeks after the deadline. Practicum decisions come first; Internship offers are extended individually as faculty confirm placements.
May 1, 2026
Payment deadline. Full tuition must be received to secure your enrollment. $1,000 nonrefundable deposit required upon acceptance.
June 28 – August 7, 2026
Program runs for six weeks. Orientation on June 28; Poster Symposium concludes the program in early August.
Why Cosmic Is the #1 Firm for BU RISE Preparation
BU RISE's faculty matching process rewards applicants who can demonstrate genuine scientific curiosity and alignment with specific research interests. Most consultants can help polish essays. We can help you develop the scientific foundation that makes your alignment with faculty mentors authentic.
Our Consultants Are Scientists.
PhD researchers who understand what faculty look for when reviewing applications. We've mentored students in research labs, and we know what signals genuine readiness versus generic enthusiasm.
What We Provide That No One Else Can
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With hundreds of BU faculty across 15+ departments, choosing the right three mentors is critical. We help you identify researchers whose work genuinely aligns with your interests and whose labs have historically hosted RISE students.
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Your "why this subject" essay needs to demonstrate contemporary understanding of your field. We help you articulate genuine intellectual fascination, the kind that makes faculty want to work with you.
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The 250-word mentor alignment essay can make or break your Internship track application. We help you connect your background and interests to specific faculty research in ways that feel authentic, not formulaic.
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The achievements essay isn't a list, it's a story about resilience and growth. We help you frame accomplishments in ways that reveal character, not just credentials.
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Your STEM teacher, counselor, or research supervisor needs to speak to your intellectual curiosity and reliability. We help you identify the right recommender and prepare them to write effectively.
Ready to Start Your BU RISE Application?
95%
95% of Cosmic applicants are admitted to a Top-3 Choice school.
