About

The Clark Scholars Program at Texas Tech University is one of the most prestigious all-discipline summer research opportunities for U.S. high school students. Founded in 1998, it offers seven weeks of intensive, individual research across fields from natural sciences and engineering to humanities and fine arts. Not only is the program fully funded—tuition, housing, and meals are covered—but students also receive a stipend, placing Clark in a very small group of truly elite high school programs.

Clark is extremely selective: each summer only about 12 students are admitted, chosen from an applicant pool numbering in the hundreds. This places the effective acceptance rate in the low single digits. Applicants must be 17 by the start of the program and eligible U.S. citizens or permanent residents. The application requires essays, recommendations, transcripts, and evidence of both academic excellence and maturity to conduct independent research.

Clark Scholars are paired one-to-one with Texas Tech faculty mentors, joining labs and departments for full-time research. Notably, Clark is one of the only programs to provide research opportunities in a full breadth of academic disciplines, ranging from chemistry, physics, and biology to philosophy, law, and visual arts. Beyond daily research, students attend faculty lectures, professional development workshops, and weekly seminars that expose them to fields outside their own projects. Scholars live in Texas Tech dorms, creating a small, close-knit community.

Clark’s small size and stipend make it unique among high school summer programs. Alumni often publish papers, present at professional conferences, or use Clark research as a springboard into competitions like Regeneron STS. For admissions officers at any school, Clark functions essentially as a self-contained vetting process—acceptances are so rare that the name carries major weight on a college application.