About

LLRISE (Lincoln Laboratory Radar Introduction for Student Engineers) is an elite and unique summer program that introduces rising U.S. high school seniors to the fundamentals of radar engineering. Hosted by MIT Lincoln Laboratory—a U.S. Department of Defense-funded R&D center at MIT—this two-week, free, residential program emphasizes hands-on building and experimentation with Doppler and range radar systems, offering a rare technical immersion in hardware, signal processing, and creative problem-solving.

Open to U.S. high school juniors, LLRISE is extremely competitive, with approximately 20 students selected each year and an estimated acceptance rate of about 8%. Like other competitive research programs, the application requires multiple essays, transcripts, and recommendations. Students travel between the MIT campus in Cambridge and Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, MA.

Participants spend two intensive weeks designing, soldering, and testing Doppler and range radar systems, guided by MIT Lincoln Lab engineers and scientists. The experience includes hands-on labs, creative engineering problem-solving, and exposure to professional sensing and signal-processing techniques. Students live on the MIT campus, enjoy full housing and meals, and benefit from an immersive laboratory environment.

LLRISE is in a handful of truly unique programs—for students interested in radar specifically there is no other program like it. It also allows students to engage in both electrical and computer engineering and also programming simultaneously. Thanks to its technical rigor, free cost, extreme selectivity, MIT affiliation, and specialized nature, LLRISE is highly respected by admissions offices.