About

The Rockefeller University SSRP is a seven-week, full-time summer research experience in New York City for high-achieving high school students interested in biomedical science. Established in 1959, it remains one of the most respected and longest-running high school research programs in the country–and for good reason. SSRP is free of charge, provides commuting support, and even offers stipends for students with financial need. It is open to both US and international students provided they have transportation and accommodations in the NYC region.

Each year, 32 students are admitted and divided into four research teams of 8–10, mentored by scientific trainees from the Tri-Institutional network (Rockefeller, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Weill Cornell). The process is two-stage: applicants first pass an initial admissions screen and then must secure a lab placement through interviews with faculty mentors. Even qualified students can fail to place if no lab fit exists. Eligibility is restricted to current juniors and seniors (16+) who can commute daily to Rockefeller; no housing is provided. The program receives hundreds of applications annually, putting admission rates in the single digits.

Students rotate from skill-building and lab orientation into full-fledged projects, culminating in a campus-wide poster symposium. Research spans molecular biology, neuroscience, immunology, and genetics. Beyond benchwork, participants attend journal clubs, faculty seminars, and professional development workshops. The structure mirrors a university-level internship, with students working side by side with PhD and postdoctoral researchers.

Rockefeller University, a private graduate university for the biomedical sciences, is home to 26 Nobel laureates, and SSRP students are in good hands—although the program has one unique stipulation that some students might not love. It explicitly bars students from submitting their SSRP projects to science competitions like Regeneron STS or ISEF. Yet perhaps this is part of the reason why SSRP is so universally recognized by Ivy-plus admissions offices. This program offers high-caliber research in a serious lab environment.