About

The Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) is one of the most competitive STEM research internships available to high school students, offering authentic laboratory immersion across George Mason University’s College of Science and its partner institutions in the Washington, D.C. research corridor. Unlike coursework-based pre-college programs, ASSIP places students directly into active research groups where they contribute to ongoing scientific projects with real-world applications.

ASSIP is low cost, a design choice that dramatically increases demand and elevates the program into the upper tier of university-based research internships. While ASSIP no longer publishes specific admissions statistics, faculty presentations and past cycles consistently reference applicant pools exceeding 1,000 students for a few hundred placements. Given rising demand for research experiences nationwide, informed estimates place acceptance typically well below 10–15%. Selection emphasizes research potential, maturity, writing strength, and alignment with specific laboratory interests.

Students work full-time for 6–8 weeks, embedded with faculty, postdocs, and graduate researchers. Research spans computational biology, biodefense, molecular neuroscience, environmental science, chemistry, engineering, and data science. Depending on placement, students may perform techniques such as PCR, electrophoresis, microscopy, algorithmic modeling, environmental field measurement, or machine learning analysis. ASSIP also incorporates professional development: seminars on scientific communication, research ethics, data interpretation, and STEM career pathways. All interns produce a scientific poster, and many continue work into the fall or compete in ISEF, Regeneron STS, or JSHS with mentors’ support.

ASSIP holds strong credibility because it prioritizes real laboratory integration, direct mentorship, and meaningful scientific contribution rather than simulated research experiences. ASSIP is widely respected by selective admissions offices for its rigor, authentic research structure, and competitive, low cost format.