About

The Research Mentorship Program (RMP) at UC Santa Barbara is a six-week residential program that gives high school students direct access to UCSB’s faculty and labs. Given its undergraduate-level, real-world research access and UCSB faculty mentorship, RMP has become one of the most sought-after and competitive STEM programs on the West Coast—or anywhere else. RMP is also expensive; over $13,000 for six weeks of residential tuition, although limited need-based aid is available.

Although it doesn’t publish exact admissions data, RMP enrolls roughly 100 students each summer from a pool of several thousand applicants, placing its likely acceptance rate in the 3–5% range. The program is open to U.S. and international students, though the majority come from California and the West Coast. As with any top peer program, RMP require essays, recommendations, and transcripts, and admitted students are matched with mentors based on research interests and project availability.

Over six weeks, participants contribute to projects across physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, computer science, economics, psychology, and more. Each student is placed in a UCSB research group under the supervision of a professor, postdoc, or graduate student. Beyond daily lab work, students attend seminars on scientific writing, methods, and communication. The program culminates in a formal research paper and a symposium poster presentation before peers and faculty. Living in UCSB dorms, students gain a full residential college experience alongside their research.

RMP is considered one of the most serious STEM research programs available to high school students. Alumni have co-authored peer-reviewed publications, presented at conferences, and advanced in competitions such as Regeneron STS and ISEF. Unsurprisingly, RMP is highly known and respected by admissions offices across the country.