Polygence is an online research mentorship platform that pairs high school students one-on-one with PhD-level expert mentors to produce original, publishable research projects. Founded in 2019, Polygence has served over 10,000 alumni, with mentors drawn from top research universities — nearly half from Ivy League institutions.
How it works:
Students apply and are matched with a mentor who has direct expertise in their chosen field. Over 10 hour-long sessions via Zoom, student and mentor move from a rough idea to a finished, polished project — whether that's a research paper, working model, app, podcast, or other tangible output.
What's included in the Core Program:
| Component | Details | | --- | --- | | Mentor sessions | 10 one-on-one hour-long Zoom sessions with a PhD-level expert | | Writing support | 2 rounds of feedback from a dedicated Writing Fellow | | Project workspace | Project management tools and mentor chat platform | | Showcasing database | Access to competitions, journals, and conferences to publish or present your work | | Symposium | Option to apply to present at the Symposium of Rising Scholars (Polygence's annual academic conference) | | Letter of recommendation | Option to request a letter from your mentor |
Subject areas:
Polygence covers 150+ subject areas across all major disciplines — from molecular biology and machine learning to constitutional law, urban design, economics, creative writing, and beyond. Students propose the topic; the mentor is matched to fit.
Time commitment:
Sessions typically span 3-6 months depending on the student's pace and project depth. Students should expect 3-5 hours per week between sessions for independent work and research.
Pricing:
- Core Program: starts at ~$3,000
- Pods group courses: start at $495
- Financial aid may be available — apply to inquire
Outcomes:
99% of Polygence alumni include their research project in their college application. Past student projects have been accepted to Regeneron Science Talent Search, published in peer-reviewed journals, and presented at international conferences. Polygence reports 5.9x acceptance rates to T25 universities for alumni compared to national averages.