Alpha Scholars is a selective online research mentorship program that pairs high school students with Harvard student mentors to conduct original social science research. Students explore topics aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, guided by their mentor over 9 or 15 weeks (80 hours total: 40 instructional and 40 independent).
For Fall-Winter 2026–27, the application form specifies grades 10-12 at enrollment, with outstanding grade 9 applicants and gap year students up to age 19 also considered. The generic apply page more broadly lists grades 9-12 and gap year students. English proficiency is required for non-native speakers (the generic guidance lists TOEFL 90+ or IELTS 6.5/7+). No prior research experience is necessary. The generic application page describes Fall/Winter and Summer cycles, but the cycle-specific application form gives October 26, 2026–February 12, 2027 for Fall/Winter 2026–27.
Students produce a 12-15 page research paper and deliver a 15-minute presentation as their final deliverables. Outstanding papers are featured in the Harvard International Review. Financial aid is available for students who demonstrate need.
Deadline check (2026-11-03): The official home page confirms the historical August 22 early-bird, September 5 priority, and October 1, 2026 final deadlines. The linked application form supplies the October 26–February 12 cycle dates, replacing the catalog’s unsupported November 1 and February 28 boundaries. The cycle-specific form also narrows the generic eligibility to grades 10-12, considering outstanding grade 9 applicants and gap year students up to age 19. The generic apply page broadly lists grades 9-12 and gap year students and still says November–February, and the form still invites applications despite its October 1 deadline; availability after that deadline is unconfirmed. No later cycle deadline was found on these sources.