The Research Science Institute (RSI) is a cost-free summer science and engineering program for high school students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), with a Stanford expansion for 50 young scholars announced for 2027. The program combines on-campus coursework in scientific theory with off-campus work in science and technology research. Participants experience the entire research cycle, including reading current literature, executing a research plan, and delivering oral and written reports on their findings. The program includes intensive STEM classes and a five-week research internship under experienced mentors.
Checked November 4, 2026 against the RSI overview, admissions guidelines and application FAQ. The October 6, 2026 announcement explicitly gives the December 11, 2026 cutoff at 11:59 p.m. ET and says no late applications will be considered. The previously catalogued October 1 opening was not reconfirmed. International applicants follow country-specific selection procedures and may have a different schedule. The announcement publishes distinct campus sessions: June 20–July 31, 2027 at MIT and June 27–August 7, 2027 at Stanford. Applicants attend their campus session, not a combined June–August span.
The FAQ requires age 16 by July 1 of the program year and describes a separate non-refundable $75 application fee with possible need-based waiver. Educational, housing and dining expenses are covered. The admissions guidelines request two recommendations, with a maximum of three; the FAQ instead says three letters. The difference remains unresolved in the public instructions. Research experience is helpful but not mandatory.