The Research Mentorship Program (RMP) at UC Santa Barbara is a competitive summer program, running in June and July, for high-achieving high school students in grades 10-11. Students can choose a commuter or residential housing option. Participants are paired with a UCSB mentor — a graduate student, postdoc, or faculty member — and engage in hands-on, university-level research across a wide range of disciplines including biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, computer science, psychology, and the humanities. The program also includes the GRIT talks lecture series for professional development, campus immersion, and peer networking. International students are welcome and no English proficiency exam is required. Need-based scholarships are available with priority for California residents.
For 2027, applications open December 15, 2026 and the virtual component runs June 14–17. The official overview ends the program on July 30, while admissions ends it on July 31. The final application cutoff is also unconfirmed on the live admissions page: an earlier official indexed version listed March 8, 2027. Published fee totals and May payment/refund dates still describe 2026 and must not be treated as 2027 charges or deadlines. Checked November 4, 2026 against the overview, admissions page and cost page.