RISE: Frequently Asked Questions

You need to be entering your senior year of high school in fall 2026.

Internship students are matched with a mentor and work on research projects in a University laboratory, while Practicum students collaborate on computational research projects focused on neurobiology or data science. Practicum research projects are completed under the supervision of instructional staff. Please review the individual Practicum and Internship track pages for more details.

Most students live in the dormitory. However, you can commute from a relative’s home to campus as part of the RISE program.

No, only US citizens and legal permanent residents are eligible to participate in RISE.

No, RISE is noncredit. After the program concludes, you will receive a certificate of completion. Practicum students will also receive a letter of evaluation from their instructor.

You can find application instructions and a link to the online application on the How to Apply page.

We expect approximately 190 students to participate in the RISE program. Students live and participate in social activities with High School Honors (HSH) and Academic Immersion (AIM) students. These programs are comprised of approximately 100-200 students.

Yes, once you create login credentials and can access the application form, you will submit your recommendation request on the Recommendations page. We strongly recommend you submit the recommendation request as soon as you have identified your recommender(s) – do not wait until you are ready to submit the entire application to request the recommendation. Teachers appreciate having as much time as possible to respond. Please note that the emailed recommendation form must be used and outside letters cannot be accepted. The recommendation consists of a series of multiple-choice questions and one open field response.

For summer 2026, we have adopted a standardized test-optional policy. See our How to Apply page for further details.

The Research in Science & Engineering program is highly competitive and selective. In 2025, about 190 students attended RISE.

Your application is considered complete only after all required materials are received and verified by our office. We will contact you if any additional or corrected materials are needed to complete your application. You can check the status of your application at any time through your Applicant Portal. See the How to Apply page for details about application requirements.

Applicants will be able to check the status of their submitted applications at any time through their Applicant Portal.

You will receive a response approximately 6–8 weeks after the application deadline (February 4, 2026).

You can either accept or decline our offer of admission, but we ask that you inform us of your decision within one week of receiving your offer of admission. Please note that attending students are required to pay a $1,000 nonrefundable deposit to secure a spot in the program.

You will learn about your mentor and their research before you accept your placement, but information about your specific research project will not be available at the time of the admission decision. You will meet your mentor and learn about your specific project during the first week of the program.

Please see the Tuition, Aid & Payment page for a detailed description of the cost of attending the RISE program.

There are several methods of payment for the RISE program. Please click here for a description of your options.

Yes, there is limited financial aid available. Awards are based on need. View our Tuition, Aid & Payment page to learn how to apply for financial aid.

Yes, RISE Practicum students are asked to bring a laptop (Windows, Mac, or Linux) with at least 10GB of free space, 4 GB of RAM, a 64-bit x86 system architecture, and the ability to install custom software. Please note that Chromebooks do not have the capacity to run the required software. More information will be provided on our enrollment portal. Our office may be able to facilitate laptop rentals for students who do not have one.

RISE Internship students are highly encouraged to bring a laptop or tablet to campus so they can easily access the digital tools needed for their research and poster creation.

If you have any questions or concerns about computer requirements, please contact rise@bu.edu.  

No, we do not travel as a group to visit area colleges, but you may arrange your own visits within the Boston area during your free time. You may not miss class or a mandatory activity to visit colleges in the area. We do offer a college workshop with the Boston University Admissions office.

Yes, there is a curfew for residential students. You must be in the dorm by 11 pm during the week (Sunday through Thursday) and midnight on weekends (Friday and Saturday). You are then free to visit with friends in the common areas until 1 am during the week and 2 am on weekends.

You are allowed to leave campus during your free time as long as you are accompanied by at least one other student in the program and let your program assistant know you are leaving. Residential students must be back in the dorm before curfew or the start of any mandatory activity. You may not leave the boundaries set by the program within the city of Boston without the permission of your parents and our program. These boundaries will be reviewed with students once they arrive on campus. Our program reserves the right to restrict your access to any part of Boston for security or other concerns.

If a parent or guardian is in town and would like to spend time with you, that visit must be scheduled during your free time when there are no activities planned. They are welcome to visit with you anywhere within our campus boundaries.

If you would like to visit your parent or guardian, relatives, or family friends (at least 18 years of age) within city limits, that visit must be scheduled during your free time when there are no mandatory activities planned. In addition, your parent or guardian must submit a Leave Request Form. This request must be received at least 72 hours before you are planning to leave campus and, for weekend leave requests, before 3 pm EDT on Friday. Requests are not reviewed on nights and weekends. Your parent or guardian will need to provide details about the visit, such as the time that you will be picked up and dropped off at campus, and the cell phone number of the relative or family friend (at least 18 years of age) you will be with. You are only authorized to leave once the Summer Term Pre-College Programs office gives permission and sends your parent or guardian approval via email.

Residential students must return to the dorm by curfew.

The full schedule of activities will be emailed to participants two weeks in advance of the program. You can find out more information about the types of activities we offer here.

Yes, there is a $25 fee each time you visit Student Health Services and there may be additional charges for medical supplies or immunizations. These charges will be billed to your student account. Blood work is billed directly to your insurance, so please bring your insurance information.

No. We believe that learning to live with someone new is an important part of the pre-college experience. Program activities and free time provide plenty of opportunities to hang out with friends, who will also be living in a residence hall on campus.

Boston University is committed to ensuring that students with disabilities have equal access to all opportunities the University has to offer. Disability & Access Services (DAS) works to provide services and support to ensure that students are able to access and participate in the opportunities at BU. Classroom, testing, housing, and dining accommodations may be requested through DAS. For more information, please visit the Admitted Students section of our website.

We are happy to help you. You can find all of our information on the Contact Us page.