RISE: How to Apply

Admissions

If you are entering your senior year of high school in fall 2026 and are a US citizen or legal permanent resident, we invite you to apply. Admission decisions take into consideration your high school grades, rigor of courses taken, standardized test scores (optional for summer 2026), essays, and one letter of recommendation.

The application must be submitted by the prospective student, not by a parent, guardian, counselor, agent, or other party. Please use the information below to prepare your application. Applications will be saved automatically and can be revisited and edited before being submitted.

Application instructions

Submit the online application. The following items are required to submit an online application.

• High school transcript: Your full high school transcript must begin in 9th grade and include your fall 2025 grades (a minimum of your quarter 1 grade report, trimester 1 grade report, or semester 1 progress report is required). Transcripts do not need to be official; we will accept screenshots of an academic portal as long as the student’s name is visible. The most competitive applicants will have a cumulative, unweighted GPA in the A– to A range.
• Essays: You will be required to submit three essays on the following topics:
  • 1. Why you selected your subject of interest (max 300 words)
    2. Your academic achievements (max 250 words)
    3. Why you want to attend the RISE program (max 200 words)
  • Internship applicants only: You must list three faculty members you are interested in working with this summer and explain how their research interests align with yours (max 250 words). Please consult the Internship page to learn more about the exciting research happening at BU and to find professors whose interests match your own. Note: We cannot guarantee that students accepted into the RISE Internship track will be placed in one of the laboratories listed on their application. We also cannot provide a list of available mentors.
• One recommendation: You will also be required to enter the email address for one person who will submit a recommendation on your behalf. The recommendation should be from a STEM teacher, a guidance counselor, or a research supervisor with whom you have worked for at least six months and who knows you well. We cannot accept recommendations from tutors, coaches, or course prep facilitators.
  • 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.
  • Once you have submitted your recommendation request, you will be able to track the status of the request on the Applicant Portal, and will be notified when a recommendation is received by Summer Term on your behalf. You may add or change a recommender through your Applicant Portal after you submit your application, in the event a recommender does not 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.
• Standardized test scores: We have adopted a standardized test-optional policy for summer 2026 applicants. Should you choose to submit a SAT, ACT, PSAT, or PreACT as part of your application, please upload an unofficial copy of the score along with your other supplemental materials (a screenshot is fine). We will not receive them if you send them through the testing agency. In order to be accepted, your full name must be visible on the score report.
• Financial documents (financial aid applicants only): If applying for financial aid, please visit our Tuition, Aid, & Payment page for information on required documents. Do not email these materials. The deadline to apply for financial aid is the same as the application deadline of February 4, 2026.
• Application fee: A $75 nonrefundable application fee, paid by credit card, is required at the time of submission of the online application form.

RISE APPLICATION

Applications are only reviewed for admissions after all of the materials listed above are received and verified by our office.

You can check the status of your application at any time through your Applicant Portal. After submitting the application, you can currently make the following changes in your Applicant Portal:

• Upload additional materials  – Be sure to email us at rise@bu.edu when you provide new materials after you submit. Doing so alerts our team to verify your new materials and minimizes delays in receiving your decision. 
• Update your permanent or mailing address
• Change your email address
• Change your password
• Update or change your recommender

If you need to request a major change, please contact us at rise@bu.edu. 

Note: Email is the primary form of communication during the admissions process. Please be aware that parents or guardians are copied on all correspondence from our office. Therefore, you should ensure that both parent or guardian and student email addresses are entered correctly on the application, and inform our office immediately if there is a change in either email address.

Email: rise@bu.edu
Fax: 617-358-0646

Mailing Address:
Boston University Summer Term
RISE Program
200 Riverway, Suite 214
Boston, MA 02215

Application deadline

The deadline to submit a RISE application is February 4, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST. All supplemental materials must also be received by this date. Recommendations are due by February 11, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST, and applicants are responsible for ensuring that their recommender submits by the deadline.

If you are applying for financial aid, applications are not considered complete until financial aid documents have been received. Admission decisions are made without regard to financial aid requests.

We will contact you if any additional or corrected materials are needed to complete your application. 

For further information on the RISE admissions process, see the RISE Admissions Timeline page.

Contact us

If you have any additional questions or comments, please contact us.