Young Scholars’ Program – Frequently Asked Questions
In regards to our Young Scholars’ Program, please see below for commonly asked questions and their answers.
Eligbility:
- Q. I am not a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident (for example on an H-4 or A05 visa) – can I still apply?
- A. No. Unfortunately this program is limited to U.S. Citizens or U.S. Permanent Residents only and we cannot make exceptions.
- Q. I go to school out of state (MA) – but I can stay in the Boston area during the summer – am I still eligible?
- A. No. We only accept applicants who live in AND go to school in Massachusetts.
- Q. I go to an online school that is registered in another state, but I live in MA – am I still eligible?
- A. Yes!
- Q. What is considered “commuting distance”?
- A. There is no hard cut off, but we recommend within a 1 hour commute time, as the program starts at 8:30am and you’ll need to get here on time in the mornings with traffic.
- Q. I’m not a rising senior but I’m exceptionally talented and taking all advanced classes – can I still apply?
- A. No. All students must be rising seniors (i.e. entering 12th grade the Fall after the summer you do YSP.
Application Process:
- Q. Who do I need to get my recommendations from?
- A. Your recommendations must both be from a teacher, 1 of which we strongly recommend being from a STEM subject teacher. You may use a teacher from a prior year if needed.
- Q. My teacher hasn’t received their recommendation request yet. When will they?
- A. Recommendation requests are sent out in waves (Monday and Thursday mornings). Depending on when you applied, it could be a few days until your teacher receives the email. If after a full week your teacher hasn’t received a request, please email Nicolas Fuchs ([email protected]). Sometimes these emails gets marked as spam, so please have teachers check their spam folders! Also, make sure you spell your recommenders’ email addresses correctly!
- Q. I want to change my recommender (after I’ve applied).
- A. Email Nicolas Fuchs ([email protected]) for these requests.
- Q. It says the application is due on Day X (ex: Feb 20). When exactly are they due by?
- A. Applications close at end of business day (5pm EST) the day they are due. We recommend you not wait until the last minute, in case there are issues with your application, your computer crashes, your internet dies, or something else, as we will not accept late applications.
- Q. The application is due on Day X (ex: Feb 20), when are recommendations due?
- A. We give recommenders ~1.5 weeks after the deadline (ex: Mar 3) to submit their recommendations. The exact date will be posted on the YSP applications page.
- Q. What specific qualities are YSP coordinators looking for in students so that I can better highlight my strengths?
- A. We don’t answer the specifics of this question, but what we can say is: enthusiasm for science and engineering and avoiding spelling and grammar mistakes.
- Q. I didn’t get a confirmation email when I submitted my application – have you received it?
- A. Our Surveymonkey account doesn’t offer confirmation emails. When you complete the application, if you get to a page that says “Thank you for submitting your responses” – your application has been successfully submitted and we have received your application!
Essay Questions:
- Q. What is meant by “special interests”?
- A. Special interests is a broad question – it can literally be about anything. It’s where you get to tell us what makes you unique and what your “special” interests are. Examples other people have talked about: music, cooking, community service, steam trains, seeing-eye dogs, sustainability, crocheting, etc.
Program Specifics:
- Q. I am applying for YSP this year and I was wondering what projects will be available?
- A. We usually don’t know our projects until April or later – as these are determined by faculty members. We try to get a mix of different science and engineering areas so all fields of study are covered.
- Q. Does the program only run Monday-Thursday each week?
- A. Sort of. There is no official programming (i.e. homeroom, field trips, etc) on Fridays, but you will be asked to work out a schedule with your labs on Fridays: some students work in the lab on Fridays, other students work from home on Fridays.
- Q. I heard we get stipends for this program. Is that true?
- A. Historically, students have received a stipend and an MBTA pass when participating in this program, but that is not a guarantee each year. The program however will always be free.
- Q. I saw that YSP took place at the Roux Institute in Maine in the past, is this happening again?
- A. The YSP at the Roux and the YSP in Boston are separate programs. YSP Roux coordinator is Alicia Jalbert ([email protected]), as of 2025.
