11 Research Opportunities in Mechanical Engineering for High School Students
If you’re potentially looking into a career in mechanical engineering, exploring the discipline while in high school is a fantastic way to test your interest. Familiarizing yourself with the research process and building a network of highly recognized professors and professionals will create many more opportunities for you down the line. As an added bonus, having experience on your resume is a great way to signal to colleges that you’re an incredibly passionate, motivated individual, willing to pursue your interests!
To help you find the right experience for yourself, we’ve compiled a list of engineering-focused programs and opportunities students can take advantage of.
Here are 11 great mechanical engineering research opportunities
1.Veritas AI - AI Fellowship
Veritas AI focuses on providing high school students who are passionate about the field of AI a suitable environment to explore their interests. The programs include collaborative learning, project development, and 1-on-1 mentorship. These programs are designed and run by Harvard graduate students and alumni and you can expect a great, fulfilling educational experience. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of Python or are recommended to complete the AI scholars program before pursuing the fellowship.
The AI Fellowship program will have students pursue their own independent AI research project. Students work on their own individual research projects over a period of 12-15 weeks and can opt to combine AI with any other field of interest. In the past, students have worked on research papers in the field of AI & medicine, AI & finance, AI & environmental science, AI & education, and more! You can find examples of previous projects here.
Location: Virtual
Cost:
$1,790 for the 10-week AI Scholars program
$4,900 for the 12-15 week AI Fellowship
$4,700 for both
Need-based financial aid is available. You can apply here.
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Applications for fall cohort have closed September 3, 2023.
Program dates: Various according to the cohort
Program selectivity: Moderately selective
Eligibility: Ambitious high school students located anywhere in the world. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit past experience with AI concepts or Python.
Application Requirements: Online application form, answers to a few questions pertaining to the students background & coding experience, math courses, and areas of interest.
MITES Summer is a six-week MIT hosted program for rising high school seniors with an interest in science or engineering. The program is focused on catalyzing change in STEM, prioritizing diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. During MITES, students take rigorous courses, build lab and research skills, and explore careers in science and engineering, while also benefiting from college admissions counseling. To elevate your understanding of mechanical engineering, the program offers work on robotics, thermodynamics, and design thinking projects—just to name a few. As one more perk, each student receives a written evaluation from their instructor at the end of the program. Many students choose to submit this as supplemental material with their college applications.
Cost: None
Eligibility: Juniors at the time of application
3. MIT's Women’s Technology Program (WTP)
This year, WTP is specifically focused on following a mechanical engineering track. The program is completely free, a rigorous four-week experience aimed at providing high school students with mechanical engineering-focused curricula and lab experience. For example, you can expect in-depth study of subject areas such as fluid mechanics, materials, statics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, and engineering design. The program is led by graduate students in the MIT mechanical engineering department and focuses on empowering underrepresented students.
Cost: None
Eligibility: Female-identifying juniors at the time of application
ARISE at NYU is a free seven-week summer program for 10th and 11th graders residing in New York City. During their seven weeks, students will work under the guidance of NYU’s top research faculty, gaining authentic research opportunities in various STEM disciplines, such as mechanical engineering. ARISE participants will train in college-level research, professional development, presentation and colloquium, and make substantial contributions to their laboratories. This is a great interdisciplinary STEM program; while it has specific subject areas involving mechanical engineering (such as robotics), you can also easily explore topics in chemical engineering, computer science, etc. as these pair very well with mechanical engineering.
Cost: None
Eligibility: Sophomores and Juniors in NYC
The Science and Engineering Apprentice Program (SEAP) places high school students as apprentices in one of twenty-five Department of Defense (DoD) labs for eight weeks, allowing them to work closely under research mentors in their field of interest. Students will gain firsthand scientific and engineering experience while earning a stipend, gaining unique and positive experiences to help with their understanding of a STEM career.
Cost: None, first-year interns receive a stipend of $4,000, returning interns receive a stipend of $4,500
Eligibility: All high school students
As the oldest, continuously running program of its kind, HSHSP has developed into a highly selective research program offering research apprenticeships in all areas of science, engineering, and mathematics. Each participant indicates a preference for their research area, then works with faculty advisors, undergraduate, and graduate students to identify the research methodology and begin the procedure. Students are able to fully immerse themselves in the intensive research process for seven weeks, often producing award-winning research projects under the mentorship of the university’s faculty and graduate students.
Cost: $4,000
Eligibility: Juniors at the time of application (in the upper 20% of high school classes)
7. MIT's Beaver Works Institute
The Beaver Works Institute at MIT, a rigorous, world-class STEM program, is leading a variety of courses this summer. One such mechanical engineering-focused course is “Build a Cubesat.” Dedicated to building, testing, and flying a Cubesat, the four-week course guides students through design trades, assembly, and testing of the space system. After going through online sessions, the in-person session heads into the lab to assemble the working satellite, giving students hands-on developmental experience, exposing them to real-world trades when designing systems for space.
Cost: Tuition is free; for out-of-state students who require lodging, there is a fee of $5,000 for 4 weeks, waived or partially waived based on family income
Eligibility: Juniors at the time of application
Princeton University offers 5-6 weeks of summer research experience for high school students interested in the natural sciences and engineering. Students will apply to a specific research opportunity; if accepted, they'll receive actual engineering experience within a Princeton lab and work closely with the university’s top faculty and researchers. At the end of their internship, students will write a two-page research summary report—a great addition to your college applications!
Cost: None
Eligibility: High school students aged 16 and older
Students at ESTEEM/SER-Quest will participate in an intensive 4-week research-focused program. At the University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering, participants will develop a research proposal on a topic of their choice, complete a literature review, and conduct a research project in engineering. They’ll be given the chance to meet undergraduate and graduate students in engineering programs, as well as learn all about the college application process and professional development.
Cost: $350
Eligibility: Juniors at the time of application
10. MSOE's Women in Engineering
The Milwaukee School of Engineering’s (MSOE) Women in Engineering summer program offers female students entering 10th through 12th grades the chance to explore multiple engineering disciplines, including mechanical engineering. Led by MSOE faculty and MSOE female engineering students, students participate in various hands-on engineering projects. The program hopes to teach its students how to apply their skills and knowledge to the real world, while also promoting female opportunities in a male-dominated field.
Cost: $950
Eligibility: Female-identifying students from grades 10-12
11. MIT's Research Science Institute (RSI)
Every summer, the prestigious RSI at MIT holds a free six-week science & engineering research program. Students go through the entire research cycle, from drafting a detailed research plan to delivering oral and written reports on their findings. The first week is spent attending college-level courses, taught by some of the country’s most accomplished professors. The next five weeks are when students participate in their research internships, conducting individual projects under the mentorship of experienced professionals. You can pick a topic involving mechanical engineering and its applications. RSI is incredibly prestigious and most attendees are accepted into colleges like MIT.
Cost: None
Eligibility: High school juniors at the time of application
If you're looking for a real-world internship that can help boost your resume while applying to college, we recommend Ladder Internships!
Ladder Internships is a selective program equipping students with virtual internship experiences at startups and nonprofits around the world!
The startups range across a variety of industries, and each student can select which field they would most love to deep dive into. This is also a great opportunity for students to explore areas they think they might be interested in, and better understand professional career opportunities in those areas. The startups are based all across the world, with the majority being in the United States, Asia and then Europe and the UK.
The fields include technology, machine learning and AI, finance, environmental science and sustainability, business and marketing, healthcare and medicine, media and journalism and more.
You can explore all the options here on their application form. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup they are working with, and present their work at the end of their internship. In addition to working closely with their manager from the startup, each intern will also work with a Ladder Coach throughout their internship - the Ladder Coach serves as a second mentor and a sounding board, guiding you through the internship and helping you navigate the startup environment.
Cost: $1490 (Financial Aid Available)
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application deadline: April 16 and May 14
Program dates: 8 weeks, June to August
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates and gap year students!
One other option – Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you are passionate about research, you could also consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, a selective online high school program for students that was founded by researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 2100 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Amelia is a current junior at Harvard College studying art history with a minor in economics. She’s enthusiastic about music, movies, and writing, and is excited to help Lumiere’s students as much as she can!