AMNH SRMP Acceptance Rate 2026
Updated: 26th October, 2026
TL;DR
The American Museum of Natural History's Science Research Mentoring Program (SRMP) doesn't publish an acceptance rate, but the Museum says about 60 students are usually accepted each year. It's a year-long program for NYC 10th and 11th graders, and it pays a $2,500 stipend when you finish. The big limit is location: you must live and go to school in New York City. If you live elsewhere or want to pick your own topic, look at the Lumiere Research Scholar Program. It pairs you 1:1 with a PhD-level mentor for an independent research project.
What are the key numbers for AMNH SRMP?
Figure | What the page says | Source |
Acceptance rate | Not officially published | AMNH Join SRMP (Oct 2026) |
Cohort size | Usually about 60 students | AMNH Join SRMP (Oct 2026) |
Stipend | $2,500 on completion | AMNH SRMP (Oct 2026) |
College credit | 1 CUNY Lehman College credit, at no cost | AMNH SRMP (Oct 2026) |
Eligibility | NYC 10th or 11th graders | AMNH Join SRMP (Oct 2026) |
Last deadline | March 1, 2026, 11:59 PM ET (Class of 2026-2027) | SRMP application guide (Oct 2026) |
Does AMNH SRMP publish an acceptance rate?
No, the Museum doesn't publish an SRMP acceptance rate, only a cohort size. The Join SRMP page says usually about 60 students are accepted. It doesn't say how many students apply, so you can't work out a real percentage from official data.
If a website gives you an exact rate, treat it as a guess and check the Museum's page first. You can still judge the odds in other ways. The cohort is small, about 60 seats for the whole city. The pool is also narrow, because you must be a current 10th or 11th grader in NYC who meets one affiliation rule.
Plan as if SRMP is selective. A small cohort means some qualified students won't get a seat, even if the exact odds aren't public.
Who is eligible for SRMP?
SRMP is only for New York City students in 10th or 11th grade. The Join SRMP page (as of October 2026) lists the rules you need to meet:
Location: You must live and go to school in New York City.
Grade: You must be in 10th or 11th grade now. Ninth graders who move up over the summer can't apply.
Grades: You need to have been passing your classes for the last three or more semesters.
Affiliation: You must have taken or be taking a listed AMNH program (such as AIS, SNP, EAP, LANG, SAP, or HE³AT), or attend a listed high school or partner program.
Schedule: You must be able to meet your mentors Tuesdays and Thursdays after school, plus one or two Fridays a month.
To compare SRMP with other local options, start with our list of research opportunities in New York.
Is SRMP paid, and how much is the stipend?
Yes, SRMP pays a $2,500 stipend when you finish. The official SRMP page says you earn it "upon completion of research and program requirements" (as of October 2026). That means you need to stay for the full year before the money arrives.
You can also earn 1 CUNY Lehman College credit at no cost to you. A paid, credit-bearing program is a strong deal for an eligible student, and it's likely one reason seats are in demand.
Keep in mind that the stipend depends on meeting the program's requirements. Ask the Museum for the details if you're unsure what counts.
When is the SRMP application deadline?
The next deadline isn't posted yet. Applications for the Class of 2028 are expected to open in Winter 2027, per the official SRMP page (as of October 2026). The last deadline was March 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET, for the Class of 2026-2027.
The SRMP 2026-2027 application guide lists interviews on April 2 to 10, 2026. The Join SRMP page says the Museum invites students to interview in April and shares decisions by the end of May.
Dates can shift from year to year. Check the official page before you plan, and look for the Class of 2028 form to open in Winter 2027.
What do you do in SRMP?
SRMP is a year-long research program that runs from August to June. You meet with your mentors twice a week after school, for about four hours a week. You also attend program-wide workshops one or two Fridays a month.
The AMNH SRMP page lists past projects such as the genetics of foraging in ogre-faced spiders, how we know how heavy stars are, and what the Maya ate 2,000 years ago (as of October 2026). Skills include lab DNA work, telescope data analysis, reading scientific papers, and coding in Python and R.
Because projects are tied to Museum research, you can't pick any question you want. For how research like this reads to colleges, see our piece on whether research helps with college admissions.
How can you improve your chances of getting into SRMP?
Start by making sure you meet every eligibility rule. Those rules screen out many students before anyone reads an application. If you aren't tied to a listed AMNH program or partner school yet, find out how to join one before you're a sophomore or junior.
The application is an information form plus five short-answer questions. It doesn't ask for transcripts or recommendation letters, so your written answers carry the weight. The prompts ask about your relationship with science, what you hope to gain, which past projects appeal to you, your other after-school commitments, and what makes a good team member.
Be specific about why a project interests you, and show you can keep the Tuesday and Thursday schedule. If SRMP doesn't fit, browse other mentoring programs in NYC. Confirm details on the Museum's page before you apply.
Is AMNH SRMP worth it?
For an eligible NYC student, SRMP is a strong option. You get a year of mentored research, a stipend, and college credit. The tradeoffs are the schedule and the narrow eligibility rules. Our full review of SRMP covers the program in more detail.
Pros -
It pays a $2,500 stipend when you complete the program requirements.
You can earn 1 CUNY Lehman College credit at no cost.
It runs a full year, August to June, so you have time to work on one question.
The application needs no transcripts or recommendation letters.
Cons -
You must live and go to school in New York City, which rules out most students.
Only current 10th and 11th graders who meet an AMNH or partner-school rule can apply.
You must keep Tuesday and Thursday after-school meetings, plus one or two Fridays a month.
Only about 60 students are accepted, and the Museum publishes no acceptance rate.
Frequently asked questions: AMNH SRMP acceptance rate for high school students
Do you need transcripts or recommendation letters for SRMP?
No, the program doesn't require either one. The application is an information form plus a series of short-answer questions, per the Join SRMP page (as of October 2026). You do need to have been passing your classes for the last three or more semesters. Your short answers are the main way the Museum gets to know you.
Can ninth or twelfth graders apply to SRMP?
No. Only students currently in 10th or 11th grade may apply. The Join SRMP page says ninth graders who will start 10th grade over the summer aren't eligible. Seniors are also outside the 10th and 11th grade range. If you're in 9th grade, plan ahead so you can apply as a sophomore.
Can you join SRMP if you live outside New York City?
No. You must live and go to school in New York City to be eligible. The program is run by the American Museum of Natural History and tied to NYC schools and partners. If you live elsewhere, look at other research and internship options near you or online.
When will you hear back from SRMP?
You'll usually hear about interviews in April and get a decision by the end of May. The Join SRMP page states this (as of October 2026). Last cycle, interviews ran April 2 to 10, 2026. Since the 2027 timeline isn't posted yet, check the official page for updates.
How much time does SRMP take each week?
SRMP takes about four hours a week. You meet with your mentors twice a week after school, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You also attend program-wide workshops one or two Fridays a month. The official SRMP page says you must also be able to attend in August. Make sure your other activities leave room for this schedule.
What can you do if you're not eligible for SRMP?
You still have options. You can look at research programs open to students outside NYC, or at mentoring programs in the city that have different rules. Our list of mentoring programs for high school students in NYC is a good place to start. You can also build a school or independent project with a teacher or local researcher.
Not in New York City, or looking for a research schedule that doesn't depend on a fixed Tuesday and Thursday meeting time and one spring deadline? Look at the Lumiere Research Scholar Program. You work 1:1 with a PhD-level mentor on an independent research project of your own, with no city requirement. Apply here.
Stephen Turban is the co-founder of Lumiere Education and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics before beginning a PhD at Harvard Business School. A former McKinsey & Company consultant and former researcher, his research has been covered by the Harvard Business Review, The Economist, BBC News, Freakonomics Radio, and the Washington Post. In his articles for Forbes, he writes on what students and professionals can learn from high school research, high school passion projects, critical thinking, and mentorship. At Lumiere, he leads a selective research program where students work one-on-one with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper. Connect with him on LinkedIn.