Great question! And an excellent place to start. The main component of your summer will be research. You will be paired with a STEM mentor and will work on a research project in their field. Your mentor will teach you what you need to know for the project and help you through each stage of the process. GSTEM takes pride in its hands-on approach to research and its deep immersion into the sciences.

No way! We will start you off with an Orientation week full of social activities, workshops, lectures, and fun. All the students will be together during Orientation and will be given plenty of opportunities to meet and get to know each other. Additionally, you will only be doing research on Mondays—Thursdays. Each Friday you will report back to NYU.  The entire group will be together for field trips and other activities. You will be able to catch up with friends and hear how everyone’s project is going.

We tell students they should treat the program like a full-time job and expect to work a full day on Monday through Thursday. This may vary by the mentor but prepare for the full-time commitment. Each student’s day-to-day will differ based on their project.  While some students may be in a laboratory setting, others may spend part of the day with their mentor and the other part coding in the library.

Our mentors are professors and scientists across the STEM fields. They are also across New York City. Many are here at NYU but we have others at different schools and universities such as Columbia University, Lehman College, City College, Brooklyn College, Hunter College, and Pace University.

That is correct. You may be paired with a mentor at another school or in another borough.

No, you cannot. NYU is a research institution and we follow that model by highlighting STEM as a broad field. We ask that each student attend the program with an open mind and the willingness to learn something brand new.

Matching works in both directions. We survey the mentors to see what high school courses a student should have completed to be best matched with the research. Some mentors say none while others may have a few requests. On the flip side, we will ask you what courses you have completed and if there are any fields in STEM that interest you more than others. We do our best to pair you with one of your choices but we do not make guarantees. Ultimately all pairing is based on the final pool of students, mentors, and projects available.

We make every effort to have this information available by end of June, and definitely before the program begins.

We get this question more and more often each year. A good number of our students have some sort of requirement they need to fulfill for school, whether it is for a research program or to enter a competition. GSTEM research projects are almost always used in this way. If you are accepted into the program, we ask that you let us know ahead of time if you plan to use your project beyond the program. You may have some restrictions (i.e. cannot work with mammals) and we will do our best to pair you with an acceptable project.

Yes! See our archive of projects from the past few years.

Yes, it is. Once completed, you will receive an NYU transcript with your grade. Most alumnae use the transcript to enhance their college applications.

GSTEM requires that each student write a research paper and prepare an oral presentation. Don’t worry, you will receive plenty of support along the way. As the program progresses you will be writing different sections of your paper and preparing your presentation. Students are also graded based on their attendance, participation, cooperation, and overall enthusiasm.

There sure is! The very last day of the program is the Annual Symposium. It is our celebratory end of the program where students give their oral presentations to an audience of friends, family, fellow students, mentors, and NYU staff. And there’s cake! 🎂

The program cost for 2025 is $5,500. This includes an activity fee for summer programming events that are available to our students (Broadway shows, walking tours, sporting events, etc). Housing is available and the 2024 cost for six-weeks with a meal plan was an additional $3,702. The rate for 2025 will be announced soon.

Absolutely! Students may apply for the GSTEM need-based scholarship and are encouraged to do so if necessary. You can indicate this on the application form.  More information will then follow via email. Financial aid is available towards the $5,500 program cost. At this time we are unable to provide assistance towards the housing cost.

Yes! Currently, we receive generous funding from the Winston Data Foundation. Students interested in this full scholarship may apply through the application. A separate essay on your interest in data science will be required. Students who receive the scholarship will participate in a weekly data science class and submit a class project. The Winston Data Scholarship is applied towards the $5,500 program cost. WDS recipients may request additional support for housing by contacting GSTEM.

The program provides students with unlimited-ride MetroCards which can be used on the busses and subways within New York City. Though some students may also take the Long Island Rail Road, MetroNorth, or New Jersey Transit, we are unable to cover those costs. We suggest students contact each agency directly to see if student discounts are available.

Yes, 🥗 🥑 🍕 we will feed you anytime you are on campus—for Orientation and on Fridays when everyone reports back to NYU. However, when you are with your mentors on Mondays – Thursdays, you are responsible for your own meals.

Yes! Any student near or far that is interested in living on-campus during the summer may request housing. Information is available through the application process. Six weeks of housing in 2024 (which includes a meal plan) cost an additional $3,702. (The 2025 rate will be announced soon.) Historically, many GSTEM students are commuters who live in the New York City area. With this housing option, we want to be sure that students throughout the United States have the opportunity to participate in the program.

We’ve got that covered too! NYU’s Summer Programs offer a wide variety of evening and weekend activities. Whether you are living at home or on-campus you will have the opportunity to attend Broadway shows 🎭, sporting events 🎳, walking tours 🏛️, eating tours 🍽️, and all the fun tourist attractions 🗽. Summer Programs does an excellent job of making sure you have an unforgettable summer in the city.

Sorry, this is not ok. Attendance for the full six weeks of the program is mandatory.  Students may not miss any days as this can negatively affect any research timelines put in place by your mentor. Missing days of the program also takes away from the time needed to work on your paper and presentation.

Starting with 2024, only current juniors may apply to the program. We are no longer accepting applications from current sophomores.

We admit 40 students each summer.

Please see our Eligibility page to review what is necessary for participation.

Nope! GSTEM is open to everyone. Anyone that supports our mission to serve underrepresented groups in STEM may apply.

Yes there are. Please see our page on NYU’s COVID-19 requirements.