Students in the General Honors Program take traditional college courses for credit, whereas students in the Research Internship Program work in laboratories and learn about scientific research. High School Honors Program participants experience the excitement of college life in a structured environment. Students are expected to balance their academic and social lives. They follow individualized schedules, organizing their own study or research time and group activities. The program seeks highly talented and motivated students to participate in ongoing research under the direction of a mentor who is an experienced research scientist.
Graduate students involved in the research also act as additional resources for high school interns.
Each student joins a research group and works on a research project for thirty to forty hours a week over a six-week period. The program does not offer course credit but provides opportunities for gifted science students to experience the culture and methodology of a research environment, and to learn directly about career options in scientific research. Seminars and field trips supplement this experience. Many students get involved with study groups in their classes to assist in studying and to meet other students. All program participants are housed together in student residences on the Boston University campus.