Apply

Eligibility 

To be eligible for the program, students must: 

• Be a current high school sophomore, junior, or senior (grades 10-12) at time of application. 
• Be able to arrange their own transportation to and from the program. This is strictly a daytime program. Housing for students is currently unavailable. Free CTA transit passes are available to admitted students.
• Receive permission from a parent/guardian. 

Application Materials 

The application includes collection of applicant’s basic information and essay questions. To complete the application you will need: 

• Applicant’s basic contact information, parental contact information, and grade level 
• Name and address of applicant’s high school 
• A 1-page essay: 
  • Pick a recent (past few years) science news article and write about what you found exciting and interesting in the story. 500-1000 words.
  • The central focus of the essay should be how the news article is related to your interests – why you found it exciting and/or why it matters to you.
    Science news articles should be drawn from a reputable source.
    Examples include www.sciencenews.org, www.astronomy.com, www.quantamagazine.org, or www.cnn.com/specials/space-science, and more.
• Short answer essay
  • Please describe your interest in CIERA’s REACH program.
  • Some prompts could include how this program fits in your career or schooling goals, what you hope to get out of this program, or what you are most excited about in this program.
• Short answer essay
  • TBD for 2025
• (Optional) A current transcript for the applicant 
• (Optional) A recommending teacher’s name and email address. Teacher can send a letter of recommendation to an email address provided on the application 

Cost 

The costs for the program are as follows: 

• $2,500 for the 3-week program
• +$1,500 for the REACH Further extension

Important: Need-based financial assistance may be available thanks to the Brinson Foundation, and can be requested on the application form. 100% of students who request assistance receive at least a partial waiver. 

Application Results

Application results will be announced by the end of April and sent via email to the student’s email address provided on the application.

All communication from the program is sent to the student’s email address provided on the application. Students are responsible for sharing necessary information and forms with their parent(s)/guardian(s).
Emails will be sent from CIERA-HSProgram@Northwestern.edu