Oriel Ignite Research Mentorship Program: The Opportunity to Conduct College-Level Research

Oriel Admissions offers high school students the opportunity to conduct a research project under the direction of a PhD candidate from an Ivy League or other top tier universities. The ability to conduct research and to understand the basics of coding is highly valued by colleges and universitiesand can help to set a student apart during a competitive application process.

For instance, the Dean of Admissions for UPenn wrote that nearly 1/3 of the Class of 2026 participated in academic research while in high school. The research that the student conducts through this program would be able to go on their resume and college applications.

In Cornell University’s announcement of the Class of 2029, the university emphasized the intellectual curiosity and academic initiative that defined many of its admitted students. Several of the featured profiles described students who conducted original research projects in areas such as air pollution, Crohn’s disease, and environmental conservation. These students did not merely engage with science in the classroom; they applied advanced methodologies to real-world problems, published their findings, and collaborated with organizations or mentors in their field. Cornell framed these stories as examples of the kind of curiosity-driven, impact-oriented learning that they value in building their undergraduate community. This emphasis reflects a broader trend among top-tier universities that prioritize students who take initiative to deepen their understanding through independent inquiry and original research.

Program Structure

Our virtual program starts by matching high school students with a highly experience PhD-level mentors in their area of interest. These mentors are typically doctoral candidates at Princeton, UPenn, and other Ivy League institutions and they provide weekly one-on-one support to help students frame a research question, conduct literature reviews, build an argument, and produce a final report or paper that reflects college-level thinking.

The program typically 16 weeks, with weekly Zoom sessions and personalized guidance throughout. Students work through the stages of academic research: identifying a meaningful topic, refining a thesis, analyzing and interpreting data, and polishing a final paper or project.

For students who would like to submit their paper for publication or complete a project for a competition, we will tailor their project from the start to include original research and to meet the required entry qualifications for these opportunities.

Spotlight on Student Research: Exoplanet Transit Detection Using TESS Data

As part of the Oriel Admissions Ignite Research Program, Arjunconducted a rigorous astrophysics project focused on detecting exoplanets, which are planets that orbit stars beyond our solar system, using real observational data from NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite).

Arjun designed a streamlined algorithm to identify transit events, where a planet passing in front of a star causes a detectable dip in brightness. By folding light curves across a range of orbital periods and applying a chi-squared minimization technique, he was able to extract key planetary characteristics such as orbital period, transit depth, and mid-transit timing.

The model was validated on both simulated and real TESS datasets and successfully recovered known exoplanet transits. This project demonstrates how a thoughtfully constructed approach, grounded in data science and physics, can yield meaningful scientific insights. It also highlights the kind of ambitious, university-level research high school students are capable of producing through the Ignite program.

Why Research Matters

Colleges are increasingly looking for students who go beyond the standard curriculum. Participating in a guided research project shows initiative, maturity, and a genuine passion for learning. It helps students develop skills in analytical thinking, quantitative analysis, and academic writing and can be an experience to highlight in their essays and college interviews.

If your student is ready to explore their academic interests in a deeper way, the Oriel Ignite Research Mentorship Program may be the perfect next step. Contact us today to learn more!