Guides
Honest, practical guides to doing real research in high school and using it well — written by the team behind D-LABS.
These guides are for students — and parents — planning a first serious research project: what real research looks like in high school, what publication actually involves, how to find a mentor you can trust, and how much any of it helps with admissions.
They are deliberately practical and honest about trade-offs. Start with the guide closest to your question, then explore our research fields and named mentors when you are ready to begin.
A practical, step-by-step guide to doing genuine academic research as a high-school student — from finding a question to producing a real output.
Read guide →What publication really means, which venues accept high-school authors, and how to give your paper the best chance of acceptance.
Read guide →Where to find a research mentor, how to write an outreach message that gets a reply, and how to judge whether a mentor is the right fit.
Read guide →An honest look at whether high-school research programs help with college admissions — what admissions officers value, and how to choose a program that counts.
Read guide →