About this competition
MIT PRIMES (Program for Research in Mathematics, Engineering and Science) pairs high-school students with MIT graduate-student mentors for year-long original research projects in mathematics and computational biology. Two tracks: local (driving distance to Boston) and PRIMES-USA (national, remote).
Acceptance is highly selective. The application requires solving problem sets that are harder than the average AMC 12, plus essays and recommendations. PRIMES research is real — students routinely co-author published papers in arXiv-archived journals and present at conferences.
Best fit for the most mathematically advanced students who would otherwise be doing undergraduate-level work. The pipeline to MIT, Harvard, and Princeton STEM admissions is direct.
Season & deadlines
Application opens September. Deadline ~December 1 each year. Decisions late January. Program runs Feb-Dec.
Season window: September through September.
Cost
Free — Free to apply and participate.
Prizes & outcomes
No cash; the credential itself is the prize. Many participants present at the PRIMES annual conference and co-author research papers.