Most STEM competitions reward finished work. You build the project first, then compete with the result. The MIT THINK Scholars Program flips that model: it selects students based on a written proposal, then provides the funding and mentorship to actually build the idea.
For a high school student with a genuinely novel concept but limited resources, that makes THINK one of the most valuable opportunities in the country. Here's how the program works and how to write a proposal that stands out.
What Is the MIT THINK Scholars Program?
THINK, which stands for Technology for Humanity guided by Innovation, Networking, and Knowledge, is an educational outreach initiative founded in 2008 and run by a team of MIT undergraduates as part of MIT TechX, the largest technology club at the Institute.
The program accepts research project proposals from high school students across the US and provides mentorship and funding to a select few to make their idea a reality.
Selection happens in two rounds. First, the THINK team reviews all proposals and chooses semifinalists, with promising projects that don't advance recognized with Commended status. Semifinalists then complete video interviews, after which up to six finalists are chosen.
Finalists receive an all-expenses-paid trip to MIT that includes meetings with professors in their area of interest, personalized tours of research laboratories, and the chance to attend MIT classes. They also receive up to $1,000 in funding to implement their project and weekly mentorship meetings with MIT student mentors through the spring. Students who complete their projects by June are designated MIT THINK Scholars.
Who Can Apply
Applicants must be full-time high school students, whether at a public, private, or home school, with permanent U.S. residency during the academic year. U.S. citizenship is not required, but U.S. citizens living outside the country are not eligible, and international students cannot apply. You may submit only one proposal per academic year, written either individually or with one partner.
Key Dates
Applications open on November 1, and the proposal deadline is 11:59 pm EST on January 1. Finalist decisions and the finalists' trip to MIT both happen in February, and completed projects are due in June. Late or improperly formatted submissions risk disqualification, so build in buffer time.
The Proposal Format
The proposal is the entire first-round application, and THINK enforces its format strictly. Use 12-point Times New Roman or Arial, double-spaced, with one-inch margins, and stay within 10 pages; only references may run beyond the limit. All sources are cited in APA format, and any images or diagrams that aren't your own need citations too.
The proposal follows a required structure:
Title: Your project title, name, and school, plus an optional mentor's name and affiliation.
Abstract: Up to 250 words covering your motivation, goals, and approach: what problem you're solving, why it matters, what outcomes you want, and how you'll get there.
Idea: This section makes the scientific case. Clearly identify the problem and the background needed to understand it, citing existing scientific literature. Describe the current state-of-the-art approaches and explain why they fall short. Then present your solution, compare it to existing work, and explain how it improves on current technology.
Plan: Walk through your implementation steps and convince reviewers the project is technically feasible, using diagrams and calculations where helpful.
Specify the resources you'll need and how you'll get them.
Set milestones and completion criteria, and explain how you'll test and evaluate the result.
Identify at least three risks you might encounter and how you'd mitigate each.
Lay out a timeline with key deliverables, describe any progress you've already made, and explain specifically how THINK funding would let you achieve your goals.
Close with a detailed budget table listing each item, quantity, cost, and supplier links, keeping the total within the $1,000 program budget.
If you're working with a partner, also explain how you'll divide responsibilities.
References. APA format, with in-text citations throughout.
One requirement trips up more applicants than any other: you must address how your project would benefit from THINK's funding and mentorship. Proposals that don't explain what the applicant will gain from the program will not advance, no matter how strong the idea.
How Proposals Are Judged
The THINK team evaluates proposals on five criteria, and a strong application addresses all of them deliberately.
Impact: how relevant, important, or interesting the problem is.
Innovation: how novel the solution is, how well it's contextualized within existing work, and how it improves on current approaches.
Clarity: whether goals, methods, and timeline are clearly defined and the results can be reliably evaluated.
Feasibility: whether the project can realistically be completed within the budget and the one-semester time frame.
Benefit: how much the project would gain from THINK's funding and mentorship.
A modest, well-scoped project with a rigorous plan will beat a grandiose idea with hand-waving every time. Your project needs to be creative, feasible, and improved by $1,000 and a semester of expert guidance.
Tips for a Standout Application
Scope Ruthlessly
The single most common failure mode is proposing something that can't be finished in one semester on $1,000. Pick the smallest version of your idea that still demonstrates the core innovation.
Do a Literature Review
THINK explicitly asks you to cite existing scientific work and explain why current solutions are insufficient. This is where serious applicants separate themselves; it proves you understand the field you're trying to advance.
Show Progress
The proposal asks about work you've already done. A prototype, preliminary data, or even a failed first attempt signals that you'll actually follow through.
Make a Concrete Budget
Real part numbers, real prices, real supplier links. A vague budget suggests a vague plan.
Get Feedback
Have a teacher or mentor review your proposal for clarity before submitting. If your reviewer can't restate your goals and methods after one read, neither can the judges.
Other MIT Programs
MIT also hosts summer programs, including the Research Science Institute, which is a prestigious research summer program that could also help you to improve your project.
Your project could also be useful for your MIT Maker Portfolio.
A Strong Proposal Is a Research Skill
Even if you don't reach the finalist round, the process of writing a THINK proposal, defining a problem, reviewing the literature, designing a feasible plan, and budgeting real constraints is exactly the process behind every successful research project and science fair entry. Students who learn it early carry an advantage into every competition that follows.
If you want expert help developing a research idea and turning it into a rigorous, competition-ready project, our coaches include ISEF Grand Awardees and Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholars who have written and judged work at the highest level. Book a free consultation with an academic advisor to get started.
