The WSSP Experience

What you can expect from the Welch Summer Scholar Program experience

The Welch Summer Scholar Program is a five-week scientific research program for high school juniors and seniors that enables admitted students to undertake real, university-level research in a working lab at a top-tier Texas university.  The program takes place at five sites each summer: the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of Houston, and Texas Tech University.  Admitted students are assigned to a site at the time of acceptance by our selection committee.  Visit our "Who We Are" page to learn more about our Site Directors.

Participating students  can expect to spend the majority of each day performing research activities in their assigned lab under the supervision and guidance of an advanced graduate student or post-doctoral associate in the lab in addition to interacting with the faculty mentor.  While hands-on research is the primary focus of our program, students will also participate in other activities each week, including lectures, workshops, facility tours, group meetings, site visits, and fun excursion.  Students are expected to attend all activities and to remain in residence at their respective site for the entirety of the program.

To successfully complete the program, students must complete several final deliverables.  These include a research paper covering the scientific research undertaken during the course of the program, a final presentation on the same topic, and/or a poster and participation in a poster session.  Students will receive guidance on the production of these items from WSSP staff at each site.

What past participants say

"I would recommend this program to any student who enjoys chemistry..."
"I'm a former Welch Scholar who participated in the program at UT Austin. I'm currently an undergraduate studying Chemical Engineering at MIT with plans on graduating in 2018.  I loved the Welch program and it was then when I had my first research experience. When I first arrived, they had us choose from a list of jargon-rich projects, none of which I could understand. But the chemistry laboratory that I ended up in was a great fit and allowed me to work with my hands, run experiments, and present on my work. Although I know now that I would rather work in industry rather than in a laboratory, I'm really thankful for the opportunity that Welch gave me to explore that option.  I would recommend this program to any student who enjoys chemistry (or even science in general) and I am so glad it is continued to this day!"
Vitoria Moreno-Costa  

"I really credit WSSP for first introducing me to the struggles and rewards of research..."
"I’m a former Welch Scholar, and then I RA’d the program at UT Austin as an undergrad. I wanted to update the program on where I am. I graduated UT this past May, and I’m now a PhD student at Stanford in Electrical Engineering and was awarded the NSF fellowship for my graduate work this year.   I really credit WSSP for first introducing me to the struggles and rewards of research, and I think going through the program allowed me to jump into undergraduate research early on when I came to the university. I also remained good friends with some of my fellow scholars when we entered UT.  Thank you for the continued work you all put into running the program! It truly has made a difference in my career trajectory so far."
Nikhil Garg

"WSSP will...prove to be a rewarding experience beyond comparison..."
"From the lows of processing hours worth of unprolific data and joking about leaving academia for industry, to the highs of insightful group meeting discussions, WSSP alumni learn to love it all. And if being immersed in a welcoming and teaching university lab group isn't enough, professional friendships that act as a jump start to college networking and personal friendships with the fellow "Welchkins" will certainly consume any remaining interest during the 5-week program. A sneak peak of college life, priceless friendships, your next amusement park screaming buddy, and graduate-level research all come in a great big package at Welch. Even for those who have their eyes set on a career in the sciences and academia, WSSP will still prove to be a rewarding experience beyond comparison."
Yingxuan Tan

"It was a truly unforgettable experience..."
"The Welch Summer Program was an amazing opportunity! I learned so much about the field of photovoltaic technology, and was able to conduct actual research with my helpful and knowledgeable mentors. During the program my fellow Welch Scholars and I had such a fun time on our outings and in our dorms; we became very good friends. It was truly an unforgettable experience."
Spoorthi Kamepalli

"The program was both rewarding and extremely fun..."
"I felt that the program was both very rewarding and extremely fun. I learned a lot about not only chemistry but also about how to perform research and write papers. I really appreciate this opportunity."
Jingze Yu

"WSSP was amazing..."
"WSSP was amazing. Not only did I get to help with ongoing and relevant research, but also got to know some really cool people, thoroughly take advantage of all UT Austin had to offer, and generally have fun while still learning!"
 Lauren Liou

"An opportunity to be around so many incredibly motivated and talented young men and women..."
"I learned three very important lessons from my five weeks at Welch.  Firstly, failure, even repeated failure, is no less important in eventually finding solutions than that eventual success; second, the best science raises as many questions as it answers; and most importantly, the most successful research is collaborative.  Additionally, I appreciated the experience as an opportunity to be around so many incredibly motivated and talented young men and women."
 Oliver Quintero