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THE HIP APPLICATION CYCLE FOR SUMMER 2023 WILL BE OPEN TO ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES MID-JANUARY THROUGH FEBRUARY 2023. 

Exact dates for HIP 2023 will be announced soon. It will run from June-August 2023 for 10 weeks.
 

Non-Harvard applicants must first obtain login using HarvardKey (no cost) in order to access the application site. To do so, please visit: https://key2.harvard.edu/register?appid=carat. It is a very simple process, but it may take up to 24 hours before your HarvardKey is activated and accepted by the Harvard application, so please request this HarvardKey as early as possible in the application cycle.
 
Login using your HarvardKey to CARAT at https://carat.fas.harvard.edu/applicant/apply
The opportunity is listed under 'Harvard Stem Cell Institute Undergraduate Internship Program'
 

The deadline for submitting applications for summer 2023 will be in February 2023 (exact date will be announced soon). There is no competitive advantage to submitting early versus late, but ABSOLUTELY NO applications or letters of recommendation will be accepted past the deadline of 5:00 p.m. (17:00 | EST) on the date of the deadline. Selection of the cohort will take place in March 2023 with decision notification to all applicants, via email, by early April 2023. We expect cohort 2023 to have 5 spots available. 

Applicants who have applied in the past but were not invited may apply again.

Applicants are expected to provide, in pdf:

  • A copy of your academic transcript (unofficial version is acceptable),
  • A resume or curriculum vitae (one page, preferably)
  • Two letters of reference, containing the referee's signature, at least one from a faculty member or former teacher familiar with your academic achievements and potential (referees will receive a link so that they may directly upload the letter),
  • A personal statement of up to 750 words offering us a glimpse of who you are beyond your academic achievements, and what your aspirations may be, and how a summer in a Harvard stem cell lab will help you reach your goals. Additionally, how do the traits of resiliency, tenacity and openness to experience figure in your life? Tell us your story - use the statement to differentiate yourself from the other outstanding applicants!

To the extent possible, please make certain your pdfs are not 'secured' - particularly the unofficial transcript - as that can render them unreadable by the system. If they are secured, you may have to scan the document and re-save it before submitting it. The team behind the CARAT system is working on a background solution to this problem.

Your referees will receive, via email, instructions on how to securely and confidentially submit their letters on your behalf.  They may sumit their letters before OR after you have submitted your application, but definitely must do so by the deadline (TBD). Letters of recommendation will be matched via a unique identifier to your application.

The selection process:

An Application Review Committee is assembled, comprised of postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and administrators from across the HSCI community. They meet for three sessions beginning in early February. As most applicants are stellar students with high GPAs, the Committee relies heavily on the personal statement and informative letters of recommendation from referees who truly know the applicant. Both components give the Committee a much better, more nuanced, perspective of the student and his/her prospect for success in our program. Primarily, the Committee is looking for candidates who are committed to excellence in all areas of their life; who are resilient, tenacious, and problem solvers; and, who are confident to put themselves outside their comfort zone in order to grow and develop as a student of science and a contributing member of civil society.