The Secondary Student Training Program (SSTP) is run by the Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa for high school students in grades 10–11. Students live on the Iowa City campus for five and a half weeks, join a faculty research group, attend seminars on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, and finish by creating and presenting a research poster. The 2027 program runs June 16 to July 23. Participants register as University of Iowa students and earn three semester hours of undergraduate credit.
The program calls itself highly selective but does not publish applicant numbers or an admission rate. Reviewers look, in order, at essays, transcripts and scores, recommendations, and fit with a mentor’s research. The program fee is $7,500, and admitted students can apply for aid covering up to 95% of it. International students are welcome; those living outside the United States must show English proficiency and obtain a student visa after admission.
Applications for 2027 open December 15, 2026 and close February 16, 2027. MIT Admissions lists SSTP among the selective science and research summer programs on its summer programs page. EDUBUS suggests that sophomores interested in research consider SSTP as a first university research experience; since each student may attend only once, plan which year to apply.
