The Laboratory Learning Program (LLP) is a free, full-time research program run by Princeton University’s Science Outreach office for local New Jersey high school students. Students join ongoing projects in Princeton science or engineering labs under faculty and research staff, usually for five to six weeks during office hours, commuting from home. Projects change each year depending on which faculty participate, each department sets the weeks and dates, and students submit a two-page research summary at the end.
The website says the program received over 3,000 applications in 2026 and that not all applicants are accepted; the number admitted and the acceptance rate are not published. LLP is free, pays no stipend, and provides no housing or transportation. Applicants must be US citizens in the United States attending a New Jersey high school in a district near Princeton; green cards and work permits are not accepted. The website also notes that admission to LLP implies no commitment regarding admission to Princeton.
LLP is not open to Irvine students. Irvine students who want commuter research in a university lab can look at UC Irvine’s Cancer Research Institute YSFP in this library.
