Stages of the Program
THINK helps high school students turn ideas into reality. THINK project proposals are science and engineering ideas that span many fields from green technologies and practical devices to software applications. Almost anything is fair game! As long as it can be completed in one semester with a $2,000 budget. A good proposal has clearly defined completion criteria and a well thought-out procedure for implementation.
Application
Applying for the THINK Scholars Program is a simple two-step process:
- Register: create an account using your email address and some basic information.
- Submit your proposal: upload a document describing your idea, goals, and implementation procedure.
Register now or log in to see the application, including specific guidelines and requirements for the proposal.
Judging
A panel comprising MIT students, faculty, and alumni will review the applications based on the following criteria:
1) THE PROPOSAL
- Impact: How interesting and relevant is the identified problem?
- Innovation: How original or creative is the proposed solution? How does it improve upon existing solutions?
- Clarity: Are the goals and timeline clearly defined? Can the results be clearly evaluated?
- Feasibility: Can the stated goals be accomplished within the time, cost, and resource constraints?
2) THE APPLICANT
- Motivation: How excited is the applicant about the idea?
- Benefits: How much will the applicant benefit from the THINK Scholars Program? For example, why does the application specifically need the program's funding?
Through this process, 3 proposals will be chosen to participate in the THINK Scholars Program. If selected, you will be invited to MIT to attend Techfair, meet the THINK team, institute professors, program sponsors, and other selected students.
Implementation
While you implement your project idea, we will maintain an active relationship with you. We will provide you with funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities with sponsors, MIT students, faculty, and alumni. In return, we expect that you document the whole process online in the form of reports, photos, and videos. Documentation should show the successful completion of milestones and goals, and any difficulties or challenges encountered along the way. Your project experience will be shared with our sponsors and our community. In addition, we will hold regular phone or web conferences to check on your progress, provide advice, and teach you some useful skills.
By the end of the spring semester, you will let us know how you fulfilled the completion criteria – for example, a video demonstrating what you successfully created. At that point you will receive the THINK scholarship and become a THINK Scholar!
So, have a cool science/engineering idea that you want to work on? Tell us about it!
Start Application