Sammer Marzouk
College: Harvard University
High School: University of Chicago Laboratory High Schools, United States
Pioneer Research Paper: The impact of Emotions, Ambiguity, and Apathy on Decision Making in Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease: A Proposal to Facilitate Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease
“[Pioneer will] definitely push you to your limits academically and what you think you can do but it’s totally worth it. I never regretted doing the program and it was definitely a big stepping stone and in terms of my skills as a researcher and to what it pushed me to do into the future.“
Pioneer’s rigorous academic system and accreditation qualifies us to grant college credit through collaboration with Oberlin College.
Here you can listen directly to a former veteran admissions officer of Penn & Wharton about his insight of Pioneer Scholars when he read their applications to Penn.
Pioneer accepts applications for both the Spring-through-Summer and Summer-only terms starting in August of the previous year. Please click the below links to learn about the ultimate deadline for each term.
Pioneer terms | Important dates |
Spring-through-Summer | The final application deadline for spring-through-summer term is 23:59 pm EST December 19, 2021 |
Summer-Only | The final application deadline for summer-only term is 23:59 pm EST April 10, 2022 |
It is important to be aware that Pioneer balances the limited availability of positions in each discipline and the volume of the applications received. Submitting applications earlier can improve one’s chances of getting selected for the program.
Click here to register for an information session to learn more about Pioneer.
Pioneer’s founding board insisted that Pioneer commit to a professor-blind policy during the application process, ensuring that applicants have authentic field interest and a genuine desire to conduct authentic research. As a result, no information about professors is released before admission to the program. This policy is appreciated and respected by universities.
High Caliber Transcript: Transcript scores must be among the best
Real Interviewees: Pioneer applicants must bring their school ID to their interview
Real School Grades: School counselors provide student feedback and grade verification
True Writing Ability: Pioneer’s admissions process includes a proctored essay writing component
Your Authentic Interests: Pioneer adheres to a Professor-blind policy to ensure all applicants show genuine interest in the research program itself
As an important part of its social mission, Pioneer Academics dedicates funds every year to need-based scholarships for students to participate in the Pioneer Research Program. These funds are very limited and their use is restricted to cases in which the existence of financial need of the student’s family can be reliably verified.
Students are eligible for these scholarships only in countries and cases in which need can be assessed or if they are part of a partner non-profit organization or a partner educational institution that can assess need. Students who are awarded a full scholarship will be required to pay a deposit, which is refunded after successful completion of the program.
| Application Deadline | |
|---|---|
| Spring Through Summer | January 10, 2021 |
| Summer Only | April 25, 2021 |