The George Mason University Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (GMU ASSIP) is an eight week summer internship program for high school students. Over the course of ASSIP, students will work directly with George Mason research labs to supplement the research of faculty, postdocs, and graduate students.
With both in-person and virtual offerings, ASSIP allows ambitious high school students to gain valuable insights into STEM research methods, while also earning college credit from a respected public Virginia university.
This article serves as a complete guide to the ASSIP summer program. For high school students looking for summer research opportunities, this guide will evaluate whether the program is worth it, walk through its acceptance rate, and detail what students in the program actually do.
George Mason ASSIP is a rigorous offering for high school students, as selected ASSIP interns work directly with faculty to advance ongoing research. As a longstanding program in the Washington, D.C. area sponsored by a public university, ASSIP is known as a way for motivated students to learn more about the methods behind research.
As with any research opportunity, program impact is not solely guaranteed through program prestige. Program prestige can help to signal a quality opportunity, especially based on the program’s structure and academic expectations, but the most impactful opportunities are the ones with which a student substantially engages.
Through being a university-sponsored research program, there is prestige conferred to the program since there is trust that students are working closely with real university professors.
George Mason ASSIP is a highly selective and competitive program, maintaining a placement rate of around 10%.
All applicants to George Mason ASSIP must meet the following basic eligibility requirements:
ASSIP interns can complete the program in multiple years, but no more than twice. There is no maximum age to participate – just the requirement that the student has not graduated college prior to beginning their internship. This means that undergraduate students can also apply to ASSIP.
To be considered, prospective applicants must go through an online application process that contains the following components:
Following the initial review, if selected, your application will move to an interview stage, where you will interview directly with the research lab’s faculty.
George Mason ASSIP is a paid program, with a $1,299 program fee and an additional $25 application fee. The cost of the program goes to receiving 3 college credits from George Mason University.
ASSIP students are not allowed to complete the program “not-for-credit” as a way to avoid paying the program fee.
George Mason ASSIP does offer financial aid to those applicants who demonstrate need. Financial aid fee waivers could be used to waive the application fee and program tuition.
Applicants interested in demonstrating need are encouraged to reach out to the ASSIP office and provide the relevant documentation (e.g., free/reduced lunch eligibility; Pell Grant Aid Letter, etc.).
George Mason ASSIP neither requires nor accepts transcripts during the initial review process. It is possible that a transcript may be requested later as one’s application progresses, but the George Mason website notes that such a circumstance would be rare.
ASSIP does not require letters of recommendation for application submission. It is possible that faculty may request letters when making final intern decisions, but they are not accepted on the initial application review.
Especially for remote-only positions, there does not appear to be restrictions against international students participating in the program. For hybrid/in-person positions, it is unclear if international students can apply, since summer programs that confer college credit tend to require F-1 visas.
Final decisions for George Mason ASSIP tend to be released in the second week of April. After application submission in mid-February, ASSIP interview offers tend to be extended in early March, and, if extended, students can first accept offers of internship in early April.
Based on the application components and program structure, here are a few pieces of advice that we recommend to those considering the ASSIP program.
Generally, highly selective programs are looking for students strong academic backgrounds who are genuinely interested in completing research.
What students do in George Mason varies on the type of research conducted. Most generally, students will be assisting the research projects of various Mason faculty researchers. Program interns will work around 30 hours a week during normal business hours, with federal holidays given as days off.
According to the ASSIP mentor page, some examples of things interns could do include the following:
A complete list of example program faculty members, based on the 2026 mentor list, can be found here.
Based on project needs, there may be some in person labs. By one’s physical presence within wet lab settings, one can gain hands on experience, bolstering their STEM knowledge and potentially informing future STEM career choices.
Students working with research faculty could conduct literature reviews, reading articles from scientific journals, limited data collection, or exercise scientific writing skills. The ASSIP program concludes with a research symposium, where interns present posters on the research topics studied, adding to a student’s communication skills and research skills.
The full time ASSIP internship is also intended to help interested students inform their future interests, with opportunities for career exploration and professional advice within academia. ASSIP interns also add to their university education, by earning three credits from George Mason University.
George Mason ASSIP does offer some fully remote internships. On the “Prospective Mentors” page, the modality preference (in-person, virtual, or hybrid) is given under each mentor listing. As such, if you are only considering remote internships, you should only include mentors on your application that post virtual openings.
The specific research fields vary from year to year, but the GMU ASSIP program tends to have mentor availability in a wide variety of STEM-related subject areas. For reference, the 2026 ASSIP had mentors from the following GMU Colleges:
Whether or not something is “worth it” is wholly dependent on the individual aims of the participating student. For high school students looking to further pursue their passion for laboratory science and gain research experience in their early scientific career, George Mason ASSIP could be a “worth it” experience.
In ASSIP, program interns will accrue research experience under the mentorship of George Mason faculty, which could be beneficial for further refining one’s intellectual interests.
For high schoolers wanting to bolster their STEM education and complete laboratory work, George Mason ASSIP provides a great opportunity to gain research experience.
This program is especially beneficial for those in the Washington D.C. area, as a majority of the internships are in-person/hybrid. However, with a number of remote offerings, this program could be accessible to students across the country. Interested students learn under faculty and earn college credit from George Mason University.
ASSIP is one of many STEM and CS research opportunities. To see other programs that are out there, you can check out our comprehensive STEM and computer science research program articles.
Those looking to learn more about research programs for high school students can check out our article categorizing them here. Some select programs that are similar to George Mason ASSIP include the following:
For high school students searching for prestigious summer research programs respected and valued by colleges, Pioneer Academics is a great alternative to this featured program.
Based on a recent survey from Pioneer Academics alumni, 71 percent of Pioneer Research scholars’ college admissions records were to the top 20 US colleges and universities. Six percent of Pioneer’s alumni attended university-affiliated summer programs.
If you’re interested in conducting the highest level of research for high school students, consider joining a Pioneer information session to learn more about the Pioneer Research Institute.
If you are a 9th or 10th grader, you should check out the Global Problem-Solving Institute today. You’ll have the rare opportunity to study current world problems in an interdisciplinary approach and earn college credits from UNC-Chapel Hill at a young age.
According to online reporting, the George Mason ASSIP program maintains an acceptance rate around 10%.
There is no minimum GPA needed for the ASSIP program. Furthermore, prospective ASSIP applicants need not submit transcripts.
For students over the age of 18, George Mason expects to provide housing, at the student’s expense, for the duration of ASSIP. George Mason is unable to offer housing to those under 18 years old.
George Mason ASSIP is not free. The program tuition is $1,299, which covers the cost of three college credits. ASSIP does meet demonstrated financial need, so those interested in learning more about need-based aid should check out the ASSIP website.
Prior research experience is not a requirement for George Mason ASSIP. While it may be a worthwhile addition to the application, prior research is not considered a prerequisite. Any and all students who have an interest in completed STEM-related research are encouraged to apply.
Data Science is one of many STEM interests that program interns can explore with esteemed faculty. By nature of the advanced materials with which some of the researchers work. Interns may be exposed to advanced technology and methods within the ASSIP structured research program.
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