The Rutgers Waksman Student Scholars Program (WSSP), students take part in real molecular biology research.
Here’s what we mean: Duckweed rarely earns a second glance, yet here, a single species, Landoltia punctata, becomes the basis for an entire research project. Students study the genes of this small freshwater plant and compare them with those of other species, working with DNA sequences that can ultimately be submitted to GenBank after successful analysis. That database submission is a research contribution rather than a conventional publication.
A tiny aquatic plant turns out to be a practical window into molecular biology and bioinformatics. Because participants work on the same underlying research question, they can follow how scientists identify and analyze genes and compare them across species. In the year-long WSSP and in-person WISE programs, students also perform hands-on molecular biology procedures, while the online vWISE program focuses on bioinformatic sequence analysis rather than laboratory experiments.
This guide explains the three programs that share the Waksman name, what each one costs, how applications work, and who each one suits, with New Jersey students, parents, and biology teachers in mind.
The Waksman Student Scholars Program (WSSP) is run through the Waksman Institute of Microbiology at Rutgers University. Its purpose is to bring bioinformatics and molecular biology research into high school classrooms, so that students and teachers work on an authentic research project centered on a genuine research question rather than a textbook exercise. According to the Waksman Student Scholars Program, it has operated since 1993 and has involved more than 250 high school science teachers and over 15,000 students.
The traditional WSSP model is a year long program. The cycle begins with a summer institute, which many teachers attend alongside one or two students. The project then moves back to the school during the academic year, where more students can get involved through a class or an after-school club setting. Participating schools, according to the Waksman Student Scholars Program, have involved anywhere from four to 120 students.
For students applying independently rather than through a participating high school, WISE, the Waksman Institute Summer Experience, is the in-person summer option. The snapshot below reflects that program. A separate online version, vWISE, is also available. The program also appears in our guide to summer research opportunities, which compares research structure, academic oversight, mentorship, and student responsibilities across different program models.
The shared name causes most of the confusion. WSSP begins with a school and participating teacher, while WISE and vWISE accept applications from individual students. If you are a student looking to apply independently, WISE or vWISE is the relevant route.
WISE days follow a steady rhythm: Rutgers faculty provide seminar instruction, and students then engage in laboratory work. Recent students have purified plasmid DNA, performed PCR, used restriction enzymes, and separated DNA fragments with agarose gel electrophoresis. They then analyze the resulting sequences using bioinformatics tools also used by research scientists.
Everyone works within the same faculty-designed research project: how do genes from Landoltia punctata, a species of duckweed, compare with genes found in other organisms? Students work from their own sequence data within that shared project, giving the program a guided structure while still producing individual analyses.
vWISE follows the same scientific project without the laboratory component. Sessions meet online on weekdays in morning and afternoon blocks, Eastern time. Between sessions, students review online videos and lecture notes, take quizzes, and complete bioinformatics assignments. Students in vWISE do not conduct laboratory experiments; the emphasis is on analyzing sequence data.
Rutgers requires WISE and vWISE applicants to have completed a high school biology course and to be able to attend every session. Rutgers also asks students whose school remains in session during vWISE not to participate, so the program is intended for students who are on summer break.
Current WISE application materials appear to be designed for students entering Grades 10–12: students entering 10th grade are asked for a current report card, while those entering 11th or 12th grade submit a transcript. The current WISE pages do not list a residency requirement.
For WSSP, the starting point is different: participation requires a school and teacher committed to running the research project during the following academic year.
Rutgers does not publish an acceptance rate for WISE or vWISE. Applications are reviewed as they arrive, offers are made on a rolling basis, and Rutgers describes each program as competitive with limited capacity. WISE applications are accepted on a first come, first served basis.
Students present school records, a 200-word personal statement describing their interest in science, contact information for their guidance counselor, and the name and email of a biology or science teacher who can verify their coursework as part of the application. They must also confirm that they can attend every session.
Because applications are considered as they arrive and spaces are limited, timing matters. In 2026, Rutgers had offered every available place by March 16 and had already built long waiting lists. Rutgers also reserves the right to cancel a session if too few students enroll.
WISE and vWISE applications are submitted online only. The table below summarizes what applicants need and what the year-long WSSP route looks like for teachers.
Teachers can request WSSP application materials by emailing WSSP@waksman.rutgers.edu.
The Rutgers Waksman Student Scholars Program deadline works differently from most summer programs. WISE and vWISE use rolling admissions and can fill before any conventional final deadline, so applying soon after applications open matters.
The latest published fee for the in-person WISE program is $2,200, while vWISE costs $600. Rutgers has not yet posted 2027 pricing.
For WISE, the fee covers seminars, laboratory supplies and reagents used to generate novel DNA sequences from duckweed, and online review of students’ work. The vWISE fee covers seminars, the generation of novel DNA sequences used for analysis, and online review of student work. Both fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
WISE is non-residential, so Rutgers does not provide or charge for student housing. Families traveling from outside commuting distance would need to arrange and pay for their own transportation and lodging. vWISE is fully online.
The current program pages do not advertise financial aid or fee waivers for WISE or vWISE. Families who need assistance should contact WSSP directly to ask whether any support is available.
The year-long WSSP is structured differently. Students attending the Summer Institute participate at no cost, and teachers receive a stipend. Participating schools may need to purchase some consumable laboratory supplies during the academic year, while WSSP provides most reagents, DNA sequencing, analysis review, and related services.
For a student who has finished biology and wants a short, structured introduction to molecular biology lab work and bioinformatics, WISE offers two focused weeks at a research university. The latest published fee is $2,200 for the in-person option. vWISE offers the bioinformatics side of the same research project for $600 for students who need a fully online option.
The scope is worth understanding before you apply. WISE students work within a shared, faculty-designed research project in molecular biology and use many of the same laboratory and analytical techniques, but they analyze individual DNA sequence data and can produce different findings. That structure suits students who want to learn core molecular biology techniques, see how science operates, and follow how researchers move from experimental data to sequence analysis. It also suits teachers who want to bring that work into a high school through the year-long WSSP.
Students who want a different structure can compare it with our list of top biology programs for high school students.
Students who want a broader view of their options can start with our overview of science summer programs for high school students. The Waksman programs are built around a clear goal: showing students how molecular biology moves from laboratory work and DNA sequence data to scientific analysis. The strongest choice is the program whose design matches what a student wants to learn.
Students who want to explore beyond New Jersey can start with our overview of college-based research programs for high school students. Three programs with different structures and eligibility rules are below.
There is no published acceptance rate for WISE or vWISE. Applications are reviewed as they arrive on a first-come, first-served basis until sessions fill, so applying early matters. Rutgers also describes each program as competitive with limited capacity. Applicants submit school records, a 200-word personal statement, contact information for a biology or science teacher who can verify their coursework, and contact information for a guidance counselor.
WSSP is a year-long, school-based program that begins with a participating teacher and continues at the high school through a course or after-school research program. WISE is a separate two-week, in-person summer program offered through WSSP that individual students can apply to directly. A virtual version, vWISE, offers the bioinformatics portion online.
vWISE has no laboratory component. It is fully online and focuses on bioinformatics analysis of gene sequences from the same Landoltia punctata research project, with online seminars led by Rutgers faculty. Students who want hands-on molecular biology lab work would look to the in-person WISE program instead.
WISE takes place at the Waksman Institute on the Busch Campus of Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey. The program is non-residential, so no student housing is provided and participants must arrange their own daily transportation and, if necessary, lodging.
A completed high school biology course is the core academic prerequisite, along with the ability to attend every session. The application also asks for a 200-word personal statement, school records, contact information for a biology or science teacher who can verify the student’s coursework, and contact information for a guidance counselor.
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.
Based on a recent survey, 71 percent of Pioneer Research scholars’ acceptances were to the top 20 US colleges and universities. Additionally, our alumni report acceptances to highly-selective institutions at a rate five times higher than the school’s published acceptance rate.
If you are a 9th or 10th grader, we encourage you to also check out the Global Problem-Solving Institute. You’ll have the rare opportunity to take an interdisciplinary approach to complex world issues, while earning college credits from UNC-Chapel Hill.
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