College Admissions
Results 2026
College Admissions
Results 2026
College Admissions
Results 2026
We surveyed 137 RISE Scholars from the 2026 early college admissions cycle to evaluate the impact of independent research projects on university outcomes. Students who completed original research were approximately 3× more likely to receive offers from Top 20 universities. The findings demonstrate how research strengthens college applications by helping students present a clear academic narrative beyond grades and test scores.
We surveyed 137 RISE Scholars from the 2026 early college admissions cycle to evaluate the impact of independent research projects on university outcomes. Students who completed original research were approximately 3× more likely to receive offers from Top 20 universities. The findings demonstrate how research strengthens college applications by helping students present a clear academic narrative beyond grades and test scores.
We surveyed 137 RISE Scholars from the 2026 early college admissions cycle to evaluate the impact of independent research projects on university outcomes. Students who completed original research were approximately 3× more likely to receive offers from Top 20 universities. The findings demonstrate how research strengthens college applications by helping students present a clear academic narrative beyond grades and test scores.
of RISE students accepted to Top 20 universities, securing $8M+ in scholarships.
of RISE students with published research secured an Early University Admission
of RISE alumni who applied to Ivies were accepted to one or more
of students successfully published in a peer-reviewed global academic journal
Download our Early Admissions Report 2026
Download our Early Admissions Report 2026
RISE Acceptance rate to Ivies
RISE Acceptance rate to Ivies
Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Cornell, Dartmouth, Columbia, Brown, Penn
Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Cornell, Dartmouth, Columbia, Brown, Penn
of RISE alumni who applied to Ivies were accepted to one or more
of RISE alumni who applied to Ivies were accepted to one or more
Average national acceptance rate to Ivies
Average national acceptance rate to Ivies
RISE Research students applying to Harvard incorporated original research as a core component of their application.
RISE Research students applying to Harvard incorporated original research as a core component of their application.
RISE Research students applying to Columbia University positioned original research as a central academic spike, particularly aligned with intended majors and long-term academic interests.
RISE Research students applying to Columbia University positioned original research as a central academic spike, particularly aligned with intended majors and long-term academic interests.
RISE Research applicants to Cornell University cited mentored research or extended projects as a defining strength in their application, exceeding baseline applicant trends.
RISE Research applicants to Cornell University cited mentored research or extended projects as a defining strength in their application, exceeding baseline applicant trends.
RISE Research students applying to Princeton University emphasized advanced, self-directed academic work to demonstrate depth and readiness for rigorous undergraduate study.
RISE Research students applying to Princeton University emphasized advanced, self-directed academic work to demonstrate depth and readiness for rigorous undergraduate study.
RISE Acceptance rate to top 25 schools
RISE Acceptance rate to top 25 schools
Top 25 Universities based on US News & World Report ranking.
Top 25 Universities based on US News & World Report ranking.
RISE Research applicants to Stanford positioned independent research as a central academic spike, compared to a much smaller share of the general applicant pool.
RISE Research applicants to Stanford positioned independent research as a central academic spike, compared to a much smaller share of the general applicant pool.
RISE Acceptance rate to top 10 UK universities
RISE Acceptance rate to top 10 UK universities
Top 10 UK Universities based on US News & World Report global ranking.
Top 10 UK Universities based on US News & World Report global ranking.
RISE Research applicants to LSE used independent research to demonstrate subject depth and academic fit, exceeding LSE’s overall competitiveness benchmarks by a wide margin.
RISE Research applicants to LSE used independent research to demonstrate subject depth and academic fit, exceeding LSE’s overall competitiveness benchmarks by a wide margin.
RISE Research students applying to Cambridge cited original research or supervised academic work as a defining strength in their application. -substantially above the baseline among typical applicants.
RISE Research students applying to Cambridge cited original research or supervised academic work as a defining strength in their application. -substantially above the baseline among typical applicants.
RISE Research applicants to Oxford leveraged extended research or academic writing as a primary basis for their personal statement or interview discussions.
RISE Research applicants to Oxford leveraged extended research or academic writing as a primary basis for their personal statement or interview discussions.
RISE Acceptance rate to top engineering schools
RISE Acceptance rate to top engineering schools
MIT, Stanford, Caltech, Carnegie Mellon, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Georgia Tech, Purdue
MIT, Stanford, Caltech, Carnegie Mellon, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Georgia Tech, Purdue
of RISE students who applied to top engineering schools were accepted to one or more
of RISE students who applied to top engineering schools were accepted to one or more
RISE Research students applying to MIT submitted self-driven research projects aligned with their intended major — over 4× higher than MIT’s overall admit rate.
RISE Research students applying to MIT submitted self-driven research projects aligned with their intended major — over 4× higher than MIT’s overall admit rate.
RISE Research students applying to Caltech emphasized advanced, self-directed STEM research as a defining component of their application.
RISE Research students applying to Caltech emphasized advanced, self-directed STEM research as a defining component of their application.
RISE Acceptance rate to top UC schools
RISE Acceptance rate to top UC schools
RISE students have their sights set on West Coast schools. About half of our alumni applied to at least one school in the University of California System.
RISE students have their sights set on West Coast schools. About half of our alumni applied to at least one school in the University of California System.
RISE Research applicants to UCLA used original research to demonstrate academic depth and subject alignment in their application. significantly above what is typically seen among the broader UCLA applicant pool.
RISE Research applicants to UCLA used original research to demonstrate academic depth and subject alignment in their application. significantly above what is typically seen among the broader UCLA applicant pool.
Download our Early Admissions Report 2026
Download our Early Admissions Report 2026
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1.
1.
Fill RISE Research Application Form
Fill RISE Research Application Form
2.
2.
Profile Shortlisting
Profile Shortlisting
3.
3.
Interview Discussion
Interview Discussion
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4.
Program Onboarding
Program Onboarding