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Horizon

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    • Courses 
      • Master Course List
      • STEM Courses
      • Social Science Courses
      • Project Extensions
    • Instructors
    • Our Program 
      • How It Works
      • Why Participate
      • FAQ
      • Project Extensions
      • Examples of Student Work
    • Contact Us
    • Blog
    • About Us 
      • Who We Are
      • Partners
      • Our Team
    Apply

    Horizon

    • Courses 
      • Master Course List
      • STEM Courses
      • Social Science Courses
      • Project Extensions
    • Instructors
    • Our Program 
      • How It Works
      • Why Participate
      • FAQ
      • Project Extensions
      • Examples of Student Work
    • Contact Us
    • Blog
    • About Us 
      • Who We Are
      • Partners
      • Our Team
    • …  
      • Courses 
        • Master Course List
        • STEM Courses
        • Social Science Courses
        • Project Extensions
      • Instructors
      • Our Program 
        • How It Works
        • Why Participate
        • FAQ
        • Project Extensions
        • Examples of Student Work
      • Contact Us
      • Blog
      • About Us 
        • Who We Are
        • Partners
        • Our Team
      Apply
      • Gap Year and Extensions

      • The Horizon Academic Research Program offers two extensions of our Core Program for students interested in podcasting or publishing. Our Extended Programs are tailored to the needs of students taking gap years/semesters, and students seeking further opportunities to advance and apply their research who have enrolled in Horizon Seminar or Horizon Labs. Our Extended Programs aim to offer students longer-term research opportunities spanning a total of 6-7 months, commencing with our core 16 week research experience in our traditional research program, and followed by an 8-10 week extension which adds a podcast, or publication component. Students may apply to participate in one of our Semester Extended Programs directly, or they may choose to “add on” one of these extension focuses after completing our core research program.

      • Extended Programs Offered by Horizon

        Horizon Academic Extended Programs. Three programs: podcasting, publishing or research assistantship. This graphic offers an overview, the support provided, eligibility criteria and outcomes for the student.
      • All Horizon Extended Programs Are:

      • Apply Now
      • Join an Upcoming Information Session
      • Application Process

        Just like Horizon Academic’s core programs, Horizon’s Semester Extended Programs have a competitive application process, with a 26% acceptance rate. We require students to submit a written application and writing samples and to sit for an interview, because we want to ensure that every student in our program is positioned to succeed in doing college-level research and completing a 20 page research manuscript. Our admissions team considers a variety of criteria including the applicant's demonstrated interest in the subject they wish to study, accomplishments outside of the classroom (e.g. extracurricular activities, internships, or service work), performance in traditional school coursework, personal statements, writing samples, and discussions in the oral interview.

        Please note that students who have been admitted and enrolled into Horizon Academic already may apply to join one of our extension programs. Because currently enrolled students have already completed the standard admissions process, the application for extension is significantly abridged. However, students must apply for their extension at least 6 weeks prior to their desired extension start date.

        Program Costs

        At Horizon Academic, we feel that it’s important for applicants to fully understand the program's details and costs. Please contact Horizon for more complete program information. Note that we offer need-based financial aid for Horizon Seminar classes in our traditional program, but our Semester Extended Programs and Horizon Labs courses do not have any financial aid options at this time.

      • Program Timeline (By Week)

         

        Horizon’s Core Research Program (Horizon Labs or Horizon Seminar)

        1

        Student Enters Core Research Program

        2

        Background Reading and Class Tutorial; Topic Selection

        Week 1-5

        3

        Select and Analyze Data, or Read a Customized Reading List

        Week 6-12

        4

        Paper Composition and Editing

        Week 13-15

        5

        Student Completes Paper and Core Research Program

        Week 16

        6

        Student Begins Extension Program

        Options Appear Below for Week 17 and Beyond

      • Two Different Paths

        After You Complete the Core Horizon Academic Program

        Horizon Academic Research Program Project Extensions. Three different pathways: podcasting, publication or research assistantship.
      • How They Work

        Podcasting

        Podcasting offers students a fun, interdisciplinary, hands-on way to apply what they’ve learned through their research and creating something that can be easily shared and understood by a student’s peers and wider community. Students can translate their research into podcasts in several ways: narrating the secret history of an important event, presenting a series of stories surrounding the student’s research theme, interviewing scholars whose work was at the heart of a student’s paper, or hosting chats or panel discussions with professionals whose work involves a student’s research subject. Creating and producing podcasts speak to a student’s ability to commit to one theme beyond the simple confines of a paper with a due date, demonstrating their passion for a topic and their ability to learn new skills like sound engineering, complex storytelling, graphic design, and planning a complex, multi-faceted project. Podcast competitions like those hosted by NPR, the New York Times, and various universities offer added visibility for particularly thought-provoking student-created podcasts.

        Publication

        Publication is a challenging goal for high school student researchers. Horizon Academic’s Core Program is structured to support students in creating a research manuscript, and we’re proud to say that many of our students have had their papers accepted for publication in peer-reviewed academic journals. Some students choose to do this work independently after they create a research manuscript, but some students benefit from added guidance from their research mentors. Our publication extension aims to assist students in editing, improving, and transforming their initial research manuscript into a paper with a higher likelihood of acceptance for publication. We do so by advising them on how they can add new layers of sophistication to their papers, better connect their research with the prominent papers and theory surrounding their research question, refine their arguments to be more precise, and, when applicable, add novel empirical data analysis to their argument. At Horizon Academic, we strongly believe that research is an inherently valuable process for high school students, but we also recognize that some students view the creation of a research manuscript as the first step in a longer process of understanding the peer review and publication process. For these students, we’re pleased to offer the publication extension as an added layer of support and structure. We have structured our publication extension program to improve their likelihood of acceptance in a peer-reviewed journal, but students and families should bear in mind that publication cannot be ethically guaranteed.

      • Apply Now
      • FAQ

        Which programs are a good fit for my particular subject interests?

        All of the Extension Programs are compatible with the 17 subjects offered in Horizon Academic. For instance, an economics research paper could be conductive to podcast interviews with the experts you’ve read, an assistantship under a doctoral researcher, or a plan to adapt your paper for publication.

        What is the value of doing a gap year or extended research project?

        The Horizon Academic Research Program recognizes that students cultivate interests in academic research at different points in their academic journeys. The “gap year” or “gap semester” can be a pivotal time in a young adult’s journey, where they discover academic interests and contextualize these interests in terms of an undergraduate major and a career.

        What are the requirements for admission? Is admission competitive?

        Admission for all of our Extended Programs is competitive, just as our Core Program is. Podcasting has the same admission requirements as our Core Program. Publishing and Research Assistantships require that students have at least grade 11 status, a 3.8 GPA, and advanced coursework in their desired Extension Focus.

        If I’ve done research in one subject and I want to do an extension in a different subject, is this possible?

        It depends. This may be possible for podcasting, depending on the nature of the interest in podcasting and how much background we feel is necessary for your podcast concept. This is almost never possible with publishing.

        I’m confused. I thought Horizon Academic was a research program?

        We are! This page is dedicated to Extension Programs which were created with gap year students and highly motivated alumni of our core research program. Our core research program can be found here.

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