The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program at Texas Tech University is a free, seven-week residential summer research program for twelve rising high school seniors and recent graduates, with room, board and a $750 stipend included. Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, at least 17 by the start date, and they work one-on-one with a Texas Tech faculty mentor in Lubbock. The 2027 program runs June 20 to August 5, the application opens January 2, 2027, and it closes February 15, 2027 at 11:59 PM Central.
Every fact below comes from Texas Tech's official Clark Scholars pages, with two third-party guides used to confirm a few details. All are linked in the Sources section. Where Texas Tech has not published a number, including the acceptance rate, we say so.
What the Clark Scholars Program is
Texas Tech describes Clark Scholars as "an intensive seven-week summer research program for twelve highly qualified rising high school seniors and recent high school graduates." Each scholar is matched with a faculty mentor on Texas Tech's main campus or at its Health Sciences Center and spends the summer on a hands-on research project. The program adds weekly seminars, discussions, field trips, social activities and weekend programming, and it ends with a research project report.
The program is funded by an endowment from the Anson L. Clark Foundation and has run for more than 30 years. Texas Tech says it has served more than 350 students in that time, which is consistent with twelve scholars a year. Texas Tech also notes that the program was designed to be open to gifted students in almost any academic area, including the humanities and fine arts, although the project list for a given summer is set by which faculty volunteer to host.
Clark Scholars belongs to the small group of free, fully residential research programs alongside RSI and SSP. Our comparison of YRI, RSI and SSP explains how those programs differ, and the same logic applies here. For the wider set of options, see research opportunities for high school students.
Research areas for summer 2027
Texas Tech has posted twelve proposed projects for 2027, grouped into five research areas. Applicants pick their top areas of interest and explain what draws them to those fields, not a finished proposal. Final placements are made by the selection committee and faculty after admission.
| Area | Keywords from the 2027 list |
|---|---|
| Biology | Bioinformatics, host-microbe interactions, metagenomics, membrane repair, autoimmunity, disease ecology, vector-borne diseases, population dynamics |
| Chemistry | Inorganic and organic synthesis, supramolecular chemistry, metal-organic frameworks, sustainable catalysis, lanthanide separations |
| Computer Science | High-performance and distributed computing, AI infrastructure, data visualization, human-computer interaction, machine learning, large language models, medical informatics |
| Engineering | Microwave and millimeter-wave, wireless sensors, radar, tumor-mimicking phantoms, NIR-II bioimaging, nanoparticles, drug delivery |
| Economics | Market microstructure, information economics, asset pricing, international trade, transportation, environmental economics |
One policy is stated in bold on the official page: do not contact Texas Tech faculty about Clark Scholars projects. Texas Tech says reaching out to professors will not help an application and "may negatively impact your candidacy." All questions go to the program office at clark.scholars@ttu.edu.
Eligibility
Texas Tech lists three requirements, says there are no exceptions, and says emails requesting exceptions will not be answered:
The age rule catches many strong juniors. A student who turns 17 in July cannot attend that summer, even as a rising senior, and would need to apply as a graduating senior the following year. If that is your situation, our guides for 11th graders and 12th graders list programs with different cutoffs.
Cost and stipend
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Program fee | None |
| Application fee | $25 |
| Housing | On-campus room and board provided |
| Meals | On-campus meals provided |
| Stipend | $750, paid upon completion of a successful research project report |
| Not covered | Travel to and from Lubbock, personal expenses, medical expenses |
For a family, the total cost is the application fee plus airfare or a drive to Lubbock. Few programs of this quality are this close to free. See how much research programs cost for how the paid options compare.
Dates and deadline for 2027
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Application opens | January 2, 2027 |
| Application deadline | February 15, 2027, 11:59 PM Central |
| Recommendations due | Same deadline as the application |
| Decisions | No later than the first part of May; Texas Tech posts earlier timeframes on its main page if possible |
| Program dates | June 20 to August 5, 2027 |
Essay prompts are posted in advance so students can draft before the portal opens. Test scores received after the deadline are not accepted, and the program does not accept supplemental material of any kind. Our 2027 summer research program deadlines post places this date alongside the other selective programs.
What the application asks for
From Texas Tech's application components page and its essay prompts page:
- Online application. Create an account on the application site once it opens; all uploads as PDFs.
- Essays. Four short prompts with character limits including spaces:
- Primary research interests and potential project ideas, "being very specific," 2,000 characters.
- Optional secondary research interest, 2,000 characters.
- About yourself, your reasons for applying, your future goals and how the program would contribute to them, 2,000 characters.
- Your most fulfilling service experience, inside or outside school, 1,500 characters.
- High school transcript. Unofficial is fine. AP scores can be uploaded too.
- College admissions test scores. Required. SAT or ACT, with a score report uploaded. If those are not available by the deadline, at least a PSAT or PreACT score is required.
- Three recommendations. At least two from teachers; the third may be from a teacher, research mentor, principal investigator or a volunteer organization. These are online questionnaires rather than written letters, so tell your recommenders that in advance. Counselors may submit one but are not required to.
- Top five activities. The student's most important involvements and accomplishments, which can include honors, research programs and extracurriculars. No resume or extra list is allowed, although the service essay gives room for a sixth.
- The $25 fee.
How to be competitive
Texas Tech says scholars are selected "on the basis of their academic accomplishments, teacher recommendations and career objectives," and that the average SAT score of the twelve participants "is usually in the 99th percentile." Everything beyond that is our reading of the application, which is opinion.
- Scores matter here more than at most research programs. Test scores are required, and the published average sits at the 99th percentile. A junior should sit the SAT or ACT in the fall so an SAT or ACT score, not only a PSAT, is on file by February 15. Scores that arrive after the deadline do not count.
- The research interest essay is the matching document. Texas Tech says it helps match you to a professor. Read the five areas and their keywords, pick the one or two that fit, and write about a specific question you would want to work on. A specific interest in metal-organic frameworks beats a general love of chemistry. Our guide to choosing a research topic will help you narrow it.
- Give your three recommenders the questionnaire format and a reason to be specific. Two must be teachers. The third is a chance to bring in a research mentor if you have one, which signals you have already done the kind of work the program expects. See how to get a letter of recommendation for research.
- Choose the five activities for depth. Five slots and no resume means each one has to carry weight. A completed research project or a science fair result belongs at the top.
- Do not contact faculty. This is the one way to hurt an otherwise strong application.
The odds, frankly
Texas Tech does not publish an acceptance rate or the number of applicants. The only hard number is twelve seats, and the only published quality marker is a 99th percentile average SAT. Third-party sites publish acceptance estimates that range from under 1 percent to about 5 percent; they disagree with each other and none is official, so we do not repeat them as fact.
What the twelve-seat figure tells you is enough. Across every subject, from biology to economics, Clark admits a class smaller than a typical high school chemistry section. A student with top scores, three strong recommendations and a focused research essay is a credible applicant and should apply. The same student should assume the answer will probably be no, because that is the arithmetic, and should have research underway before May regardless.
That last point is not consolation. Students who get into programs like Clark, RSI and SIMR are usually the ones who already had a project, a mentor or a result to write about. The research came before the acceptance, not after it.
If you do not get in
Twelve students will hear yes by early May 2027. If your student is not one of them, the goal that led you to Clark in the first place, a research experience with an expert that produces something a college can evaluate, is still available on your own timeline.
The YRI Fellowship is 10 weeks, one-on-one with a PhD mentor matched to the student's field, and it ends with the student as first author on a paper submitted to a peer-reviewed IEEE, Springer or Elsevier venue. ISEF and JSHS preparation is included, the mentor writes a letter of recommendation, and mentorship continues at no extra cost until the paper is published. There is no age cutoff of 17, no citizenship requirement and no residency in Lubbock. 87% of Fellows publish, 73% place at competitions, and Fellows have been admitted to Stanford, Harvard, Caltech, Johns Hopkins and Brown.
The cost is $2,997, with a three-month payment plan and scholarships considered case by case. Admissions are rolling, so a student who hears from Clark in May can start in May and have a submitted paper before college applications open in August. For what publication looks like at this level, read how to publish a research paper in high school. Families in Texas can also see the full set of in-state options in our Texas research programs guide.
Download the YRI Fellowship brochure
The program, the outcomes, the mentors and the tuition, in one PDF you can read with your family.
Related guides
- Research programs for high school students in Texas
- Summer research program deadlines for 2027
- Research opportunities for high school students
- Fellowships for high school students
- YRI vs RSI vs SSP, the complete comparison
- How to publish a research paper in high school
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Clark Scholars acceptance rate?
Texas Tech does not publish one. The program admits twelve students each summer, and the average SAT of participants is usually in the 99th percentile. Third-party estimates range from under 1 percent to about 5 percent and are not official.
How much is the Clark Scholars stipend?
$750, paid after the scholar completes a successful research project report. Room and board and on-campus meals are also provided at no charge.
Who is eligible for Clark Scholars in 2027?
U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are at least 17 by June 20, 2027 and who will participate either the summer before senior year or the summer after graduating. Texas Tech makes no exceptions to the age rule.
When is the Clark Scholars application deadline for 2027?
February 15, 2027 at 11:59 PM Central. The application opens January 2, 2027, recommendations are due at the same deadline, and decisions arrive no later than early May.
Does Clark Scholars require SAT or ACT scores?
Yes. SAT or ACT scores are required with an uploaded score report. If they are not available by the deadline, a PSAT or PreACT score is required instead, and scores received after the deadline are not accepted.
What does the Clark Scholars Program cost?
There is no program fee. Families pay a $25 application fee, travel to and from Lubbock, and personal and medical expenses.
Can international students apply to Clark Scholars?
No. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. International students looking for mentored research can see our guide to research programs for international students.
What should I do if I am rejected from Clark Scholars?
Start the research anyway. The YRI Fellowship pairs students with a PhD mentor for 10 weeks, ends in a first-author paper submitted to a peer-reviewed IEEE, Springer or Elsevier venue, includes ISEF and JSHS preparation, and has rolling admissions with no age or citizenship restrictions, so a May rejection can become a submitted paper by the time applications open.
Sources
- Texas Tech Clark Scholars Program: homepage (twelve scholars, 2027 program dates)
- Texas Tech Clark Scholars Program: Program Benefits and Eligibility (fees, room and board, $750 stipend, age and citizenship rules)
- Texas Tech Clark Scholars Program: Application Details (2027 open date and deadline, application components)
- Texas Tech Clark Scholars Program: Essay Prompts (prompts and character limits)
- Texas Tech Clark Scholars Program: Research Areas, Summer 2027 (twelve projects, five areas, faculty contact policy)
- Texas Tech Clark Scholars Program: Frequently Asked Questions (test scores, recommendations, notification timing)
- Texas Tech Clark Scholars Program: About (selection criteria, 99th percentile SAT, 350+ alumni, endowment)
- College Transitions: The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program at Texas Tech
- Immerse Education: Clark Scholars Program 2026 applicant guide ($750 stipend, $25 fee, 2026 deadline)