The YRI Top 1% Profile is the YRI Fellowship's program built for Ivy League admissions. Over 6 to 9 months, YRI builds your child's entire profile with you: 2 to 3 published papers in one field, a patent with their name on it, a company or nonprofit, the full competition season, and one story that ties it all together, with the founder working with your family personally.
It costs $9,997 (or 3 payments of $3,333), and only 8 families a year are accepted. This guide covers what the Top 1% Profile includes, who it is for, how it differs from the 10-week Research Fellowship, and how to apply.
What the YRI Top 1% Profile is
Most applicants to the most selective schools bring a list of activities: debate club, honor society, volunteer hours, a summer program certificate. The Top 1% Profile is built on a simple idea from the YRI site: an admissions officer reads each application for about 8 minutes, and in that time the file has to make the reader stop.
So instead of adding one credential to your child's application, YRI builds the whole profile with you, piece by piece:
| Piece | What your child finishes with |
|---|---|
| Papers | 2 to 3 published papers, first author, in one field, at venues such as IEEE and Springer |
| Patent | A patent application filed with your child named as inventor, drawn from their own research |
| Impact | A company or a nonprofit they started, built and running |
| Awards | The full competition season, with intensive coaching for ISEF, JSHS and more |
| Story | One story that ties it together, so the reader remembers who your child is |
No experience is needed. Most families start with a child who has never done research, never filed anything and never started anything. YRI builds all of it from zero.
What is included in the Top 1% Profile
Everything in the Research Fellowship
Every Top 1% student gets everything the Research Fellowship includes: unlimited 1:1 sessions with a PhD mentor, help from the first idea to the finished paper, editing by the writing team, submission by the publishing team, a mentor letter of recommendation, and free help until each paper is published.
2 to 3 published papers in one field
Not a single project. Your child runs multiple original studies over the 6 to 9 months, each one first author and submitted to peer-reviewed venues. Keeping them in one field builds a record of research, not a one-off.
A filed patent
YRI drafts and files a patent application drawn from your child's research, with your child named as inventor. The filing is guaranteed. Whether a patent is granted is decided by the patent office and takes years, which is why "patent pending" is what goes on the application.
A company or nonprofit
Your child starts a company with revenue or a nonprofit with impact, grown through YRI's network of operators and advisors.
The full competition season
YRI chooses the slate with you and runs the season start to finish: STS, Davidson, Conrad, Breakthrough, ISEF, JSHS and the regionals. Forms, deadlines, posters and mock judging are handled, and judge questions are rehearsed.
One story, and the founder in every file
The paper, the patent, the venture and the awards all point the same direction. Together they become a personal brand: an admissions officer finishes the file knowing exactly who your child is and what they stand for. The founder works with each family personally, which is the reason the program is limited to 8 families.
Who the Top 1% Profile is for
The YRI pricing page puts it plainly: if your child is aiming for Harvard, Stanford or the Ivy League, choose the Top 1% Profile.
It fits families who:
- Are targeting the Ivy League and the most selective schools in the world
- Want the entire profile maximized, not one credential added to it
- Have a child who can give 5 to 10 hours a week, scheduled around school
- Want the founder involved directly, every week
It is not a bar your child has to clear. As the Top 1% page explains, the limit of 8 is a limit on YRI's time. What matters is that your child is curious and willing to put in the hours.
How the Top 1% Profile differs from the YRI Research Fellowship
Both programs come from the YRI Fellowship and share the same mentors, editors and publishing team. They differ in scope.
| The Research Fellowship | The Top 1% Profile | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Your child's first published paper | Your child's complete Ivy League profile |
| Length | 10 weeks | 6 to 9 months |
| Price | $2,997 or 3 x $999 | $9,997 or 3 x $3,333 |
| Papers | One first-author paper | 2 to 3 papers in one field |
| Patent | Not included | Filed, child named as inventor |
| Venture | Not included | A company or nonprofit |
| Competitions | ISEF, JSHS and regional fair preparation | The full competition season, coached intensively |
| Who guides it | Your PhD mentor and the YRI team | The founder works with your family personally |
| Seats | Rolling admissions | 8 families a year, by application and interview |
| Weekly time | 5 to 8 hours | 5 to 10 hours |
Choose the Fellowship if you want one published paper with your child's name on it, in 10 weeks. Most families start here.
Choose the Top 1% Profile if your child is aiming for Harvard, Stanford or the Ivy League and you want the whole application built with you.
Fellowship alumni can apply to the Top 1% Profile too. A published paper is the strongest possible opening, because the first piece is already in place and the remaining months go into the patent, the company and the story. For a full breakdown of both prices, see our YRI Fellowship cost guide.
Two student files
The Top 1% page shows two recent student files. Both started with nothing on the application.
Sadaf S.
Sadaf came in with zero research experience. Her file ended with:
- A first-author paper accepted at an IEEE conference
- A nonprofit she founded, built on her own research
- A recommendation letter from the PhD who worked beside her
She was admitted to Brown and Johns Hopkins. Read Sadaf's story.
Devansh G.
Devansh was a 9th grader who liked writing poetry. His file ended with:
- A first-author IEEE paper on detecting depression from heart signals, published at 14
- A health-AI company scaled to 7 figures in revenue
- A poetry platform founded with The Times Group
Read Devansh's story.
Across the program, YRI Fellows have been admitted to Harvard, Stanford, Brown, Johns Hopkins and Caltech. More results are on Published Work.
How to apply to the Top 1% Profile
There are four steps, and the first takes 10 minutes and costs nothing.
Applying does not commit you to anything. If the Top 1% Profile is not the right fit, YRI will tell you directly and point you to the Fellowship, which produces the publication in 10 weeks at $2,997.
Frequently asked questions
What is the YRI Top 1% Profile?
It is YRI Fellowship's 6 to 9 month program built for Ivy League admissions. It builds 2 to 3 published papers, a filed patent, a company or nonprofit, and the full competition season into one story, with the founder working with your family personally.
How much does the Top 1% Profile cost?
$9,997, or 3 payments of $3,333, settled after acceptance.
Why only 8 families a year?
The founder is in every one of these profiles personally, and the work runs 6 to 9 months. Past 8, that attention stops being possible, so YRI closes the year at 8.
Does my child need research experience?
No. Most families start with a child who has never done research. YRI builds every piece from zero.
Is the patent guaranteed?
The filing is. YRI drafts and files the application with your child named as inventor. Whether a patent is granted is up to the patent office.
How much time does it take each week?
Five to ten hours, scheduled around school. The heavy lifting on filings, submissions and company setup is done by YRI's team. Your child does the thinking and the work that has to be theirs.
Can Fellowship alumni apply?
Yes, and they often do. A published paper is already the first piece of the profile.
Apply for one of 8 places
Your child does not need a head start. YRI takes 8 families a year so the founder can work with each one personally, every week, until the papers are published, the patent is filed, the company is running and the story is done.
See the Top 1% Profile or compare it with the Fellowship on the YRI pricing page. If one published paper is the right first step, start with the YRI Research Fellowship.
