2025 Application Portal
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Application Steps:
1. Complete the Application for Admission
2. Pay the Application Fee
3. Follow Up With Your Teacher Reference
- Access the SIP 2024 Intern Application by clicking on the “Apply Here” button at the top of the page.
- If you have applied in previous years and are using the same email address, the application system may recognize your email address. If you do not recall the password you used before, you will need to use the “Forgot Password” function to reset your password.
- Please read all instructions for each section for information and reminders
- Access the Iris Payment Portal by clicking on the “Payment Portal” button at the top of the page to set up an account and pay the $60 application fee.
- Please note that the payment portal is a separate system from the application portal.
- To use the payment portal, you will need to create a separate account.
- Simply register again using the same credentials.
- Using the same email address in both systems will make it easier for us to match your accounts.
- If you have applied in previous years, the system may recognize your email address. If you do not recall the password you used in previous years, use the “Forgot Password” function to reset your password.
- A non-refundable application fee of $60 is required for your application to be considered complete and reviewed for admission. If you need financial support, please email the SIP office at ucsc-sip@ucsc.edu to with a sentence or two explaining your need, and an application fee waiver will be granted.
- One reference from a teacher or mentor who knows you and your academic aptitude well is required for your SIP application to be considered complete.
- Instructions for having the Teacher Reference Form sent to your teacher reference are in Section Two of the SIP 2024 Application for Admission linked above.
- It is a great idea to identify the teacher who will be your reference as soon as possible and have the teacher reference form sent to them as soon as possible, so that they have as much time as possible to complete your reference.
- Once the Teacher Reference Form has been sent to the teacher or mentor you identified, you will receive a confirmation email, which will include instructions on how to change your reference if the first reference you identified is not able to complete the reference, after all.
- Once the teacher or mentor has completed and submitted their reference on your behalf, you will receive a confirmation email.
Eligibility
Students are at least 14 years of age on the program start date of Monday, June 24, 2024 (at least 16 years of age for certain research project placements) and currently enrolled in high school. While many SIP interns are “rising seniors” (in the summer between junior and senior year), this is not a requirement. Students who expect to have graduated high school by this summer are generally ineligible. Students will generally fall into one of the following categories: (1) those who use weekday housing from Monday through Friday, and have a clear plan for local weekend housing, such as staying with a relative in the bay area on weekends or going home for the weekend, (2) those who use full-week housing seven days a week (typically only students who live out of the area),
The SIP 2024 program will be an in-person program. On-campus housing accommodations will be offered. SIP interns can also commute to the UCSC campus via the SIP shuttles.
A limited number of partial and full need-based scholarships are available. Scholarship requests will be considered after admission offers have been made; financial need has no bearing on admission decisions. We encourage interested students to apply regardless of their financial situation. Every effort will be made to provide financial assistance. Interns who qualify for financial aid will be granted a financial aid package covering 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100% of their program fees and any transportation, room, and board expenses for attending the program. Interns with the most need will be considered for a stipend to offset hidden costs of attending the program, such as giving up work hours to support their family in order to attend SIP.
For questions about disability-related accommodations, please contact the program staff at ucsc-sip@ucsc.edu.
Key Dates for 2024
| Application portal opens | Friday, March 1, 2024 |
| Application deadline | Sunday, March 31, 2024 (11:59 PM PDT) |
| Teacher recommendation deadline | Sunday, March 31, 2024 (11:59 PM PDT) |
| Initial round of admission offers emailed | Friday, April 26, 2024 |
| Admission offer acceptance & deposit deadline (initial round) | Monday, May 6, 2024 (11:59 PM PDT) |
| Full payment and registration form deadline | Wednesday, May 15, 2024 (11:59 PM PDT) |
| Research preparation weeks (virtual) | June 10–21, 2024 |
| Program kickoff | Sunday, June 23, 2024 |
| Active research weeks (in-person) | June 24–August 9, 2024* |
| Final presentation day | Saturday, August 10, 2024 |
*Please note: UC Santa Cruz and SIP will be closed on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 in observance of the Juneteenth holiday, and Thursday, July 4, 2024 in observance of US Independence Day.
Program Costs for 2024
| Application fee (non-refundable) | $60 |
| Deposit to hold spot | $500 |
| Remainder of academic program fee ($4,750 minus $500 deposit) | $4,250 |
| Optional weekday dorm housing fee per week for up to 7 weeks* Optional 7-day dorm housing fee per week for up to 7 weeks* |
$625 $900 |
| Optional weekday daily shuttle fee per week for up to 7 weeks* Optional Monday/Friday shuttle fee per week for up to 7 weeks* |
$200 $65 |
A limited number of application fee waivers will be available upon request. Need-based scholarship requests will be considered to cover all or part of the academic program fee, dorm housing fee, and shuttle transportation costs. Interns who qualify for financial aid will be granted a financial aid package covering 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100% of their program fees and any transportation, room, and board expenses for attending the program. Interns with the most need will be considered for a stipend to offset hidden costs of attending the program, such as giving up work hours to support their family in order to attend SIP.
Step by Step: Application to Enrollment
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the following steps are completed in a timely manner:
1. Application
- Include research area preferences and associated brief essays, personal statement, unofficial transcript, names/emails of one reference, etc. Ensure that the teacher/mentor recommendation forms are submitted by the March 31, 2024 deadline.
2. Acceptance of Offer
- A non-refundable deposit is required to hold the student’s spot, but the deposit will be waived initially for students who request scholarships. Initial housing and transportation selections, scholarship requests and associated information must be submitted by the May 6, 2024 deadline.
3. Full Payment/Registration
- SIP 2024 will be in-person. The registration packet and final payment for the balance of the program fee will be due by the May 15, 2024 deadline.
Selection Criteria
Students will be selected based on their level of interest in the subject to which they are being matched for research project placement, motivation to learn new concepts, and capacity for analytical thinking. Many of the research projects are computational in nature; in these cases, it is desirable that the student have some prior computer programming experience. Preference may be given to returning SIP students and to students who are willing to commit to working full-time for all 9 weeks of the program.
Answers to Questions
If you have additional questions about the SIP application and enrollment process, please contact the program staff at ucsc-sip@ucsc.edu.