SoTS Princeton Research Labs offer in-person weekly meetings in central Princeton, NJ. Students work on real research projects with direct mentorship from Dr. Sergey Samsonau.
This is not a class. No lectures. Students work on real problems with support - identifying questions, designing approaches, collecting data, analyzing results, and presenting findings.
Many projects require experimental work, equipment, or fieldwork. Students and families identify resources at their school, purchase materials (eBay, hardware stores), or find opportunities in nature around them.
Can't attend in person? SoTS also offers fully online research labs with the same mentorship quality.
| Feature | SoTS Research Labs | Others |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3,500/semester (16+ sessions) | $3,000-$3,700 (~10 sessions) |
| Format | In-person weekly meetings (Princeton) + online option | Almost exclusively online/Zoom |
| Session Frequency | Weekly meetings | Spread over 3-4 months |
| Mission | Built by educators and scientists to enable the best teenage research experience | Primarily focused on producing papers for college admissions |
| Mentor Qualification | PhD educators with multi-year experience mentoring teens in research | Typically grad students & postdocs (subject experts, not specialized in teen education) |
| Learning Model | Small group (5 in-person, 4-6 online) with peer learning — weekly feedback, discussion, learning from others' projects | Typically 1:1 sessions — limited peer interaction |
| Project Ownership | Students formulate their own ideas or join projects created by peers | Students often guided toward mentor's research interests |
| Real-World Access | Field sites, local partnerships (Watershed Institute), hands-on equipment | Virtual only — no physical lab or field access |
| AI Support Between Sessions | Purpose-built AI Research Mentor available 24/7 | Generic AI only (ChatGPT, etc.) |
| Presentation Skills | Regular practice built into weekly meetings | Often limited or extra cost |
| Community | Multi-year relationships — grow with your lab and peers over time | Typically transactional — fixed program length, then done |
| Accountability | Students must demonstrate commitment and progress | Students treated as paying clients — low accountability |
| Publication & Conference Ecosystem | Peer-reviewed journal, popular science magazine, annual conference (NYC) — all built for teen scientists | "Showcasing support" often available at extra cost |
| Research Profile | Documented journey capturing projects, skills, peer reviews, presentations — grows with you | Typically just a paper or project as output |
| Social Impact | Your participation funds development of the SoTS ecosystem including resources, initiatives, and AI Research Mentor to make quality research guidance affordable and accessible for all | None |
No labs available at this time.
SoTS Princeton Research Labs is a space for students who are curious, active, and engaged. Students should demonstrate progress and commitment. Nobody will force or convince students to do anything.
Students may join with extensive experience or none at all - what matters is committed work and growth.
Central Princeton, NJ. Specific meeting location provided upon enrollment.
Note: Month-to-month enrollment is available for Online labs (within and outside of semesters)
Spring 2026 semester starts: January 15, 2026
Email labs@teenscientists.org with questions.
Space is limited.