A growing number of students are engaging in research projects to boost their applications to leading universities. With many tertiary institutions valuing scholars who can conceptualise, advance and publish research before getting to college, many of these students are turning to companies like Research Rising Stars, STEAM in AI, Lumiere and Veritas AI to guide them through the process of choosing the focus of their research and executing the various stages of their individual projects.

These companies offer mentorship, resources to improve research skills, and global internships for students to apply their knowledge in real world settings. And they are beginning to reach out to Jamaican students preparing for college overseas.

One such company is Veritas AI whose Programme Manager Tyler Moulton explained that for high school students pursuing their CAPE exam studies, the advantages of research projects far exceed those of traditional coursework.

“The combination of a published paper, valuable work experience, and advanced knowledge serves as a substantial asset for students in their college applications,” Moulton said. “Veritas AI students have a competitive advantage. In our previous analysis of our alumni’s admissions outcomes we have found that our students received admission to top universities 50 per cent more frequently on average than reported university admission rates.”

The programme manager attributes this success rate to the high regard that universities hold for practical experience and impactful research demonstrated by students who have acquired various skills during their research programme, including research strategies, critical thinking, and fact-finding.

Veritas AI’s programme is designed specifically to guide high school students through research and development projects in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

“The hands-on nature of the projects allows them to apply theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios, fostering a deeper understanding of artificial intelligence and machine-learning concepts,” Moulton revealed. “Students also build robust coding skills in our programme as all of our programmes are what we call high-code environments where students are building AI models through Python programming.”

Other companies focus on different fields

Lumiere, for instance, provides a range of subjects encompassing computer science and psychology as well as mathematics and history. Research Rising Stars offers projects centred around the environment, health care, engineering, and technology including AI and cybersecurity. Students can also carry out artificial intelligence and computational research through STEAM in AI.

Two key components of research programmes which are of enormous benefit to students are mentorship and internships.

“Veritas AI works with mentors from top universities such as Oxford, Harvard, Princeton and Yale to provide mentorship to students,” Moulton revealed. “The AI fellowship, for example, is a one-on-one mentorship programme where students work closely with a mentor to create a novel AI project. This mentorship ensures that students receive expert guidance and support in their chosen fields.”

Regarding internships, the programme manager shed light on how thistakes place through a Veritas AI affiliate.

“While Veritas AI itself doesn’t directly offer internships for students, our sister programme — Ladder Internships — specialises in providing valuable hands-on experience,” he explained. “Ladder Internships is an exclusive programme designed for high school students seeking to collaborate with start-ups. During this internship each student engages in a real world project, showcasing their work at the culmination of the programme.”

Jamaican educational consultancy Versan Educational Services (Versan) is one local institution that advises students to take this journey but it does not interfere with the student’s process of producing a research paper under the guidance of whatever research company they have chosen.

Some papers may be published while others may not. Either way, at the end of the process a Versan student will have a research paper that demonstrates intellectual rigour, discipline, and mentorship with a professor from one of many schools such as Oxford, Stanford, Yale, Cambridge, Harvard and Princeton. These schools will use the resources of their libraries while helping students shape their ideas and execute a logical thesis, setting a valuable foundation for undergraduate and graduate studies.

In selecting students for research programmes Versan chooses from those who want to study overseas and whose routine studies at school have fostered deep questions about areas of study they interface with in their high school curriculum. Candidates may be third, fourth, fifth or sixth formers with average to excellent grades.

Moulton explained that Veritas works with the student through all the phases of the research, from project development to a final research paper. Support from mentors and publication specialists ensures high-quality work, and the programme concludes with project showcases in competitions, presentations, and publications.

The Veritas AI programme manager is encouraging students to leverage the benefits of the programme as early as possible, exploring their interests that can contribute meaningfully to their chosen projects. Through early participation in research programmes students can begin to build an impressive resume and profile to support their career and university goals.

Sandra Bramwell is a veteran Jamaican educator whose consultancy Versan Educational Services, founded in 1994, places over 350 Jamaican students in foreign schools annually.