Frequently Asked Questions

No, students who are about to graduate or have graduated with a bachelors before the program start date of June 2026 cannot apply for the program.

Only first year Boston University medical students may apply to the STaRS Program.

Have the head of the program send an official email to the STaRS program (starsgms@bu.edu) detailing how the grading scale works and where the student would be measured on a 4.0 scale

On your application, put in 0 for GPA. We will change this as soon as we get program confirmation.

Yes, you are eligible. However, in your statement of interest you have let us know which universities you are applying to for a bachelor’s degree and whether you have been accepted to a program already.

Yes, BU students can apply to the program. If you are participating in the Early Medical School Selection Program (EMSSP) at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, please check the EMSSP box on the application. 

No. Unfortunately our funding allows us to offer scholarships only to US citizens and Permanent Residents. However, we recommend that you look at the summer opportunities section of Boston University’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) to find out  about other programs which may not have this funding restriction.

No. Only US citizens and US green card holders can apply.

There will be a section in the application for you to explain any issues with GPA.

Recommendation letters need to be submitted on or before February 1st to starsgms@bu.edu. They should come from research preceptors (if you have previous experience), faculty members, job supervisors or other individuals who know you well and can evaluate your academic potential and/or have supervised your involvement in research and/or work. Recommendations should communicate information about your academic achievements, potential as a researcher, general character, and work ethic.

• E-mails with letters of recommendation need to have the following subject line: STaRS Program (LEGAL Student First and Last Names)
• File Name for the letter of recommendation needs to have: student first name_student last name_recommender first name_recommender last name

We will only consider applications where the 3 letters of recommendation are received on or before February 1st.

E-mails with letters of recommendation need to have the following subject line and file name: 

• Subject: STaRS Program (Student First and Last Name)
• File Name: student first name_student last name_recommender first name_recommender last name. 

In the letter, recommenders also need to include the full name of the applicant, not just the nickname.

Once you have submitted your online application, you will see a screen that states: “Thank you for submitting your application to the Summer Training as Research Scholars (STaRS) Program, sponsored by the Graduate Medical Sciences at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine”. To refer back to this screen and ensure your application was received, log in on the same computer that was used to submit the application.

Your application will be considered complete once we have received the three letters of recommendation. Please, contact your recommenders to ensure that they have sent their letters per our instructions. If you are missing a letter of recommendation, we will contact you directly to let you know.

Admission to the STaRS program is based on the applicant’s academic record, recommendation letters, statement of interest, and academic and professional goals, especially if they relate to future careers in biomedical research. All applications are reviewed by program staff; top applications are then forwarded on for review by faculty and potential mentors.

Typically, applications are reviewed during the month of February, selection of candidates to the scholarship and interview of the candidates to the scholarship happens in March, and final decisions will be sent by email between March 15 and early-April. 

For summer 2024, we received over 182 applications to the STaRS program. We admitted 10 undergraduate students.

All final decisions are made between mid-March and early-April.  If you have been accepted into another program or would like to be removed from consideration, please let us know ASAP by email at starsgms@bu.edu

If you have academic requirements (e.g., exams) to complete after the June start date, you have the following options: 1. We strongly recommend that you take your exams before you come to the program if your professors allow. 2. We can proctor the exams while you are in the program, and we will need to let your BU research mentor know that you will be taking them while in the program.

STaRS is a nine-week on-site program.  Please, make arrangements to have your final exams done before the program starts. 

The program will cover round-trip travel to Boston, housing in BU dorms, and two summer courses (1 credit each). In addition, scholars will receive a stipend for their other expenses (food, laundry, social activities, etc.). 

You will book your travel via a travel agency that works with the university.  Look at potential flights for your travel (into Boston and/or out of Boston), but please do not book your travel on your own. You will be responsible for any fees derived from changing flights.

You will need to tell us the start and end of your trip, approximate distance, and gas you will be using for us to make the appropriate refund.  

We do not recommend a car. Boston is a “walkable” city and has an excellent public transportation system.

Participants are provided with Boston University housing in dormitories. Dorm suites have double rooms and house 4 students per suite. We do not have housing for married students or any other couple arrangements.

Dormitories have AC. For other information about housing please see: Housing.

Dormitories do not have an oven, microwave, or refrigerator; however, there is a common kitchen in the building. A mini-fridge can be rented from housing. For other information about furniture and appliances and what to bring or not please see: Furniture and Appliances.

Dorms come with a 10-meal plan per week (for 6 weeks). Additionally, convenience points, which can be used to get food at BU cafeterias (including the medical campus cafeteria) will be added to your account. Participants have the option to purchase more convenience points. All rates for meal plans will be included in the housing contract that students sign prior to entering the program. Click here for more information on Meal Plans and Convenience Points.

You can choose the scholar you want to be placed with, but please disclose this information as soon as possible.  

Yes, if formally approved through the Office of Disability and Access Services, they are permitted in specified student dorm rooms, but not allowed in common spaces.  You will need to write an email to the department of Disability and Access Services with a detailed explanation of your accommodations. Please, do communicate with the office soon after you are accepted as a scholar, so you get permission to bring your support animal.

We do our best to match you with a faculty mentor whose research interests are similar to yours.  Please, make sure that you select the options that apply to you in the application.  If admitted, you will be notified of your faculty mentor in the weeks prior to the start of the program. We make every effort to arrange the best possible placement.

No. The primary focus of the STaRS program is research and skill enhancement for successful entrance and completion of a PhD or an MD/PhD program in the biomedical sciences.

No. STaRS is an intensive program, and scholars will spend their summer doing research in their teams, attending program activities and completing tasks. 

Students will have the opportunity to present their research at an oral STaRS symposium and at a poster symposium hosted by Graduate Medical Sciences (GMS) during the last week of the summer program.  

The symposia showcase scholars’ accomplishments and professional development and will be attended by mentors, research teammates, faculty of GMS and campus schools, and families and friends of the scholars. 

We welcome any additional questions that you might have regarding the STaRS program. Please email us at starsgms@bu.edu.