Polygence Reviews

Don’t just take our word for it - Here’s what our students and parents are saying about their experience.

A mentorship program is an investment in your student’s future. 

We think it’s important for you to be able to research prior student and parent experiences, so we’ve made it easy for you.

Rated 4.7 / 5 on Trustpilot based on 142 reviews.

First, we request reviews from real Polygence students and parents. 

An independent, third-party platform, TrustPilot, emails parents & students directly at the end of their project, with a verified link to leave a review: positive or negative. Reviews that have been sourced in this way have the ‘verified review’ tag on TrustPilot, so you know that it’s a real customer and not cherry-picked or incentivized. 

You can filter TrustPilot reviews to show only ‘Verified’ reviews for an added layer of confidence as you research. The link above brings you to the Polygence TrustPilot page, where reviews are added in real time. We respond to 100% of our reviews, typically within 24 hours.

The student testimonials featured on our home page and across our site are from Polygence alumni who have already entered college. Their full names and university affiliation are included to prove they’re real.

  • Many of the testimonials we share are part of recorded interviews, which can be found on our YouTube or Social Media Pages, so you can hear the student experience in our students’ own voice

  • Check out the Polygence YouTube page

  • Follow Polygence on Instagram to see Student interviews added in real-time

Want to get a peek inside a Polygence project? We also publish student spotlights to highlight the incredible work our students are doing.

Where these can be found publicly

We reconnect in-person with alumni after their first and second years in college to see how their Polygence experience impacted their journey beyond the acceptance letter.

Polygence alumni have reflected that their projects and work with their mentors helped them succeed in college, not just get in.

See some of our most recent interviews featured in our Guide to Success at the University of California.


Real Polygence Student Reviews

"The Introduction to Research that I got from my project helped me transition into MIT, I ended up doing a bunch of research project, so getting my toes wet in high school was super useful. I also built collaboration skills, working one on one with a mentor was a test of that- I had to push myself, allow myself to get uncomfortable, ask a lot of questions and get the wrong answer a lot of times in order to get used to ‘this is what science actually looks like’. Polygence was my first foray into that. " - Luke Jain, Polygence Alum and current student at MIT

"This project really sparked my interest in research, which also translates into the Clinical Work that I do at the Research Lab I now work in college. My Polygence mentor was also incredibly supportive and helpful both in my research and college decision process, and I still stay in touch with her today. " - Camdyn Wu, Polygence alum and current student at USC (University of Southern California)

"It was the best choice I ever made, because it really helped me. As a matter of fact, I was applying to summer opportunities this year, after my first year in college, and I still find the skills that I learned in Polygence tying back to my applications today, so I think it was just invaluable." - Riddhi Guruzu, Polygence alum and student at Kings College London

"This project was my first hands-on opportunity to apply all these Machine Learning algorithms I was learning to an actual data set, and it was a big step up for me beyond just conceptually understanding the algorithms before from classes and courses. It really deepened my knowledge in the field and it motivated me to keep exploring it’s potential." - Arjun Ramakrishnan, Polygence alum and current student at University of Virginia

"I wanted to find ways to get involved with research, but it was really difficult, especially being an international student. I remember I cold emailed a bunch of professors from top universities but a lot of them did respond, however it wasn’t the most positive response because it’s hard to work in person when I’m living halfway across the world. So I found Polygence online. My goal coming into it was to publish in a peer reviewed journal, not just a high school journal. I’ve been able to use a lot of what I learned from my Polygence mentor at uPenn." - Manasvi Adusumilli, Polygence alum and pre-law student at uPenn

"I did my project with Polygence about 2 years ago, on racial stereotypes in youth media, and this was really pivotal to my college application process, I did it in the middle of my senior year, and I was really leaning into the fact that I was doing research on my interviews, and my common App. I think the major reason why I’m at Tufts is that I had experience in research." - Zoe Renazile-Winter, Polygence alum and current student at Tufts University

“I saw Polygence as kind of this perfect transition from the academic level of my high school to where I hoped to see myself in college. Throughout the Polygence process, the structure really helped me take the project day by day. It didn’t feel like this giant overarching task, and I was able to create this great research project that I’m still really proud of today.” - Eileen Lincoln, Polygence alum and current student at Brown University

“The ability to do research has really prepared me for my journey here at Stanford. My previous experience prepared me for what it’s like to work in a research environment, and it also provided this experience for my supervisor now to know that I’m qualified and able to really perform at high levels in the lab.” - Samuel, Polygence alum and current student at Stanford

“It was my first time ever working with a mentor, and I thought it was really cool to be able to talk with someone about my idea and have someone help facilitate that. It opened my eyes to how partnerships are a huge part of getting work done in academia, and it was really great to hear my ideas be supported.” - Tiffany Phan, Polygence alum and current student at Brown University.

“Polygence was just sort of an extension of a passion of mine that I felt like was finally being seen. I ended up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as an intern, which is where the painting the dress was inspired by is currently held, and I got into Cornell shortly after. It felt like Polygence had a huge ripple effect on my life.” - Lydia Olivieri, Polygence alum and current student at Cornell University

What do students say about Polygence?

Rebeca Gutierrez student photo

Tulane

My project taught me a lot about self-discipline and time management, two skills that have allowed me to succeed throughout college. I feel that my Polygence project taught me a lot about how to plan ahead for big tasks, how to deal with setbacks, and how to set realistic goals/deadlines.

Lauren Kim student photo

Harvard

The opportunity to conduct mentor-guided research with Polygence in high school was highly formative in developing my interest in research and the life sciences, my college application process, and my decision to major in neuroscience.

Sophia Beck student photo

Yale

Compared to school it was more in-depth, and a lot more focused on me. At school it’s more you check the box, you turn in the assignment. With Polygence it was more working toward actually learning… I felt more like I was doing it for myself.

Camdyn Wu student photo

USC

My Polygence mentor was incredibly supportive and always offered any resources to not only aid my pursuit of research and paper writing, but also to help in my college decision process and later research endeavors.

Bailey Zhang student photo

Stanford

I wanted a mentor who could challenge me and make sure my research was actually good quality. Working with someone who has real research experience completely changed how I approached my project—from the methodology to the ethics to the questions I asked.

Madeline Lee student photo

Cornell

I really appreciated getting the full independence of writing a research paper and having someone that I could always ask questions and get feedback from. It really helped me grow and understand more about what I’m passionate about and what I want to pursue in college.

Noora Mathur student photo

UC Davis

Being able to author a literature review in high school through Polygence was really empowering and helped me become interested in pursuing research in college. It taught me a lot of valuable skills in scientific writing and prepared me for writing long papers in college.

Shravan Kannan student photo

UC Berkeley

The project has taught me a lot in the areas of cancer biology and genetics. The guidance has helped me become more confident in working towards finding new solutions to solve scientific problems, even in my college career. It has also led me to work towards pursuing a career path in medicine as well.

Mukudzei Seramani student photo

Bowdoin

I know research is hard and frustrating sometimes. But Polygence gives you someone who is knowledgeable. These mentors are great people. If it wasn’t for my mentor, I wouldn’t be at Bowdoin or have the confidence I do now.

Ethan Kou student photo

UC Berkeley

That project really sparked my interest in machine learning and computer vision. From that experience, I learned about different computer vision algorithms, and I’ve been able to explore them more at UC Berkeley. After my first project, I gained a lot of knowledge and even published a research paper.

Vincent Nguyen student photo

UCSD

Participating in Polygence helped me become more involved in the scientific field, especially with research. The topic of my research project also influenced me for my major, which is microbiology, because I wanted to learn more about how biology works in microenvironments.

Samuel Desai student photo

Stanford

Coming into my Polygence project... I was very interested in policy at the time. Thinking about ways to bring in the breadth of my knowledge across different areas really allowed me the ability, with the help of my mentor, to incorporate this wide range of perspectives and create something I was proud of.

Zoe Renazile-Winter student photo

Tufts

Polygence was a large part of my acceptance, as the research I did granted me acceptance into their Neubauer Scholars Program.

Emir Durakovic student photo

Northeastern

For me, researching at Polygence wasn't just some extracurricular—instead, it was an engaging hobby that I couldn't wait to work on after school.

Jingyao Guo student photo

Rice

Working on an independent research project fostered my lasting passion for psychology and neuroscience. The project, which focused on psychological disorders, strengthened my research skills and deepened my commitment to these fields.

Arjun Ramakrishnan student photo

UVA

I had a very meaningful experience working on my project. It was one of the first opportunities where I witnessed firsthand how machine learning can be applied to real-world data to predict outcomes and solve practical problems. What further enhanced the experience was having a Polygence mentor to guide me at every step.It made for a fun and interactive learning experience in spite of this being a new and unknown area to me.

Davina Yahar student photo

UC Berkeley

My mentor helped me work through lengthy research papers, breaking them down to find what I needed. She also helped me with the art side of my project. Her feedback was honest and helpful, and I really appreciated her guidance.

Tiffany Phan student photo

Brown

The students who stand out aren't the ones checking every box—they're the ones who pursue something they're genuinely passionate about. Polygence gave me the chance to explore an idea that genuinely mattered to me—and that project ended up shaping both my college application and the direction I wanted to take my education.

Chloe Berkowitz student photo

UC Berkeley

The idea that you can do anything, or you can have an effect on a really big problem or in a really big world, is something that I really developed through Polygence and with my mentor. We would go through papers together, and I could discuss my ideas and bounce them off of her.

Valerie Kuo student photo

UCLA

This was my first time doing any sort of research, and I had no idea what a literature review was. Polygence allowed me to dip my toes into it. Doing the literature review project in high school inspired me to do more in psychology, and it led me to where I am now.

Lydia Olivieri student photo

Cornell

Polygence was just sort of an extension of a passion of mine that I felt like was finally being seen. I’ve always really loved what Polygence has brought me, and so it felt like it had, like, a huge ripple effect on my life.

Eileen Lincoln student photo

Brown

Polygence was kind of this perfect transition from the academic level of my high school to where I hoped to see myself in college, engaging in real, meaningful research and creating a very long paper that I ended up being super proud of. Every step of the process will, in some capacity, benefit you in the future, even if you don’t realize it in the moment.

Luke Jain student photo

MIT

The great thing about Polygence is that my mentor and I don’t just have to focus our conversations on the project or learning. He helps me make decisions and advance my knowledge of the field. Overall, it’s more than just, ‘Here, learn this, do this.’ There’s a lot of personal connection between me and my mentor.

Manasvi A. Student video screenshot Image

UPenn

Polygence helped bridge the gap between being assigned work in school and learning to take initiative. Even though the projects are student-driven, there's always a constant support system.

What our parents say

, Aug 4, 2026

My child started the mentoring program with Sannah B in January this year and will finish it this month. They worked at a high-performance pace, without compromises. If your dream is research, then Polygence is the right place.

, May 1, 2025

My son's paper recently received its first academic citation on SSRN. We are thrilled to see his work being recognized and thought you might want to know in case Polygence tracks the impact. Thanks again for your incredible support through the program. Vivaan has learned so much and we are immensely proud of his achievement.

Cari profile picture

Parent of Lily Gohlinghorst, Jun 28, 2021

Lily's experience in Polygence can not be replicated, and certainly not within the confines of a traditional school setting. I am so grateful she got this opportunity to work with such excellent mentors. Thank you for everything. I know she will never forget this time she had with Alexis and GP

Staci profile picture

Parent of Katherine Brown, Jan 4, 2023

My daughter deepened her curiosity, gained subject matter expertise, and was inspired by her highly qualified mentor, Anne. She finished with a quality project she is proud of and that will showcase her interest in neuroscience.

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