MIT Radar Workshop

Check out this two week residential summer internship (free, including room and board) at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory where teens learn how to build radar systems.

“Students will gain an in-depth experience in building small radar systems. Participants will be challenged to build a Doppler and range radar by using creative problem-solving strategies. This hands-on program allows students to work in a state-of-the-art laboratory with highly talented scientists and engineers.”

How do I get started? Click here.

How do I expand this narrative arc?

• Love taking apart and playing around with machines? Start a Tinker Club at your high school.

• You don’t have to go far for another amazing summer program also offered at MIT. Check out the MIT BeaverWorks Summer Institute, where you’ll learn about engineering and designing autonomous systems in a variety of applications including cybersecurity, hacking, race car design, autonomous air vehicle racing, game design with AI and more!!

• Try to win big at Toshiba Exploravision,which challenges students to think about future applications for current technologies.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SUMMER PROGRAMS: College admissions officers are very adept at identifying “resume padders”: expensive, one-off programs paid for by your parents which do not mesh with your narrative arc. Therefore, make sure any summer program or course you consider falls into one (or more) of these four buckets: 

• Highly selective/competitive

• Totally unique + linked to your narrative arc

• Evidence of adulthood (long hours, multi-year commitment or simply hard work)

• A jumping off point or expansion for an authentic narrative arc. 

If none of the above apply, a program could still have value to you if it allows you to test a potential interest. However, if it does not end up being a jumping off point for further interests, then you may not want to mention it in your high school resume