Find a professor near you doing research you care about

Free, 30 seconds. Real researchers, with the recent paper to mention.

Why reach out to a professor in high school?

A professor can show you what real research looks like long before college does. A summer in a lab, a mentor for a science fair project, or a single conversation about a paper you read can change what you decide to study. It can also give you something concrete to write about in applications, beyond grades and test scores.

The hard part is not wanting to do it. It is finding the right person. Most university sites list hundreds of faculty, and most of them work on things far from your interests. Searching by topic and by city turns that list into a handful of people who actually publish on what you care about and who are close enough to meet.

How to find the right researcher

Start with a topic that is specific enough to search, such as "marine biology", "robotics" or "climate modeling". Choose the metro area closest to you, and optionally a single school. The finder returns researchers who recently published on that topic, with their department and the papers that matched.

Read the paper titles before you pick anyone. You do not need to understand them fully. You do need to be able to say one honest sentence about why one of them interested you. That sentence is what separates your email from the ones that get deleted.

What to put in the email

Keep it under 150 words. Say who you are in one line (grade, school, city). Name one recent paper and what caught your attention. Then make one small, clear ask: a 15 minute call, a reading suggestion, or whether they take high school volunteers.

Avoid attaching a resume, asking for a paid role, or writing a paragraph about how much you admire them. A short, specific message from someone local is easier to answer.

Don't want to start from a blank page? Avian researches the person and drafts the email for you, in a tone you choose.

What to do if they don't reply

Silence is normal. Wait about a week, then send one short follow-up that restates your question in a single line. If there is still nothing, move on to the next name. Reaching out to three to five researchers at different schools is a reasonable first round.

Also look for a graduate student or lab manager in the same group. They are often easier to reach and can tell you whether the lab takes younger volunteers.

An automated outreach tool can do the follow-up for you. Avian writes the follow-up and, when someone replies, suggests what to say back, so you don't have to start from scratch.

Professor outreach FAQ

How do I find a professor to do research with in high school?

Pick a topic you actually care about, then look for researchers at universities within driving distance who published on it recently. Email two or three of them with a short, specific message that mentions one of their papers and says what you can offer: time, curiosity and a willingness to start with small tasks. Most won't reply. A few will.

Will a professor really answer an email from a high school student?

Some will, and the odds improve when the email is short, names a specific recent paper, and asks one small question instead of asking for a position. Professors are busy and get many cold emails, so plan on sending several and following up once after a week.

Why does a result show the wrong university?

Paper records lag behind real life. If a professor moved recently, their latest papers can still list the old school. Avian's flight researches the person on the open web before writing, so it usually catches a move, but check their current faculty page before you send anything.

Does the finder show email addresses?

No. It shows the researcher, their department and the recent papers. When you start a flight, Avian researches the person and writes the email. Look up the address on their official university page.

Is it free?

The search is free and needs no account. Your first flight from the finder is free as well. After that a flight costs 100 credits, and every new account starts with credits.

What if nothing comes up near me?

The finder widens the search in steps: your metro area over a longer time span, then the wider region, then researchers anywhere in the US who are active on the topic. If a topic is very narrow, try a broader word, for example "neuroscience" instead of a specific protein.

Keep reading

Your next email, researched and written

Professors, admissions contacts, internship managers: give Avian a name and it finds out who they are, writes a message they'll want to answer, and suggests your reply when they write back.

Take a look at Avian