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Harvard Undergraduate Cancer Association

Summer Cancer
Symposium

A free, 5-week remote program for high school students to build their own oncology research project, mentored by Harvard undergraduates.

June 8 to July 17, 2026Fully RemoteFree of Cost

Completely Free for Students

Free of cost to students. Only a $18 application fee is required.

Program Overview

Over the course of 5 weeks, high school students will build their own research project on their selected field of oncology. The application form will feature a question where students can rank their top 3 preferred subspecialties of oncology. Based on those preferences, students will be sorted into study groups that are focused on a specific subspecialty and mentored by a Harvard student on building their literature review.

Duration

5 weeks: June 8 to July 17, 2026

Format

Fully remote, accessible from anywhere

Capacity

50 students across 10 study groups

Program Structure

Mentored Study Groups

  • Study groups of 5 students, each mentored by 1 HUCA member
  • 50 students total across 10 groups
  • Each study group will be led by one HUCA member (board member or general member).

Weekly Rhythm

Study groups meet once a week, where the mentor walks students through structured steps of the research process. Students have weekly deadlines to complete their project. For example: Study Group A meets weekly on Tuesdays. Students must turn in specific parts of their project by Monday at noon. The study group mentor will review each assignment and provide feedback by Wednesday or Thursday.

Weekly Guest Speaker Webinars

In addition to weekly study group meetings, the Summer Symposium will host virtual guest speaker webinars once a week, inviting physicians and MD-PhDs to give a talk on topics of their choice.

Available Subspecialties

Students rank their top 3 preferences on the application. Groups are assigned based on interest.

Neuro-Oncology
3 groups
Hematology-Oncology
2 groups
Pediatric Oncology
1 group
Thoracic Oncology
1 group
GI Oncology
1 group
Gynecologic Oncology
1 group
Uro-Oncology
1 group

If there is extra interest in specific subspecialties, we can adjust by removing certain subspecialties and running multiple study groups for the more popular ones.

Program Highlights

Build your own oncology research project over 5 weeks
Small study groups of 5 students with a dedicated Harvard mentor
Choose from 10 oncology subspecialties
Weekly structured deadlines with personalized mentor feedback
Virtual guest speaker webinars from physicians and MD-PhDs
Completely free for students, only a $18 application fee
Fully remote program, open to high school students

Ready to Apply?

Applications for the Summer Cancer Symposium 2026 will open soon. Join our mailing list to be the first to know.

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