Eligibility

Students must have completed grades 10, 11 or 12, and received the equivalent of a B- or above in two year-long high school courses in science.

Step 1

Complete the online inquiry form with your general information by clicking "apply" next to your course of interest listed above. If space in the program is full, the "waitlist" link will automatically add your contact information to our waitlist. 

Step 2

Send an e-mail (or have a parent/guardian send an e-mail) to shoals.lab@unh.edu with the subject line: "Application for SML high school course." This e-mail message should include:

• Student name
• SML course and section you'd like to take
• High school transcript (in English and including past and current academic year grades). For students who do not meet the minimum letter grade requirement (the equivalent of a B- or above in two year-long high school science courses), please provide the name and contact information of a teacher or guidance counselor who can speak to your individual circumstances.

Review of application materials will begin February 12, 2023. Applications received by this date will be prioritized. 

Step 3

Students will be notified via email of their application status. For students who receive a pre-registration confirmation letter, you will be directed to finalize your registration and payment through Cornell SCE’s online registration system. Follow the instructions outlined below.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

1. Visit the following link: https://sce.cornell.edu/courses/register/credit/visiting
2. Scroll towards the bottom of this webpage, under step 2B, and use the “Register Online” button to fill out your registration information.
3. Log into Cornell SCE enrollment webpage. Create an account using your personal email address. You will receive a login code in your inbox.
4. After logging in, select “high school student” then “Shoals Marine Lab”
5. Complete the biographical and demographic information requested.  If you are under 18 years of age, include the Precollege registration code "CU2023" below your date of birth.
6. After completing the demographic information, you will have the option to select classes. Click on the 'Add a class' button.
7. In the search bar, type in BIOSM. A course list of all courses being offered at Shoals Marine Laboratory will populate below.
8. Select and confirm the course you have been pre-registered for, being sure that the course number and dates match the information provided on your pre-registration/acceptance letter. The next page will ask you to select your grade option (letter grade or S/U).
9. Confirm your registration information and click the 'Submit your registration request' button.
10. After your registration request is submitted, you can proceed to payment. Click the 'payment options' button or visit: https://sce.cornell.edu/courses/tuition/how-to-pay.

​PAYMENT INFORMATION:

On Cornell SCE's How to Pay webpage, you will again be asked to use the login information that you used during the online registration process above.

• Scroll down to the 'For Summer courses' section of the How to Pay webpage and follow payment instructions.
• For students living outside of the U.S., you will submit credit card payment via Flywire.
• For students living in the U.S., you will submit credit card payment via Cornell SCE's payment center.
  • When asked "Do you have an invoice?", select "No, I'm making a payment without an invoice".
• NOTE: Your seat in the course is not reserved until full payment is made.

International students:  The Cornell SCE office will send you steps for requesting an I20 once payment has been received in full. There will be a $75 visa processing fee.

High school students enroll and receive course credit through Cornell University.

* Room & Board includes all meals and dorm accommodations on-island. Students will share a room with 1-3 classmates. Please note, this is a “per night” not a “per day” rate.

** Program fee includes costs associated with consumable supplies used during online lab activities, dive operations for the collection of specimens, maintenance and operation of seawater tables, collection permits, etc.

Standard Refund Policy:

Course deposits, room & board, and fees are nonrefundable. Your tuition refund amount will be determined by the number of days from the start of the course that you withdraw. 

Refund schedule (days since program start date):

• Days 1–3: 100% tuition refund
• Days 4–5: 50% tuition refund
• Day 6 or later: 0% refund

To withdraw from an SML course:

• High School students must notify Cornell's SCE Registrar's Office and SML (shoals.lab@unh.edu) in writing.
  If you want to appeal the refund schedule based on special circumstances, please download and complete the petition form and submit it to B20 Day Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853. The form will be reviewed by committee, and you will be notified if your appeal is approved.

SML seeks to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where students are able to participate fully in the SML experience. Students have the right (and responsibility) to self-disclose and make use of the services, resources, and accommodations available. Because Appledore Island is a remote location, any special arrangements need time and planning to be enacted. SML appreciates early notification for accommodation requests (3-4 weeks before the course start date). To begin this process, students with disabilities or accommodations must contact the appropriate Cornell’s Student Disability Services office before beginning their course on Appledore Island and have a plan in place before their course begins: click here to begin the request process.

Faculty members may or may not have final grades ready to share with students by the last day of an SML course. Official grades for SML courses are typically posted via the registrar's office within 3-4 weeks after a course ends. Transcripts can be requested after the summer session ends in late August. (SML cannot request transcripts on your behalf.) To find out your SML grade(s), use your Cornell NetID to request an official transcript from Cornell here: https://registrar.cornell.edu/grades-transcripts/ordering-transcripts. You should have received an email from Cornell IT with your NetID information when you first enrolled in your SML course. If you cannot find your NetID information, contact Cornell IT at itservicedesk@cornell.edu or (607) 255-5500.