For Parents
Your child's research journey shouldn't cost $5,000
Every year, thousands of families spend $3,000-$8,000 on research mentorship programs so their high schooler can add “research experience” to a college application. Helix takes a different approach.
Tools to build their own research experience
Instead of paying someone to hand your child a research experience, we give them the tools to build their own. Your child uses Helix to:
Find programs they actually qualify for
Filtered by age, grade, and location, so they never waste time on programs with hidden age floors.
Reach out directly to university professors
Our AI generates personalized, professional cold emails that mention the professor's actual research — not generic templates.
Track their progress
Every email sent, every reply received, every application submitted, all in one place with follow-up reminders.
The result? A student who can say in their college interview: “I identified 15 professors whose work interested me, reached out to each of them, and landed a position in Dr. Smith's lab studying tau protein aggregation” — and mean every word of it. That story of initiative is worth more to admissions committees than any paid program certificate.
How we compare
| Option | Cost |
|---|---|
| Polygence | $4,500 - $7,000 |
| Lumiere Education | $3,500 - $6,500 |
| Pioneer Academics | $5,000+ |
| Private admissions consultant | $200-500/hr |
| Helix | $20/month |
Why parents trust Helix
Accounts for students under 16 require parental consent before any features are enabled
We never send emails on your child's behalf — they compose and send from their own inbox
We never share your child's personal information with universities or professors
COPPA-compliant. All data encrypted.
Cancel anytime. No contracts. No upsells.
Privacy policy written in plain English
Common questions from parents
My child is 15. Can they really cold-email professors?
Yes, and it works more often than you'd think. Professors are not required to follow age floors that formal programs set. Many PIs are happy to host a motivated high school student, especially one who demonstrates genuine knowledge of their research. Being 15 and in 11th grade signals academic acceleration — professors notice that.
Is this safe? My child is a minor.
Safety is foundational to how we built Helix. Students under 16 cannot use tracking or notification features until a parent explicitly approves their account via a consent email. We never store or transmit your child's personal information to any external party. Cold emails are composed inside the app and sent from your child's own email client — we are not in the communication chain.
How is this different from Polygence or Lumiere?
Those programs provide mentorship — a person guiding your child through a research project. Helix provides infrastructure — the tools to find, contact, and track real research opportunities independently. Think of it this way: Polygence is hiring a research tutor. Helix is giving your child the map, the compass, and the confidence to navigate on their own. They are complementary, not mutually exclusive — but ours costs a fraction of the price.
What if my child sends an email and nobody responds?
That happens, and it's part of the learning process. Most students who land a research position reached out to 10-15 professors. Our platform tracks every contact so your child knows exactly where they stand. We also send follow-up reminders — most responses come after a polite follow-up, not the first email.
My child doesn't know what they want to research yet.
That's fine. The platform starts with broad interest areas (neuroscience, genetics, computer science, etc.) and narrows from there. Browsing the PI directory and reading about different professors' work is itself a form of research exploration. Many students discover their specific interest by seeing what's out there, not by deciding in advance.
Give your child the tools to find their own research path
Free to start. No credit card required.