Start Your Research Journey With the Help of Georgetown University

Summary:

Research is part of every field. No matter which direction your future takes you—medicine or business, for instance—being a skilled researcher is an essential asset. Georgetown University offers a variety of relevant courses, starting in high school.

Key Points:

• Learn about the Georgetown University Pre-College Online Program.
• Understand why research experience is beneficial for your college application.
• Review the differences between quantitative and qualitative research.
• Discover for-credit online research courses in medicine and finance.

How do clinical trials result in better treatments for diseases? How do businesses test out new products with consumers? Where do breakthrough technologies get their start? It all begins with research. Research is part of every field. No matter which direction your future takes you—for instance, medicine or business—being a skilled researcher is an essential asset. And one of the best times to sharpen your skills is while you are still in high school. 

Georgetown University, a leading research institution, offers a range of courses focused on research, beginning with both pre-college online courses and for-credit research courses designed for high school students.

In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of research and why it makes sense to start building your research acumen early. We’ll review pre-college courses at Georgetown, exploring what each program offers and how to experience for-credit, pre-college research courses while still in high school.

How Important is an Understanding of Research?

Research is the process of uncovering new knowledge or supporting existing knowledge. Understanding how a concept or product is perceived by consumer groups, or predicting the direction financial markets will take based on specific criteria, are two relevant examples of research in action. 

If you can show that you have research experience—either by shadowing or completing a pre-college online course, for instance, you will not only stand out in college applications, but you may also discover areas of interest that might guide your search for a major. In other words, match your passion with a research study and find your future in the process. If sharpening your research skills interests you, then you’ll want to know more about the Georgetown research programs for teens.

Let’s look at the other benefits of doing research while in high school. Here’s a few examples:

Benefits of Using Research in High School

• Appeal to College Admissions: Research showcases your intellectual curiosity and talent for rigorous work. This will hold you in good standing with admissions boards.
• Develop Critical Thinking: Research demands skills like data analysis, problem-solving, and the ability to evaluate outcomes without bias.
• Explore Career Options: Research introduces you to different areas of study in depth, whether it’s medical, finance, brand viability, or science, to name a few.
• Networking: Research exposes you to professionals in their respective fields, enabling you to experience mentorship and guidance that will serve you well in your future.

Research is a vast field, but falls under two fundamental disciplines: quantitative and qualitative.

Quantitative Versus Qualitative Research

Quantitative research is the process of collecting and analyzing numerical data. A few examples:

• 15% of the U.S. population now owns an e-bike.
• Millennials currently make up 36% of the U.S. labor force.
• Facebook and YouTube are the most popular digital platforms among Gen X consumers.
• Nearly half of adults (45%) say they would like to take one of the new prescription weight-loss drugs.

On the other hand, qualitative research explores complex phenomena to understand meanings, experiences, or concepts using words, images, and observations, such as: 

• Interviews
• Focus groups
• Ethnography
• Case studies
• Conner analysis

The information is analyzed through tools like interview guides, audio/video recordings, field notes, and qualitative analysis software.

Examples may include:

• Exploring how teachers perceive standardized testing.
• Analyzing themes in patient narratives about chronic illness.
• Determining if shoppers will buy a new product.  
• Analyzing generational adoption of new technologies. 

If the above sounds intriguing, and you’d like to sharpen your research skills now—even earn college credit—Georgetown University has some compelling options for high school students like you.

Discover What Georgetown University Has to Offer

Medical Research: Clinical Trials Resulting in Medical Discoveries looks at vaccines, drugs, and medical treatments that are all the result of evidence-based research. For instance, for cancer therapies to succeed, researchers must answer a critical question: Will it work? In the course, you’ll study the process researchers use to formulate, conduct, and evaluate the evidence they gather. You’ll even develop your own study using the professional methods you’ve learned. 

The above is part of the Georgetown University Pre-College Online Program and is a non-credit course. It is designed by Georgetown faculty and delivered through dynamic video content with interactive tools. You can count on support from seasoned mentors, and successful delivery of a Final Project will earn you a Certificate of Completion from Georgetown, a great addition to your college applications.

Georgetown College Credit Research Courses

If you are motivated to get your college journey started while in high school, you’ll be pleased to know that Georgetown offers medicine- and finance-focused courses that, when completed, will earn you college credit while honing your skills in research.

Medicine

The course, College Credit Research Project: Medicine, shows you the workings of research through the lens of real clinical studies, where you can choose to develop your research skills with a medicine-related project. You'll gain invaluable skills by designing and executing your own independent research project, from formulating compelling questions to critically evaluating sources and compiling your findings. This unique course provides a powerful head start for your academic future and equips you with the confidence to tackle real-world challenges.

Finance

Georgetown also offers a for-credit course in finance titled College Credit Research Project: Finance. In it, you’ll investigate the intricate world of finance by crafting a compelling question and writing a full academic paper to develop an original research project. Learn to analyze financial markets, valuation methods, and cutting-edge technologies like cryptocurrency. 

By the end of these courses, you’ll not only have earned three college credits but you will also have produced a portfolio-worthy, original project that demonstrates your ability to tackle authentic issues with intellectual independence and academic rigor; something to add to your college applications proudly.

If you aspire to become a student at Georgetown one day, you'll also have the opportunity to participate in studies through the innovative Georgetown Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (GUROP), an undergraduate research assistantship program designed to help students develop their skills in scholarly inquiry.

Research will likely find its way into your career path, no matter what field you choose. Beginning to develop your skills in high school is a benefit that will carry over well into your future. 

This was last reviewed by Ashley Simmons on 10/17/2025.