By their junior year, scholars are expected to be working on a more individualized project that may develop into an honor's theses.

The program expects that the student conduct at least one summer of full time research, and it often makes sense for the student to do so the summer after their junior year. It's certainly possible, however, for the student to do research during multiple summers. Summer research need not be done in Ithaca, although projects off-campus must be approved by the Cornell faculty mentor.