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Online · Dubai · Ages 14–18

Research Mentorship for Students in Dubai

A supervised research project with a doctoral-level mentor in the student's field, scheduled in Dubai hours, and fitted to the school year and curriculum the student is actually on.

Now placing for October. Reviewed 6 September 2026.

What families in Dubai and the UAE ask first

The four things that decide whether this works from Dubai

The academic standard is the same everywhere. What changes by city is the school year, the curriculum, when sessions happen, and how the fee is agreed. Those are answered here, before you spend time on an application.

Sessions in Gulf time, around the school week

Sessions are scheduled in local time, around school hours, the examination calendar and the Saturday and Sunday weekend. The slot is agreed with the matched mentor before enrolment and confirmed in writing.

British, IB and American curricula

Dubai's international schools teach GCSE and A-level, the IB Diploma, and the American diploma with AP. The programme is matched to the student's field and readiness, not to the school's curriculum.

A September to June school year

An 8 to 12 week programme sits naturally in the autumn term or between January and the spring examination window. We will tell you if the timing you have in mind collides with exams.

Cost stated in writing before you decide

There is no fixed price list. After the interview you receive the recommended programme, its scope, the schedule and the fee in writing, and only then decide.

Curriculum fit

How a research project fits the school systems in Dubai

Families in Dubai reach us from three school systems, and the project fits each of them differently.

One rule applies across all of them: the work is the student's. Mentors guide questions, sources, methods and revision. We do not write, edit or "polish" anything the school assesses. Our academic integrity policy says exactly where the line is.

01 A-levels: independent work beyond the syllabus A UK application is judged on what the student has done beyond the classroom. A mentored research project is that, with a method and an end product an interviewer can ask about.
02 IB Diploma: the Extended Essay The skill the EE demands, forming a question that can actually be answered, is what mentorship builds. The EE itself stays with the school supervisor.
03 American diploma and AP For a US application the project is the substance behind a "spike": a concrete piece of work rather than a list of activities. It also gives the Common App essay something real to be about.

What every family receives

The same programme, the same visibility, wherever the student is

Sessions are scheduled in Dubai time, around the school day and the examination calendar, and the slot is confirmed in writing before enrolment.

The programme

Research Scholar runs as weekly 1-to-1 sessions of 60 minutes across 8 to 12 weeks. Field Seminars are small-group. Academic Essentials is shorter and skill-specific.

Visibility

You will know how the programme is progressing. We do not run black-box sessions between student and mentor with no family visibility.

Session format

All sessions are video calls. A parent or legal guardian is named on the application for every student under 18, and for students under 16 we may ask that a parent is nearby during the first session.

Read the safeguarding policy

Choose the right level

Research mentorship works best when the starting point is honest

A student with a focused question needs a different programme from a student still exploring a field or building academic English. Starting too early with an ambitious paper creates stress and shallow work; starting at the right level creates momentum.

Two minutes: which programme fits?

Cost and access

The fee is stated in writing before you decide

Programme pricing is discussed during the interview, because the appropriate programme and scope vary by student. Families receive the recommended programme, scope, schedule and fee in writing before deciding whether to proceed.

Financial aid is limited, contribution-based and not guaranteed. Merit scholarships of 10 to 100 percent are awarded on independent work, not on grades. We would rather discuss cost honestly at the interview than let it remain an unspoken barrier.

Questions from families in Dubai and the UAE

When do sessions take place for a student in Dubai?

In Gulf time, around the school day and the examination calendar. The exact slot is agreed with the matched mentor before enrolment and confirmed in writing.

Does it matter which curriculum the school teaches?

No. We match on the student's field and readiness. A-level, IB and American diploma students all do the same kind of project; what differs is how it is used afterwards, in a UCAS statement, an EE, or a Common App essay.

Can sessions be scheduled around the school week?

Yes. The UAE weekend is Saturday and Sunday and sessions are placed around it. Term dates and examination windows are taken into account before a schedule is confirmed.

How much does it cost?

Programme pricing is discussed during the interview, because the appropriate programme and scope vary by student. Families receive the recommended programme, scope, schedule and fee in writing before deciding whether to proceed.

Is financial aid available?

Financial aid is limited, contribution-based and not guaranteed. Merit scholarships of 10 to 100 percent are awarded on independent work, not on grades. Indicate the request on the application so it can be discussed honestly in the interview.

Find out whether ScholarBridge fits your student

One introductory conversation with the academic team, under 25 minutes, free, with no obligation on either side. We review the student's interests, readiness, Dubai schedule and goals before recommending a programme, and we will say if the answer is not yet.

Apply for an Interview

Useful before applying from Dubai

Students elsewhere