Frequently asked questions

Sapiente Education provides online academic mentoring programmes for teenagers and young adults. Students work with experienced academics, researchers, and professionals from leading universities and organisations. Our programmes are designed around each student's interests, academic level, and goals.

First, the student submits an online application. Our Admissions Team reviews the application and may ask some follow-up questions. If the student is accepted, we confirm the most suitable programme, complete the enrolment, match the student with a mentor, and agree on a start date.

Yes. You can speak with our Admissions Team before applying if you would like to discuss the student's goals or understand which programme may be suitable. There is no charge for the consultation.

We can communicate by video call, WhatsApp, or email. You can choose the option that is most convenient for you.

For students under 18, we recommend that at least one parent or guardian takes part. The student is also welcome to join. Students aged 18 or over can attend independently.

Our programmes are primarily designed for teenagers and young adults. Because students can have very different academic backgrounds, we review each application individually rather than relying only on age. In some cases, younger students with an advanced academic level may also be considered.

Our one-to-one programmes usually have flexible start dates. Once the student has been accepted and enrolment is complete, we agree on a start date based on the student's schedule and mentor availability. Group programmes may have fixed starting dates.

Intensive One-to-one is a focused 2-week programme with 10 sessions with a mentor. Scholar One-to-one runs for 2–4 months and includes 8 sessions with a mentor and 4 sessions with a Research Assistant. Mastery One-to-one is our most comprehensive programme, running for 3–6 months and including 15 sessions with a mentor and 5 sessions with a Research Assistant. Scholar and Mastery allow more time for research, academic writing, and preparation for journal submission where appropriate.

Our Admissions Team can help you decide. We consider the student's academic background, goals, preferred subject, available time, and the type of project they would like to complete. We then recommend the programme that we believe is the best fit.

Our mentors include professors, researchers, PhD holders, and experienced professionals with backgrounds at leading universities and organisations. We select mentors for both their subject expertise and their ability to guide ambitious students through challenging academic work.

We match students with mentors based on the subject, proposed project, academic level, goals, schedule, and mentor availability. The aim is to find a mentor whose expertise closely matches the student's interests and the work they would like to complete.

Yes. If you have a preference for a particular mentor, you can mention it during the application or admissions consultation. We will consider the request, but we cannot guarantee a specific mentor because availability and project fit must also be taken into account.

Students are welcome to suggest research topics or areas they are already interested in. If they do not have a specific idea, the mentor can propose a selection of suitable topics based on the student's background, interests, and academic level. The final topic is agreed together during the early stages of the programme, so the project is both academically appropriate and genuinely interesting to the student.

During mentor matching, we consider the student's academic background, interests, goals, and preferred research areas. The proposed mentor receives the student's profile and can prepare a tailored research plan with possible topics and directions for the project. The student then receives the mentor's profile together with the proposed research plan before the programme begins. This allows both the student and mentor to understand the possible direction of the project before starting.

Students in the Scholar and Mastery programmes work with both a mentor and a Research Assistant. Our Research Assistants are typically Master's students or early-stage PhD researchers. They provide practical support with areas such as literature reviews, paper revision, research tasks, data analysis, and technical tutorials in tools such as Python or other software.

The mentor leads the academic direction of the project, helps define the research questions, and provides expert feedback. The Research Assistant helps the student with the practical work needed to make progress between mentor sessions. This gives the student both expert academic guidance and regular hands-on research support.

Sessions take place online. Depending on the project, a session may include explanations from the mentor, discussion of research and academic literature, problem-solving, project planning, and feedback on the student's work. The format changes as the project develops.

Research Assistant sessions are practical and focused on helping the student move the project forward. They may include reviewing academic literature, revising sections of a paper, working with data, implementing experiments, or learning research tools and software. The exact content depends on the subject and project.

For Scholar and Mastery, students should usually expect approximately 1–5 hours of independent work per week in addition to their live sessions. This may include reading, research, coding, analysis, or academic writing. Intensive takes place over only two weeks, so students should expect a higher daily workload. The exact amount of work depends on the student's level and project.

The student chooses the topic with guidance from their mentor. It is usually connected to the student's interests and the subject of the programme. During the project, the student learns how to develop a clear research question, find and use reliable academic sources, follow an appropriate methodology, structure an argument, and present their conclusions clearly.

Scholar One-to-one and Mastery One-to-one include support for developing a research project towards journal submission where this is appropriate for the student's level and project. The student remains responsible for carrying out the main research and writing, with guidance from the mentor and Research Assistant. The Intensive One-to-one programme focuses on completing a shorter academic project or research essay and does not normally include the full journal submission process.

The student is expected to do the main research and writing themselves, with guidance from the mentor and Research Assistant. Sapiente does not write papers on behalf of students. The mentor and Research Assistant help the student develop the research question, review literature, choose appropriate methods, analyse results, improve drafts, and prepare the work for submission. The purpose of the programme is for the student to learn how to conduct and communicate research independently.

The student is expected to lead the project and will normally be the first author when they have made the main contribution to the research and writing. The mentor and Research Assistant may also be included as authors where their contributions justify authorship, or they may instead be acknowledged in the paper. This is discussed between the student, mentor, and Research Assistant during the early stages of the project. Sapiente does not impose a fixed author list. A typical arrangement is the student as first author, the Research Assistant as a co-author or in the acknowledgements, and the mentor as senior author. Final authorship must reflect each person's actual contribution and the requirements of the journal.

Yes, within reasonable limits. If the student's schedule changes, we will try to adjust future sessions with the mentor or Research Assistant. Changes are subject to availability, and Intensive programmes have less flexibility because they take place over only two weeks. We ask students to provide as much notice as possible.

Yes. Most school-age students complete their programme alongside their normal studies. We consider the student's timetable, exams, and other commitments when planning the workload. Assignments and deadlines can be adjusted when needed while making sure the student continues to make meaningful progress.

Let us know as early as possible. For Scholar and Mastery, there is usually flexibility to adjust the pace around exams, holidays, or other important commitments. Intensive programmes have less flexibility because they are completed over two weeks.

Yes. We can communicate through email or WhatsApp and use translation tools when necessary. The important thing is that we can clearly understand the student's background, goals, and requirements.

Yes. Many of our programmes can be adapted for students who are new to a subject. Your mentor will consider your current knowledge and choose an appropriate starting point. Some advanced projects may require previous experience, which we will discuss during admissions.

We recommend at least an intermediate level of spoken and written English. You should be able to discuss ideas with your mentor and complete written academic work. In some cases, we may be able to match students with bilingual mentors, depending on availability.

Please give us at least 24 hours' notice if you need to reschedule a session. We will then try to arrange another time, subject to availability. If less than 24 hours' notice is given, the session may be considered completed and counted towards your programme. The mentor or Research Assistant may still choose to reschedule it at their discretion, but this is not guaranteed. Genuine emergencies will be considered individually.

This depends on your programme and project. Scholar and Mastery students typically spend approximately 1–5 hours per week on independent work such as reading, research, coding, analysis, or academic writing. Intensive requires more work each day because the programme is completed within two weeks.

Payments can be made securely through Stripe or by bank transfer upon request. Before making a payment, you will receive the programme price, currency, and any applicable taxes.

Yes. Instalment plans can be arranged for selected programmes when needed. The payment schedule is agreed with the family before enrolment and may vary depending on the programme and its duration.

Yes. After the application is accepted, a USD 200 deposit is required to begin the mentor matching process. The deposit is credited towards the total tuition fee. If we are unable to complete a suitable mentor match, the deposit is fully refundable.

Once the mentor matching has been completed and the programme details have been confirmed, the remaining tuition fee, or the first agreed instalment, must be paid before the programme start date. The USD 200 deposit is deducted from the total amount due.

In some circumstances, limited tuition support may be considered for families experiencing financial constraints. This is assessed individually and depends on the programme, available places, and the family's circumstances. Any adjustment is discretionary and cannot be guaranteed. Families who would like to discuss this can contact our Admissions Team confidentially.

Refund conditions depend on the programme and the stage of enrolment. Our refund policy is provided in writing before enrolment. We recommend reviewing it carefully before making a payment.

Sapiente may offer fully or partially funded places for selected programmes during specific scholarship periods. Scholarships are limited and awarded through a separate application and selection process. Current opportunities are announced on our website and official channels.

Students who successfully complete their programme receive a digital Sapiente Education certificate of completion. The certificate includes information about the programme completed and can be used as part of the student's academic portfolio.

Students completing any of our one-to-one programmes — Intensive, Scholar, or Mastery — are eligible to receive a personalised recommendation letter from their mentor. The letter is issued at the mentor's discretion and depends on the student's participation, work, and performance during the programme. Group programmes do not include recommendation letters.

A final presentation is optional and can be agreed between the student and mentor. It is most commonly completed as part of Scholar and Mastery projects. The student presents their main ideas, work, and conclusions using a short set of slides, with guidance from the mentor on the structure and key points. The exercise can help develop academic communication and presentation skills.

No. For programmes that include research publication support, we help the student develop the paper, improve the academic writing, select an appropriate journal, follow the submission, and support the revision process. The final decision is made independently by the journal, so publication or acceptance cannot be guaranteed.

Each paper is carefully developed and reviewed before submission. If it is not accepted, we help the student improve the manuscript and prepare one further submission to an appropriate journal. This support is included in the programme fee, although final publication decisions remain with the journal.

Yes. Students may include their Sapiente certificate and, where provided, a recommendation letter in applications to schools, universities, summer programmes, internships, or other academic opportunities.

No. A Sapiente programme can help students develop stronger academic skills, complete meaningful independent work, and demonstrate their interests and abilities. However, we cannot guarantee admission to any school, university, summer programme, scholarship, internship, or employer. All admissions decisions are made independently by those organisations.

At the end of the programme, the student completes their final academic work and receives a Sapiente Education certificate of completion. Depending on the programme and project, they may also complete an optional presentation, prepare research for journal submission, or receive guidance on possible next steps.

Our mentoring and Research Assistant sessions are held online using established video-conferencing platforms such as Google Meet. Session links are shared directly with enrolled students.

Yes. All mentoring and Research Assistant sessions are recorded. After each session, the student receives access to the recording, AI-generated notes, and a transcript. This allows the student to review discussions, instructions, and feedback after the session.

No. Recordings, transcripts, AI-generated notes, and other private session materials are provided for use within the Sapiente programme and must not be shared with third parties outside Sapiente. These conditions are included in the programme agreements.

We only collect and use personal information needed to manage applications, enrolment, mentoring, payments, and programme delivery. Student information, recordings, and academic work are handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy and are not published or used publicly without the appropriate permission.