Inspirit AI - FAQ

We encourage you to apply by the priority deadline as we review applications on a rolling basis. You should hear back with an admission decision within 1-2 weeks.

We usually take 1–2 weeks to process applications given the high volume we receive. Accepted students will receive further information on how to pay program tuition and secure enrollment in the course.

Following your submission, we usually take 1 week to send back acceptance emails given the high volume of applications we receive. If you or your student is accepted, we send another email teaching you how to set up all the logistics required to prepare for class (setting up Google Colab, Piazza, Pre-camp Python preparation materials) and other necessary information before your first session.

We don’t require anything besides an interest in AI! About half of our students are completely new to programming before joining the course. Our curriculum is designed to introduce new students to Python.

More advanced programming students are also welcome and will be paired with students who have similar backgrounds. They will have more challenging material suited to their experience.

Generally, the students who work on advanced projects come in with coding experience. We’d recommend choosing beginner/intermediate projects, but we can make exceptions if you’d like to challenge yourself or are extremely interested in one project.

Generally, all that’s required is proficiency in algebra. Any other math needed will be taught during the course.

Absolutely! We’ve had the fortune of guiding students from more than 70+ countries in learning fundamental AI concepts, preparing for college admissions, and applying their passions to achieve social good.

Our live online AI Scholars cost $1200, which includes 25 hours of lesson time, all of our incredible instructors from top universities, extra hours of special sessions and student help, and all teaching materials. 

Our live online AI Deep Dives cost $1200, which includes 25 hours of lesson time, all of our incredible instructors from top universities, extra hours of special sessions and student help, and all teaching materials. 

Please learn more about the cost breakdown on our Deep Dives page.

Inspirit AI offers a 1-on-1 research mentorship program for high school students to work individually with an experienced research mentor.

AI+X Individual Research (10 hours): USD $2500

AI+X Individual Research Fellowship (25 hours): USD $5000

Please learn more about the cost breakdown on our Returning Students page.

Please submit your payment no later than 30 days before your sessions begin. Please also note that admissions are on a rolling basis and spots are limited. 

Yes, students can request financial aid applications when applying to the program. We have limited financial assistance on a need basis. If you would like to apply, please email us on admissions@inspiritai.com and we will email you the application form.

Additionally, we also offer the option to pay tuition in installments, which many families find more convenient.

We offer our live online programs at various times, which you can find listed here. All times are listed in Pacific Time; please adjust for your time zone!

We go to great lengths to ensure small class sizes for students — the average student-to-teacher ratio is 6 to 1.

Our instructing team is made up of graduate students, alumni, and advanced undergraduates in AI + programming from Stanford, MIT, and other top universities across the U.S., as well as industry professionals from companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. Our instructors come from a wide array of backgrounds and have expertise applying AI techniques to disciplines such as healthcare, arts, sustainability, engineering, science, and more.

Our 25-hour course consists of 10 2.5-hour classes.

For the first five class periods, students learn the fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in the programming language Python. Through interactive lectures and hands-on coding exercises, students will learn about Linear Regression, Classification, Natural Language Processing, Neural Networks, Convolutional Neural Networks, and more.

In the second half of the course, students collaborate in small groups to complete an AI project for social good. Our team has developed a series of projects that sit at the intersection of AI and other domains, such as healthcare, art and entertainment, political science, astronomy, finance, sustainability, and more.

Students will be asked about their project preferences before the program begins, and on the final day of the program, families are invited to watch each group give an 8- to 10-minute presentation on their research and work.

Before the course begins, students fill out a survey and decide their top three preferences for social good projects. These projects teach students to code AI software which solve real problems in healthcare, COVID-19 pathology, fake news detection, object detection, facial emotion recognition, disaster relief, analyzing hate speech, and more. We do our best to match students with projects they express interest in. 

During the project, students work in a small group with an instructor to complete these projects. Most of the work is done on Python notebooks, where students process data, build machine learning models, and analyze results. This work culminates until the last day of the camp, where students present their projects with friends and family in attendance. 

These projects provide proof of the student’s competency. In point of fact, they look great on applications for college or even internships because they can have real-world impact. You can learn more about our projects here. 

Throughout our live online Scholars program, students join class via a main Zoom room overseen by a Program Manager who coordinates all logistics of the session. Within smaller breakout rooms, students will participate in interactive lectures, hands-on coding exercises, and small-group projects led by our team of Stanford/MIT instructors.

Our course is designed for students to complete most work during class. We do not assign homework, though towards the end of the program, students usually spend 2–4 hours outside of class working on their group presentations.

Additionally, we provide optional, advanced content and bonus (p)review sessions outside of class time for students who want to explore further. We also include special sessions with our instructors who are involved in cutting edge AI research. Examples of past special sessions include AI + Genetics, Machine Learning Deployment in the Real World, Generative Adversarial Networks, and more!

Yes, we send students certificates of completion in the weeks following the program.

Yes, materials will be live on your online portal for 3 months.

You may ask an instructor for a recommendation, but it is ultimately up to their discretion.

Yes, we offer follow-up programs for students to deepen their AI programming and AI project building skills. You can learn more about our 1:1 AI + X Mentorship Program here and our AI Deep Dives Program here.

We welcome 8th graders and rising freshmen to join if they already have a background in computer programming. Otherwise, we highly recommend our middle school program, AI Pioneers, in order to develop a stronger understanding of the fundamentals of computer programming and AI.

Yes, you can learn more about our middle school program here. We have designed AI Creators for students between 5th and 7th grade, and AI Pioneers for students between 7th and 8th grade. 

Our Pioneers course is designed for students in 7th and 8th grade, while our AI Scholars program is geared toward high school students. Both programs include 25 hours of lesson time and are the same cost, and both programs have a student-to-teacher ratio of 5-6 students for every instructor.

While both Scholars and Pioneers are taught in Python and welcome those with no coding experience, the main difference is that AI Scholars more deeply explores complex AI topics, AI ethics, and instructors’ AI journeys. Therefore, for middle school students with coding experience who are looking for more of a challenge, we recommend our AI Scholars program.

You can find more information about our AI Pioneers program here and our AI Scholars program here, and please feel free to reach out to our team to discuss which program may be the best fit for you!