Comparison
Aldevere vs Polygence
Polygence Core uses ten structured one-to-one sessions and offers optional showcasing support. Aldevere runs a focused one-to-one programme explicitly designed for students considering US, UK, or international applications. Here is how the models compare.
The short answer. There is no single best alternative to the Polygence research program, because the alternatives differ on the one variable that matters most to you. If you want accredited college credit, Pioneer Academics is the closest comparison. If you want a professor-led group format, Horizon Academic is. If you want a closely matched one-to-one mentor and a project that works for both Common App and UCAS applications, that is what Aldevere is built for.
Below is how Aldevere and Polygence actually differ, on format, mentor level, application context and what the student owns at the end. For the fees themselves, we keep a separate breakdown of how much Polygence costs.
At a Glance
| Polygence | Aldevere | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Core is one-to-one: ten one-hour sessions over three to six months. Pods are six-week small-group courses | One-to-one with a doctoral or postdoctoral researcher in the student's field: 60-minute sessions over eight weeks or more, spaced further apart in a longer programme, with the number of sessions stated in the written offer |
| Mentor level | "Expert academics and practitioners" from "world renowned educational institutions". Degree level not stated | Doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, matched to the student's question. If no one in our network fits, we recruit someone who does |
| Designed before the first session | Not stated as included: the first Core session is used to produce the research question, and topic scoping (Launchpad) is a separate add-on (checked 28 September 2026) | A reading path and project plan written for the student before the first session |
| Who is responsible besides the mentor | "Our program team": writing reviews, milestone check-ins, publication guidance. No named person responsible for the student is stated | An academic adviser, separate from the mentor, who looks after the student's progress and wellbeing from start to finish |
| What parents receive | Not stated on Polygence's site (checked 28 September 2026) | The schedule before the first session, progress updates at set points and whenever they ask, and a debrief at the end |
| If the match is not working | Rematch, or a full refund minus a 3.25% processing fee, if not satisfied after the first session | We change the mentor |
| What the student holds at the end | A written research project; access to a showcasing database and the Symposium of Rising Scholars. A written evaluation or certificate is not stated | A student-authored essay, literature review or brief, typically 3,000 to 5,000 words; a presentation of the work; a written report covering strengths, next steps and evidence of growth; a recommendation for what comes next; and a certificate that says Completion only when every session was attended and the work submitted, verifiable online by anyone the student shows it to |
| Publication | Showcasing routes (journals, fairs, the Symposium) through Premium Showcasing Support, priced separately | Completed Research Scholar work can be submitted to The Aldevere Review, published only if it meets the editorial standard, with no fee. Publication is never promised |
| References | At the mentor's discretion; students are told to ask well in advance | At the mentor's discretion. Mentors are glad to write one for a student who attended and took the work seriously |
| Applications | Student-led project with optional showcasing support | Common App and UCAS alike |
| Price | Core from about $3,000. Launchpad and Premium Showcasing Support priced separately, figures not published. Six instalments add an 8% fee | $6,500 for Research Scholar, $4,500 for a Field Seminar, from $2,000 for Academic Essentials (a custom plan). One fee covers the whole programme, with no paid add-ons |
Polygence cells read from its own FAQ and programme page on 28 September 2026; where a cell says not stated, those pages did not state it on that date. Aldevere cells are what every student receives. Confirm current details directly with each provider.
What Polygence Offers
Polygence is a well-established US platform that pairs high school students one-to-one with expert academic and practitioner mentors to produce an original research project. It has a strong brand in the American market and works with students around the world.
The Core Program consists of ten one-to-one sessions over roughly three to six months. Students can add Launchpad support to define a topic or choose a showcasing bundle after the project. Pods provide shorter small-group courses. Polygence publishes starting figures rather than fixed fees, and prices the add-ons separately; the numbers and what moves them are set out in our Polygence cost breakdown.
For a student who wants a predictable ten-session structure, a large mentor network, and optional support for presenting or submitting the work, Polygence is a credible choice.
What Aldevere Offers
Aldevere pairs each Research Scholar one-to-one with a doctoral or postdoctoral researcher in their field, in 60-minute sessions over eight weeks or more, spaced further apart in a longer programme. The programme is written for the student before the first session: a reading path and a project plan. If no one in our network fits the question, we recruit someone who does.
An academic adviser, separate from the mentor, looks after the student's progress and wellbeing from start to finish. Parents receive the schedule before the first session, updates at set points and whenever they ask, and a debrief at the end. If the match is not working, we change the mentor. The student writes every word; the mentor questions, teaches and gives feedback. Every programme ends with a written report, a recommendation for what comes next and a numbered certificate.
The fee is published: $6,500 for Research Scholar, covering the whole programme with no paid add-ons, confirmed in writing after the interview and before payment.
Where Aldevere Is Stronger
Written before the first session
A reading path and project plan exist before your child meets the mentor. Polygence uses the first paid session to define the question, and sells topic scoping separately.
A mentor for the question
Doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, matched to the student's question. If no one in our network fits, we recruit someone who does. Affiliations describe individual mentors and do not imply institutional endorsement.
An academic adviser alongside the mentor
One named person, separate from the mentor, responsible for your child's progress and wellbeing from start to finish. Polygence's pages describe a program team; no named role is stated.
Parents kept informed
The schedule before the first session, updates at set points and whenever you ask, and a debrief at the end. Polygence's pages do not state what parents receive.
A written report and a numbered certificate
Every programme ends with a written report on the work, a recommendation for what comes next, and a certificate that anyone the student shows it to, such as a university, can verify at aldevere.com/verify.
One fee, published, nothing added
$6,500 covers the whole Research Scholar programme. No per-session charges, no add-ons to reach the finished work, no instalment fee, and the figure is confirmed in writing before payment.
When Each Makes Sense
Polygence is a good fit if your child:
- Wants a fixed ten-session structure and a large mentor marketplace.
- Prefers a set, predictable structure with a defined number of sessions.
- Wants a clear publication pathway and an established place to showcase the work.
- Would like a lighter or lower-cost entry point, such as Pathfinders or a group Pod, before committing.
Aldevere is the better fit if your child:
- Wants a doctoral or postdoctoral researcher found for their question, and a programme written before the first session.
- Has parents who want someone besides the mentor responsible for them, and updates during the programme.
- Is applying to selective US universities, UK universities, or both, and wants one project that works for all of them.
- Wants a written report and a numbered certificate at the end, and work that is provably their own, ready to discuss in an interview.
The Bottom Line
Polygence is a credible, structured choice for students who want a ten-session format, a large mentor network, and optional showcasing support.
If you want the programme written before it starts, a researcher found for the question, an academic adviser alongside the mentor, updates as a parent, and a written report at the end, at one published fee, that is what Aldevere is for. A short interview establishes whether the fit is right.
Apply for an interviewSources and methodology
Last reviewed 28 September 2026. We compare current public programme information and avoid inferring admissions outcomes or institutional endorsement. Fees, formats, and availability can change; confirm them directly with each provider before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Aldevere different from Polygence?
Polygence Core is ten one-hour sessions with an expert mentor, a program team for check-ins, and showcasing routes; the first session is used to define the question, and topic scoping and showcasing support are add-ons priced separately. At Aldevere the programme is written for the student before the first session, the mentor is a doctoral or postdoctoral researcher recruited for the question, an academic adviser separate from the mentor looks after progress and wellbeing, parents receive the schedule, updates at set points and a debrief, and every programme ends with a written report and a numbered certificate. One fee of $6,500 covers all of it.
Is Aldevere more expensive than Polygence?
On the headline figure, yes: $6,500 against about $3,000. Polygence's figure is a starting price. Topic scoping (Launchpad) and showcasing support are add-ons with no published price, and paying in six instalments adds 8%. Aldevere's $6,500 includes the design work before the first session, the academic adviser, parent updates and the written report, with nothing added. Compare the totals in writing, and what each total includes.
Does Aldevere work for US applications?
Yes. Aldevere works with students applying through both the Common App and UCAS. The project remains the same student-authored work, while the reflection and evidence used in each application are adapted to the different admissions contexts. No project guarantees admission.
Is publication the goal?
Not as an automatic outcome. Polygence offers showcasing routes that can include journals, conferences, fairs, apps, podcasts, or other public outcomes. Aldevere supports an appropriate submission when the work genuinely earns it, but the priority is a strong, original piece the student can explain and defend. Neither publication nor admission should be promised.
How do I decide between them?
Polygence is a credible choice for a ten-session structure, a large mentor network and a lower entry price. Aldevere fits if you want the programme designed before it starts, someone besides the mentor responsible for your child, updates as a parent, and a written report at the end, at one published fee. Ask both who the mentor will be, what is written before the first session, what you will hear during the programme, and what the total is in writing.
Published fees
What would this actually cost for your child?
Aldevere publishes its fees: Research Scholar $6,500, Field Seminars $4,500, Academic Essentials from $2,000 (a custom plan), each covering the whole programme with no paid add-ons. After an interview you receive the programme, the schedule and the fee for your child in writing.
- A fixed, published fee for Research Scholar and Field Seminars, not a "starting at" figure
- All-inclusive: no per-session charges, no paid add-ons to reach the final work
- The programme and project scope confirmed before you are asked for anything
- No obligation and no payment until that figure is in front of you