Head to Head
Polygence vs Lumiere
Two of the best-known research mentorship providers, with genuinely different structures and very different approaches to publishing what they charge.
The short version. Polygence is ten one-hour sessions over three to six months, from about $3,000. Lumiere is a fixed twelve-week arc with defined phases, and publishes no price. Polygence is more flexible in pacing; Lumiere is more prescribed about producing a paper.
A disclosure, because it should affect how you read this: Aldevere is also a research mentorship provider, so we compete with both. We have kept this page to what each provider states on its own pages, and confined anything about ourselves to one clearly marked section near the end.
Side by side
| Polygence | Lumiere Education | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | One-to-one mentorship. Pods offer small-group courses. | One-to-one research mentorship. |
| Structure | Ten one-hour sessions across roughly three to six months. | A twelve-week arc: mentor match, topic and question, paper writing, final edits and submission. |
| Published price | Programmes start at about $3,000. Pods from $495. | No price published on its own programme pages. |
| Add-ons | Launchpad and Premium Showcasing Support, prices not published. | Not published. |
| Payment | Upfront, or six instalments with an 8% fee. | Not published. |
| Scale | Large mentor network, established US brand. | States 7,200+ students mentored and $1.8m+ in financial aid awarded. |
| Origins | US platform pairing students with mentors for original projects. | Founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers. |
| Mentor level | "Expert academics and practitioners"; degree level not stated. | "PhD fellow and post-doc" mentors; professors on its professor programme. |
| Before the first session | The first Core session is used to define the research question; topic scoping (Launchpad) is an add-on. | Not stated (checked 28 September 2026). |
| Besides the mentor | A program team: writing reviews, milestone check-ins; no named role stated. | Program oversight from a Lumiere program manager; writing-coach sessions. |
| What parents receive | Not stated (checked 28 September 2026). | Not stated (checked 28 September 2026). |
| If the match is not working | Rematch, or a full refund minus a 3.25% processing fee, if not satisfied after the first session. | Not stated (checked 28 September 2026). |
| At the end | A written project; showcasing database and Symposium. Evaluation or certificate not stated. | A college-level paper; 3 UCSD Extended Studies credits and a transcript. Evaluation or certificate not stated. |
| References | At the mentor's discretion; ask well in advance. | Not stated on the programme pages (checked 28 September 2026). |
Taken from each provider's own public pages, reviewed 27 July 2026; the rows from mentor level down were read on 28 September 2026, and "not stated" means the provider's pages did not state it that day. Confirm current details directly before enrolling.
The real difference: pacing versus process
The comparison usually gets framed around price, which is the least informative angle available given that only one of them publishes a figure. The more useful distinction is how prescribed the work is.
Lumiere fixes the process. Its twelve weeks are mapped: mentor match in week one, topic and research question through weeks two to four, writing with one-to-one support in weeks five to nine, then final edits and submission. That suits a student who benefits from a scaffold and a deadline, and who wants a paper at the end.
Polygence fixes the hours. Ten one-hour sessions across three to six months is a budget of mentor time rather than a prescribed method. That suits a student who already knows roughly where they are going, or whose output is not necessarily a traditional paper.
Neither is better in the abstract. A self-directed student can find a fixed twelve-week arc constraining; a student who needs structure can drift through ten unstructured hours.
On the pricing gap
Polygence publishes a starting price; Lumiere publishes none. It is worth being fair about what that does and does not tell you.
It does not mean Lumiere is more expensive. Programmes scoped per student are genuinely hard to advertise with a single number, and plenty of credible providers, ourselves included, take that view. What it does mean is that you cannot compare these two on price without contacting Lumiere directly.
It is also worth noting that Polygence's published figure is a floor rather than a fee. Launchpad and Premium Showcasing Support are separate bundles with no public prices, and six-instalment payment adds 8%. The gap between "from about $3,000" and a final invoice can be significant, so ask for the total either way.
Which should you choose?
Lean Lumiere if your child works best against a defined structure and deadline, and the goal is specifically a written research paper.
Lean Polygence if your child is self-directed with a formed interest, if you want a published starting price to plan against, or if the intended output is a project rather than a paper.
In both cases, get the all-inclusive total in writing, the mentor contact hours, and confirmation of whether the final output requires a paid add-on. Those three answers make the decision far clearer than any comparison page can.
Where we come in
A third option, stated plainly
Since you have read this far, it is only fair to say where Aldevere actually differs, and where it does not.
What we commit to for every student, on the rows above: the programme is written 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, as Lumiere's program manager does on its side; parents receive the schedule, updates at set points and a debrief; if the match is not working we change the mentor; and the programme ends with a written report and a numbered certificate. We work in both UCAS and Common App contexts.
The fee is published: $6,500 for Research Scholar, covering the whole programme with no add-on required to reach the final work. A short interview settles the fit and ends with the recommended programme, the plan and the fee in writing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between Polygence and Lumiere?
Structure and transparency. Polygence Core is ten one-hour sessions spread across three to six months and publishes a starting price of about $3,000. Lumiere runs a fixed twelve-week arc with defined phases for topic selection, writing, and submission, and publishes no price on its programme pages. Polygence gives you more flexibility in pacing; Lumiere gives you a more prescribed research process.
Which is more expensive, Polygence or Lumiere?
This cannot be answered from published information. Polygence states programmes start at about $3,000. Lumiere does not publish a figure, so a direct comparison requires enquiring with Lumiere. Note that Polygence's figure is a starting price rather than a fixed fee, and its Launchpad and Showcasing add-ons are priced separately and not published either.
Which one is better for a research paper?
Lumiere's structure is more explicitly built around producing a paper: weeks five to nine are dedicated to writing with one-to-one support, and weeks ten to twelve to edits and submission. Polygence's ten sessions are less prescriptive about the output, which suits students who want a project that is not necessarily a traditional paper.
Is either programme better for UK universities?
Both are US-founded and their materials are oriented primarily toward US admissions. Neither is unsuitable for a UK applicant, but neither is designed around UCAS, where a personal statement is assessed on academic substance in a single subject and Oxbridge interviews probe the work directly. UK applicants should ask either provider directly how they handle that context.
How should I choose between them?
Ask both for the all-inclusive total in writing, the number of mentor contact hours, whether the final output requires any paid add-on, what is prepared before the first session, who besides the mentor is responsible for the student, what you will hear as a parent, and what happens if the match is not working. Then compare cost per contact hour. Polygence Core gives a clean benchmark at roughly $300 per hour before add-ons. If a provider will not put the total in writing before you commit, treat that as information in itself.
Sources and methodology
Last reviewed 27 July 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.
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