2026 Life Sciences Quest Application

Life Sciences Quest is for students interested in learning about agriculture and how it impacts our lives. The academy will occur on the University of Missouri (Columbia) campus July 12-16, 2026. Thirty students will be selected from the state of Missouri, with an interest in advancing science in the future.

The academy is for high-ability rising sophomores, juniors and seniors.

Students who apply must reside in the state of Missouri.

The Life Sciences Quest program is free to all selected students, thanks to funding from the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

Applications are due by Wednesday, April 1. We expect to make our selections by May 4th.

First Name

Preferred Name

Middle Name

Last Name

Birthdate

Email Address

Phone Number

Gender (to be used for housing assignments)

Female

Male

Non-binary / third gender

Prefer not to say: please contact me to discuss rooming arrangements

What do you consider yourself to be? (Please select all that apply. This information will be used for reporting purposes only. Academy acceptance will not be based on this response.)

Address

Country

Street

City

Region

Postal Code

High School Attending

Anticipated High School Graduation Year (i.e., 2027)

Self-reported GPA

Parent/Guardian Name

Parent/Guardian Email Address (for camp communications)

Parent/Guardian Phone Number

I acknowledge if I’m selected to participate in Life Science Quest, I may be asked to provide a High School Transcript from my counselor.

Yes

No

I acknowledge that Life Sciences Quest is from Sunday, July 12 through Thursday, July 16 and I will attend the entire program. I will NOT be permitted to leave for sports or other practices.

Yes

No

How did you hear about the academy? (Select all that apply)

Essay Questions (limit of 500 words maximum each, all are required for submission)

Why do you want to participate in the Life Sciences Quest and how does it relate to your personal interests?

What are your career goals and how would learning about science and agriculture benefit you in this pursuit?

How does agriculture impact your daily life?

Resume

Please upload a one-page resume indicating your high school activities, athletics and community organization involvement. This will be used to select participants, so please include any relevant information regarding your science background or interests. The file must be in Word or PDF named with the following naming format: your last name-first name. For example, tiger-truman.pdf