15 Best Summer Programs For High School Students

Because they receive so many applicants, competitive colleges no longer only evaluate students based on what they do during the school year. To make difficult admissions decisions, many institutions are now also looking at how applicants spend their summers.

One of the best ways to distinguish yourself from the pack of applicants is to participate in a summer program. Think of summer programs as pre-college camps that typically take place on college campuses. They often include things like lectures from school professors, research projects, and networking events and can range in length from one week to a couple of months.

Today, nearly every competitive college or university offers a summer program for students. But the majority of them cost thousands of dollars. Fortunately, some institutions also offer free or low-cost summer programs. The free programs are naturally much more competitive and, for that reason, look the best on your college application.

Here are the 15 of the best free or low-cost summer programs for high school students.

AIM Summer Program

Offered by the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the AIM Summer Program helps aspiring students experience Academy life. Like full time students at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, summer program attendees wake up early, study, and compete. According to its description, the program is “intense but rewarding.”

Location:

First session: Virtual
Second session: U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Connecticut
Third session: U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Connecticut

Length: 1 week

Program Dates:

First session: July 5-9
Second session: July 11-16
Third session: July 18-23

Application Deadline: April 1

Eligibility:

Must be a U.S. citizen
Must be between 16 and 18 years of age
Must be unmarried, not pregnant, and have no legal obligations to support anyone including a child
Must be physically fit and in good health, “with weight proportional to height”
Must have good moral character
Must be academically successful with demonstrated leadership skills and achievement outside of the classroom
Must have health insurance during the program

Arizona State University Summer Journalism Institute

Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication selects high-performing high school students to participate in hands-on training in broadcast and digital journalism. Participants gain experience in reporting, social media, web production, shooting and editing video and photos, and producing and directing a student newscast. Additionally, participants get to go on field trips to local news stations and interact with journalism professionals and like-minded peers.

The program has been canceled in 2021 due to COVID-19, but it is expected to resume in 2022.

Location: Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona

Length: 2 weeks

Program Dates: Early June

Application Deadline: TBD

Eligibility:

Must be a current high school student
Must be interested in pursuing a career in journalism

Bank of America Student Leaders

Bank of America’s Student Leaders summer program provides internships to community-minded high school juniors and seniors. Interns are paired with local nonprofit organizations and spend eight weeks learning about how nonprofits support community needs. At the end of the summer program, participants go on an all-expenses-paid trip to a national leadership summit in Washington D.C., where they learn about how government, businesses, and nonprofits work together to support communities.

Location: Local nonprofit organization + 1 week in Washington D.C.

Length: 8 weeks

Program Dates: Internship start dates vary by market; Washington D.C. summit runs July 12-17

Application Deadline: January 29

Eligibility:

Must be a current junior or senior
Must be able to participate in an 8-week internship and work 35 hours per week
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship
Must be able to participate in a week-long Student Leaders Summit in Washington D.C.
Must be a student in good standing
Must obtain a letter of recommendation from a teacher, guidance counselor, or school administrator
Must not be the family member of a Bank of America employee
Must meet residency requirement — check here for a detailed list

Boston University’s Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists

The Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists (PROMYS) is designed for students who are skilled mathematicians and are interested in exploring the “creative world of mathematics.” Participants get to attend lectures led by Boston University faculty, conduct research under faculty mentorship, and work on problem sets with peers. While the program costs just above $5,000 in full, financial aid is available on a sliding scale. The program is free for students from families with an annual income of $60,000 or less.

Location: Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts (remote in 2021)

Length: 6 weeks

Program Dates: June 15 to July 23

Application Deadline: February 18

Eligibility: Must be at least 14 years of age and have completed 9th grade by the start of the program

Carnegie Mellon Summer Academy for Math and Science

Carnegie Mellon’s Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS) program is for high school sophomores and juniors over the age of 16 who demonstrate a “strong interest in STEM disciplines.” While the program is open to students from all backgrounds, it is targeted at those from underrepresented groups. Those who are accepted to the program can expect to listen to lectures, participate in hands-on projects, and develop relationships with like-minded peers across the United States.

Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (remote in 2021)

Length: 6 weeks

Program Dates: July 6 to August 14

Application Deadline: February 15

Eligibility:

Must be at least 16 years old by the program start date
Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
Must be a current sophomore or junior in high school

Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program

The Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program is an opportunity for sophomore, junior, and senior high school cisgender and transgender girls and non-binary students to learn the computer science skills they need to jumpstart their careers in tech. All participants will get exposure to tech jobs, meet women working in the tech field, and join a “sisterhood of girls in tech.” No prior tech experience is needed.

Location: Remote

Length: 2 weeks

Program Dates:

Round 1: June 21 to July 2
Round 2: July 12-23
Round 3: August 2-13

Application Deadline: Mid-march

Eligibility:

Must be a current freshman, sophomore, or junior
Must identify as a cisgender or transgender girl or nonbinary

Indiana University’s Young Women’s Institute

Offered by Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, the Young Women’s Institute prepares young women for college and for careers in business by providing them with the opportunity to participate in workshops with faculty members, prepare their own case projects, and network with like-minded peers.

Location: Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (remote in 2021)

Length: 4 days

Program Dates: June 7-11

Application Deadline: June 1

Eligibility:

Must identify as female
Must be a rising senior
Must have a minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale

JCamp

In an effort to increase diversity in media, JCamp brings culturally diverse students together to participate in workshops, field trips, and hands-on training from veteran journalists and media executives. All students gain valuable experience in writing, reporting, photography, television and radio broadcasting, online media, and data journalism.

Location: TBD

Length: 6 days

Program Dates: TBD

Application Deadline: TBD

Eligibility: Must be a high school rising sophomore, junior, or senior

Princeton Summer Journalism Program

The Princeton Summer Journalism Program is for low-income students who are high academic achievers and want to pursue careers in journalism. Students attend lectures and workshops led by program alumni who now work for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, New York Magazine, The Daily Beast, Politico, Sports Illustrated, and CNN, among other media outlets. Throughout the program, students work in discussion groups with each other and with professional journalists.

Location: Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey (remote in 2021)

Length: 7 weeks

Program Dates: June 18 to August 10

Application Deadline: February 22

Eligibility:

Must be a junior in high school at the time of application
Must live and plan to attend college in the United States
Must have a minimum unweighted GPA equivalent to a 3.5 out of 4.0
Must have an interest in journalism
Must meet at least one of the socioeconomic conditions:
- Combined income of custodial parent(s)/guardian(s) plus child support payments, if any, must not exceed $60,000
- Qualify for free or reduced-price lunch in your high school
- Qualify for SAT or ACT fee waiver

Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program

The Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program invites high school students from diverse backgrounds to spend a couple of months working on basic medical research with Stanford faculty, postdoctoral fellows, students, and researchers.

The program has been canceled in 2021 due to COVID-19, but it is expected to resume in 2022.

Location: Stanford University, Palo Alto, California

Length: 8 weeks

Program Dates: June 15 to August 6

Application Deadline: February 23

Eligibility:

Must be current juniors and seniors
Must be 16 years old or older by the start of the program
Must be living in the United States and must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a green card

Texas Tech’s Anson L. Clark Scholars Program

The Anson L. Clark Scholars Program is a highly selective summer research program for high school juniors and seniors. Students work directly with faculty members in an intensive research setting and participate in weekly seminars, discussions, and field trips. The program accepts students interested in a wide variety of research areas, including advertising, engineering, law, and dozens of others. Only 12 students are accepted each year, but each receives a $500 meal card and a $750 stipend upon successful completion.

Location: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas

Length: 7 weeks

Program Dates: June 21 to August 4

Application Deadline: February 8

Eligibility:

Must be 17 years of age by the program start date
Must be a junior or senior

United States Air Force Academy Summer Seminar

The U.S. Air Force Academy’s Summer Seminar helps aspiring students get a taste for what life on campus would be like. All participants can expect to live in the dorms, eat in the dining halls, explore academic facilities and research labs, and participate in different workshops, one of which is meant to assist students with their application to the Air Force Academy.

Because students are living and eating on campus, there is a cost attached to the U.S. Air Force’s Summer Seminar. Typically, it costs about $300.

Location: U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Length: 4 days

Program Dates: TBD

Application Deadline: January 15

Eligibility:

Must be a current high school junior
Must have a GPA of 3.0 or above

United States Military Academy’s Summer Program

The Military Academy’s Summer Program gives aspiring students the chance to get to know the U.S. Military Academy “from all angles.” The immersive summer program introduces participants to campus facilities and challenges them to participate in team-building activities and realistic military training.

Because students are living and eating on campus, there is a cost attached to the U.S. Military Academy’s Summer Program. Typically, it costs about $500-$600.

Location: U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York

Length: 1 week

Program Dates:

Session 1: May 29 to June 4
Session 2: June 5-11

Application Deadline: March 15

Eligibility: Must be a current junior

United States Naval Academy Summer Seminar

The U.S. Naval Academy Summer Seminar introduces students to what life would be like as a midshipman. Students live on campus, participate in physical activities and academic workshops, and get to meet like-minded peers. And for those who decide that they want to apply to the Naval Academy for college, the application for the summer program can double as a preliminary application to the Naval Academy.

Because students are living and eating on campus, there is a cost attached to the U.S. Naval Academy’s Summer Program. The cost is TBD for 2021.

Location: U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland

Length: 1 week

Program Dates:

Session 1: June 5-10
Session 2: June 12-17
Session 3: June 19-24

Application Deadline: March 31

Eligibility:

Must be a current junior in high school
Must demonstrate “superior high school academic performance”
Must have “demonstrated achievement in athletics and extracurricular activities”
Must be physically fit and in good health
Must be “unmarried, not pregnant, and no legal obligation to support a child, children or other individual”

University of Iowa’s Secondary Student Training Program

The Secondary Student Training Program is an intensive summer research program for sophomores and juniors in which participants conduct research under the mentorship of faculty from the University of Iowa. Additionally, those accepted to the highly selective program get to participate in classes and networking activities.

Location: University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa (remote in 2021)

Length: 5 weeks

Program Dates: June 17 to July 23

Application Deadline: February 18

Eligibility: Must be a current sophomore or junior

Conclusion

Participating in a summer program is a great way to separate yourself from a crowded pool of applicants, gain valuable experience, make connections, and even determine what you want to study in college.

However, you should know that the summer programs on this list are some of the most prestigious in the United States. For that reason, they are also some of the most competitive. If you aren’t accepted to any of these programs, don’t worry too much. There are other opportunities out there, and attending a summer program isn’t the only way to distinguish yourself from others. For details, check TUN’s guide on “How To Make Your College Application Stand Out.”