Summer programs are great ways for you to immerse yourself in a subject (or two) of your choice, resulting in a focused and comprehensive learning experience. If you’re a teen looking to gain some experience in an academic (or professional) setting, summer programs help offer practical experience and equip you with an advanced skillset.
Additionally, these summer programs come with a solid networking component, which can come in handy while looking for future research or internship opportunities as a high school or college student!
If you are interested in attending engaging summer programs that can give your skillset a competitive boost, take a look at the following list of 20 top summer programs for teens.
Subject Areas: Medicine
Location: Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
Eligibility: U.S. high school juniors and seniors aged 16+
Application Deadline: February
Dates: June 10, 2024 - August 1, 2024 (8 weeks)
Stipend: Minimum stipend of $500; students from underrepresented groups will receive at least $1,500.
As part of SIMR, students will perform 1-1 research under Stanford faculty, researchers, and postdoctoral fellows in one of eight areas—immunology, neurobiology, stem cell and regenerative medicine, cancer biology, bioengineering, bioinformatics, cardiovascular biology, and genetics and genomics.
You will deliver poster presentations about your research at the final poster session.
2. Horizon’s Research Program
Location: Virtual
Application Date: Applications close in May for summer.
Program Dates: June 24, 2024 - September 2, 2024. Other cohorts are also available.
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA)
Horizon offers trimester-long quantitative and qualitative research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, psychology, and more!
Once you select a particular subject track and type of research you’ll be paired with a professor or Ph.D. scholar (from a top university) who will mentor you throughout your research journey. You’ll work to create a 20-page, university-level research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student.
Subject Areas: STEM
Location: A NASA center in the country / remote
Eligibility: Students aged at least 16 with a 3.0 CGPA and U.S. citizenship
Application Deadline: August 23, 2024 (spring) | October 25, 2024/February 28, 2025 (summer) | May 16, 2025 (fall)
Dates: Spring, summer, and fall
Stipend: Paid (amount not specified)
NASA’s OSTEM internships pair students with professional mentors to contribute to NASA’s ongoing projects. You can work in areas like 3D modeling, aviation, robotics, sustainability, climate change events, data analytics, aerospace engineering, remote sensing, and others. Take a look at some opportunities here.
Subject Areas: STEM
Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Eligibility: High school juniors with a strong academic record
Application Deadline: Applications for 2025 will open in the fall. The deadline is not mentioned.
Dates: July-August (6-7 weeks)
Stipend: Not paid
MIT’s RSI allows 100 students to experience first-hand research and intensive STEM classes. After a week of classes, you will read scientific literature, receive research assignments, and perform guided laboratory research. Weekly lectures, field trips, and final paper and oral presentations are included in the program.
Subject Areas: Neuroscience
Location: Johns Hopkins Department of Medicine, Baltimore, MD / Virtual
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors, with in-person applicants attending a school in Baltimore
Application Deadline: March 1
Dates: June-August (8 weeks in person) | July-August (virtual 5 weeks)
Stipend: Hourly wages and transportation funds for in-person interns and a fixed stipend of $500 for virtual interns
JHIBS takes place in two formats:
- In-Person Internship: 8 students will participate in guided research, clinical rotations, scientific seminars, professional development sessions, mentor meetings, and final presentations.
- Virtual Internship: Selected students will attend educational presentations, mentorship training, professional development training, and sessions on laboratory techniques and experiments.
Subject Areas: STEM, humanities, and social sciences
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum 3.3 GPA
Application Deadline: Summer deadlines are usually in March, April, and May.
Program Dates: June-August (summer). Fall, winter, and spring cohorts are also available.
Cost: $2,800 (12 weeks) | $5,400 (16-20 weeks). Financial aid is available.
Founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers, this program pairs students with Ph.D. mentors to learn about their field and develop an independent research project that you will present at the final symposium. You can choose from subject areas like medicine, mathematics, engineering, data science, physics, economics, psychology, philosophy, sociology, law, and others.
7. Veritas AI
Subject Areas: Artificial intelligence and machine learning
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: High school students. Students applying to the AI Fellowship program need to complete the AI Scholars program or have previous experience in AI and Python.
Application Deadline: Multiple cohorts throughout the year. The deadline for the fall cohort is September 8, 2024.
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Cost: $1,790 (AI Scholars) | $4,900 (AI Fellowship) | $5,900 (both)
Founded by Harvard graduates, Veritas AI’s AI Scholars teaches students the fundamentals of AI and guides them to build a real-world project in groups of 3-5. More experienced teens can opt for the AI Fellowship, which provides 1-1 mentorship and individual model development and presentation.
Subject Areas: STEM
Location: Varies based on lab locations
Eligibility: U.S. high school students who are at least 16 years old and have completed grade 9
Application Deadline: Closed for 2024. Applications open on August 1, 2024, for 2025.
Dates: June-August (8 weeks)
Stipend: $4,000 (new participants) | $4,500 (returning participants)
SEAP places around 300 students in one of 38 DoN laboratories in the country, giving you a chance to learn about naval research and technology. Research areas include chemistry, robotics, mechanical engineering, computer science, biology, physics, medicine, environmental studies, meteorology, statistics, oceanography, and more.
Subject Areas: Medicine and Healthcare
Location: NIH campuses across the country
Eligibility: Juniors and seniors of high school who are at least 17 years old and live within 40 miles of their nearest NIH campus
Application Deadline: February
Dates: July 2, 2024 - August 1, 2024 (8 weeks)
Stipend: $2,300-2,530 (high school students) or $2,570-2,840 (high school graduates).
Accepting ~7% of applicants, the HS-SIP places selected students in one of the NIH’s Institutes and Centers (IC) in a research group under a Principal Investigator (PI). You can learn and perform basic, clinical, or translational research in behavioral, biomedical, and social sciences. Professional development and college advising sessions will also take place.
Subject Areas: Geosciences
Location: University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD
Eligibility: High school seniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, have a minimum 2.7 GPA, and have been accepted into a U.S. university
Application Deadline: May
Dates: July 1, 2024 - August 9, 2024 (6 weeks)
Stipend: $500 per week, with free housing, meals, and transportation
The Geosciences Bridge Program offers 2 for-credit courses along with lectures, field trips, research, and hands-on activities in marine sciences, atmospheric science, environmental science, civil and environmental engineering, physical oceanography, remote sensing, and biogeochemistry. Students will also work in research groups and present their projects at the final symposium.
Subject Areas: Earth and space science
Location: UT Austin, Austin, TX + Virtual
Eligibility: U.S. high school juniors
Application Deadline: February
Program Dates: June, 2024 - July 6, 2024 (online work with mentors) | July 7, 2024 - July 20, 2024 (on-site for 11th graders) | July 27, 2024 - August 4, 2024 (on-site for 10th graders)
Stipend: No stipend, but housing, meals, and local transportation are provided.
SEES begins with online modules on Earth and Space Science and Python and online project work with mentors, followed by on-site project work with engineers and scientists. If selected, you will work on projects involving NASA satellite data, ice sheet analysis, Earth’s gravitational field, mission design, and remote sensing. Project presentations will take place at the program’s virtual symposium.
Subject Areas: Science and engineering
Location: One of the U.S. Army Research Laboratories and Centers in the country
Eligibility: Current U.S. high school students
Application Deadline: Rolling
Dates: May-August (6-10 weeks)
Stipend: Paid based on a centralized stipend policy (amount not specified)
In the AEOP, you will work 1-1 with a university researcher or a Department of Defense scientist mentor. Workshops and regular mentor meetings will take place along with laboratory research. You can opt for subject areas like cybersecurity, materials science, mechanical engineering, and more.
Subject: Engineering, computer science, biology, nutrition, history, and chemistry
Location: TexasTech University campus, Lubbock, TX
Eligibility: U.S. citizen or permanent resident students who are at least 17 years old
Application Deadline: February
Dates: June 16, 2024 - August 1, 2024 (7 weeks)
Stipend: $750 + free housing and meals
12 highly qualified students will gain practical research experience with 1-1 mentorship from experienced faculty. Lab work, social activities, and weekly lectures will take place throughout the program. Research areas include nutritional sciences, biology, computer science, mechanical engineering, history, chemistry, and others. Students will submit a final research project report.
Subject Areas: Marine biology
Location: Usually within a 45-minute commute of students’ homes
Eligibility: High school students aged 16+ and residents of the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Pacific Islands, or Mexico
Application Deadline: January
Dates: June-August (8 weeks)
Stipend: $3,000 and an all-expenses paid trip to the Hutton Scholars Summit
Sponsored by the American Fisheries Society (AFS), this program offers research experiences in conservation and habitat restoration and management along with career advice. Students will perform activities like water quality testing, data processing, surveying fish populations, electrofishing, snorkeling, and more.
Subject Areas: Math and science
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Eligibility: High school juniors who are at least 16 years old and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
Application Deadline: March
Dates: June 22, 2024 - August 3, 2024
Cost: Free (fully funded by the university)
SAMS provides selected students with a comprehensive introduction to STEM through lectures and classes, hands-on projects, and interaction with faculty and staff mentors. Starting with virtual skill-building, the program will continue in person with courses, workshops, project and lab work, and a final symposium.
Subject Areas: STEM
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA
Eligibility: U.S. high school juniors with strong academic records
Application Deadline: February
Dates: June-August (6 weeks)
Cost: Free, including room and board
Students selected for MITES Summer take courses in math, physics, life sciences, and humanities and an elective in subjects like electronics, genomics, architecture, engineering design, and machine learning. Classes, workshops, project work, recitations, lab tours, trips, and social events will also take place.
Subject Areas: STEM
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, seniors, and recent high school graduates
Application Deadline: Priority deadline: December | Final deadline: March
Dates: July 8, 2024 - July 26, 2024 | July 29, 2024 - Aug 16, 2024
Cost: $5,500. Need-based scholarships are available.
Columbia’s SHAPE immerses students in college-level, project-based courses in science and engineering, especially robotics, computer science, medicine, electrical innovation and design, mathematics, and more. You will also participate in electives, professional development workshops, college preparation sessions, lab sessions, tours and trips, and social activities.
Subject Areas: STEM, history, creative writing, philosophy, social justice, etc
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA / Online
Eligibility: Students in grades 8-11
Application Deadline: March
Dates: June 17, 2024 - June 28, 2024 (session 1) | July 8, 2024 - July 19, 2024 (session 2)
Cost: $3,050. Financial aid is available.
This program lets you choose from nearly 60 courses, with subject options including business, entrepreneurship, math, computer science, engineering, design, philosophy, social justice, law, environmental science, and more. Social activities, presentations, and project work are some highlights of this summer program.
Subject Areas: STEM, business, arts, medicine
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors aged 16-19
Application Deadline: January-February
Dates: June 23, 2024 - July 5, 2024 (session 1) | July 7, 2024 - July 19, 2024 (session 2) | July 21, 2024 - August 2, 2024 (session 3)
Cost: $5,550 (including housing). Limited need-based aid is available.
Harvard’s Pre-College Program is an intensive 2-week program in which you can take a college-level course (15 students in each class) taught by accomplished professors while living on campus. Courses are available in speech, writing, literature, law, politics, history, philosophy, psychology, medicine, race, gender, business, and STEM.
Subject Areas: Art and design
Location: Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
Eligibility: High school students aged 16-18 and have completed grades 10 or 11
Application Deadline: February
Dates: June 29, 2024 - August 3, 2024
Cost: Residential program: $11,350 | Commuter program: $8,715. Scholarships are available.
This program exposes students to college-level curriculum, projects and critiques, trips and tours, day-long studio classes, and final exhibitions. You will take foundation courses in drawing, design, and critical studies and choose a major like animation, ceramics, sculpture, textiles, architecture, printmaking, photography, painting, graphic design, and film/video.
David Wilkinson is a freelance writer for Horizon and currently resides in the United States.